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Doug Farrar

2023 NFL Draft: Top 50 prospects 1.0 (pre-combine version)

NFL CJ Stroud Doug Farrar Christian Gonzalez Jalen Carter Bijan Robinson Bryce Young Joey Porter Jr Tyree Wilson Will Anderson Jr

There’s a lot that goes into a Big Board, and where you are in the evaluation process matters a lot. NFL teams have area scouts and scouting directors reporting to general managers; they’ve done the work on prospects all year long. If you’re writing about the NFL in-season, and sneaking away to watch as much college tape as possible, you’re scrambling a bit after the Super Bowl and before the scouting combine just to catch up.

So, full disclosure: This first Big Board of mine for the 2023 draft process reflects the 100-plus players I’ve watched to a point where I can reasonably assess what I think their NFL potential might be. Before the combine, I’ll watch a bunch more tape, and hopefully become more refined in the overall.

Once that happens, we’ll be building all kinds of position lists, single-subject evaluations, and mock drafts reflecting the widening of that study.

A few near-misses who may make the next Big Board based on combine and Pro Day performances, as well as further tape analysis:

Oregon LB Noah Sewell
Utah CB Clark Phillips III
Notre Dame EDGE Isaiah Foskey
Michigan DT Mazi Smith
Clemson TE Davis Allen
TCU OG Steve Avila
Alabama DB Eli Ricks
Houston WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell
UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu

With all that in mind, here’s Touchdown Wire’s introductory Top 50 draft prospects for 2023.

1. Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia

(Syndication: USA TODAY)

When it comes to projecting Jalen Carter to the NFL, we can take one of two paths: We can look at his relatively pedestrian production (three sacks, five quarterback hits, and 23 quarterback hurries in 2022), or we can watch the tape, which shows a frequently double-teamed Carter demolishing blockers from every gap from nose to edge. Err on the latter concept.

2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

(Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)

Were it not for the concerns about his size (an unofficial 6-foot-0, 194 pounds; we’ll get the officials at the combine), Young would likely be the consensus No. 1 player in this class. Teams will be able to overlook those issues to a degree, because of the tape Young has put up as an intelligent, productive ball distributor both in and out of the pocket. You can see everyone from peak Drew Brees to pre-disaster Deshaun Watson to pre-disaster Russell Wilson in his game.

3. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

(Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch)

Coming into Ohio State’s College Football Championship semi-final game against Georgia, Stroud had only one thing to prove: Could he transcend what some called a “robotic” nature as an in-pocket quarterback? The Buckeyes lost that game,42-41, but in his final collegiate game, Stroud defeated the naysayers with a ton of dynamite throws under pressure and out of the pocket against the NCAA’s best defense. Hard to say what took him so long to get that done, but now that it’s evident, Stroud could very well be the first quarterback — or the first player — selected in this draft.

4. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

(Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

No player in the 2023 draft class had more sacks among edge defenders than Anderson’s 14, and his 65 total pressures against elite competition told you all you needed to know about his NFL potential. Anderson should have been a Heisman finalist after his 2021 season, and the extent to which he kept the pressure on enemy quarterbacks in his follow-up campaign should make his selection an easy one for any NFL team.

Will Anderson Jr. is more than just a great pass rusher

5. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Cornerback might be the most loaded position in this draft class, but when you look at that group, there is Witherspoon, and there is everybody else. No other cornerback in this class has his combination of size, aggressiveness, ability to move with smaller, trickier receivers, and the tendency to erase whoever he’s covering. If you need a franchise-defining pass defender, the line starts here.

6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

(Syndication: Austin American-Statesman)

Running backs don’t matter? Don’t tell Robinson, who brings an absolutely ridiculous skill set to the table. In 2022, he ran 257 times for 1,575 yards, 18 touchdowns, 41 runs of 10 or more yards, 21 runs of 15 or more yards, and an astonishing 104 missed tackles. Robinson also averaged 4.17 yards per carry after first contact, and when you’re giving your team nearly half a first down after you get hit, you are indeed a franchise running back — no matter what some may say about the fungible nature of the position.

7. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

(AP Photo/David Dermer)

At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Johnson is a ready-made, plug-and-play left tackle who can maul people in the run game, get outside and upfield with effectiveness and aggressiveness on screens and upfield run concepts, and presents a nice array of techniques to keep opposing edge-rushers out of his quarterback’s kitchen. In 2022, he allowed two sacks and 12 total pressures on 449 pass-blocking reps. The two sacks allowed were in his final two games against Michigan and Georgia, and were the first he’d given up since the 2020 season.

8. Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

(Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)

At 6-foot-5 and somewhere between 275 and 280 pounds, Murphy fits the modern prototype of the edge defender who can also kick inside and create chaos. 11% of his 2022 snaps came inside the tackles last season, and if you’re one of the increasing number of NFL teams running five-man base fronts, here’s a guy you can use everywhere from outside “edgebacker” to end to nose.

9. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

(Syndication: The Register Guard)

The Colorado transfer really showed up in his first season with the Ducks, allowing 39 catches on 64 targets for 495 yards, 209 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, four interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 74.7. Most importantly, Gonzalez proved to be the type of cornerback against whom you did not want to roll deep and to the boundary under any circumstances.

10. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

(Syndication: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Wilson brings early Aldon Smith to mind as a raw but preposterously toolsy edge-rusher with nearly unlimited potential. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Wilson was unlockable at times, amassing eight sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 32 quarterback hurries in just 257 pass-rushing snaps. If he cleans up a few technical things, he could have that kind of effect at the NFL level sooner than later.

11. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

(Syndication: York Daily Record)

If you want a Legion of Boom-style cornerback whose quickness, toughness, and aggression show up on the field for every snap, Porter might be your man. He will occasionally get in over his skis, but when he’s asked to press any receiver, that receiver will have a very bad day. In 2022, he allowed 15 catches on 30 targets for 143 yards, 51 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, nine pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 63.6. Any team playing heavy man and press concepts should be all over Porter as the ideal distillation of those parts of the playbook.

12. Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

(Syndication: Detroit Free Press)

If you’re into toolsy receivers, Johnston is your guy. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, and able to turn any short pass into a house call with one missed tackle, he’s a highly intriguing receiver prospect. Is he as finished and defined as the NFL would like him to be? Not yet. TCU’s offense spammed defenses with screens, hitches, and go routes, and Johnston does have some issues with ball security — he had eight dropped passes among his 97 targets in the 2022 season. But I could easily see an NFL team taking Johnston early in the draft, and just demoralizing opposing cornerbacks with the things he does well, while developing the areas in which he needs work. You’re taking traits over nuance with a player like this, but the traits are pretty riducluous.

13. Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern

(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)

Skoronski replaced Rashawn Slater as the Wildcats’ left tackle in 2020, and over the subsequent three seasons, he allowed just five sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and 26 quarterback hurries in 1,258 pass-blocking snaps. Skoronski is a practiced, nuanced blocker with a varied palette of techniques and excellent awareness. While some will want to kick him inside to guard (which some people apparently wanted to do with Slater, as well), I think he’s got enough on the ball to stay outside despite any size/length concerns. Skoronski isn’t a flashy player — he just shows up every day and locks it down. You could do worse on your NFL team than to have a “boring” offensive tackle.

14. Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

White might be the most obvious one-off in this entire draft class, and the ceiling here is just monstrous. He was a tight end at Old Dominion before switching to the defensive line in 2019, and in 2022, his one year of true production with Georgia Tech, he put up seven sacks, four quarterback hits, 30 quarterback hurries, and 28 stops. At 6-foot-5 and 286 pounds, White has the skills to align all over the defensive formation, no matter what and where, with phasers set to “kill.” His old tight end days also show up on plays in which he is asked to head into deep coverage, and is able to do so at an alarmingly high level. White needs to refine his pass-rush arsenal, but what’s already on tape is pretty amazing.

15. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

(Syndication: USA TODAY)

It’s a shame that Smith-Njigba missed all but three games in the 2022 season due to injury, because his 2021 campaign had him looking like WR1 in this class. If you assume he’s over the hamstring thing, and you focus on a 2021 season in which he caught 95 passes for 1;606 yards and nine touchdowns, perhaps he still could be. The combine’s medicals and interviews will be of primary importance for his NFL future, but the tape shows a receiver who can beat you with every route in the book, and compelling long speed.

16. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

NFL teams will appreciate Mayer’s skill set not only because he’s capable of creating explosive plays in the passing game — he had 14 among his 68 catches in the 2022 season — but also because, unlike a lot of “Y-slot” tight ends, he’s a more than credible blocker. Every draft class has its alleged Baby Gronk, and while that’s an exceedingly tall order as Mr. Gronkowski was one of one in NFL history, Mayer is the closest version you’ll find in 2023.

17. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

(Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports)

Jones is one of the most compelling offensive linemen in this class, because he has the ability to absolutely maul people in the run game, but he also has excellent movement skills, and in 665 pass-blocking snaps in his Georgia career, he allowed just two sacks (none in 2022), three quarterback hits, and 12 quarterback hurries. Speed rushers might give him fits for a time at the NFL level, but once he expands his repertoire with next-level coaching, he should have the look of a franchise left tackle.

18. Jordan Addison, WR, USC

(Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports)

Some may wonder about Addison’s frame if he measures at 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds, which are his unofficial numbers. But if your team is in need of a receiver who can run every route consistently, and can test defenses downfield (nine of his 60 catches in 2022 were on throws of 20 or more air yards), Addison will be tough to overlook. He’s not really a contested catch guy, but few receivers in this class can present nightmares for cornerbacks from the snap to the end of the route with his short-area quickness and route understanding.

19. Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson

(Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports)

At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Bresee aligned all over the fronts in Clemson’s defense, and while he can play inside the guards just fine, he’s best with a defense that will allow him to use that versatility. He’s more of an attack defender than a run-plugger, though he did have nine stops on just 126 run defense snaps last season to go along with his three sacks, four quarterback hits, and 24 quarterback hurries on 203 pass-rushing reps. What doesn’t show up in the metrics, but certainly does on tape, is how often and how well Bresee takes on, and beats, double-teams.

20. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

(Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Whether it’s Micah Parsons or Isaiah Simmons, the positionless linebacker has increased in popularity and effectiveness over the last few seasons, both at the collegiate and professional levels. Add Simpson, who played everywhere in the Tigers’ defense from cornerback to off-ball linebacker to edge to nose alignment, to that list. When you have a prospect who can scream off the edge for sacks, cover well at the second level, and confuse quarterbacks with all kinds of other odd placements, the only question is, will the right NFL team take him, and maximize his unique and multiple attributes?

21. Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

I haven’t heard as much buzz around Harrison’s name as a lot of other offensive tackles in this class, and I find that odd. Especially if you’re in charge of a pass-heavy NFL team, I’d think you’d want a Day 1 quarterback protector who has the ideal combination of strength, technique, and movement skills. Last season, Harrison allowed just one sack, no quarterback hits, and eight quarterback hurries in 447 pass-blocking snaps. And while he’s more of a technician than a mauler, he’s more than happy to run through somebody’s face when it’s time to get nasty in the run game.

22. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

(Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)

Michael Mayer might be the most complete tight end in this class, but Kincaid could be the most appealing prospect for teams looking to grab a Travis Kelce-style target who can run defenders right in and out of zone, bull through tacklers on the way to the end zone, and make ridiculous plays with his rare catch radius.

23. Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

(AP Photo/Artie Walker Jr.)

The 2023 draft class is packed with cornerbacks who are both big and aggressive, and Smith is another on that list. At 6-foot-0 and 186 pounds, he went up against some of the NCAA’s best offenses in the 2022 season, allowing just 18 completions on 38 targets for 211 yards, 81 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 71.3. Not quite the season he had in 2021, when he gave up 15 catches on 32 targets for 184 yards, 42 yards after the catch, one touchdown, three interceptions, nine pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 36.5, but the body of work is obviously there. You wonder a bit about the penalties (10 in 2022), but Smith projects well as an out of the box starting outside cornerback in the NFL.

