NFL Draft Notebook: 23 Prospects to Know in the 2023 NFL Draft

As we enter the new year and the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, who are the players to keep tabs on? In this list, we highlight 23 players every draft fan should know about. This group consists of both highly thought of players and a few sleepers who could be good day three picks in April.

Additionally, this week’s NFL Draft Notebook also looks at the following:

• The Detroit Lions must address their defense
• Top five running backs in the 2023 NFL Draft
• And much more!

23 NFL Draft Prospects to Know

1. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
The player who will likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is Bryce Young. What makes him such a highly sought-after player is his accuracy and his ability to make plays when things break down.

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2. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson is one of the most dynamic players in this year’s NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see how much his unpolished passing ability hurts his draft stock, especially after we saw Malik Willis — who was more of an athlete than a pure quarterback — fall to the third round last year.

3. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
The top running back in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the best one to come out since Saquon Barkley in 2018.

4. DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
DeWayne McBride was the NCAA leading rusher this year, totaling an impressive 1,713 yards on the ground. He likely will fall to the third day of the draft, but he could be a late-round pick who makes a big impact in the NFL as a rookie.

5. Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
A team looking to add a fullback they can use in multiple ways is going to love what they find in North Dakota State’s Hunter Luepke. Luepke is a threat to carry the ball and was even the Bison’s lead running back at times during his career. He also can catch the ball out of the backfield having caught 14 passes and four touchdowns this year.

6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Going into the season there was no doubt Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the top receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, after an injury-filled year, we could see him slip to the second round.

7. Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State
A player who could go undrafted yet is someone you should know is Elijah Cooks of San Jose State. While battling his share of injuries, Cooks’ impressive combination of size and athletic ability make him a very interesting prospect.

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8. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
The top tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft is Michael Mayer of Notre Dame. Mayer is a terrific receiver who hauled in 67 passes this year. He also holds up well as a blocker and should be an asset to any team’s running game.

9. Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft is the top small-school player in this year’s draft. Despite missing a large portion of the season with an injury, he could still sneak into the late part of the first round.

10. Jahleel Billingsley, TE, Texas
Another interesting day-three prospect is Texas tight end, Jahleel Billingsley. When Billingsley has been focused and healthy, he is one of the best tight ends in college football. Unfortunately, he has had issues with both of these, which is why he will likely fall to the sixth or seventh round.

11. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
The offensive tackle with the highest upside in this year’s class is Paris Johnson Jr. Johnson has the traits to play left tackle, right tackle, or offensive guard in the NFL.

12. Olu Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
Michigan’s offensive line has won the Joe Moore Award for two straight years, and a big reason for that is the play of Olu Oluwatimi. A team looking to add a proven leader who is extremely football smart will likely add Ole Oluwatimi in April.

13. Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
Clemson’s Myles Murphy has both the athletic ability and production to be a top-10 pick in April. He had 6.5 sacks this season and led Clemson in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2021. He also has the athletic ability to hear his name called early in the 2023 NFL Draft, having been named Bruce Feldman’s No. 3 Freak Athlete this year.

14. Will McDonald IV, DE, Iowa State
Despite having a down year this season, Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV is still one of the best pass rushers in college football. This season he saw consistent double and even triple teams at times, which limited him to just five sacks on the year. However, when teams didn’t design their blocking schemes to stop McDonald, he recorded 22 sacks over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

15. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
The second-best defensive player in this year’s draft — behind only Will Anderson — is Georgia’s Jalen Carter. Carter has an impressive combination of speed and power which should make him a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

16. Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
Michigan’s Mazi Smith made a name for himself this preseason when he was named Bruce Feldman’s No.1 Freak Athlete. While Smith has never lived up to his impressive testing numbers on the field, look for some team to fall in love with his measurables and reach for him this April.

17. Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
The top player in the 2023 NFL Draft is Alabama’s, Will Anderson. What stands out about him is his ability to get to the passer, showing an explosive first step, and the motor to have double-digit sacks numbers the past two seasons. Look for him to be the first non-quarterback drafted this year.

18. Caleb Murphy, OLB, Ferris State
Any player who can record 25.5 sacks in a season is a player you should know about. It is hard to believe some team won’t fall in love with production and take him on the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft.

19. Jack Campbell, MLB, Iowa
While Iowa’s Jack Campbell might not be the best tester in the predraft process it is hard to argue with his production. The All-American linebacker has recorded over 120 tackles each of the past two seasons. He also has the intelligence to lead any defense, having won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the best in the nation in combined academic success, performance on the football field, and leadership.

20. Cam Smith,  CB, South Carolina
The top cornerback on my board is Cam Smith of South Carolina. What stands out with Smith is the physical style of play that consistently allows him to challenge wide receivers. He also is a confident corner who will have no doubt he can match up with the top wide receivers in the NFL.

21. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
While Texas A&M didn’t have the season they wanted this season, they still had plenty of talent on the roster. One of its top players was safety Antonio Johnson, who was named to Pro Football Focuses All-SEC team.

22. Brian Branch, S, Alabama

Perhaps the defensive prospect with the best bowl game this year was Alabama safety, Brian Branch. In his game against Kansas State, Branch recorded a season-high 12 tackles and also picked off one of his two passes of the season.

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23. Jake Moody, K, Michigan
One of the top kickers in the 2023 NFL Draft is Jake Moody of Michigan. This season he hit the second-longest field goal of the year, and the longest one in College Football Playoff history when he connected on a 59-yarder against TCU.

