With the college football AP rankings dropping, that means the season is finally upon us. In order to get you ready for the 2023 NFL Draft, this article will highlight the most intriguing draft-eligible player for each top 25 team.
The first official AP poll of the season is hot off the press. There were a few surprising omissions towards the backend of the top 25, but the top-ranked teams slotted in as expected. Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State seem to have distanced themselves from the pack as we enter the 2022 college football season. It is hard to criticize because Alabama and Georgia are coming off of National Championship appearances and Ohio State returns a majority of their Rose Bowl-winning team from the year prior. The programs also feature three of the best coaches in sports: Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Ryan Day.
The new rankings reflect how most feel about the schools, as these three blue bloods sit in the top three spots of the poll. Combined, they sent a jaw-dropping 28 players to the 2022 NFL Draft. While many top-end prospects come from schools ranked near the top, don’t get caught staring at the juggernauts for too long or you’re liable to miss the slew of talent that exists on the remaining Top 25 rosters. The talent on the national scene is better than it has ever been, and even if it doesn’t feel like it, the top players are still spread out throughout the country.
2023 NFL Draft: The Most Intriguing Draft-Eligible Player for Each Top 25 Team in the AP Poll
The college football season is set to kick off Saturday, Aug. 27, with an 11-game slate on the schedule. The reason it is affectionately labeled as “Week 0” is that very few teams, including zero ranked ones, are in line to play. The showcase matchup will come when two Big Ten teams, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats, square off in Dublin, Ireland. The game happening across the pond creates a bit more excitement around it, but none of the teams you’re going to be reading about will be in action. The rest of the country will kickoff their season the following week.
To celebrate the arrival of the first official AP poll, let’s highlight the top draft-eligible 2023 NFL Draft prospect from each of the 25 teams. The list will go in descending order from No. 25 to No. 1. Time to kick things off with the BYU Cougars!
BYU has sent a player to the NFL in six of the past seven years, including a whopping five in 2021. Two Cougars have a great chance of being drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, but one of them stands out. Offensive tackle Blake Freeland is listed at 6’8, 305 pounds, and he looks even bigger with his pads on. Freeland began his career at right tackle, starting 7 games as a true freshman. During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the towering lineman started eight more games. In 2021, he continued his ascension by starting all of the team’s 13 games at left tackle. Freeland, a former quarterback, moves extremely well for his size and possesses a strong technical prowess at offensive tackle, even with his limited experience. To hear his name called early, Freeland must continue to refine the fundamental side of his game.
The Houston Cougars program has become an NFL factory of sorts in the trenches. Ed Oliver, Josh Jones, Payton Turner, and Logan Hall are all examples of Houston alum going inside of the first two days of the NFL Draft. After redshirting in 2017, Derek Parish went on to appear in 47 games over the next four seasons. He became a full-time starter alongside Logan Hall in 2021, and oftentimes, Parish stole the spotlight from his former teammate. The two helped form what is known as “Sack Avenue”, a fitting name for a stacked group of defensive linemen in Houston. Parish will get his chance to be “the guy” on the defense this season. If he can prove that his success wasn’t a byproduct of all the attention his teammates have garnered, expect the star pass rusher to challenge for double-digit sacks in 2022.
This might be cheating, but both of the Pace brothers deserve to be highlighted here. Deshawn has been a member of the Bearcats since arriving on campus as a true freshman in 2020. He posted strong numbers during Cincinnati’s playoff run this past season, ranking third on the entire team in total tackles. Ivan Pace Jr. began elsewhere, at Miami (OH), but ultimately ended up back with his brother after announcing his transfer to Cincinnati this offseason. Ivan stuffed the stat sheet in 2021, recording 125 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and even an interception! He brings that versatility to the Bearcats’ linebacker room that lost their leader, Darrian Beavers, to the NFL Draft. Both players are enticing prospects for the next level, but their improvements in 2022 will ultimately determine how high they go.
You would be forgiven if you haven’t watched much Wake Forest football over the past couple of years, but they’ve got something good going on in the ACC. While they’ll likely never be a powerhouse, the Demon Deacons have had at least one player drafted since the 2016 season. This includes current Bengals’ superstar, Jessie Bates III. Who is next in line? None other than Rondell Bothroyd. After starting sparingly for his first couple of years on campus, Bothroyd broke out in a major way in 2021. The gifted pass rusher recorded a team-leading 16.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and even added seven sacks to his resume. Bothroyd is not a “freak” athlete, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad one. He must prove that he can maintain stamina throughout the game and it wouldn’t hurt if he introduced a few more pass rush moves to his catalog. If he shows improvement in terms of consistency, there’s a chance he’s a big-time riser in the 2022 NFL Draft.