24. Brian Branch, DB, Alabama

(Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports)

Nick Saban always likes to have at least one defensive back who plays all over his defense, and Branch has been one of those players in each of his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Last season, had 569 snaps in the slot, 136 in the box, 25 at free safety, 24 on the defensive line, and 14 at outside cornerback. He gave up 36 catches on 57 targets for 247 yards, 136 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 69.3. It was his best season to date, and Branch comes into the NFL at the ideal time to be such an effectively versatile defender.

25. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

(Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports)

How in you are on the Anthony Richardson experience depends on a few things. If you want a fully developed NFL-ready quarterback, he’s not going to be your guy. He has just one full season of NCAA starting experience, and you’ll hear a lot how raw but athletic he is. That may have you thinking that he’s a two- or three-year project, but when you look at the improvement he showed in the 2022 season, and if you put him in the right kind of offense for his attributes (think Justin Fields with as little Matt Nagy as possible), maybe the growth plan can be condensed, and Richardson can succeed in the NFL sooner than later. He will need the right kind of coaching, and time to develop, but what’s already there is well worth the bet.

Anthony Richardson’s recent progress should have the NFL seeing him differently

26. Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

(Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel)

There may be questions about Hyatt’s route awareness, and how he’ll do when he’s pressed by cornerbacks more than he was in Josh Heupel’s spread offense, but Hyatt will scorch any defense with his speed, and that’s something you can’t coach. Last season, with and without Hendon Hooker, Hyatt caught 14 passes of 20 or more air yards for 677 yards (that’s 48.4 YARDS PER CATCH), and eight touchdowns. The Houston Texans took Notre Dame’s Will Fuller IV with the 21st pick in the 2016 draft because of his pure acceleration, and when Fuller wasn’t dealing with injury after injury, he was effective at the next level. Hyatt projects well as that type of speed receiver. We don’t yet know if he can add all the other elements that would make him an alpha receiver in the NFL.

27. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

(Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports)

Add Forbes to the exhaustive list of long, rangy cornerbacks in this draft class. At 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds, Forbes has proven to be a turnover machine, with 14 career interceptions in 1,259 career coverage snaps. Problem is, he’s also allowed 14 touchdowns. If you think that puts him on a track with other boom-and-bust cornerbacks like Marcus Peters, you may be on the right track. But if you look at his 2022 season, in which he allowed 31 catches on 58 targets for 284 yards, 105 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, six interceptions, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 44.7, perhaps he’s ready to break out of that box. If so, that attention to the improvement of the little things could have him as one of the steals of the 2023 draft.

28. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

(Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports)

Full disclosure: Were we taking positional value out of the equation, Levis probably wouldn’t be in any Top 50 of mine. I struggle to give him a second-round grade based on the tape. He’s dealt with injuries, and his supporting cast has been sub-optimal, but there are too many bad decisions and head-scratching plays on the tape for me to proceed without an abundance of caution. A lot of people are trying to cast Levis as the next Josh Allen — the toolsy-but-inaccurate college quarterback who got it at the NFL level. Ask yourself: How many toolsy-but-inaccurate college quarterbacks have actually succeeded at the NFL level? Maybe taking the outlier as the norm is a bad way to go.

As for me, I see more Carson Wentz in Levis’ game — he’s the quarterback you want to go with, but you never quite know what you’re going to get, and I haven’t seen the same level of growth I saw from Florida’s Anthony Richardson in 2022. Levis has much more experience, and a much shallower developmental curve.

Not all of Levis’ bad plays were his fault…

…but enough of them were to have you worried about his NFL potential.

Will Levis might be the next Josh Allen. He might also be the next Tim Tebow.

29. Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Johnson is a fascinating prospect who will be an “eye of the beholder” proposition for NFL teams. He’s a 6-foot-3, 195-pound alpha defender who can play all over the field, and at times, he’ll just lock things down. There were also times when he got lost in the Aggies’ messy defense, though I doubt that will be as much of a problem at the next level. Johnson is a bit of raw clay in that regard, but his size/speed profile is rare, and he can do a lot of things everywhere from the line of scrimmage (one sack and seven total pressures in 2022) to the slot, the box, and free alignments (20 catches allowed on 29 targets for 140 yards, 117 yards after the catch, one touchdown, no interceptions, no pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 91.2).

30. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

(Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

Even those teams who devalue the running back position in favor of a more pass-heavy, wide-open approach tend to need running backs at some point; it’s just not always clear when and how. The Chiefs had been looking for years for that complementary back to solidify their offense, and they finally found it in 2022 seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco, who was a top-10 back in the NFL in the second half of the season and through the playoffs.

Gibbs will go much higher than Pacheco did, but he should be similarly attractive to such teams. He reminds me and many others of Alvin Kamara with his ability to create explosive plays in the run game, and catch the ball credibly in swing, screen, and release routes with major yards after catch potential. Last season, 512 of Gibbs’ 926 rushing yards came after contact, and he had 15 carries of 15 or more yards on just 051 attempts.

31. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Smith played just eight games in his final collegiate season before suffering a torn pectoral muscle that shut him down. Medicals at the scouting combine will therefore be a big deal for him. There’s no question about his desire to win or his football intelligence; Smith effectively acted as a coach for his teammates after he was injured. As long as the injury timeline is going well, Smith has first-round talent. The only real question is whether every team will covet a 235-pound edge defender.

The quickness and ability to get to the quarterback in all kinds of ways? Also not a problem. Last season, Smith had two sacks, five quarterback hits, and 12 quarterback hurries in just 102 pass-rushing snaps — and that was in a set of schemes that frequently mask the disruptive potential of its quarterback harassers at the altar of complementary football.

32. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

(Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Flowers seems to be one of those players we’re all just getting around to watching, and once that happens, you start to see him rocket up mock drafts and big boards. Because the tape in this case is pretty incendiary. Some may want to limit Flowers to a slot role due to his size (5-foot-10, 172 pounds), but he aligned outside on 62% of his snaps last season, and he managed 16 explosive plays on those alignments. Speed is a calling card here, but what really stands out with Flowers is what he’s able to to do enemy defenses with his nuanced understanding of the position. Were he a couple inches taller and 10-20 pounds heavier, we might be talking about him as WR1 in this class.

33. Lukas Van Ness, DL, Iowa

(Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

I struggled a bit watching Purdue defensive lineman George Karlaftis last year, because I didn’t know how a guy with tweener size (6-foot-4, 263 pounds) and more power than speed would succeed at the next level. Karlaftis did just fine with the Chiefs, who took with the 30th pick, and I would like to think that I learned a few things from that which will help me project Van Ness as an NFL player. At 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds, Van Ness can just bowl people over from anywhere on the line (59% EDGE, 22% defensive tackle, 18% nose tackle), and while I’m not all in on him as a pure edge disruptor, that’s not his entire game. He’ll be best-served with an NFL coaching staff who realizes how versatile he is.

34. O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Make no mistake about it — at 6-foot-5 and 347 pounds, Torrence is above all a ginormous mountain of a man who can easily devastate defenders in power situations. But let that not take away from his pass-protection potential — over four seasons with the Gators, and in 1,501 pass-blocking reps, Torrence never gave up a sack, and allowed just one quarterback hit, and 24 quarterback hurries. When Torrance gets his arms extended and his hands on you, you’re done for that rep.

35. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

(Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch)

We’ve said it before, but NFL teams in need of big aggressive cornerbacks will come to the combine with Homer Simpson drool GIFs on their minds, because there are so many prospects to choose from. Add the underrated Banks to the list. There are occasional lapses in coverage where he’ll get too aggressive, which explain the four touchdowns he allowed in the 2022 season, but overall, there’s so much to like about his tape when he stays within himself. Overall in 2022, he gave up 26 catches on 60 targets for 258 yards, 63 yards after the catch, one interception, eight pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 71.4. The touchdowns and the eight penalties last season are causes for concern (and serious coaching points in the NFL), but everything else is cake.

36. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

(Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Speaking of big cornerbacks with uneven tape… well, here we go. In the Bulldogs’ 2022 championship season, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Ringo allowed 42 catches on 78 targets for 552 yards, 178 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 70.0. Ringo can be a lockdown guy at times, but when he gets eaten up by transition issues in coverage, things can get weird in a hurry. To become a first-level cornerback in the NFL, which his base skill set portends. Ringo will need to be more sudden to the ball, avoid getting lost in those transitions, and beware the curse of over-aggressiveness.

37. Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

(Syndication: Online Athens)

At an unofficial 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds (he looks even bigger on the field), Washington is one of those “Planet Theory” prospects who will catch the eye of NFL evaluators because there simply aren’t too many humans on earth who can do what he does at his size. Washington is by no means a downfield burner, but how to cover a guy built like this has been a problem for linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties throughout the NCAA over the last three seasons. The highlight clips, which at times make Washington look as if he’s playing against middle-school defenses, are pretty hilarious. He maxed out in 2022 with 28 catches for 454 yards and two touchdowns, and while the history of tight ends this size in the NFL isn’t great for an increased target share, Washington could burn it up in the right offense.

38. Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn

(Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser)

Hall is somewhat similar to Lukas Van Ness with his size profile (6-foot-3, 256 pounds) and with his use of power to create pressure, but there’s some speed, dip-and-rip, and technique potential that go along with all that to make Hall a really interesting edge guy in the right defense. Hall was also almost exclusively an edge defender for the Tigers, where Van Ness moved around a lot. In 2022, Hall put up eight sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and 28 quarterback hurries on 355 pass-rushing snaps, and 2022 marked his second straight season with at least 40 total pressures in less than 400 pass-rushing reps. Some people just know how to get to the quarterback, and Derick Hall is one of them.

39. Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

(Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports)

Our TE3 in this class played in just two games in the 2022 season due to injury, so he’s a bit of a projection. Musgrave caught just 47 passes for 633 yards and two touchdowns over his four seasons with the Beavers, but the tape shows a prospect with everything you want in a receiving tight end — either attached to the formation, or out in space. Three of his 11 catches in 2022 were on passes over 20 air yards, and when you watch the ways in which he just easily sails through coverages, it’s not a reach to think of him as a first-round talent — as long as the medicals check out.

40. Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State

(Syndication: The Des Moines Register)

McDonald is a thinner (6-foot-3, 236-pound) pass-rusher who found a lot of ways to win in Iowa State’s frequent three-man fronts. His speed-to-power moves are excellent, he can dislodge from blockers with a killer spin move, and his inside counters are highly effective. McDonald had just six sacks, three quarterback hits, and 16 quarterback hurries in his 2022 season, but I think that NFL teams will easily project him with more production in a league where he’ll be utilized in four- and five-man fronts more often than he was in college.

His performance at the Senior Bowl certainly didn’t hurt.

41. Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

(Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)

Every defensive coordinator would love a massive defensive tackle who can not only plug up interior lines and force double-teams in the run game, but also use astounding quickness through blockers to access the quarterback. At 6-foot-4 and over 350 pounds, Ika has proven to be such a player. The Vita Vea comparisons are not out of line, as Ika showed his ability to wreck a front five even when he didn’t register too many pressure statistics. The LSU transfer didn’t have a single sack in 2022 after putting up six in his first year with the Bears in 2021, but that doesn’t mean he was any less effective — he had three quarterback hurries and 15 quarterback hurries in just 215 pass-rushing reps, and the tape shows a player who can be a huge problem for any offensive line.

42. Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

(Syndication: Tuscaloosa News)

Wright’s most impressive statistic for the 2022 season might be 0 — that’s how many quarterback pressures Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. had against Tennessee in Week 7 of the 2022 season when facing Wright directly. The two quarterback hurries Anderson came away with were the result of moving away from Wright at the snap. In fact, the 6-foot-6, 335-pound Wright didn’t allow a single sack all season, with just two quarterback hits and six quarterback hurries allowed in 507 pass-blocking reps. The massive right tackle is also a fine run-blocker, and as long as he’s able to work on occasional instabilities when on the move, he should be able to take all of that to the NFL with authority.

43. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

Charbonnet saved his best NCAA season for last, as the 6-foot-1, 220-pound headbanger gained 1,358 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on just 194 carries, which averages out to a clean 7.0 yards per carry. As you would expect with such numbers, Charbonnet was explosive in all areas — 806 of his rushing yards came after contact, he averaged 4.15 yards per carry after contact, and 24 of his 194 rushing attempts went over 15 yards on the ground. He also caught 37 passes for 321 yards last season, so he’s far from a one-trick pony.

44. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State

(AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Anudike-Uzomah exploded onto the scene for the Wildcats in 2021, with 13 sacks and 43 total pressures in just 280 pass-rushing snaps. He wasn’t quite as productive in the sack department in 2022, racking up eight takedowns and 46 total pressures in 388 pass-rushing snaps. Anudike-Uzomah has 71 stops over the last two seasons as well, so he’s more than just a speed-rusher. At 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, Anudike-Uzomah can line up just about everywhere along the formation (14% of his reps came at a defensive tackle alignment last season), and do more than some might expect.

45. Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

(Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)

2022 marked Benton’s best season of four with the Badgers, as he racked up six sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and 11 quarterback hurries in 227 pass-rushing snaps, matching that with seven tackles for loss and 27 stops in 201 run defense snaps. At 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, Benton can win one-on-ones from the nose and defensive tackle alignments, but his best attribute might be his magnetism for double- (and at times triple-) teams.

46. Calijah Kancey, DL, Pitt

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

An undersized defensive tackle from Pitt? Does that make your Aaron Donald antennae perk up? Kancey might not be at quite THAT level, but if you like smaller speed tackles like Grady Jarrett, this is the man for you. The 6-foot-0, 280-pound Kancey had eight sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 30 quarterback pressures last season in 275 pass-blocking reps last season, he bulled through double-teams on more than half his plays, and he proved to be a menace against the run, as well. Not every NFL team will have a high place for Kancey due to size restrictions, but those teams will likely regret it down the road when he’s beating up on their quarterbacks.

47. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)

Some players go about their business in ways that make it look so easy, they become relatively disregarded in the evaluation process. Downs, who caught 94 passes on 116 targets for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, seems to be such a player. At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Downs is more of a slot receiver than an outside guy, but of course in today’s NFL, slot receivers are starters with impact potential, and there’s nothing about Downs’ game that doesn’t project him to that kind of role at the next level.

48. Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

Tuipulotu seems to be one of the more underrated edge-rushers in this class, but I have no problem putting him on my big board. Perhaps his hidden status is because people don’t know what to make of him at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, but were I in charge of such things for an NFL team, I’d take him in the second or third round, put him on the field, and let him hunt quarterbacks. Last season, he had 13 sacks, six quarterback hits, and 37 quarterback pressures in 404 pass-rushing snaps, and given his ability to speed to the pocket outside and provide demolition inside, I’d say that the Za’Darius Smith comparison below is more than apt.

49. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

(Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)

Hooker is another player for whom the combine medicals will be incredibly important — he suffered a torn ACL last November, but before that happened, he was getting things done in a big way in Josh Heupel’s offense. Hooker would be my QB3 in this class if he’s all-go. Last season, he completed 69.2% of his passes for 9.5 yards per attempt, 27 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 123.9. Do away with the naysayers who insist that Heupel schemed everything open for him and that Hooker didn’t have to make any tight-window throws. Hooker is also an effective runner, and he absolutely demolished defenses when they decided to blitz him, completing 63% of his passes against the blitz for 9.0 yards per attempt, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 116.6.

50. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Spears carried the ball 231 times for 1,586 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2022 for the Green Wave, averaging 4.55 yards after contact, forcing 63 missed tackles, and gaining 15 or more yards on 21 of those carries. Then, he bulked up about 10 pounds from his listed playing weight of 195 pounds, and took the Senior Bowl over with his exciting combination of power, agility, and escapability. Spears may not be an every-down back at the next level depending on the offensive system, but he’ll bring all kinds of problems to defenses as an elite change-of-pace force.

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