In a few short days, the 2023 NFL draft will be live in Kansas City. It puts an end to months of evaluation of draft prospects and projections.
Figuring out where the players will wind up being drafted is a very different discipline than grading the players and coming up with a final ranking. Separating the two is critical.
With that said, here is my final 2023 NFL draft big board ranking of players.
This is my own board and does not represent the views or ratings of my Draft Wire colleagues in any way. It is not meant to project the draft order.
A bit about my process for ranking the players…
Film study is the basis for all grading, but there are other factors. I tend to value injuries more than most evaluators, especially repeated soft tissue injuries. Relative athleticism for the position matters, as does a player’s progression across the course of his career. Is there upside and is it coachably attainable?
In situations where the grades are effectively the same, I more highly rank the player I’m more confident in achieving his success.
1. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
3. Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
4. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
5. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
6. Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
7. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
8. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
9. O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
10. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
11. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
12. Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
13. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
14. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
15. Brian Branch, S, Alabama
16. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
17. John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
18. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
19. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
20. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
21 to 30 overall
21. Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
22. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
23. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
24. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
25. Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State
26. Steve Avila, OG, TCU
27. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
28. Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
29. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
30. Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech
31 to 40 overall
31. Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
32. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
33. Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
34. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
35. Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
36. Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
37. Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
38. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
39. Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State
40. Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
41 to 50 overall
41. Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
42. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
43. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
44. Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
45. Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
46. Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
47. Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
48. B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
49. Clark Phillips, CB, Utah
50. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
51 to 75 overall
51. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
52. Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, USC
53. Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
54. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
55. Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
56. D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan
57. Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
58. Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma
59. Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn
60. Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami FL
61. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
62. Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri
63. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
64. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
65. Joe Tippman, OL, Wisconsin
66. Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss
67. Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State
68. Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
69. Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU
70. Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
71. Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
72. Jordan McFadden, OG, Clemson
73. Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
74. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State
75. Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
76 to 100
76. Yaya Diaby, EDGE, Louisville
77. Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, WR, Houston
78. Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas
79. Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
80. Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville
81. Own Pappoe, LB, Auburn
82. Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
83. Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
84. Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
85. Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
86. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
87. Jayden Reed, WR/RS, Michigan State
88. Tyler Steen, OL, Alabama
89. Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
90. K.J. Henry, EDGE, Clemson
91. Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
92. Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
93. Luke Wypler, OL, Ohio State
94. Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
95. DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
96. Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
97. Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
98. Yasir Abdullah, OLB, Louisville
99. Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green
100. Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
101 to 150
101. Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
102. Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
103. DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas
104. Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
105. Mekhi Gardner, CB, LSU
106. Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
107. Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
108. Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest
109. JL Skinner, S, Boise State
110. Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
111. Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin
112. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
113. Andrew Vorhees, OG, USC
114. Terrell Smith, CB, Minnesota
115. Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
116. Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
117. Chander Zavala, OG, North Carolina State
118. Wayna Morris, OL, Oklahoma
119. Daniel Scott, S, California
120. Ola Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
121. A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest
122. Henry To’o To’o, LB, Alabama
123. Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
124. Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane
125. Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
126. Davis Allen, TE, Clemson
127. Chris Brown, RB, Illinois
128. Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State
129. Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
130. Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State
131. Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
132. Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
133. Cam Jones, LB, Indiana
134. Keondre Coburn, DT, Texas
135. Anthony Bradford, OG, LSU
136. Jartvaius “Quan” Martin, S, Illinois
137. Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
138. Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan
139. Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
140. Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Stanford
141. Jerrod Clark, DT, Coastal Carolina
142. Emil Ekiyor, OL, Alabama
143. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
144. Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
145. Nick Broeker, OL, Ole Miss
146. Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati
147. Byron Young, DT, Alabama
148. Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse
149. Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
150. Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
