1. Alabama OLB Will Anderson Jr.
At the start of the 2022-2023 season I said Anderson was the best player in the nation. I stand by that notion as the draft nears. He totaled 27.5 sacks and 152 tackles over two seasons and made everyone around him better. I predict Arizona takes him at three to makeup for the losses of Zach Allen and J.J. Watt and he’ll thrive in the desert.
2. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
Not factoring in his off the field issues, Carter is the second best player in the draft. Much like Anderson, he does a great job making everyone around him great. His presence in the middle of a defense is known as he dominates double teams with quick hands and a powerful strike. Carter is an underrated pass rusher and has many tricks in his bag that will make him a household name in the NFL.
3. Ohio State QB CJ Stroud
The debate continues to rage: who is QB1 this year? I personally say it’s CJ Stroud. I originally was with Bryce Young until I saw Ohio State play Georgia and Stroud lit up and elite Bulldog defense with his cannon arm and sneaky mobility. Stroud takes care of the ball only throwing 6 interceptions to go with his 41 touchdowns this past season.
4. Alabama QB Bryce Young
If CJ Stroud is my QB1 then Bryce Young is my QB2. He’s a great decision maker and has shown an elite level of poise over his two seasons as a starter for Nick Sabans Crimson Tide. His height has been a concern in the pre-draft process, but that never proved to be an issue when he passed for over 3,200 yards and 32 touchdowns this season.
5. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
This years draft class is loaded from top to bottom at the corner position. The top corner in my eyes is Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon has a 6’1 frame and is a really good man-to-man corner. He matched up nicely with Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson and in 2022, he totaled 42 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 14 pass breakups.
6. Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
Mayer feels like the safest pick of the whole draft. He’s a proven day one starter in the NFL and is a multi-faceted weapon. If you put him in to block, you essentially have a sixth offensive lineman. When you have him run routes, he puts linebackers and safeties in a blender with his quick hips and great hands. There’s no doubt he’ll be a star.
7. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Much like the corner position in this draft class, the receiver class is loaded. Even though he missed the majority of the 2022-2023 season, I have Jaxon Smith-Njigba as my WR1. In the 2021-2022 season, he abused defensive backs catching 95 passes, 1,606 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He stood out when he tallied five games with over nine receptions. With great speed and glue like hands, Smith-Njigba is ready to assault NFL defensive backs.
8. Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey
I love everything about Calijah Kancey’s game. His quick hips as a pass rusher coincides with his lightning quick hands. He’ll be an elite 3-tech in the league much like a former Pitt Panther defensive tackle named Aaron Donald. Kancey ran a 4.67 40 at the combine and he displays that speed on tape. When Pittsburgh played Rhode Island this year, Kancey put on a defensive lineman masterclass in how to get after the quarterback.
9. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
It feels like the year of the pass rusher with Anderson, Carter, and Kancey, but one of the most intriguing prospects with tremendous upside is Tyree Wilson. Wilson has long arms and strong hands which make him effective in the run game. He’s able to stun those blocking him and shed blocks quickly. In addition, he exemplifies great power moves as a pass rusher utilizing the bull rush and long arm.
10. Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
While Skoronski is most likely a guard at the next level, he’s entering the draft as a tackle. He’s my number one offensive lineman in draft because of his physicality in the run game and picture perfect pass blocking technique. His athleticism is a tad concerning, but his technique in every facet of the game trumps his lacking athletic ability.
11. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
Of all the corners in this years class, Christian Gonzalez plays with the most physicality. He’s mean to the receivers he matches up with and showed last season how efficient he was in both man and zone coverage. I do wish we got to see him vs Jordan Addison this season to see what he’d look like against one of the nation’s best, but he proved himself by making 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups.
12. Texas RB Bijan Robinson
Running backs aren’t valued in the draft the same way they were ten years ago, but Bijan Robinson is an elite freak of nature. Even though Blake Corum received a lot of the hype this season, Robinson was the superior back. He rushed for 1,580 yards on 258 carries to go with 18 rushing touchdowns and 2 receiving. He’ll be a late first round pick, but a franchise back for whoever lands him.
13. USC WR Jordan Addison
In 2021-2022, Addison won the Biletnikoff Award and while he didn’t win it this season, he still thrived even in a new system. Addison runs the second best routes in the draft behind Jonathan Mingo and has a knack for getting open in zone coverage by finding open holes in defenses. This past season, Addison reeled in 59 passes for 875 yards and 8 touchdowns.
