2023 NFL Draft: Matthew Freedman’s Way-Too-Early Top 50 Prospects

The 2022 NFL draft is so last week. Optimist that I am, I look toward the future, and now seems like a good time to post my way-too-early top 50 big board for 2023.

I’m obsessed with the draft.

Over the past four years, I’m the No. 2 mocker in the FantasyPros Accuracy Contest — but I’d never created a big board until last year, when I quickly pulled one together right before the draft and submitted it to Huddle Report.

With back-to-back top-20 finishes, I feel decent about my process, so I figure it’s worth posting a big board for 2023.

I admittedly am not a film grinder. That’s not my edge. And right now I know little about the 2023 class except by reputation. So I have a numbers-driven big board based mainly on mock draft data, historical draft trends, recruitment grades, and college production.

Framed differently: If I were an NFL general manager who had just fired all my scouts and needed to put together a big board quickly, this would probably be the board — or at least a first version of it.

With the current information we have now on the 2023 prospects, these are my top 50 players in the class heading into the college football season. I’m sure in the coming months, this list will look increasingly ridiculous. That’s life.

2023 NFL Draft Top 50 Big Board

Rank Name School Position
1 C.J. Stroud Ohio State QB
2 Bryce Young Alabama QB
3 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State WR
4 Will Anderson Alabama EDGE
5 Jalen Carter Georgia DT
6 Paris Johnson Ohio State G
7 Bijan Robinson Texas RB
8 Jordan Addison Pittsburgh WR
9 Bryan Bresee Clemson DT
10 Kelee Ringo Georgia CB
11 Michael Mayer Notre Dame TE
12 Nolan Smith Georgia EDGE
13 Myles Murphy Clemson EDGE
14 Kayshon Boutte LSU WR
15 B.J. Ojulari LSU EDGE
16 Eli Ricks Alabama CB
17 Noah Sewell Oregon LB
18 Trenton Simpson Clemson LB
19 Joey Porter Jr. Penn State CB
20 Peter Skoronski Northwestern OT
21 Tyler Van Dyke Miami (FL) QB
22 Quentin Johnston Texas Christian WR
23 Will Levis Kentucky QB
24 Josh Downs North Carolina WR
25 Malachi Moore Alabama CB
26 Isaiah Foskey Notre Dame EDGE
27 Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama RB
28 Brandon Joseph Northwestern CB
29 Marvin Mims Oklahoma WR
30 Dontay Demus Maryland WR
31 Spencer Rattler South Carolina QB
32 Ryan Hayes Michigan OT
33 Phil Jurkovec Boston College QB
34 Zion Nelson Miami (FL) OT
35 Clark Phillips Utah CB
36 Jalen Catalon Arkansas S
37 Tony Grimes North Carolina CB
38 Emil Ekiyor Alabama G
39 Henry To’o To’o Alabama LB
40 Zach Evans Mississippi RB
41 Anthony Richardson Florida QB
42 Habakkuk Baldonado Pittsburgh EDGE
43 Derick Hall Auburn EDGE
44 Cam Smith South Carolina CB
45 Jordan Battle Alabama S
46 Kedon Slovis Pittsburgh QB
47 Jermaine Burton Alabama WR
48 Akeem Dent Florida State S
49 Devin Leary NC State QB
50 Brennan Armstrong Virginia QB

 


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