The 2023 NFL Draft will soon be upon us, allowing Super Bowl contenders to reload and speeding up the rebuilds for the league’s less fortunate teams. The years-long careers of 259 college stars will be boiled down to minutes of game film and workout numbers as franchises attempt to find the stars who can become playoff staples for winning teams.
Those data have shaped how we think this year’s draft will unfold. Countless mock drafts have projected player and team fits that make sense but ultimately won’t hold up to the scrutiny of the twists and turns of the draft process. Trades and evaluations will bring surprises across the board as some guys thought to be sure things slide and riskier prospects get the chance to prove their value.
While we don’t know who’ll end up where, we have a pretty good idea of this year’s top players. After watching game tape, crunching some numbers and looking at combine results, I’ve got my top 75 prospects ready to go.
1
EDGE Will Anderson Jr
School: Alabama
Who is he? Tornado of a pass rusher who creates havoc, beats double teams and is, in general, a massive problem for opposing quarterbacks (27.5 sacks, 48 tackles for loss the last two seasons).
2
QB C.J. Stroud
School: Ohio State
Who is he? Stud quarterback with the talent to make big throws downfield and fit passes into tight windows.
3
QB Bryce Young
School: Alabama
Who is he? Undersized passer who generates magic and brings unquantifiable traits to the pocket (and outside of it).
4
DL Jalen Carter
School: Georgia
Who is he? Thoroughbred of a defensive lineman with off-field concerns after pleading no contest to reckless driving and racing charges connected to the car crash deaths of a teammate and Georgia staffer.
5
CB Devon Witherspoon
School: Illinois
Who is he? Shutdown corner whose 2022 campaign gave off real Sauce Gardner vibes.
6
CB Christian Gonzalez
School: Oregon
Who is he? Physical marvel who showed out in his lone year as a Duck (he transferred from Colorado), then looked incredible at the combine.
7
CB Joey Porter Jr.
School: Penn State
Who is he? Big, physical corner with the chops to excel in press coverage or zone.
8
DJ Tyree Wilson
School: Texas Tech
Who is he? Massive defensive lineman with the strength to win inside and the quickness to split outside and create headaches.
9
OT Peter Skoronski
School: Northwestern
Who is he? High-floor blocker who can fill multiple positions but has gotten dinged pre-draft for shorter-than-average arm length.
10
QB Will Levis
School: Kentucky
Who is he? Divisive quarterback who looks the part and got more efficient in 2022 despite losing vital supporting pieces.
11
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
School: Ohio State
Who is he? Devastating wideout who can take over games, but a bit of a wild card after missing the bulk of 2022 thanks to injury.
12
OT Broderick Jones
School: Georgia
Who is he? Athletic tackle responsible for keeping Stetson Bennett’s jersey clean through two national title runs.
13
OT Paris Johnson Jr.
School: Ohio State
Who is he? High-potential blocker with the makeup and athleticism to be the best tackle in his class.
14
RB Bijan Robinson
School: Texas
Who is he? Best all-around running back to enter the draft since Saquon Barkley.
15
QB Anthony Richardson
School: Florida
Who is he? A Josh Allen-esque pile of raw tools and physical makeup not yet molded into the form of a franchise quarterback.
16
EDGE Nolan Smith
School: Georgia
Who is he? Athletic marvel who played a supporting role at Georgia but can be more on Sundays.
17
WR Quentin Johnston
School: TCU
Who is he? Game-breaking wideout capable of scoring from anywhere, despite some issues with drops.
18
EDGE Myles Murphy
School: Clemson
Who is he? Consistent, productive edge rusher whose stock has fallen in the pre-draft process but still looks like a 10-year veteran.
19
CB Deonte Banks
School: Maryland
Who is he? Speedy cover-corner with the chops to be left on an island while his defensive coordinator turns his efforts elsewhere.
20
DL Calijah Kancey
School: Pittsburgh
Who is he? A whole lot like Aaron Donald, down to the “undersized Pitt lineman” part.