It has become a popular trend on social media to say that “running backs don’t matter”. We can argue about that all day, but I can tell you for a fact that Zach Evans matters to the Ole Miss offense. Evans has never been a bell-cow back in college, as he spent 2020 and 2021 as a change of pace back that rarely saw any in-game action. After transferring to Ole Miss, Evans is in line to finally get some run as the top player on the depth chart. In his limited action with TCU, Evans proved to be an explosive player with the ball in his hands. He brings a strong career yards-per-carry (7.3) with him to the Rebels. Lane Kiffin is a maestro when it comes to the offense, so don’t be surprised if you see Evans regularly putting on a show in 2022. Keep an eye out for him.
Continuing the trend of transfers that found a new home, Will Levis is next up. He began his career as a highly-touted recruit at Penn State. After losing a quarterback battle to Sean Clifford, Levis began looking elsewhere for other opportunities. He found the Kentucky Wildcats and the rest is history. Levis assumed the starting quarterback role immediately for the Wildcats in 2021, posting these stellar numbers through the air: 66% completion, 2826 passing yards, and 24 passing touchdowns. The 6’3, 222-pound signal-caller also got his nose dirty as he housed nine touchdowns on the ground. He lost his play caller, Liam Coen, to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, so he will have to prove that 2021 wasn’t a product of Coen. In the event Levis repeats his success or improves upon it, there’s going to be a lot of traction for him being an early day one pick.
Jalen Catalon surprised many when he elected to return to the Arkansas program for his fourth season on campus. Catalon played extremely well in 2021, with his best performances coming against the Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels. Unfortunately, Catalon suffered season-ending hand and shoulder injuries and was forced to miss the remainder of the season for the Razorbacks. Despite only appearing in six games, he proved to be an impact player and had momentum heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. After testing the waters, he returned to school to clinch his first-round status. Catalon is rangy and an imposing figure in the secondary. He is a team leader and by all accounts is one of the toughest players in the entire nation. He needs to put the injury talk to rest. If he succeeds, then it’d be surprising if he’s not a top-32 selection in next year’s draft.
While running back and offensive line are the primary positions that Wisconsin typically sends to the league, let’s not forget about the defensive side of the ball. It has been a while since the Watt’s terrorized the Big Ten, but there’s another Badger that is starting to hear his name mentioned in the same breath. Nick Herbig may have a long way to go before he reaches the mythical status that the Watt’s have earned, but there’s a real path for Herbig to go in round one, just like JJ and TJ before him. As the key pass rusher on one of the best defenses in the nation in 2021, Herbig recorded an astounding 14.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Herbig seemingly never runs out of gas and possesses above-average play strength. He needs to clean up some sloppy habits while in pursuit of the quarterback, but the arrow is pointing up.
One of the most unique players (and names) of the entire 2023 NFL Draft class is Pittsburgh’s Habbakkuk Baldonado. Baldonado jumps off the tape when you turn his film on. He has such a quick first step and is the prototypical build for a high-end pass rusher in the NFL. Baldonado recorded nine sacks for the Panthers last season and he enters 2022 as the unquestioned No. 1 pass rusher on the depth chart. The exciting part about Baldonado is that he has true every down player potential. Some guys merely project as passing down players, but Baldonado has shown a strong ability to diagnose the run play and bring down ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage. These traits should translate to the league extremely well assuming he continues improving.
Tyler Van Dyke arrived on the Miami campus as a heralded four-star recruit. He ranked as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in his class, and his commitment elicited a positive response from the Hurricane faithful. The quarterback only appeared in late-game duties in 2020, but following an injury to incumbent starter D’Eriq King, Van Dyke assumed the role as the starter a couple of games into the 2021 season. He never looked back. Van Dyke averaged nearly 300 passing yards across his 10 games as the starter, with a stellar 25:6 TD:INT ratio. For Van Dyke to rise up draft boards, he must display more accuracy in his second season at the helm. If he’s able to add a few points to his completion percentage, he has the physical traits to translate into a starter in the NFL. Miami could be a sneaky playoff pick for many.
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.
The Baylor Bears are coming off of a 12-win season in 2021. They lost a few key members to the NFL Draft, but they return their best player on the roster: Siaki Ika. Ika is one of the most fun (and dominant) players in the country. Ika originally spent time at LSU before transferring over to the Big-12 and becoming the starter at nose tackle for Baylor. His tape is fun to watch because even when he’s not credited with a stop, you can see all the work he does to put his teammates in position to clean up the play. Ika is the rare prospect at nose tackle that transcends the position. His energy is infectious and he’s got a personality that is as big as his 350-pound frame.
