Former Michigan defensive tackle Maurice "Mo" Hurst has had a rollercoaster ride of a draft season. After being sent home from the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February for a heart condition, there was talk his draft stock would fall.
However, he was cleared soon after the incident, which had happened before during his freshman year at Michigan, and is now back to being a projected first-round pick in the draft, which begins April 25.
Below we've rounded up some of the country's top NFL mock drafts to see where Hurst (and former offensive lineman Mason Cole) are being selected.
Maurice Hurst Projections
Chad Reuter, NFL.com, April 5: No. 20 overall to the Detroit Lions
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com, April 12: No. 22 overall to the Buffalo Bills
Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL.com, April 10: No. 26 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Notes: All three projections are to teams needing a defensive tackle. Reuter's pick to the Lions is the highest in any mock draft right now.
Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Scout, April 6: No. 25 overall to the Tennessee Titans
Their Take: "The Titans addressed needs in free agency and don’t have a glaring hole, allowing them to go with the best player available approach. And in this scenario, that is Hurst, who surges off the snap to disrupt the pocket."
Ben Standig, NBC Sports: No. 26 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Their Take: "Nose tackle Dontari Poe signed with the Panthers. Hurst's talent suggests top-20 prospect, but a recent heart condition discovery raises questions about his projection."
Tankathon.com: No. 26 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Tank Williams, Yahoo! Sports, April 11: No. 26 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Their Take: "It’s almost a given that the Falcons will select a DT with this pick. At this point, the wind is blowing in Hurst’s direction."
Todd McShay, ESPN, April 10: No. 26 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
Their Take: Assuming his medical checks out, Hurst would be a nice fit in Atlanta to help fill some snaps the Falcons lost with Dontari Poe's departure.
Notes: Detecting a theme here? Atlanta is in need of a disruptor at defensive tackle, and it's in a good draft position to find one. The Falcons have had success with smaller defensive tackles in the past (Grady Jarrett) and could see Hurst as being another guy who can make an impact right away.
Joe Giglio, NJ.com, April 12: No. 27 overall to the New Orleans Saints
Their Take: "New Orleans deserves a ton of credit for drafting well in 2017 and putting together a competent defense for the first time in a long time. Now it’s about adding depth."
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated, March 21: No. 30 overall to the Minnesota Vikings
Their Take: "Hurst’s heart condition might cause him to slip a little. But it doesn’t change the kind of player he is—the chaos-causing kind that Mike Zimmer really likes."
WalterFootball.com, April 12: No. 32 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
Their Take: "Doug Pederson comes from the Andy Reid school of thought where bolstering the trenches is paramount. He spent last year's first-round pick on Derek Barnett despite already having Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry, so I don't think it's out of the question that he could opt for a talented defensive tackle to play in a rotation with Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan. Both of those players stayed healthy in 2017, but what if that doesn't happen in 2018? It would be great to have a terrific insurance policy like Maurice Hurst, especially if Michael Bennett can't play because of his legal issues.
"Hurst, as you may have heard, was sent home from the combine because of a heart condition. Reports indicate that it doesn't seem too serious, so the Eagles could take him here, as they seem to be in a great position to gamble. We saw them do this with Sidney Jones last year, so I believe they'd try their luck with Hurst."
R.J. White, CBS Sports, April 12: No. 33 overall (first pick of round two) to the Cleveland Browns
Their Take: "A front four of Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Chubb and Hurst would be lethal."
Mel Kiper, ESPN, April 10: No. 33 overall (first pick of round two) to the Cleveland Browns
Their Take: This is my top-ranked quarterback, running back and 3-technique defensive tackle with the Browns' first three picks. (He had the Browns taking QB Josh Allen and RB Saquon Barkley with the first two picks)
Notes: These are the two mock drafts that go more than one round that have Hurst dropping to the second round. There are others, like Athlon and SEC Country, that don't have Hurst being taken in the first round, but don't include a second round in their mock drafts. If Hurst ends up with Cleveland, he'd join former Wolverine Jabrill Peppers.
In Kiper’s position rankings (updated March 23), he has former Michigan players ranked in several spots:
Khalid Hill - No. 5 FB
Mason Cole - No. 5 C
Maurice Hurst - No. 5 DT
In McShay’s rankings (updated March 27):
Mason Cole - No. 10 C
Maurice Hurst - No. 5 DT
Mike McCray - No. 7 ILB
Mason Cole Projections
Todd McShay, ESPN, April 10: No. 86 overall (third-round) to the Kansas City Chiefs
Their Take: "Cole is a serviceable center who needs to add strength."
Notes: This is the only major mock draft that has Cole included in the top three rounds at this point. The consensus on Cole s that he will be selected between the third and fifth rounds.
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