Top 2023 NFL draft prospects have put together their final season college tape, participated in all-star events and worked out in Indianapolis at the combine. Pro-day workouts and interviews with pro teams lie ahead. As we continue to get more clarity on the class, I re-ranked my top 32 prospects for this 2023 class, which includes a handful of quarterbacks who I think can be NFL starters.
Grades for each player are also included, along with previous rankings from my last update in mid-January. And since combine numbers are locked in, I added each prospect’s 40-yard dash time and vertical/broad jumps. Let’s dive in.
HT: 5-foot-10 | WT: 204 pounds
Grade: 95 | Prev. rank: 1
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
His poise, patience and ability to extend plays separate him from the rest and are big reasons why he is No. 1 overall here. A fast processor, Young shows very good ball placement on the perimeter at all three levels, and he has the ability to lead receivers to yards after the catch. His advanced understanding of the QB position really stands out on tape. He is sudden with quick feet and a fast release. However, he needs to improve his consistency on anticipation throws over the middle of the field, and durability at his size will be a concern for many NFL teams. While he is a pocket passer first, he has the mobility to generate more production with his feet.
On the season, Young had 3,328 passing yards, 32 TD throws (tied for 10th in the nation) and just 5 interceptions, and his 86.2 Total QBR was sixth in the FBS. He finished out his college career with a five-TD performance against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 253
Grade: 95 | Prev. rank: 2
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.60
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Anderson’s combination of an explosive first step and quick, powerful hands is dangerous, and he has fast eyes like a quarterback. He frequently wins by overpowering blockers, but he’s capable of winning one-on-ones in a multitude of ways. Against the run, Anderson excels in stacking, locating, disengaging and pursuing relentlessly. And there aren’t enough good things to say about his instincts for the game. Anderson had 10 sacks (tied for 10th in the nation), 19.5 tackles for loss (sixth), 51 pressures (second) and 20 run stops (tied for 13th). He has 34.5 career sacks and 66 tackles for loss over 41 career games.
HT: 6-3 | WT: 214
Grade: 93 | Prev. rank: 4
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Stroud has excellent instincts and shows solid decision-making. He sees the entire field at an NFL level and trusts his fast eyes. While his ball placement is a bit inconsistent at times, Stroud has a large catalog of remarkably accurate throws under pressure, and his touch and timing are outstanding. He has a smooth delivery with good arm strength.
In 13 starts last season, Stroud had the nation’s second-best Total QBR at 88.9. He had 3,688 passing yards, 41 touchdown throws (second-most in the FBS) and 6 interceptions, and his 9.5 yards per attempt ranked third. Stroud threw four TD passes in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia, and it was great to see him use his mobility in that game.
HT: 6-6 | WT: 271
Grade: 93 | Prev. rank: 5
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Wilson has great length and finishing power. He can shoot his hands and overpower pass-blockers, and while he doesn’t have elite bend, he has improved as a hands fighter. Wilson displays the strength to stack blockers and set a hard edge against the run, and he chases with good effort and flashes good stopping power. The Texas A&M transfer had 7 sacks, 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss (tied for 27th in the country), 36 pressures (tied for 20th) and 15 run stops on the 2022 season. His 16% pressure rate was the nation’s fourth best.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 313
Grade: 93 | Prev. rank: 6
Combine 40-yard dash: 5.16
Combine vertical jump: 34.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-7
Over 33 career starts at left tackle, Skoronski has allowed just three sacks and “blown” 11 run blocks. He’s sudden with elite mirror-slide quickness in pass protection, has excellent quickness in his set and is almost always in balance. Skoronski shows patience and has a lot of snap in his punch. He does a great job of keeping his hands inside and generating leverage with his placement. As a run-blocker, he takes excellent angles, has vast range and is fundamentally sound. He’s not an overpowering run-blocker but almost always gets into great position, stuns with initial contact and has enough technique and lower-body flexibility to get movement with good torque. However, Skoronski’s arm length was measured at 32¼ inches at the combine, which is short for an average NFL tackle.
