Every NFL draft cycle, as Round 1 nears and I begin to lock in my final Big Board rankings, I like to pick my favorite prospects at every position for the class. It has become a tradition, highlighting players I like more than most, regardless of where they get drafted and where I have them ranked at their position. This year, I even threw in a fullback and kicker.
What follows below is not a list of the best overall prospects in the 2023 class nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. These are the prospects I’ve:
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Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or …
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Ranked higher in close debates within position groups, or …
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Watched and rewatched on tape, just because I like the way they play.
Got it? I try not to take the obvious prospects — only three of my favorites are in my top 25 rankings. We’ll start with my favorite passer in this class and I’ll include projections on the round in which each prospect is likely to be drafted. I’ll also give a few fun notes and stats for all 14 prospects. Round 1 begins April 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App:
Quarterback
What, you expected a first-round pick here? C’mon, that’s too easy. Of course I could have taken any of the four likely to go in the top 10 picks, including Will Levis (Kentucky), who I have ranked just behind Bryce Young (Alabama) but ahead of C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Anthony Richardson (Florida). I just really like Tune on Day 3. He’s accurate, experienced and can move around the pocket. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he has a solid frame.
Tune started 44 career games for the Cougars and he took a step forward in 2022, throwing 40 touchdown passes and 10 picks with 4,074 yards. He ranked fifth in the FBS in Total QBR in the fourth quarter of games, just behind Stetson Bennett (Georgia) and Caleb Williams (USC). That means he was at his best when the game was on the line. Tune, my sixth-ranked quarterback overall, is exactly what I’d look for in a Day 3 quarterback. Don’t underrate him.
Projection: Tune likely will be a fifth- or sixth-round pick, but he could be a high-end backup.
Running back
OK, so I’m a little biased here because Tucker went to Calvert Hall, my high school in Maryland. But he can play. He’s a home run hitter. Tucker had a better 2021 than 2022 — his offensive line was worse last season. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and put up 2,556 rushing yards and 23 scores over the past two seasons. He also had 75 rushes of at least 10 yards during that span. He’s not a fluid pass-catcher, but he did snag 36 receptions last season.
The 5-9, 207-pound Tucker’s health is a little bit of a mystery — he didn’t work out at the combine or his pro day — so we don’t have his testing numbers. I wish I had his 40-yard dash time so I could see if his speed matched what I see on tape. Still, I’m a fan of the player in a change-of-pace role.
Projection: Tucker is likely going to be a Day 3 pick, but it could be in Round 4 or Round 7, based on the medical information NFL teams have. His stock is tough to project. He’s just outside my top 10 running back rankings.
Fullback
I wrote about Luepke last September, after the Bison lost at Arizona by three points. He had 21 touches for 180 yards and three touchdowns. He almost single-handedly won them a game against a Pac-12 opponent. A part of what I wrote then: “Luepke is a battering ram who should remind NFL offensive coordinators of the super-versatile Kyle Juszczyk.” I stand by that. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has gotten the best out of Juszczyk, putting him in positions to succeed. The 6-1, 230-pound Luepke is top-ranked fullback in this class.
Projection: Not every team uses a traditional fullback these days, so Luepke is going to need to find a team that covets him. I see him going in Round 4 or 5.
Wide receiver
I called dibs on Flowers as my guy in this class all the way back in December. I just love the way he plays. He’s explosive — he ran a 4.42-second 40 at the combine — and is great after the catch. As I noted in my Big Board, he forced 25 missed tackles last season, the third most in the country for a wideout. And he did that at 5-9, 182 pounds.
The other thing I like about Flowers? He easily could have transferred to a top-10 program last year, but he chose to stick it out at Boston College — and got better. He was crisper as a route runner, catching 78 passes for 1,077 yards with 12 touchdowns. Seven of those scores came when he was lined up in the slot and five came when he was out wide. He has the ability to make an impact all over the field.
Projection: Flowers is my top-ranked receiver and No. 10 prospect overall in this class. I don’t see him dropping out of Round 1; he’s likely going somewhere in the 20s.
Tight end
Now I have both Dakotas accounted for on this offense. Kraft is going under the radar in this deep tight end class, but he’s an all-around player with a high ceiling. If you just look at his 2022 stats — 27 catches, 348 yards, three touchdowns — you might wonder about his potential. Go watch his 2021 tape, though. He caught 65 passes and had 773 yards and six scores. Last season, he dealt with a knee injury that required surgery, playing in just seven games, and he didn’t get much of a chance to show off his receiving skills. But I believe in his potential and he’s already a strong blocker.
At 6-5, 254 pounds, Kraft ran a just-OK 4.69-second 40 at the combine, but his 1.59-second 10-yard split was tremendous. He has some suddenness — he’s not a plodding route runner. If he lands in the right spot, he has a chance to develop into a really good starter.
Projection: I wrote about Kraft last November and said he could compete for the top spot at the position. That didn’t quite happen, though again, it’s a great class. I have Kraft as my No. 6 tight end and he’s likely to go in Round 2 or early in Round 3.
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Tucker Kraft’s NFL draft profile
Check out the highlights from South Dakota State’s tight end Tucker Kraft.
Offensive tackle
Jones took a leap last season — I wasn’t impressed with his 2021 tape. He started 12 games at right tackle, but he too often was beaten by speedy edge rushers. He didn’t look totally comfortable at the position. In 2022, Jones again started 12 games for the Buckeyes, but he appeared lighter on his feet and did a much better job in pass protection and as a run blocker. He didn’t allow a single sack after giving up two the season before. His 2022 tape is so much better and he improved as the season progressed.