14. Alabama S Brian Branch
Branch is an absolute switch blade player. He succeeds playing in the box, in run support, and playing centerfield in coverage. This past season he had 90 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups. He has great hips in coverage and shows no fear at all when he’s making a tackle on big tight ends and bigger running backs.
15. Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
Energy. That’s what Paris Johnson Jr. brings to the football field. While his technique isn’t always great in the way Skoronski’s is, his athleticism makes him a hot commodity. I understand the argument of Johnson Jr. over Skornski, but I personally value technique over pure athleticism.
16. Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
Much like his father, Joey Porter Jr. plays with physicality. He works his hands nicely in coverage and was a part of a loaded Nittany Lions secondary in 2022. Porter proved to be an asset in run support tallying 27 tackles and 1 fumbled recovery. A lot of teams also didn’t try Porter as he saw minimal targets and broke up 8 passes.
17. Kentucky QB Will Levis
The possible draft position of Will Levis has sparked a lot of discourse this draft season and while some people are deeming him a bust, there’s a lot of good in his game. He puts a lot of zip on the ball and hits receivers in tight windows. Levis also poses a threat in the run game on designed QB runs and scrambling out of the pocket.
18. Tennessee OT Darnell Wright
No players draft stock has risen during combine season quite like Darnell Wright. And you know what? I completely get it. What he lacks as a pass blocker, he makes up for as a run blocker with great hands. His punch can displace defensive ends with ease and he has great hand placement consistently finding the center of defenders chests. The greatest trait in any offensive lineman is being mean and Darnell Wright is down-right nasty.
19. Iowa DE Lukas Van Ness
Lukas Van Ness looks like Hercules in the form of a pass rusher. He’s stout against the run and great at getting after the quarterback, but what really stands out to me is Van Ness’ versatility. He has the ability to play from the 4i-technique to wide 9-technique and find success. His play paired with teammate Jack Campbell, who we’ll get too later, kept the Hawkeyes in a lot of games this season.
20. Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
The rise of Dalton Kincaid in 2022 was a fun one to watch. He took PAC-12 teams by surprise when he caught 70 passes for 890 yards and 8 touchdowns and that’s why he’s my TE2 in this years draft. While he’s not an elite blocker like Mayer, he runs better routes than him. His size makes him an asset in the NFL and developing as a blocker would make him a star in the NFL.
21. Maryland CB Deonte Banks
As we slip out of the top 20, I have yet another cornerback. Of the top four of Porter Jr., Witherspoon, Gonzalez, and Banks, I’d hear the argument for any of them being CB1. I have Banks as my CB4 and he showed up in big spots for the Terps. In a close loss to Michigan, he was rarely targeted and held Cornelius Johnson to just 3 catches for 27 yards.
22. Iowa LB Jack Campbell
Linebacker might be the weakest position in the 2023 NFL Draft. The only player I deem to have first round talent is Iowa’s Jack Campbell. There’s no real flash or flare to his game, but he plays hard nosed football. He totaled 125 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions for the Hawkeyes last season. He’s phenomenal against the run and an underrated player in coverage.
23. TCU WR Quentin Johnston
I hopped on the TCU bandwagon this year and got to watch a lot of Quentin Johnston. He’s going to be a star in the NFL is what I came away with. He caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards and 6 touchdowns as Max Duggans top option. His 6’4 frame will make him a deep ball threat and goal line weapon for whoever is lucky enough to draft him.
24. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
Much like Levis, Richardson has had the NFL world talking. I have him as my QB4 due to his ability to throw. Yes, he can unload the rock and showed that at his pro day. But, during the season he threw 9 interceptions including 2 against Kentucky and 2 against South Florida. His rushing ability is what intrigues GMs the most and for good reason. He rushed for 654 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2022.
25. Florida IOL O’Cyrus Torrence
While the tackle position this year is pretty loaded, the interior offensive line class is a bit weaker. The cream of the crop is the massive Florida Gator O’Cyrus Torrence. Torrence stands at 6’5, 346 pounds, but moves very fluidly for his size. His pass protection is fun to watch as he easily glides back and forth between the A and B gaps.
26. Michigan DT Mazi Smith
The same way I’m discounting Jalen Carter’s off the field antics goes for Mazi Smith. Smith didn’t build himself a great reputation off the field, but in the Big House for the Wolverines, he was a true menace. He made 49 tackles from the defensive tackle position to go with 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. The reason I don’t have him higher is that I’m not sure how much you can rely on him for three downs. He’ll be primarily a first and second down player to stuff the run.