HT: 5-11 | WT: 215
Grade: 93 | Prev. rank: 9
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.46
Combine vertical jump: 37 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-4
Robinson is a patient runner with quick feet and excellent burst through the hole. He has outstanding contact balance and the core strength to push the pile. Robinson makes defenders miss both at the line of scrimmage and in space, evidenced by his FBS-leading 91 forced missed tackles. He’s also an effective route runner, a natural hands catcher and a threat after the catch. But he needs to improve his pass protection in the NFL. He had 1,580 rushing yards (sixth in the country) and 18 rushing TDs (tied for fifth), and his 314 receiving yards tied for 10th among running backs.
HT: 6-1 | WT: 197
Grade: 93 | Prev. rank: 16
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.38
Combine vertical jump: 41.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 11-foot-1
Gonzalez was a two-year starter at Colorado before transferring to Oregon, and he has an impressive blend of size, length and speed. There’s room for improvement when it comes to turning to locate the ball, but he’s an effective press corner. Gonzalez is strong and long enough to reroute receivers, and he’s fast enough to stay in their back pocket. He can also get off blocks and flashes good stopping power as a tackler. And he’s versatile enough to line up over the slot and play safety, though he fits best on the outside. Gonzalez had four interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2022.
HT: 6-6 | WT: 313
Grade: 92 | Prev. rank: 10
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-2
Johnson started all 13 games at guard in 2021 but moved to left tackle for 2022. He excelled there, allowing just 10 pressures and two sacks in 13 starts. His footwork and hand placement have improved, and he has a quick set with balance. When he lands his punch, it jars defensive linemen. He’s an easy mover when mirroring and sliding, and he shows excellent lower-body flexibility. As a run-blocker, Johnson fires out of his stance quickly, and as long as he latches on properly with inside leverage, he has the strength to move defenders off the line.
HT: 6-5 | WT: 249
Grade: 92 | Prev. rank: 11
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.70
Combine vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-10
Mayer’s best traits are his toughness and strength after the catch. He’s a bulldozer with the ball in his hands, and he generates yards by breaking tackles and carrying defenders. Of his 809 receiving yards in 2022, 345 came after the catch. He is not a speedster but shows a lot of savvy setting up defenders at the top of stem and locating soft spots in zone. Mayer also has a big catch radius and reliable hands, and he does a very good job adjusting to the ball outside his frame. He has an edge as a blocker, too, though his technique is still a work in progress. Mayer had nine TD catches last season, tied for 19th overall and first among tight ends in the country.
0:31
Michael Mayer hauls in TD catch for the Irish
Michael Mayer tops off an 80-yard drive for Notre Dame with a touchdown catch as the Fighting Irish cut it to 10-7.
HT: 6-2 | WT: 238
Grade: 92 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.39
Combine vertical jump: 41.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-8
Smith has very good closing burst to the quarterback and quick hands, but he is still very unpolished with his pass-rush moves. He frequently lacks a plan and tries to win solely with his outstanding speed, though he does have an effective outside-in move and is able to occasionally get offensive tackles off-balance with stop-start moves. Smith is a menacing run defender, though. He creates a lot of havoc with how quickly he penetrates the backfield, and while he lacks size, he more than makes up for it with excellent leverage and hand placement. He sets a hard edge, has snappy hands to disengage quickly and shows excellent change-of-direction quickness. He registered 22 tackles (seven for loss) and 3.0 sacks in eight games last season before suffering a torn right pectoral muscle.
HT: 6-5 | WT: 272
Grade: 92 | Prev. rank: 22
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.58
Combine vertical jump: 31 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-10
Van Ness followed up his seven-sack 2021 season with seven more in 2022, along with 31 pressures, 13.5 tackles for loss and 10 run stops over 13 games. He is an excellent pass-rusher who continues to improve with more game experience — he has only 27 career games and has never started. Van Ness has the length, quickness and power to make a difference at the next level, and he can play inside or outside.
