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The 2023 NFL Draft is approaching and there will be a quarterback selected first-overall. However, nobody is quite sure yet whether it will be Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
Fans in Carolina were left buoyed when the Panthers made the move to trade up to #1 with the Chicago Bears in order to secure one of Young or Stroud.
While we still don’t yet know which players teams will take in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, we already have an extensive idea on the attributes and potential of each prospect. Sportskeeda are now pleased to present, after extensive research, our top prospect rankings at each respective position.
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Top 2023 NFL Draft prospects by position
Quarterbacks
1) Bryce Young
2) C.J. Stroud
3) Anthony Richardson
4) Will Levis
5) Hendon Hooker
6) Tanner McKee
7) Aidan O’Connell
8) Jake Haener
9) Max Duggan
10) Jaren Hall
Quarterback is the most important position on the field, and this is where all the attention is going ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bryce Young remains the standout prospect and is the best all-round player at the position. However, that in itself is no guarantee that he will be selected #1 by the Carolina Panthers, who are thought to prefer C.J. Stroud.
Anthony Richardson comes in at #3 here because of his upside. Richardson might not be ready to start in 2022 but there is an argument to be made that he has the highest upside in the draft. A team in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is going to get a steal.
Hendon Hooker could also be a surprise on opening night if there are trades.
Running Backs
1) Bijan Robinson
2) Jahmyr Gibbs
3) Devon Achane
4) Roschon Johnson
5) Zach Evans
6) Tank Bigsby
7) Zach Charbonnet
8) Eric Gray
9) Sean Tucker
10) DeWayne McBride
Bijan Robinson is regarded as the best running back in the 2023 NFL Draft and we agree with that assessment. However, the gap between Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs is minimal. They both have differing styles, but have brilliant speed.
Tank Bigsby and Sean Tucker are on the rise and could appeal to teams with a dynamic offense thanks to their qualities as receiving threats.
Wide Receivers
1) Quentin Johnston
2) Jaxon Smith-Njigba
3) Zay Flowers
4) Jordan Addison
5) Kayshon Boutte
6) Josh Downs
7) Jalin Hyatt
8) Tyler Scott
9) Marvin Mims
10) Nathaniel Dell
It’s hard not to fall in love with Quentin Johnston. His size and athleticism marks him out as the next Megatron and he is the standout in this class of the 2023 NFL Draft.
However, the nearest prospects to him are all fascinatingly close. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is dynamite across the ground, although Zay Flowers is the most reliable catcher.
Teams are also talking a lot about Jordan Addison, who has slipped down boards in recent months but is a sensational talent.
Tight Ends
1) Dalton Kincaid
2) Michael Mayer
3) Sam LaPorta
4) Luke Musgrave
5) Tucker Kraft
6) Darnell Washington
7) Luke Schoomaker
8) Josh Whyte
9) Brenton Strange
10) Cameron Latu
Dalton Kincaid is a potential star and is the obvious best prospect at the tight end position. He could even rise into the top 10 of the 2023 NFL Draft if a team has a particular need.
Michael Mayer is a physical phenomenon and broke a lot of records at Notre Dame. He fits into a physical offense well and a lot of teams will have him above Kincaid in their own specific evaluations.
Offensive Linemen
1) Peter Skoronski
2) Paris Johnson Jr
3) O’Cyrus Torrence
4) Broderick Jones
5) Anton Harrison
6) Darnell Wright
7) Dawand Jones
8) Matthew Bergeron
9) Cody Mauch
10) Steve Avila
O’Cyrus Torrence could be considered the most NFL-ready guard in the 2023 NFL Draft class. However, that isn’t enough for him to rise above the overall quality and potential of Peter Skoronski and Paris Johnson Jr.
Dawand Jones has size on his side, but there are concerns about his athletic deficiencies compared to others in the class. This is why we have him so far down. If this was merely a blocking ranking, he wouldn’t be at #7.
Conversely, Anton Harrison is supremely athletic for his build and would fit into a modern NFL offense well. He may not be our highest rated player in this class, but it would be a shock if he wasn’t a top-20 pick.
Edge Defenders
1) Will Anderson Jr.
2) Tyree Wilson
3) Nolan Smith
4) Lukas Van Ness
5) Myles Murphy
6) BJ Ojulari
7) Andre Carter II
8) Felix Anudike-Uzomah
9) Isaiah Foskey
10) Derick Hall
Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson are game-breaking defenders. They cause problems for quarterbacks and are the best in this position.
While Wilson, Anderson and Nolan Smith are all considered to be elite talents, there is then somewhat of a drop in quality. This isn’t the deepest edge defense class, although Lukas Van Ness and Myles Murphy have first-round grades.
Below that, it is difficult to make a case for any to-be first-round selections, which tells its own story about this year’s crop.
Defensive Tackles
1) Jalen Carter
2) Calijah Kancey
3) Bryan Bresee
4) Siaki Ika
5) Mazi Smith
6) Karl Brooks
7) Moro Ojomo
8) Keeanu Benton
9) Keondre Coburn
10) Jer’Zhan Newton
Jalen Carter’s legal troubles are behind him and he can now focus on his NFL career, which should be an exceptional one. He is quite far above all over DT’s in this year’s class. Carter is big, quick and dominant.
Calijah Kancey and Byran Bresee are equally matched, although there is a buzz about Siaki Ika heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
Linebackers
1) Trenton Simpson
2) Drew Sanders
3) Henry To’oTo’o
4) Noah Sewell
5) Daiyan Henley
6) Jack Campbell
7) DeMarvion Overshown
8) Owen Pappoe
9) Mike Jones Jr.
10) Cam Jones
Looking at the middle linebacker position, there are some strong defensive profiles that could improve a number of teams in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Trenton Simpson is arriving into the draft with a lot of hype and with good reason, whilst Noah Sewell has enjoyed a strong collegiate career.
Having been compared to Micah Parsons, we’re intrigued to see if Simpson can reach his potential.
Cornerbacks
1) Devon Witherspoon
2) Christian Gonzalez
3) Deonte Banks
4) Joey Porter Jr.
5) Cam Smith
6) Kelee Ringo
7) Emmanuel Forbes
8) Eli Ricks
9) Clark Phillips III
10) Garrett Williams
There isn’t a Sauce Gardner in this class. There isn’t even a cornerback graded near the New York Jets star, but there is enough talent heading into the 2023 NFL Draft to make a difference to a defense.
Devon Witherspoon is the standout, as he has the best athletic profile at the position. Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks and Joey Porter Jr. are all close and will be first-round selections, although the class thins out rather quickly below that in terms of elite talent.
Safeties
1) Brian Branch
2) Antonio Johnson
3) JL Skinner
4) Jordan Battle
5) Sydney Brown
6) Daniel Scott
7) Jartavius Martin
8) Brandon Joseph
9) Christopher Smith
10) Marte Mapu
Brian Branch has hovered between a top 15 pick and 28-31, depending on the various teams' needs. He is an excellent safety, but more importantly, he sets the tone for a defense. Branch is an excellent leader and that perhaps eclipses some of his footballing qualities.
JL Skinner is an interesting talent and has risen up boards of late. However, we believe that both Branch and Antonio Johnson are better players at the current moment and hold more value to an NFL team in the 2023 NFL Draft.
