2023 NFL Draft: The Most Intriguing Prospect on Each Top 25 Team in the Preseason AP Poll

Michigan State is not exactly a hotbed for NFL wide receivers, as Jayden Reed’s former teammate Jalen Nailor is the only former drafted Spartan wide receiver currently on an NFL roster. This should not deter evaluators from betting on Reed to change things on this front. In 2021, Reed produced at a career-high clip in receptions (59), receiving yards (1026), and touchdowns (10). The No. 1 wide receiver on Michigan State’s roster is a threat to score on any play. He moves as well as any receiver in the country and has a more advanced route tree than he’s given credit for. He is in a position to catapult his name to the top of the list when it comes to 2023 NFL Draft wide receiver prospects.

Continuing with wide receivers, the USC Trojans are the new home for 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner, Jordan Addison. After serving as the top option for Kenny Pickett during the quarterback’s Heisman-finalist campaign, Addison opted to leave the Pittsburgh program. He remained ineligible for the 2022 NFL Draft, so rather than entering his name there, he entered it into the transfer portal. USC also added head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams, as both came over from the Oklahoma Sooners. Addison should thrive in the offense and cement his first-round status for the 2023 NFL Draft. The Trojans are looking to put their program back on the map, and Addison will be at the forefront of those efforts.

Devin Leary is a hot name in the NFL Draft community. He is many people’s pick for the biggest 2023 NFL Draft riser. The Wolfpack has a small track record of producing NFL-caliber signal-callers. Ryan Finley (2019), Jacoby Brissett (2016), Mike Glennon (2013), Russell Wilson (2012), and even back to 2004 with Philip Rivers, proves that NC State has been a mainstay in quarterback talks for years. As you’ve surely noticed, three of those names aren’t starting-level players in the league, while Russell Wilson (who later transferred to Wisconsin) is a Hall of Famer and Philip Rivers has a case to be as well. Devin Leary will be looking to prove he’s more like the latter two than the former three. Leary is a gifted passer that put up some insane numbers in 2021, leading the team to a 9-3 record. If he can replicate that success this year, Leary could be the next NFL quarterback to “come out of nowhere” and fly up draft boards.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have quietly been one of the most consistent teams of the past decade. They are coming off of a 10-win campaign, which marked the fifth time in 10 seasons that they reached double-digit victories. One of the sparks behind that team was their defensive unit. A man by the name of Tyler Lacy made his presence felt each and every week on the defensive line. He has served as an edge rusher for the Cowboys, and he is phenomenal at creating pressure both on the quarterback and the ball carrier. He is a good athlete, but will probably be best served kicking inside at the next level. He reminds me a lot of the 2022 second-round pick out of Houston, Logan Hall.

Similar to his brother and 2021 first-round pick, Penei Sewell, Noah has been a star for the Oregon Ducks ever since arriving on campus. His true freshman campaign came during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but Sewell went on to start 14 games in 2021 as the leader of the linebacker group. He did a little bit of everything for the Ducks, recording 114 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and even an interception to boot. Sewell will be looking to improve upon those numbers in year three at Oregon, and if he does, it should lead to him coming off the board as the top linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft. Sewell brings a no-nonsense demeanor and a drive to improve that very few of his peers possess.