HT: 6-3 | WT: 208
Grade: 92 | Prev. rank: 12
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: 40.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 11-foot-2
Johnston can stretch the field with his speed and has the body control and catching radius to win 50-50 balls. He is dangerous after the catch — that’s what separates him from most 6-foot-4 receivers — and he flashes good contact balance (24 forced missed tackles on receptions, fifth in the country). That, combined with his ability to win on contested catches because of his length, has earned him WR1 status. Johnston runs away from coverage on crossers and locates pockets over the deep middle working against zone looks, but he’s a little tight and struggles to separate on sharp-breaking routes.
He had 1,069 yards and six TD catches on 60 receptions. And while he was held to one catch for three yards against Georgia in the title game, he went off for 163 receiving yards and a TD against Michigan to help the Horned Frogs get there.
HT: 6-3 | WT: 314
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: 3
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Carter battled injuries last season but made a big impact after returning from a knee injury. He fires off the ball with a quick first step, and he shows very good torso flexibility and excellent strength to advance his rush while engaged. He has every tool in the box necessary to emerge as a top-tier NFL pass-rusher early in his career, even if the sack totals aren’t there yet (three last year and three in 2021). He’s highly adept at working the edges of offensive linemen and is very efficient with his hands and angles. Against the run, he’s active and disciplined, and he rarely gets stalemated in one-on-one situations. Carter finished the season with 37 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 24 pressures, 9 run stops and a forced fumble.
During the week of the combine, Carter was arrested on charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a crash that killed a Bulldogs teammate and a recruiting staff member. An arraignment hearing in the case was set for April 18, and NFL teams will have to do their homework here.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 229
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: 13
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: 34 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-4
A transfer from Penn State, Levis has a relatively quick release, and the ball jumps off his hand. He has a strong arm to drive the ball outside the hashes and vertically, but he’s more consistent with ball placement when he’s driving it on a rope than he is on touch throws that require him to layer the ball. He is light on his feet and shows good agility eluding the rush, knowing when to climb or slide to extend, but he took 36 sacks last season.
I’d like to see more reps featuring full-field progression reads and anticipatory downfield throws, and he needs to cut down on the interceptions (10 in 11 games last season and 13 in 2021). The decision-making remains a problem that will need to be coached up in the NFL. Levis had 2,406 passing yards and 19 touchdown throws while completing 65.4% of his passes in 2022.
HT: 5-11 | WT: 173
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: 14
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.49
Combine vertical jump: 34 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-2
After transferring from Pittsburgh (1,593 yards and 17 TDs in 2021), Addison had 59 catches for 875 yards and eight trips to the end zone for the Trojans in 2022. He has the second gear to stretch the field and can win 50-50 balls downfield, even though he has a slight frame. He’s an instinctive open-field runner with good burst and flashes good contact balance for his size. Addison is not a nuanced or polished route runner, but he consistently separates thanks to his burst and fluidity.
HT: 6-1 | WT: 181
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Witherspoon has some great tape, as opponents averaged 3.3 yards allowed per attempt (second in the nation) and completing 30.4% of their throws (sixth) on passes sent his way last season. He has the foot speed, burst and toughness to smother receivers in man coverage, and he has some scheme versatility. He gets caught peeking into the backfield at times and doesn’t appear to have elite recovery speed, but he can make plays on the ball with the ability to high-point. Witherspoon had three interceptions and 14 pass breakups (tied for eighth) last season.
HT: 6-5 | WT: 268
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: 7
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
With 6.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 29 pressures in 2022, Murphy drives back offensive tackles when rushing the passer — and he’s effective ripping under the tackle’s inside arm and powering upfield. He takes too wide an arc at times, but he has the bend and closing burst to win with speed off the edge. His strength, quickness and active hands make him a problem when he kicks inside, too, though he doesn’t always seem to have a plan or counter ready.
Murphy also has experience dropping in coverage (three pass breakups last season) and shows the strength and length to stack and shed offensive tackles defending the run (seven run stops). His tape is a little inconsistent, but he has an impressive toolbox.
