The 2023 NFL draft is getting closer and closer, as we’re now through Week 9 of the college football season. Draft boards are starting to come together, and scouts now have a good sample of 2022 game tape to watch on the class’s top prospects.
But not all boards are the same, and we asked our draft analysts — Mel Kiper Jr., Jordan Reid and Matt Miller — to pick out players they are high or low on at this point. Plus, is Anthony Richardson still a first-round prospect? And who is the top cornerback in the class?
Kiper, Reid and Miller also single out prospects rising up their draft boards and players flying under the radar who could get a draft-stock boost. Finally, they empty their notebooks with everything they saw and heard over the weekend. Let’s get started.
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Big questions | Risers
Under the radar
Emptying the notebook
Which prospect are you higher on than the early consensus among draft analysts?
Kiper: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama. I’m a big fan of the versatility and instincts of Branch, who is my third-ranked safety and could be a top-50 pick in April. He plays a bunch of slot-corner snaps for the Crimson Tide, wearing a lot of hats for that defense. I wrote about him a few weeks ago as a riser, and he keeps flashing on tape. The 6-foot Branch can get a little grabby in coverage, but he makes plays (five passes defended) even if he doesn’t come down with the interception. He also is a good blitzer, recording two sacks this season. Branch will play early and often when he reaches the NFL.
Reid: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Wilson’s size speaks for itself. What makes Wilson so intriguing is that he’s still operating mainly off his raw traits. He has the versatility to rush off of the edge, reduce outside on obvious passing downs or drop in coverage. And now, he is starting to string together pass-rush moves — he has six sacks this season — and is showing more durability against the run. At the next level, I see him as either an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or maybe a 5-technique in a 4-3 defense. Wilson is my No. 7-ranked prospect, and as the pre-draft process progresses, don’t be surprised if he starts to get top-10-pick buzz.
Miller: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. He’s called Baby Gronk for a reason, and despite being overshadowed by Georgia phenom Brock Bowers (a 2024 prospect) this season, Mayer is still the best tight end in the 2023 draft class — and it’s not close. He is a do-it-all playmaker with the size (6-foot-4, 265 pounds), strength and quickness to be a three-down player in the NFL. Mayer can line up in line or play in space, and he has shown the all-around traits that translate to the NFL game. He has 47 catches for 580 yards and six TDs in eight games this season.
I have Mayer all the way up at No. 7 on my board, and I think he could end up similar to T.J. Hockenson as a prospect and join him as another top-10 pick.
Which prospect are you lower on than the early consensus among draft analysts?
Reid: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia. After hauling in a pick-six to clinch the program’s first national championship in 40 years in January’s title game, Ringo entered the 2022 season with heightened expectations. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has the measurables of a true press-man corner, and he was a track star in high school. But Ringo lacks trust in his technique when he can’t get hands on the receiver at the line of scrimmage, becomes handsy throughout route stems and doesn’t play as fast as his timed speed suggests.
He entered this season at 20 years old, so the Georgia corner is still very young, and there’s still time for him to improve. But his lack of on-ball production (three passes defended, zero interceptions), stiffness in short areas and handsy nature are concerns. Ringo was my preseason CB1, but I now have him ranked as CB4.
Miller: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU. Boutte entered the year as my WR2 and a potential top-15 prospect, but his play and production have not lived up to that status. He has floundered as the LSU passing game has adjusted to a new scheme and new quarterback, and while Tigers signal-caller Jayden Daniels has slowly found a rhythm, other receivers have become the main targets in the offense.
The 6-foot, 205-pound junior is now barely inside my top 50, checking in as WR8. A strong pre-draft performance could help rehabilitate his stock, but Boutte has been one of the most disappointing players in the class, posting just 27 catches for 288 yards and one TD through seven games.
0:23
Jayden Daniels connects with Kayshon Boutte in the end zone, but LSU trails 37-13.
Kiper: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Benton certainly looks the part of a first-round pick, but I haven’t seen enough progress nor production to put him there on my board. He has flashed at times, but he has just three tackles for loss this season. Benton hasn’t been consistently disruptive when I watch his snaps on tape; he’s not wreaking havoc like USC defensive tackle Tuli Tuipulotu is this season.