Marvin Mims is the perfect embodiment of the Will Smith Fresh Prince of Bel-Air meme that shows Will standing in an empty house. Mims lost his head coach, Lincoln Riley, and his quarterback, Caleb Williams, to the USC Trojans. To make matters worse, his quarterback before Williams took over was Spencer Rattler, who also left for a different USC (South Carolina Gamecocks). This is enough to call into question how effective Mims will be in 2022, but you shouldn’t count this guy out. Mims averages 19 yards-per-catch in his collegiate career and has a knack for making a big play when his team needs it the most. NFL scouts will be watching closely to see how he adapts to the new Oklahoma quarterback, Dillon Gabriel. We’ve seen several Oklahoma wide receivers make a name for themselves at the next level, Mims should be no different.
The Michigan Wolverines finally exercised their demons as they beat their rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and punched their ticket to the College Football Playoffs in 2021. They came up short against the Georgia Bulldogs, and even though they lost a ton of talent to the NFL Draft, Jim Harbaugh and Co. will be looking to repeat the success. Blake Corum is in line to be the top running back in Ann Arbor after stalwart Hassan Haskins left for the NFL. Corum is a better athlete than Haskins and will have a chance to prove that he’s capable of carrying the brunt of the load at running back. Even while in a timeshare with the aforementioned Haskins, Corum still toted the rock 144 times on the ground and added 24 receptions as well. Now that there are 270 carries vacated from 2021, it’s time for Corum to show that he is worth an early pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kyle Wittingham has been in charge of things for Utah since taking over for Urban Meyer in 2005. He’s led the team to a winning season in each of the past eight seasons, and even though they suffered some losses to the 2022 NFL Draft, Clark Phillips III still roams the secondary in Salt Lake City. Phillips III has started all 19 possible games since becoming a member of the Utes. He returns for his true junior season poised to lift the program into College Football Playoff discussions. Phillips III led the PAC-12 in passes defended in 2021, using his superb ball skills to disrupt passing lanes consistently. He is a bit on the smaller side in terms of his frame, but you’d never notice it by watching him play. The Utes should have a great season this year and Clark Phillips III will be a major reason why.
Antonio Johnson is another secondary member on the list, but he is hard to label at any single position for the NFL. Johnson has primarily served as the slot defender for the Aggies’ defense. He does a little bit of everything from the nickel position, using his hard-hitting play style to stuff would-be ball carriers and flexing his elite athleticism when sticking to his assignments in coverage. The versatility and frame (6’, 3”, 200 pounds) are enough to grab the attention of evaluators. If he can continue building on the foundation that he has already laid at Texas A&M, Johnson should fly up the draft board by the time of the 2023 NFL Draft. Due to the influx of talent both at wide receiver and tight end, slot defenders are becoming as important as any on a defense. It won’t take Antonio Johnson long to find a home in the NFL with his skillset.
Michael Mayer lays claim to the top draft-eligible tight end in the upcoming draft class. Mayer shared time with current Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble during the former’s first year at Notre Dame. After Tremble left for the NFL, Mayer relished the opportunity placed in front of him. He hauled in 71 receptions, 840 yards, and seven touchdowns in 2021, which happen to be school records for receptions and receiving yards in a season by a tight end. Mayer will be looking to break his own records this season, as he’s hoping to hear his name first among tight ends when the 2023 NFL Draft comes around. If he can clean up his blocking and continue to show that he’s an above-average athlete, there’s a real chance Mayer becomes the first Notre Dame tight end to go in round one since Tyler Eifert did in 2013.
I’ve got a three-pack for you when it comes to the Clemson Tigers. These three guys are all so highly-coveted in my eyes that it felt wrong leaving any of them off the list.
First up is Myles Murphy. Murphy is a gifted pass rusher that gets around the edge as easily as anyone in the country. He is twitchy and oozes athleticism. He possesses the ideal size that defensive coordinators look for in their edge rushers. Not only does he pass the eye test, but Murphy also has production to back it up. In 2021, Murphy tracked down the quarterback eight times. We can even add versatility to his resume, as he recorded 14.5 tackles for loss. Simply put, Murphy is a lock for the top ten in the 2023 NFL Draft if he remains healthy and can replicate the success he’s had in prior years.
Bryan Bresee, a former No. 1 overall recruit in the nation, is returning to Clemson to man the middle of their defensive line. Bresee moves incredibly well for how big of a human being he is. He, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL early in the 2021 season, which led to Bresee missing the final nine games for the Tigers. Now, the monstrous defensive tackle is healthy and eager to get back to his dominant ways. He will be flanked by capable edge defenders, so the deck is stacked in his favor to regain his pristine image in the eyes of scouts everywhere.
The final of the three Clemson Tigers is my personal favorite, linebacker Trenton Simpson. Simpson is the embodiment of a “new age” linebacker. Similar to another former Clemson standout, Isaiah Simmons, Simpson can do anything that is asked of him as a defender. He exudes confidence and is nearly impossible to stay in front of or get behind. The most intriguing part about Simpson is how gifted he is as a pass rusher. He never has had to use many moves in pursuit of the quarterback because he simply just blows by offensive tackles. Simpson will have a chance to sharpen up his skills in 2022 on a defense full of studs.