HT: 6-1 | WT: 166
Grade: 91 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.35
Combine vertical jump: 37.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-11
Forbes is a linear cornerback with great ball skills and excellent instincts in coverage. He displays very good body control and drives on the ball in a flash. His six interceptions tied for second in the country last season, and he added seven pass breakups. But Forbes needs to work on his tackling, especially at just 166 pounds.
HT: 6-3 | WT: 193
Grade: 90 | Prev. rank: 15
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.46
Combine vertical jump: 35 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-9
Porter is instinctive and excels in press-man but also shows the recognition skills necessary in zone coverage. He has fast eyes when diagnosing screens and runs, and he uses his long arms, solid technique and physicality to reroute receivers off the line of scrimmage. He also plays with very good body control, but he does have some tightness and tends to get handsy when he feels himself getting out of phase. Porter knows when to attack the receiver and when to attack the ball, too.
He finished the season with 11 pass breakups (zero interceptions), and his 3.7 yards allowed per attempt ranked fourth in the country. And his 37.9% forced incompletion rate (breakups and interceptions on targeted attempts) was the best in the FBS.
HT: 6-1 | WT: 196
Grade: 90 | Prev. rank: 21
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: 35 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-5
With just 42 routes and 43 yards in three games, Smith-Njigba was limited last season by a hamstring injury in 2022. He is extremely agile with precise route-running skills and has a great feel for soft spots in zone. He tempos his route stems like a pro and is very quick getting in and out of cuts, frequently gaining separation with acceleration. Smith-Njigba also shows soft hands and very good body control, though he tends to be a body catcher. He shows good lateral agility and can string multiple cuts together to make multiple defenders miss in space.
21. Keion White, OLB, Georgia Tech
HT: 6-5 | WT: 285
Grade: 90 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: 34 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-9
White took a step forward as a pass-rusher in 2022, posting 7.5 sacks and 27 pressures. And he’s an disruptive run-stopper on the edge, compiling 11.5 tackles for loss. White transferred into Georgia Tech from Old Dominion, sat out the 2020 season and started just one game in 2021. But he had a really good 2022 season and impressed at the Senior Bowl and combine.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 246
Grade: 90 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: DNP
Combine vertical jump: DNP
Combine broad jump: DNP
Kincaid started his college career at San Diego before transferring to Utah. He has enough speed to make plays down the seam and shows the ability to go up and win 50-50 balls when he splits out wide. He’s an efficient route runner with adequate burst out of breaks, though he’s not as much of a threat after the catch as he is downfield. Kincaid also needs to get stronger to sustain as a blocker. He caught 70 passes (first among tight ends) for 890 yards (second) and eight TDs (tied for second) in 2022.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 244
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.43
Combine vertical jump: 40.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-9
Richardson is an interesting evaluation for NFL teams. On one hand, he displays excellent physical traits. He has the arm strength to drive the ball downfield, and his speed and elusiveness allow him to make an impact as a runner (654 rushing yards, nine TD runs). But on the other hand, he is still relatively inexperienced (13 starts) and is still ironing out his accuracy (53.8% completion percentage in 2022). Richardson is a huge projection, but the talent and upside are definitely there. He finished the 2022 season with 2,549 passing yards, 17 TD throws and 9 interceptions.
HT: 6-5 | WT: 311
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: 20
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.97
Combine vertical jump: 30 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot
Jones came into the 2022 season with just four career starts, but he started 15 times at left tackle for the Bulldogs last season, allowing zero sacks and only six pressures. He has quick feet, mirrors and slides with ease and has no trouble with pure speed off the edge. Jones shows explosive upper-body power when he lands his punch, but he needs to improve hand placement, not let his pads rise too high and increase lower-body strength. As a run-blocker, he fires out quickly and has a lot of snap in his initial contact, frequently knocking defensive linemen back with power, and he shows very good range as a second-level blocker. There might be questions about whether Jones projects better as a guard in the NFL, though.