27. Boston College WR Zay Flowers
We’re going to have back-to-back years where a Boston College Eagle goes in the first round. Last year was Zion Johnson who is playing well for the Chargers. Now, it’s Zay Flowers time. Flowers runs clean routes creating separation in man coverage which is really fun to watch. He reeled in 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Eagles WR1 in 2022.
28. Minnesota IOL John Michael Schmitz
I mentioned it with O’Cyrus Torrence how the interior offensive line position was weak this year, but at center, John Michael Schmitz has day one starter talent. I had the chance to meet him at the Walter Camp dinner and physically, he’s everything you’d want in a center. A wide frame, long arms, and massive hands. Intelligence wise, he’s even more impressive as he held the starting center position for three seasons.
29. Georgia OLB Nolan Smith
If we’re talking pure athleticism, Nolan Smith would be at the top of the list. The 236 pound edge rusher ran a 4.39 40 yard dash and tallied a vertical of 41.5″ inches. In only eight games this season, Smith recorded 3 sacks and was a driving forced in the Bulldogs success. He plays a lot like Anthony Barr in his early seasons with the Vikings as he uses speed to win his matchups.
30. South Carolina CB Cam Smith
With the rise of Devon Witherspoon and Deonte Banks, Cam Smith has taken a bit of a back seat this draft season. It shouldn’t be forgotten that he’s a damn good player who excelled in the SEC. His most impressive performance came vs Clemson when he held Will Shipley to 2 catches for 13 yards. Smith only posted 1 tackle in the win because Clemson rarely looked his way.
31. Georgia OT Broderick Jones
Broderick Jones has top twenty draft pick potential this year and I attribute that to his play in the run game. He’s successful in wheeling defensive ends outside and coming down hard on a 3-tech on a double team. A big plus for Jones is that his 6’4 frame lends him to play both tackle and guard in the NFL and teams value that versatility.
32. Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Bijan Robinson is the clear cut RB1 in the draft, but the best receiving back is Jahmyr Gibbs. It feels cliche to compare him to this player, but he plays a lot like Darren Sproles. At 5’11, he utilizes his shifty hips and quick feet to make defenders pay when he’s running routes out of the backfield. He caught 44 passes for 444 yards and 3 touchdowns last season.
33. Clemson LB Trenton Simpson
Trenton Simpson is my ILB2 in the draft and his play style is nothing like my ILB1, Jack Campbell. Campbell plays downhill football, while Simpson is an elite coverage linebacker with sideline-to-sideline quickness. He tallied 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 3 pass breakups in 2022. His play style makes him an asset on all three downs in the NFL.
34. Georgia CB Kelee Ringo
Everywhere you look on this list, you see Georgia Bulldogs. I’ve raved about the Bulldogs front seven, but their back end made it possible for their front seven to pressure the quarterback. Kelee Ringo was the leader of their secondary as he picked off 2 passes and broke up 7 this season. He can play outside and slot which I love about his game and his 6’2 frame is bigger than most NFL quarterbacks.
35. Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo
If you want to talk about crispy routes, then we need to talk about Jonathan Mingo. Watching Mingo run routes is like watching Allen Iverson cross up a defender or Picaso stroke a canvas with a brush. It’s poetry. With great hips, sticky hands, and a 4.46 40 time he’ll excel in the NFL as a WR2. I don’t know if there’s potential with him as a WR1, but we’ll have to wait and see.
36. TCU IOL Steve Avila
When you look at TCU this past season, the names you think of are Max Duggan and Quentin Johnston, but an unsung hero was Steve Avila. The versatile lineman can play all three interior positions with ease and he showed that with multiple starts at center and guard in the 2022 season. TCU rushed for 2,899 yards en-route to a National Title appearance and Avila played a big factor in that ground game success.
37. Georgia TE Darnell Washington
I’m fully convinced that Darnell Washington isn’t human. He’s some type of mixture of the Terminator and Kellen Winslow. At 6’7, 270 pounds, he was going through, past, and over defenders this season as he caught 28 passes for 454 yards and 2 scores. His blocking is pristine and he showed that when he moved the weighted sled with ease about five yards further than any tight end at the combine.
38. Iowa State DE Will McDonald IV
Coming into the season, I was really high on Will McDonald IV and he pieced together a solid year making 36 tackles, 5 sacks, and 4 pass breakups. It’s not that he played poorly, he was just overshadowed by Anderson, Van Ness, and Wilson in 2022. His lanky frame and raw play style will benefit with the right coaching at the next level.
