Trying to compare one football player to another is an inexact science. Everyone is completely unique, but certain things can spur us to draw parallels between prospects and current or historical NFL players. Player comparisons are also provocative. “So and so reminds me of…” is commonplace on social media, ranging from spot-on to preposterous clickbait. The NFL Scouting Combine gives football fans exact measurements for the invited prospects, spurring comps to abound.
Fantasy football managers probably have the most vivid imaginations when it comes to player comps, so I felt it would be fun to offer up some of my thoughts on this year’s rookie class, using my film study and evaluation in conjunction with the Combine measurements to connect the dots. Bear with me; I have been obsessed with football for 30 years and also grew up an NFL Films nerd, so some of the comps will date me considerably.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
Trying to compare one football player to another is an inexact science. Everyone is completely unique, but certain things can spur us to draw parallels between prospects and current or historical NFL players. Player comparisons are also provocative. “So and so reminds me of…” is commonplace on social media, ranging from spot-on to preposterous clickbait. The NFL Scouting Combine gives football fans exact measurements for the invited prospects, spurring comps to abound.
Fantasy football managers probably have the most vivid imaginations when it comes to player comps, so I felt it would be fun to offer up some of my thoughts on this year’s rookie class, using my film study and evaluation in conjunction with the Combine measurements to connect the dots. Bear with me; I have been obsessed with football for 30 years and also grew up an NFL Films nerd, so some of the comps will date me considerably.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
Prospects Matched to Pros Based on Combine Measurements
Anthony Richardson – Daunte Culpepper
The buzz is still emanating from Anthony Richardson’s Combine performance. It’s amazing how some of the concerns with his pro readiness have been soothed by his otherworldly athleticism at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. The comps to Cam Newton are fair, but Cam was bigger and not as fast. Daunte Culpepper is only a large meal heavier than Richardson and ran a 4.52 in the 40 back in 1999, which was ridiculous for that era. The young Gator and Culpepper both have Howitzers for throwing arms and underrated pocket presence and intangibles.
Bryce Young – Len Dawson
If she doesn’t know who Len Dawson is, she’s too young for you, bro. Just kidding. The Chiefs QB in Super Bowl IV was listed at six feet tall and 190 pounds but was undersized even in the 1960s NFL. Much like Dawson, Alabama Heisman winner Bryce Young is a wisp of a QB at a hair over 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds. He also has the pocket awareness and agility to match pinpoint throwing accuracy. Dawson was incredibly efficient as a passer throughout his career and paired it with a sixth sense in the pocket. Young has insane potential in the NFL, and it’s very likely the size concerns will evaporate quickly upon his arrival.
C.J. Stroud – Donovan McNabb
I loved this comp a long time before Ohio State QB CJ Stroud measured at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds at the Combine. Eagles star QB Donovan McNabb was only a tad heavier when he entered the league at the same height. One main difference between them is Stroud’s occasional reluctance to make plays with his feet when a play breaks down. McNabb was similarly pass-first and not necessarily a great scrambler, but ended up making a ton of plays with his legs at Syracuse and in the league.
Bijan Robinson – LaDainian Tomlinson
The perfect comp doesn’t exist, but I have an inkling that Bijan Robinson is going to be a truly special NFL RB and don a gold jacket one day. The measurables between him and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson are nearly identical, but there is also a striking similarity in playing style between the two. It is understandable that projecting a rookie to play at a generational level sets up for disappointment. Still, Bijan is as remarkable as any RB entering the league since Saquon Barkley.
Jahmyr Gibbs – Jamaal Charles
This comp is gaining a lot of traction in the immediate aftermath of the Combine. Jahmyr Gibbs was a star RB at Georgia Tech before transferring to powerhouse Alabama in 2022. At 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, Gibbs will be best deployed as a weapon in space. He is lightning-fast and exhibits elite vision and change of direction ability, which also reminds many football scouts of former Chiefs fantasy star Jamaal Charles. Gibbs has unlimited potential in the NFL as long as he is properly utilized.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Stefon Diggs
The Ohio State offense has been incredible for a long time. A good many elite WR prospects have left Columbus to excel in the NFL, including last year’s alumni Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the torch bearer over those two in 2021, but many football fans have the memory of a goldfish. JSN is an elite route runner who has shown time and again that he is nearly impossible to cover. His injury-riddled 2022 campaign might have faded the luster of his excellence in favor of future stars Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, but it’s a safe bet that JSN will be a force in the NFL. His short-area quickness and nuanced understanding of defensive leverage remind me a lot of Stefon Diggs. They are also nearly identical in size, at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds.
Jordan Addison – Ty Hilton
It sounds strange to me when some football analysts scoff at a receiver for running a “slow” 40 at 4.49 seconds. It’s absurd. I understand the concern about Jordan Addison’s size in some respects, but there are countless examples of small receivers doing amazing things in the NFL. TY Hilton was an incredible receiver for the Colts over many years, only missing his peak due to injuries. He was faster as a prospect than Addison, but the incoming rookie from USC by way of Pittsburgh is in an entirely different class of route running as Hilton at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds. Health permitting, Addison’s career will eclipse that of Hilton’s.
Quentin Johnston – Alshon Jeffery
Many have forgotten what a problem Alshon Jeffery was for opposing defenses. He was big, fast, and incredible at tracking the ball into his hands in tight spaces. TCU’s Quentin Johnston has all of the same traits at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. He is likely faster than Jeffery was and certainly more elusive after the catch. Still, his ability to high-point vertical passes over defenders and out-muscle them is quintessential Jeffery. It will only take a little bit of coaching on the technical side of route running to turn Johnston into a fantasy football monster.
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