HT: 6-0 | WT: 197
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.35
Combine vertical jump: 42 inches
Combine broad jump: 11-foot-4
Banks is an extremely explosive cornerback who has good size and excellent speed. He can make plays on the ball as well, as evidenced by his 10 pass breakups in 2022. He only managed two interceptions over four seasons, though.
26. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
HT: 5-9 | WT: 182
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: 31
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.42
Combine vertical jump: 35.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-7
Flowers is an instinctive, explosive and elusive playmaker in the open field (25 forced missed tackles on catches, fourth most in the nation). He has the second gear to get behind opposing defenses, and he tracks the deep ball well. His route running still needs work, but his overall speed allows him to separate from defensive backs. As a smaller receiver, Flowers is most dangerous from the slot but has shown he can compete for 50-50 balls and pluck the ball out of the air in traffic, too. He caught 78 balls for 1,077 yards and 12 TDs (tied for fifth) last season.
HT: 6-5 | WT: 333
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 5.01
Combine vertical jump: 29 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-6
Wright plays with great balance and has terrific size at right tackle. Across 843 snaps in 2022, he allowed just one sack and “blew” six run blocks. Wright is a terrific run blocker with good mobility and quickness. I really liked what I saw from him at the Senior Bowl.
HT: 6-6 | WT: 298
Grade: 89 | Prev. rank: 8
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.86
Combine vertical jump: 29 inches
Combine broad jump: DNP
There’s no denying the talent on Bresee’s tape despite just 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss last season. He is a dominant run defender with the upper-body strength to stack and shed. He also has the quick hands and feet to slip and split blockers. He locates the ball quickly and is an effective tackler, too. Bresee is powerful and flashes as a hands fighter when rushing the passer (22 pressures), and he’s effective running stunts and getting his hands up in passing lanes (two pass breakups). He missed some time early in the 2022 season for a kidney infection and personal reasons.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 315
Grade: 88 | Prev. rank: 18
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.98
Combine vertical jump: 28.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 8-foot-9
Harrison has a powerful punch, works his hands inside and is tough to shake once he’s locked on in pass protection. He walls off defenders and takes sound angles climbing to the second level in the run game, too. But Harrison doesn’t bend well, and while he digs in to absorb power, he leans and can give up too much ground. The junior didn’t allow a single sack (and just one pressure) in 12 starts last season, and he started 24 games over three seasons at Oklahoma.
HT: 6-0 | WT: 190
Grade: 88 | Prev. rank: 23
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.58
Combine vertical jump: 34.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-5
Branch had 89 tackles (12 for loss), 7 pass breakups, 8 pressures, 9 run stops and 3 sacks on the 2022 season, impacting multiple areas of the game. He is a complete football player with the ability to play in the box, line up as a single-high safety or hold up in a lot of one-on-one matchups. Branch has great natural instincts and supports the run like a linebacker. His versatility will be a big asset in the NFL.
HT: 6-4 | WT: 309
Grade: 88 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 5.08
Combine vertical jump: 29.5 inches
Combine broad jump: 9-foot-3
A former standout high school wrestler, Benton has an intriguing combination of size and power, and he plays with great leverage. He is still improving his quickness when disengaging from blocks, but he moves well once he frees up and pursues ball carriers. Benton ended up with 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season. And his 12 run stops tied for 46th in the country among defensive linemen.
HT: 6-7 | WT: 264
Grade: 88 | Prev. rank: Outside top 32
Combine 40-yard dash: 4.64
Combine vertical jump: 31 inches
Combine broad jump: 10-foot-2
Washington has excellent physical traits. He displays a massive catch radius and can come down with tough catches in traffic. And with good speed for his size and plenty of physicality to his game, Washington can generate late separation. He also shows a good feel for locating soft spots in zone. As a blocker, his initial hand placement is inconsistent, but he takes solid angles. With improved hand placement and savviness, he can develop into an above-average in-line blocker. Washington played behind Brock Bowers at Georgia and was limited to 28 catches for 454 yards and two TDs in 2022.