39. Penn State S Ji’Ayir Brown
Penn State had arguably the best secondary in all of college football with Joey Porter Jr. at corner and Ji’Ayir Brown playing centerfield. If it weren’t for Brian Branch, then Brown would be the first safety off the board. He tallied 74 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups. His play mimics Jeremy Chinn or Kyle Dugger as he’s able to succeed and make himself known anywhere on the field.
40. Ohio State OT Dawand Jones
I mentioned how great an athlete Nolan Smith is, but I find it more impressive that the 6’8, 360 pound pass blocker Dawand Jones can dunk a basketball. Just an alien. His skills on the court were proven, but his work on the field is even more impressive. Unlike a big guy like Mekhi Becton, Jones moves fluidly and can bend. At 6’8, it’s imperative that he can not just rely on his size and he doesn’t rely on his size. His technique was overall clean and ability to reach defensive ends was entertaining to see.
41. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
Hendon Hooker emerged this season as a true talent when he led the Vols to an 11-2 record. He has a strong arm as he threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns, but the thing executives and coaches love most is his ball security. He only threw 2 interceptions. Being 25 years old already is a concern, which is older than a lot of the leagues current starters. That’ll be his one draw back most likely making him a day two pick.
42. Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton
Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton has flown under the radar this season, but he’ll be a productive player who gets taken on day two of the draft. With 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season to go with a 5.08 40 time, he’s a steal in the back end of round two. Much like Will McDonald IV, he’ll benefit from NFL coaching to get better at working his hands and power moves in the pass game.
43. Arkansas LB Drew Sanders
There’s a lot I like about Drew Sanders. First off is his size. He’s a 6’5, 232 pound inside backer. That’s traditionally unheard of. Second is his numbers. He was the lifeblood of the Razorbacks defense in 2022 tallying 103 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 5 pass breakups. In a 3-4 as a true inside linebacker, he’ll become a household name.
44. Clemson DT Bryan Bresee
I’m probably in the minority here, but I don’t see Bryan Bresee being successful at the next level. I’ll cop to it if I’m wrong, but right now it just doesn’t make sense to me. Over three seasons, he’s only played in 23 games and this past season he didn’t post the best numbers when he was in the 3-tech spot. I think his quick get off and dynamic hands makes him a solid pass rusher in the NFL, but nothing more than that.
45. Ohio State IOL Luke Wypler
Ohio State had a stacked offensive line this year. At tackle they had Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones and on the inside was Luke Wypler. All three should be taken before the third round comes around. Wypler was an elite center this past season and is great in zone blocking schemes utilizing the three step rule to climb to the second level and latch onto linebackers.
46. Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman
I was between Tillman and his teammate Jaylin Hyatt for my WR6 spot, but Tillman feels more pro ready than Hyatt. In only six games for the Vols last season, he caught 37 passes for 417 yards and 3 touchdowns. Where this becomes more impressive is that fact that four of those six games saw Tillman catch 6 or more passes.
47. Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes
Having Emmanuel Forbes as my CB7 is in no way a negative. It just shows how stacked this class is. He was tried a lot this season and made SEC offensive pay as he picked off 6 passes and broke up 11 more. His 40 yard time at the combine of 4.35 seconds translates on the field when you see him close in on receivers in an elite manner.
48. Baylor DT Siaki Ika
Watching Siaki Ika play is fun. The 358 pound interior defensive lineman has remarkably quick fit and an explosive get off, and that was on full display when Baylor beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship two seasons ago. He was displacing NFL level offensive linemen and was the reason that they held strong against the Cowboys rushing attack on the goal line.
49. Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison
Oklahoma had a down year in 2022, but one bright spot was tackle Anton Harrison. The best part of his game is as a pass protector. His big kick slides and understanding of using angles to stop speed rushers shows his football IQ. He held Will McDonald to no sacks in the Sooners game vs Iowa State this season.
50. Illinois S Sydney Brown
To round out my top 50 players in the 2023 NFL Draft is Illinois safety Sydney Brown. Brown played second fiddle to Devon Witherspoon in Illinois secondary this season, but was a ball hawk. He picked off 6 passes and broke up 7 passes while adding 59 tackles.
Here are my player positional rankings for the draft. The colors coordinate with when I think the players will be drafted. Green means first round. Yellow is second or third round. Orange is round four to seven.