Benton has to be more than a plugger to warrant a top-50 pick. I have an early third-round grade on him right now.
Is Anthony Richardson still a first-round quarterback right now?
Miller: Richardson could have been my answer to the previous question. And no, I don’t see a Round 1 quarterback based on his play through nine career starts. The potential is there, without a doubt, but he needs more time to develop and learn before I would feel comfortable putting that kind of grade on him.
Far too often when Richardson is asked to drop back and throw, you’re holding your breath wondering where the ball will land. The arm talent and running ability are impressive, but until his accuracy improves — he’s now completing just 56% of his passes in his career — it’s tough to even put him in the Day 2 conversation.
Kiper: Richardson is a conundrum, right, Matt? At 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds with a huge arm and blazing speed, he’s incredibly talented. But he has to show consistency, too. He misses too many easy throws. With 14 touchdown passes and 13 picks in his career, Richardson is far too raw to be considered a first-rounder in April. I still believe he needs to return to school in 2023 and string together another dozen quality starts so we can see his improvement. That’s how he can get back on the radar of NFL teams, because he’s not ready for the next level right now.
0:40
Anthony Richardson channels his inner Superman as he breaks a few tackles on his way to an 81-yard Gators touchdown.
Reid: Yes, Mel, totally. I had high hopes for Richardson this season, but he just hasn’t made the leap I thought he would in Billy Napier’s offense. While the physical tools and competitive nature as a runner are great — he has nine rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons — he has struggled with two of the most important elements that make a successful quarterback: processing and accuracy.
It’s tough to grade him as a first-rounder, though a strong argument can be made Richardson has the strongest arm of any draft-eligible signal-caller. But the lack of other ingredients in his game keeps me from buying in on his outlook at the next level.
Who is the CB1 of the 2023 class right now?
Reid: I love what I’ve seen from Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. this year. His 6-foot-2, 200-pound size is exactly what NFL teams want at the position, and he has the length to consistently slam throwing windows shut. He doesn’t have any interceptions this year, but he has broken up 11 passes. Porter seems to improve every week, and though he comes in too hot and misses too many tackles, he has the coverage traits to end up a top-15 pick.
Miller: Yeah, Porter has been the most consistent cornerback in the class. A bunch of guys were all right there when the season started, including Georgia’s Ringo, South Carolina’s Cam Smith and Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, but no one has truly emerged as the runaway CB1. Porter is displaying NFL-level length, physicality, instincts and speed to run with receivers. Even the vaunted Ohio State passing game had a tough time beating him on Saturday, as he surrendered only two catches for 23 yards. If I had to build a defense around one of the 2023 cornerbacks, Porter is the pick, and I have him at No. 11 overall right now.
Which prospect are you moving up your board?
Kiper: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech. I know Jordan has been high on Wilson for a long time, but I have waited to move him up so I could see more of his 2022 tape. And Wilson hasn’t disappointed, racking up six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, including two on Saturday against Baylor. He has rare power for an edge rusher with a 6-foot-6 frame, and he gets good push in the run game. He’s an explosive player with the lateral quickness to change direction to chase down quarterbacks with ease, too. I’m updating my Big Board later this week, and the Texas A&M transfer could sneak into my top 25.
Miller: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU. The 2023 wide receiver class has been difficult to evaluate, but after a slow first month of the season, Johnston has been incredible over the past four weeks. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior has already had the best season of his career with 42 catches, 650 yards and four touchdowns, and there’s still a month of play remaining. Johnston is physical in coverage and has the speed to run away from cornerbacks. I now have him inside my top 25 overall.
Reid: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia. Despite playing behind one of the best playmaking tight ends in the country in Brock Bowers, Washington has continued to maximize his role in the team’s offense. He isn’t afraid of doing the dirty work as a run-blocker, and at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, he’s a massive target in the Bulldogs’ pass game. He had multiple standout plays against Florida over the weekend that would easily translate to the next level, and Washington could certainly provide value in a multitude of areas for an NFL offense. He reminds me a bit of Marcedes Lewis, and Washington is looking like a Day 2 prospect who could quickly outplay his draft slot.