21
DL Bryan Bresee
School: Clemson
Who is he? Big, versatile defensive lineman who doesn’t rack up big stats but helps his teammates pile up theirs.
22
S Brian Branch
School: Alabama
Who is he? Sticky defensive back capable of handling multiple positions in the secondary.
23
TE Michael Mayer
School: Notre Dame
Who is he? Bruising tight end whose physical profile doesn’t match the sheer impact he had on the field.
24
WR Jordan Addison
School: USC
Who is he? Shifty wideout with the skill to play inside or out despite a relatively slight frame.
25
CB Emmanuel Forbes
School: Mississippi State
Who is he? Rail-thin cornerback who wins when tested; 14 interceptions in three seasons as a Bulldog.
26
LB Jack Campbell
School: Iowa
Who is he? Absolute tackling machine and Butkus Award winner who tested out impressively at the combine.
27
WR Zay Flowers
School: Boston College
Who is he? Occasionally devastating wideout who can get open against seemingly anyone.
28
TE Luke Musgrave
School: Oregon State
Who is he? Tight end with all the chops to be a receiving threat despite a limited college resume.
29
EDGE Will McDonald IV
School: Iowa State
Who is he? Steady, powerful edge rusher who gets into the pocket with regularity.
30
EDGE Lukas Van Ness
School: Iowa
Who is he? Dynamic edge rusher who was productive despite a platoon role for a dominant Iowa defense.
31
CB Kelee Ringo
School: Georgia
Who is he? Ballhawk cornerback who rises up in big moments but may move to safety in the NFL.
32
CB Cam Smith
School: South Carolina
Who is he? Cornerback who dissuaded SEC quarterbacks from throwing his way with latex glove coverage.
33
TE Dalton Kincaid
School: Utah
Who is he? More receiver than blocker, but a pretty dang good receiver (70 catches, 890 yards, eight touchdowns last season).
34
WR Jalin Hyatt
School: Tennessee
Who is he? Burner who excelled in a wide spread offense and should immediately stretch the field as an NFL deep threat.
35
OT Darnell Wright
School: Tennessee
Who is he? Strong pass protector and mauling run blocker with great size and a still-growing toolbox.
36
LB Trenton Simpson
School: Clemson
Who is he? Instinctive off-ball linebacker who does a little bit of everything well and won’t get lost in coverage.
37
OT Anton Harrison
School: Oklahoma
Who is he? Great college left tackle who’ll have to prove himself against more athletic competition on Sundays.
38
QB Hendon Hooker
School: Tennessee
Who is he? Throws a great deep ball but is 25 years old, injured and possibly a product of Tennessee’s spread offense rather than the other way around.
39
G O'Cyrus Torrence
School: Florida
Who is he? Enormous interior lineman who plays mean and has the strength to move defensive tackles off their mooring.
40
OT Dawand Jones
School: Ohio State
Who is he? Sun-eclipsing tackle who can swallow up edge rushers but has to refine his game.
41
LB Drew Sanders
School: Arkansas
Who is he? Viable as a pass rusher or off-ball linebacker, but only has one season as a full-time starter under his belt.
42
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
School: Alabama
Who is he? Lightning fast runner who adds value in the receiving game (11.8 yards per catch in college).
43
EDGE Keion White
School: Georgia Tech
Who is he? Athletic pocket collapser who had a 2022 breakthrough and now needs to prove that’s sustainable.
44
S Antonio Johnson
School: Texas A&M
Who is he? Big hitting safety who can work from the slot but may be limited to playing Sundays in the box.
45
EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore
School: Northwestern
Who is he? A bit small, but quick-footed and powerful defensive lineman who can get inside and wreak havoc.
46
CB Julius Brents
School: Kansas State
Who is he? Big, physically capable cornerback who can press at the line of scrimmage or turn and run with deep threats.
47
IOL John Michael Schmitz
School: Minnesota
Who is he? Beefy center who excels at clearing space in the run game.
48
DL Mazi Smith
School: Michigan
Who is he? Space-eating interior lineman capable of shooting gaps and creating obstacles in the backfield.