Detroit Lions Need to Address the Defense

One of the hottest teams at the end of the season was the Detroit Lions, who won eight of the final 10 games. While this strong finish was not enough to get them into the playoffs, as they started the season 1-6, it shows they should be a contender next season. However, in order to be a Super Bowl contender, they must address a defense that finished 28th in points per game, and dead last in yards per game, giving up 388 yards on average.

The biggest area of concern on the defense this past season was the defensive line, with defensive tackles being the weakest spot on this unit. Last season, Detroit gave up 147 yards on the ground per game, which ranked 29th in the NFL. At this position, the Lions have Alim McNeill, who shows the talent to be a solid starter in the NFL, but they desperately need someone to play alongside him. This need is why the majority of mock drafts have the team addressing a defensive tackle with the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The player who is most talked about going here is Bryan Bresee of Clemson, and it would not be a shock if Detroit tried to trade up for Jalen Carter.

Another position of need for the Lions is cornerback. They need someone to play opposite of Jeff Okudah at a high level. A corner who could be the ideal pick at the No. 18 spot in the 2023 NFL Draft is Cam Smith of South Carolina. Smith is a good-sized corner who holds up very well in press coverage. In addition to taking a corner in the first round, it would also be wise for Detroit to take a safety on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.

No matter how Detroit chooses to address its defensive needs, look for the franchise to spend the majority of its picks upgrading that side of the ball. This is in addition to any defenders picked up in free agency, too.

Top Five Running Backs in the 2023 NFL Draft

1. Bijan Robinson, Texas
There should be no doubt who the top running back in the 2023 NFL Draft is. Texas running back Bijan Robinson is one of the most elite running backs in college football over the past ten years. He is the only running back in this year’s class worth a first-round pick. While Robinson has a strong game all around, the trait that really stands out with him is his contact balance, as he routinely bounces off tackles.

2.. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
One of the biggest playmakers in the 2023 NFL Draft is Alabama running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs has the ability to hurt teams in multiple ways which is why he was named to several All-American teams this year as a multi-purpose player. As a runner, he shows the explosion to take any carry the distance and also some of the best feet in the class. In the passing game, Gibbs shows soft hands and has the ability to be a downfield threat. He can also help out on special teams with his speed being a major asset in this area.

3. Tank Bigsby, Auburn
A player who didn’t have much help this season was Auburn running back, Tank Bigsby. Bigsby routinely had to make defenders miss before he even got to the line of scrimmage, averaging just 1.3 yards before contact. Despite facing this obstacle, he was still able to average 5.4 yards per carry. The main reason he was able to make so many defenders miss was his fluid hips, which allowed him to elude defenders. He also had the vision to find what little running lanes there were.

4. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
The most productive running back in this group is UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet who led the nation in all-purpose yards this season. The most impressive trait with Charbonnet is his physical running style. He is a downhill runner who is not afraid to take on contact, and also has the contact balance to consistently bounce off tackles. Another impressive trait with him is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. While he may lack the speed to be a downfield threat, he is a consistent receiving option as an outlet receiver.

5. Eric Gray, Oklahoma
One of the more underrated running backs in the 2023 NFL Draft is Eric Gray of Oklahoma. Gray, who was coming off a disappointing 2021 season, had an impressive 2022. He rushed for 1,366 yards on the year, the ninth most in school history. As a runner, Gray shows a good combination of speed and power. This ability consistently enables him to evade or run over the first defender. If Gray falls to the third day of the draft he should be a steal.

NFL Draft Scouting Notes

— A day-three sleeper in the 2023 NFL Draft is Minnesota running back, Mohamed Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year, had a terrific season this year after missing most of last year with an injury. As a runner, he shows tremendous lower-body strength, consistently allowing him to break tackles. He also shows surprising quickness for a bigger back, getting to the defense’s second level quickly. What will likely cause him to go on the third day of the draft is his injury history, and the fact he will likely only put up average testing numbers.

— A player who helped his stock at the Hula Bowl is Middle Tennessee defensive end, Jordan Ferguson. Ferguson, who was named the player of the game after recording two sacks and a forced fumble, is someone that can hold up well in a 3-4 defense. The reason Ferguson could be a good day three pick for teams that run this scheme is his size. He has the build to hold up at this position, coming in at 271 pounds, and also holds his ground well. He has the ability to get after the passer, evident by his performance in this game and the nine sacks he had this season.

— One player who went back to school and could go from a mid-round pick this year to a first-round selection in 2024 is Oregon quarterback, Bo Nix. After struggling the first part of his career, Nix had a breakout season for the Ducks this past season. What stands out with Nix is his ability to stand in the pocket and make the big throw, or maneuver in the pocket when things break down, yet still come up with a game-changing play.

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— As the 2023 NFL season comes to an end, it is always interesting to see how my 2022 NFL Draft rankings held up compared to how well the players produced as rookies. One of the players who I had higher rated than the NFL is Detroit Lions linebacker, Malcolm Rodriguez. I had a fourth-round grade on Rodriguez, but he somehow slid into the sixth round. He was one of the most productive defensive rookies this season and was recently named to the Athletic All-Rookie Team.

— My biggest miss of the 2022 NFL Draft cycle was Tariq Woolen, who I had a fifth-round grade on. When looking back on his scouting notes, one note I definitely missed on was when I noted that he was more of a strong tester than an elite football player. This proved to not be the case as he is a leading candidate to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year and showed he has the potential to develop into an elite corner. Of course, the NFL was not overly high on him either, as Woolen fell to the fifth round in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Quote of the Week

“Yes, I’d do whatever it takes. If we thought there’s a player that we’re driven to get, that makes the franchise and the team better, that’s what we do.”

– Colts GM Chris Ballard on if he would move up to take a quarterback