Which under-the-radar prospect are you keeping an eye on after Week 9?
Kiper: Benny Sapp III, S, Northern Iowa. Looking for a Day 3 defensive back who could surprise? Sapp is a good tackler with excellent ball skills who is smooth in transition. He has seven interceptions over the past two seasons. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Sapp plays all over the field, lining up as a deep safety, slot corner and even outside for a few snaps. The Minnesota transfer — yes, his dad, Benny II, played in the NFL and at Northern Iowa — has nearly 100 tackles over the past two seasons.
Reid: Isaiah Land, OLB, Florida A&M. After leading the FCS in both tackles for loss (25.5) and sacks (19.5) last year, Land started off 2022 slowly. But he seems to be regaining form, and he recorded two sacks against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Land is likely a designated pass-rusher in the NFL who can specialize in late-down situations, and he will likely be in the late-Day 3 conversation. He would provide an immediate boost to any team’s pass rush thanks to his hand-fighting creativity, bend and finishing ability at the quarterback. He has five sacks and eight tackles for loss this season.
Miller: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State. After a jaw-dropping performance in a blowout win over Oklahoma State, we could list the entire K-State defense here, but pass-rusher Anudike-Uzomah is the leader of that squad and a potential top-50 pick. He has 7.5 sacks on the year, but he has also shown a more well-rounded game this season that better suits the NFL. With great length and really good initial quickness, he has the goods we’re looking for in a potential 4-3 defensive end at the next level.
Let’s empty the notebooks …
Miller: Welcome back, Jalen Carter. The Georgia defensive tackle made a surprise appearance against Florida in Week 9 and returned from a knee injury on the interior. He made his presence known early and often against the top guard in the class (O’Cyrus Torrence). Carter has plenty of fans among NFL scouts and is still in the mix for the top overall spot in the 2023 draft. At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, he has top-tier get-off ability and the strength to break through double-teams.
Reid: I’m really impressed with Georgia safety Christopher Smith this season. He has made the most of a sixth year and finished the Florida game with six tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. Smith lines up all over the field and is reliable in coverage as a free safety, but his biggest improvements have come as a tackler and in his involvement around the box. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is a potential NFL starter and is in the late-Day 2 range.
Miller: Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison is getting hot at the right time and has been a game-changer the past two weeks for the Buckeyes’ defense. At 6-foot-6 and 272 pounds, Harrison has elite agility and will be a top performer at the scouting combine. But his game tape already has him moving up my board. He pulled down an interception on Saturday against Penn State and forced a fumble the previous week against Iowa. Harrison is probably in the late-Day 2 range right now, but he’s rising quickly.
Reid: Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt’s draft stock is scorching hot. He has a new single-season program record for touchdown catches in a season (14), and his speed and ability to get behind defenses — he caught 55-yard and 31-yard scores — continued to stand out against Kentucky. Hyatt was mostly off the NFL radar entering the season, but he’s now firmly in the early-Day 2 discussions. At 6 feet and 180 pounds, he still needs to show more in the underneath areas, but NFL teams always desire speed, and he has plenty of it. A big matchup against Georgia is ahead.
0:55
Jalin Hyatt hauls in the dime from Hendon Hooker and finds pay dirt to quickly put the Volunteers on the board.
Miller: One of my favorite prospects in this class is Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, and he just had another very good outing against a great Ohio State defensive line. Fashanu didn’t surrender a single sack or hurry during the shootout. I have the 6-foot-6, 321-pound tackle inside my top 30 right now.
Reid: Receiver Josh Downs has been a focal point in the North Carolina offense again this season. Downs is a smaller receiver at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, but he has the speed and versatility to become a standout player at the next level. Over the past two weeks, he has caught 20 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Working primarily out of the slot, the junior wideout has shown plenty of quickness and strong hands after nursing a knee injury early in the year. I think he’s probably a second- or third-round target, but Downs could eventually turn into a high-end complementary option for an NFL offense.