At 6-8, 374 pounds, Jones has rare size and length. He engulfs defenders when he latches on. He could get even better once he gets into an NFL strength and conditioning program.
Projection: Jones is a right tackle only, which limits his projection a little bit. He’s my ninth-ranked offensive tackle and he’s like to go in Round 2 or 3.
Interior offensive line
Yes, I see Skoronski as a guard, but no, that shouldn’t be considered a bad thing. Look at what Zack Martin has done with Dallas after moving inside — he’s on a Hall of Fame track. Skoronski, who started 33 games at left tackle in college, could be a dominant guard. He has all the tools. He’s already advanced technically, and at 6-4, 313 pounds with shorter-than-average arms (32¼ inches), he could thrive there.
Skoronski is my No. 8 overall prospect. Some team is going to get a great player in Round 1.
Projection: Skoronski has a chance to be a top-10 pick, especially if the Eagles go O-line at No. 10.
Defensive tackle
Kancey is fun to watch. He explodes out of the blocks when the ball is snapped. The stat I’ve used most for him is that he had 13.5 sacks when lined up as a defensive tackle over the past two seasons, which ranked No. 1 in the FBS.
So why isn’t he considered a top-five pick? Because he’s small — 6-1, 281 pounds. That’s nearly exactly the same size as another former Pitt defensive tackle, Aaron Donald, at the 2014 combine (6-1, 285). Now, let’s be careful here. Donald has a case as one of the NFL’s greatest defensive players ever, and Kancey is still raw. But you can’t deny the similarities, and Kancey also tested extremely well at the combine. I’m a big fan, but he likely is a fit only for a team that plays a 4-3 defense.
Projection: I put Kancey at No. 29 overall to the Saints in my most recent mock draft. I could see him falling into the first 10 picks of Round 2, depending on all the quarterbacks, cornerbacks and tight ends who make the top 31 picks.
Defensive end
I wanted to highlight Diaby here over a few others because of his improvement last season. After having just 1.5 sacks from 2020-21, he had 9.5 last fall. He flies off the edge to get hurries — he’s a disruptive player. The 6-3, 263-pounder ran a 4.51-second 40 at the combine and his 1.56-second 10-yard split was right at the top among the edge rushers. He also put up a 37-inch vertical leap. He has the tools to be a great player, though he needs some seasoning to put everything together.
Projection: Diaby is likely headed for Round 3, to a team that plays a 4-3 defense. He’s my 10th-ranked end.
Outside linebacker
I’m sneaking another edge rusher onto my list. I love McDonald’s game and he has the production to match his talent. He forced 10 fumbles in his career for the Cyclones and had 34 sacks. He was unblockable at the Senior Bowl against his peers and he had a great combine workout too. He put up the best broad jump of any of the edge rushers in Indianapolis (11 feet).
Unlike Diaby, McDonald is a fit for teams that run a 3-4 defense. At 6-4, 239 pounds, he has to get better as a run defender. But his upside as a pass-rusher means he has plenty of suitors in the NFL.
Projection: McDonald is my third-round OLB. I projected him to go at No. 31 overall to the Chiefs in my two-round mock draft, though he could a little higher.
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Inside linebacker
Sanders played 269 defensive snaps as a rotation player at Alabama in 2021 but he looked like a star after transferring to Arkansas last season. He stuffed the stat sheet with 111 total tackles, 16 total tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a pick. He has a great size/speed combination, and at 6-4, 235 pounds, his length means he can be used as a third-down blitzer. He’s a three-down player.
Sanders has a little bit of tightness in his hips in coverage, which is why I just moved Trenton Simpson (Clemson) above him in my linebacker rankings.
Projection: Some teams see Sanders as the best off-ball linebacker in this class, but those kinds of players just don’t have top-20 value these days. Sanders is likely to go somewhere in the top 50, potentially late in Round 1.
Cornerback
I’ve been calling Forbes this draft’s “Splendid Splinter” because of his frame. He’s skinny — 6-1, 166 pounds. (No, I don’t know if he can swing a bat like Ted Williams.) Forbes doesn’t play small, though, and in fact, he never missed a game for the Bulldogs. He was a ballhawk, picking off 14 passes with six pick-sixes. Those are fantastic numbers. You can’t teach his instincts.
Forbes can be a boom-or-bust player at times — he got beat deep a few times while playing against some of the country’s best wideouts in the SEC — but he could be an elite player. He has the speed (4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine) and ball skills to immediately be a team’s No. 1 corner.
Projection: We could see five or six corners in Round 1 and Forbes will be one of them. His range is wide, though, because there’s no consensus on who’s the No. 1 guy. I have him as my fourth-ranked corner.
Safety
The 6-foot, 190-pound Branch played mostly as a slot corner for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, but he’s my top-ranked safety in this class. I would use him as a versatile center fielder who has the ability to come down into the box to help cover tight ends and running backs. He could even be a nickel corner, because every team needs at least three starting-caliber corners. He doesn’t have great straight-line speed (4.58-second 40 at the combine), but he can make plays on the ball. Branch had 12 tackles for loss last season, so he’s not afraid to stick his nose in and make a tackle.
Projection: Branch is likely going somewhere in the top 40 picks, potentially late in Round 1.
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Brian Branch’s NFL draft profile
Check out the best highlights that contributed to a great college career for Alabama safety Brian Branch.
Special teams
Ryand is the clear top kicker in this draft. He has a big-time leg — he hit nine field goals from at least 50 yards in his college career at Eastern Michigan and Maryland.
Projection: I have him going in Round 4. And how about this — I’ll give you a team fit too. I think the Cowboys should take him in that range.