The Georgia Bulldogs won the National Championship last season behind the strength of one of the best defenses in the history of college football. The Bulldogs’ defense sent eight players to the NFL via the draft, with five of them coming off the board in the very first round of the event. Would you believe me if I told you that they didn’t even lose the best player from the title-winning team? Allow me to make the case for defensive tackle, Jalen Carter.
Jalen Carter shared time with Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, and Devonte Wyatt, three first-round picks, on the defensive line in 2021. Even with that being the case, Carter ranked third on the team in quarterback pressures with a stunning 33. He also ranked third in tackles for loss (8.5), showing that he could easily keep pace with the NFL trio. There are still a few potential first-rounders on the roster, but Carter is the man among men in 2022. He is going to continue disrupting the pocket from the interior and tracking down ball carriers at various different angles. In the NFL, he will be the type of building block that you build an entire defense around. Carter is well-positioned to go inside of the top five by the time next April gets here.
It is impossible to name one of these guys without mentioning the other, so let’s just combine them. CJ Stroud earned the starting role heading into the 2021 season, and even though there were ups and downs early on, he eventually found his comfort zone and dominated. Stroud is built like a franchise quarterback, and his best trait is the anticipation that he throws with. It is similar to what made Mac Jones so special during the 2020 season. Stroud’s arm is livelier than Jones’, which makes the Buckeye an even more interesting prospect. The two also share some of the same knocks. Chief among them is their perceived lack of mobility. Again, Stroud has the upper hand as a prospect here because his athletic profile is better than that of Mac Jones. I don’t want to sell Jones short, as he led the New England Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie. This is more of a ringing endorsement for Stroud. Assuming he progresses in 2022, the Ohio State signal-caller will be on the short list of potential No. 1 overall picks.
The other thing that evaluators can hold against Stroud is that he has been surrounded by such a star-studded supporting cast. This is the same thing that Jones dealt with when wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Heisman trophy. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to have a Smith-type campaign this upcoming season. The shifty wide receiver is already coming off of an incredible sophomore year, recording over 1600 yards and 95 receptions, all the while sharing snaps with 2022 first-round picks, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. The wide receiver corps is still just as loaded, but this time JSN will be the one that the offense runs through. If the Rose Bowl game last season is any indication, Smith-Njigba could be hoisting the Heisman Trophy in a few short months. Ohio State has had at least one player off the board before No. 12 overall since the 2015 NFL Draft, but I’d be stunned if these two are still on the board after pick No. 5.
The Alabama Crimson Tide fell short of their ultimate goal last season, losing to the conference-rival Georgia Bulldogs in the National Championship Game. The team got to that point on the back of two players, Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr.
The 2021 Heisman-Trophy winner, Bryce Young, kept the team in games week-in and week-out. That’s not usually something that Alabama signal-callers have to do, but Young did not falter under the pressure. He sparked multiple comeback victories and diced up the legendary Georgia Bulldogs’ defense in the SEC title game. While Young is not the ideal size for an NFL quarterback, he’s got more than enough talent to succeed anyway. We have seen shorter quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray find success in the league, and as you could probably guess, those are the two names that often come up when talking about Bryce Young. Those two are exemplary human beings, and Young is no different. He will be looking to be the first-ever No. 1 overall pick to come from Alabama.
But hold your horses, because he’s going to have stiff competition. Will Anderson Jr. arguably was the most impressive player in the entire country in 2021. Anderson Jr. arrived to Alabama as a five-star pass rusher, and he’s more than lived up to that billing. As a true freshman in 2020, Anderson recorded seven sacks and double-digit tackles for loss. In 2021, he increased those numbers to 17.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss… in only 15 games! He also recorded 101 tackles, which is unheard of by someone who spends a majority of the time rushing the passer. It sounds hyperbolic, but when you combine his production with his physical attributes, there’s a real argument to be made that Will Anderson Jr. is the best pass-rushing prospect of all time. After finishing fifth in Heisman voting, Anderson Jr. would have gone No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft if he was eligible. I cannot wait to see who ends up going first off of the board, but the leader in the clubhouse might be Anderson Jr. right now.
2023 NFL Draft: The Most Intriguing Draft-Eligible Player for Each Top 25 Team in the AP Poll
There you have it! The top prospect from each top 25 team has been highlighted, with a few schools have too many intriguing prospects to only name one. There is a number of other guys from programs outside of the rankings that will be in contention for high draft pick status, but a good chunk of the prospects featured in this article will find their way into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. We are only one week away from “real” football being played. I, for one, cannot wait! Who is your favorite player in the nation?