NFL Draft 2023 Big Board: Ranking the Top 20 prospects

A draft is always a fine balance between taking the best player available and filling spots in your roster. Here we are going to rank the top 20 prospects in the draft regardless of position, basing this on pure talent, production in college and how they could fare in the NFL.

Whilst there are some questions to be answered about his character and with a strange performance at his UGA pro day casting a shadow over his ability, from a pure footballing standpoint, there is no one better equipped to excel in the NFL than Carter.

There have been some incredibly exciting edge rushers entering the NFL in recent years, the likes of Myles Garrett and the Bosas, Will Anderson may not be quite that level of prospect, but his size and athleticism makes him a mouth-watering prospect who could go anywhere from the third pick onwards.

Stroud has stiff competition for the top QB prospect in this draft, but his game would seem to fit perfectly into most NFL offenses from day one. We saw during the Peach Bowl against Georgia that he is more than just a system quarterback, so there is probably more to come as well.

If Young was four inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, he would be looked at as the consensus number one pick in the draft, but given his play style, his slim frame is a worry. From a footballing perspective, his arm talent and IQ are as good as any in the draft, even if he doesn’t possess the power of an Anthony Richardson type on his deep ball.

Positional value aside, there is a fair argument Robinson could be number one on this list. He has everything you look for in a running back with good size, excellent vision and elite burst when he finds the hole.

Some have Devon Witherspoon as the number one CB in this class, but overall, Gonzalez looks the better prospect. His athletic testing was at an elite tier and his ability to stick with receivers makes him a potential shutdown corner at the next level.

Witherspoon has the look of a leader on the field, with good size and coverage ability not quite encapsulating why he is such a tantalizing prospect. He offers an ‘in-your-face’ attitude and aggressiveness which can really set the tone for a defense. Overall a very good prospect.

Probably projecting as a guard at the NFL which perhaps will lead to a slide come draft day, Skoronski as a player is everything you look for in an offensive lineman. As a physical specimen he is lacking in ideal length which could see him get beaten if lining up outside. He is going to make a very good NFL player wherever he lines up, however

Of all the quarterbacks in this class, Richardson has the best chance of becoming a generational player, but he is not quite there yet. His athletic ability would immediately put him alongside Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson in the upper echelon of running QBs in the NFL, but his decision-making and accuracy can let him down. He is only 20, so if he develops he could well be unstoppable.

There has been a lot of hype around Wilson lately, which is warranted given his size and frame, but perhaps he is being slightly overvalued in a class with few elite-edge prospects. He projects to be a very good NFL player who can consistently pressure the QB, but he is a notch or two below Will Anderson.

Johnson is a big man with very quick feet who could project to play either left or right tackle depending on the situation he lands in. He has all the tools needed to become a very solid starter in the NFL for a long time. He needs a little bit of polishing in pass protection, but there is no reason he can’t work through those minor issues.

Smith is an interesting prospect, weighing around 240 lbs, which is certainly less than ideal for an edge rusher. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with elite speed and explosiveness. If he lands in the right situation he will become a very useful ‘move linebacker’ for a creative defensive coordinator looking to maximize Smith’s talent.

Smith-Njigba’s 2021 highlighted everything good about the Buckeye prospect, catching 95 balls for over 1,600 yards and nine TDs. He may not be elite at any one thing, but his understanding of how to get open is very impressive. He has enough physical tools to ride first contact and make some useful YAC yards at times as well. The main knock is his injury history which kept him out of most of the 2022 season.

Van Ness is a little like a Tasmanian devil when rushing the passer, running around without a clear plan to beat the offensive lineman in front of him. Having said that, the traits are there and it is obvious why he is thought of so highly amongst NFL talent evaluators. If he can work on a few more pass-rush moves and get more confident in his hands, he will be tough to deal with.

Another talented offensive lineman, Jones has the tools and size to be a complete tackle in the NFL. His run blocking can sometimes cause him an issue as his strength lies in pass sets, but there is more than enough there to see a solid starter at either tackle spot for wherever he lands.

The 2023 draft is full of physically underwhelming wide outs, Jordan Addison is certainly amongst that group, but he more than makes up for that with his clever route running and solid hands. He is not someone who will blow the top of defenses, but expect to see him catching targets regularly early in his career.

Levis is the ultimate hit or miss target in this year’s draft, his college production was underwhelming, but so was his supporting cast. His physical tools are very strong, with an arm which would be as strong as anyone’s in the NFL. He could well be a Josh Allen type who refines his natural traits and becomes a top-end QB, he could also struggle, but the traits are there.

Wright is probably the only tackle prospect so far who projects solely to the right side, with huge size and the ability to move anyone in front of him, he’s a bulldozer of a man. Solid enough pass protection combined with his ability to clear paths in the run game make him a high-quality prospect, even with his lack of positional versatility.

This year’s draft is loaded with good tight end prospects all offering a variety of skill sets. Kincaid is probably the best of the lot, with good vertical speed and solid hands at the catch point, he projects to be a quality receiving option in an aggressive passing attack. His run blocking is solid enough, but probably not good enough to leave him one on one too often.

Another small receiver, Flowers has a real chance to be a reliable wideout in the NFL. Short but extremely quick on his feet he will be able to naturally create separation in his route running. Good hands and decent enough ability after the catch, combined with his speed and quickness makes Flowers a solid option for most NFL teams in need of WR help.