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2023 NFL Draft Final Position Rankings: Interior Offensive Linemen

The final group for the offense in my final position rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: the interior offensive linemen. Before the season started, this group looked to be strong at center and weak at guard. However, there are a number of tackles who project to guard in the NFL, and a few guards who stepped up this season, so that seems to have switched.

With this group, since the NFL sees a lot of theses guys interchangeable, I will be listing guards and centers in the same group. Be sure to check out my previous mid-season rankings, and if you want to check out the draft database that I help update almost daily, you can find it at risendraft.

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2023 NFL Draft Interior Offensive linemen: 1-5

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern: Skoronski has been a really good college left tackle. His technique and his athleticism stand out, but his short arms are a worry. They were measured in at 32 1/4″, which is below the minimum accepted threshold for the NFL. Very rarely does a guy make it as a good tackle in the NFL with short arms like that. His potential is higher at guard than at tackle. With how much of a passing league it is now, he could be a Pro Bowl guard.
Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas: Stromberg is everything you look for in a center. He is big, strong, mobile, and smart. He can even play some guard. He was a starter there in 2019. For a center, his arm length is solid at 33 1/4″. His hand placement and technique are really good. No sacks and just 11 hurries given up this season.
O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida: Torrence transferred from University of Louisiana- Lafayette. He is a mountain of a man at 6’5, 330 pounds. He has gotten better every year, and the jump from Sun Belt to SEC didn’t seemed to phase him at all. Reportedly, he had been close to 400 pounds early in his career; but he’s really dropped a lot of weight in the last 12-18 months, his weight will need to be monitored. Still, even at his size he has been really good in both the pass and the run.
Cody Mauch, North Dakota State: Mauch is in a similar situation to Skoronski, in that he played tackle in college, but because of his arm length and demeanor he will end up playing guard in the NFL. He was very good at NDSU, only giving up two sacks in his career. Mauch plays with a mauler’s mentality, but also has 32 3/8″ arms. Put those two together and you got a killer guard. It may take him a year to adjust to the competition jump and position change.
John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota: Schmitz has been a three-year starter at Minnesota and has been there for six seasons, so he is on the older side. He will be a 24-year-old rookie. The former Gopher only allowed two sacks in his career, allowing just a total of 15 hurries in five plus seasons. He’s not the biggest or strongest or most athletic, but he is a very good all-around blocker. Dependable.

Best of the Rest 6-10

6. Jon Gaines II, UCLA: Gaines has been one of the biggest risers this season. His first four seasons he was okay. He would show flashes here and there, but didn’t look like someone who would get drafted. Gaines really improved by leaps and bounds in 2022, and a lot of it had to do with UCLA’s new offensive line coach. He really showed his athleticism at the combine with a 9.63 RAS. Gaines can play both guard and center.

7. Nick Broeker, Mississippi: Broeker started out playing left tackle his first three season at Ole Miss. He had been projected as a guard in the NFL for what seems forever. They finally moved him inside this past season. He looks less exposed and better fit at guard, and didn’t allow a sack. There was still an adjustment early in the season to the move. He has flashed his athleticism on pulls and blocking on the second level. He still has some work to do as a run blocker, but he has the size (6’4, 305 pounds) and upside to be a really good one.

8. Jordan McFadden, Clemson: This seems to be a Clemson thing: to put guys who are obviously guards at left tackle. He has consistently played well since 2019, except for giving up four sacks this past season. We haven’t seen massive growth from him, but that is probably from him playing out of position. For being just 6’2 he has long arms (34″) and could be an injury fill-in at tackle in the NFL. He should be a solid all-around player in the NFL.

9. Steve Avila, TCU: Avila is one of the biggest centers out there at 6’3 1/2 and 332 pounds, and very strong. He became a starter in 2020 and hasn’t looked back. An ultimate team player, he switched to guard this season; to his credit he has had his best overall season, not giving up any sacks. The question has become is center really his future position? Or should he be a guard?

10. Jaylon Thomas, SMU: Thomas is a guy who hasn’t gotten much, if any, national media hype — but he deserves it. He has the size at 6’3, 317 pounds and athleticism (5.2 range) to be a very good guard at the NFL level. He has allowed nine sacks in his career, but five were as a true freshman and just one in the last two seasons combined. Thomas has finally found the consistency he needed this current season. Also, the current Mustang is probably one of the most versatile linemen in the draft. He has started at every position on the line. Mostly left tackle and right tackle.