49
EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
School: Kansas State
Who is he? Consistent pass rusher who’ll need to channel his strength into a few new wrinkles to beat NFL blockers.
50
IOL Steve Avila
School: TCU
Who is he? Thick, experienced interior lineman who can handle duties at guard or center.
51
DL Gervon Dexter
School: Florida
Who is he? 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, he doesn’t play as fast as his 4.8 second 40 time suggests, but has tremendous potential.
52
TE Darnell Washington
School: Georgia
Who is he? A tight end you built in NCAA Football ’13, then discarded for looking too video game-ish.
53
WR Josh Downs
School: North Carolina
Who is he? Productive college wideout who can gash defenses from the slot and take a few routes outside.
54
EDGE Isaiah Foskey
School: Notre Dame
Who is he? Wrecking ball equally capable of disrupting passing plays or kicking situations (four blocked punts).
55
EDGE BJ Ojulari
School: LSU
Who is he? Linebacker with the quickness to get upfield but potentially a one-dimensional NFL defender.
56
CB Clark Phillips III
School: Utah
Who is he? Smaller cornerback who tested poorly at the combine, but his on-field production (eight interceptions, 19 passes defensed the last two seasons) cannot be ignored.
57
LB Noah Sewell
School: Oregon
Who is he? Either the wrecking ball we saw in 2021, or merely the “pretty good” linebacker from 2022.
58
IOL Cody Mauch
School: North Dakota State
Who is he? FCS tackle likely to kick inside as a pro. Looks exactly like you’d expect a North Dakota State offensive lineman to look.
59
EDGE Derick Hall
School: Auburn
Who is he? Well-liked leader and supreme athlete who does everything well but maybe doesn’t excel in any one area.
60
WR Rashee Rice
School: SMU
Who is he? Occasionally brilliant and occasionally frustrating, Rice finds the end zone with regularity but might drive coaches insane in year one.
61
S Jordan Battle
School: Alabama
Who is he? Rangy safety who provides solid over-the-top coverage and can be a deep ball deterrent.
62
DT Keeanu Benton
School: Wisconsin
Who is he? Clubbering defensive lineman who’s nearly impossible to completely erase from a play.
63
RB Zach Charbonnet
School: UCLA
Who is he? Explosive running back who brings value in the passing game and can make an immediate NFL impact.
64
DL Tuli Tuipulotu
School: USC
Who is he? Strong enough to play inside or out and coming off a season with 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.
65
LB Henry To'oto'o
School: Alabama
Who is he? Ever-present part of the defense for both Alabama and Tennessee who makes everyone else better.
66
OT Matthew Bergeron
School: Syracuse
Who is he? Rising, underrated pocket protector who quietly shined for the Orange in 2022.
67
S Sydney Brown
School: Illinois
Who is he? Short for a safety, but an absolute thumper with great ball skills and the ability to warp himself into drive-killing plays.
68
CB D.J. Turner II
School: Michigan
Who is he? Fast as hell, quick hips, and just a little undersized to handle bigger wideouts.
69
EDGE Andre Carter II
School: Army
Who is he? Didn’t test well, but 14.5 sacks in 2021. At ARMY! And he’s enormous!
70
DT Siaki Ika
School: Baylor
Who is he? Massive enough to overcome his unimpressive athletic testing scores and ruin things for offensive linemen in the middle.
71
RB Israel Abanikanda
School: Pittsburgh
Who is he? Shifty runner with great moves and first-step acceleration to find and then blast through holes.
72
IOL Joe Tippmann
School: Wisconsin
Who is he? Typical beeftastic Wisconsin lineman. He does work.
73
OT Tyler Steen
School: Alabama
Who is he? Rock solid tackle at both Vanderbilt and Alabama whose skills should scale up on Sundays.
74
S Jartavius Martin
School: Illinois
Who is he? Blew up the combine and showed he has the chops to handle safety or cornerback duties.
75
OT Blake Freeland
School: BYU
Who is he? Big-bodied blocker with strong physical traits who’ll need to up his playing strength at the next level.