2023 NFL Draft Interior Offensive Linemen Honorable Mentions:

Antonio Mafi-UCLA, McClendon Curtis-Chattanooga, Sidy Sow-Eastern Michigan, Joe Tippman-Wisconsin, Luke Wypler-OSU, Nick Saldiveri-Old Dominion

2023 NFL Draft Final Position Rankings: Offensive Tackles

Let’s get right into the fifth group in our look at my final position rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: the offensive tackles . Before the season started this group looked to be a bit of a drop off from previous classes; but a few guys have stepped up and a few have seemingly come out of nowhere. This class looks to be another solid group, even with Olu Fashanu of Penn State, and a few others, going back to school

As always, I will be listing players at their expected NFL positions. Be sure to check out my mid-season ranking of the 2023 NFL draft offensive tackles, and if you want to check out the draft database that I help update almost daily, you can find it at risendraft.

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2023 NFL Draft Offensive Tackles: The Top 5

Paris Johnson, Ohio State: Johnson started at right guard in 2021 and played really well. He is a big man who plays with a lot of power. He showed in 2022 that he can play left tackle in the NFL. Johnson has crazy length with 36″ arms to dominate pass rushers at the next level.
Broderick Jones, Georgia: The 2022 season was Broderick Jones’ first as a full-time starter, although he did start a few games in 2021. Jones came in and dominated, not giving up a single sack and only nine pressures on the season. He did have some struggles with BJ Ojulari and still needs some development.
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma: Harrison is another in the line of large guys with long arms. He is a big dude at 6’4 312 pounds with 34 3/4″ arms, but has the feet of a smaller player. He is a two-year starter. Harrison is pretty consistent from game-to-game, but he has yet to reach his full potential. He gave up just one sack and nine pressures this past season. He has left and right tackle experience, but could use another year to iron out his technique.
Blake Freeland, BYU: Freeland fits the mold of the traditional BYU offensive lineman at 6’8, 302 pounds. The main difference is he isn’t 24 years old, so he still has some upside, even though he has been a starter since 2019. Freeland has gotten better every year. He has had issues with his physicality level — part of that is due to his lack of lower body bulk. Zero sacks and seven pressures given up in 2022.
Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland: Duncan is another big, dancing bear at 6’6 306 with average arm length of 33″. While he has shown growth, it hasn’t been enough. The massive potential is still there, he just needs more consistency. His technique is also not where it should be. He probably needs a redshirt year in the NFL after struggling some in 2022, giving up seven sacks and 28 pressures.

2023 NFL Draft Offensive Tackles: Best of the Rest 6-10

6. Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse: Bergeron is another big dude at 6’5 318 pounds with 33 3/4″ arms. He doesn’t have the athletic upside of some of the guys ahead of him. But his floor is much higher — and he is still a good athlete in his own right. He has played both left and right tackle. He could see himself starting out at RT in the NFL as a rookie before moving to the other side. Bergeron has the experience and technique to start as a rookie.

7. Dawand Jones, Ohio State: Jones is a true mountain at 6’8 374 pounds with 36″ arms. He was listed at 359, but showed up at the combine 15 pounds heavier. Pass rushers have a very hard time getting around him because he is so big and wide. Of course, what goes with that is he is not the quickest; but for his size he has good quickness. He can also get out leveraged at times, too, due to his height. He has been really good in the passing game. The one thing that might give some teams pause would be he is a “one position only” player, a right tackle.

8. Darrnell Wright, Tennessee: Wright is another big man at 6’5 333 with 33 3/4″ arms. A former five-star recruit, Wright struggled early on at Tennessee. He was playing left tackle and his weight was up around 350. He dropped weight and moved over to right tackle, and seems to have found a home there. There is some thought that he could play some guard, as well.

9. Wanya Morris, Oklahoma: Morris started out at Tennessee where he really had some struggles, especially in 2019 where he gave up 25 pressures. Morris is another big man in this class at 6’5 307 with over 35″ arms. He was playing left and right tackle. He was essentially a back up in 2021 before taking over in 2022 at right tackle. Morris had his best season to date with two sacks and just eight pressures given up.

10. Carter Warren, Pittsburgh: Another large human being, Carter Warren actually dropped weight for the combine, showing up at 6’5 1/2 311 where he previously played in the 325-pound range. Warren has a big wingspan with over 35″ arms. He has more experience than most of the guys on this list, with over 2,700 snaps — all of them as a starting left tackle. Warren had some struggles early in his career, but he was off to a great start in 2022 with just four pressures in four games before injury ended his season.

2023 NFL Draft Final Position Rankings: Tight Ends

Let’s get right into the fourth group in my final positional rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: the tight ends . This is another interesting group; there is one guy locked in pretty much at #1 and then a few guys who could be in any order.

As always, I will be listing players at their expected NFL positions. Be sure to check out my mid-season rankings on the tight ends, and if you want to check out the draft database that I help update almost daily, you can find it at risendraft.

2023 NFL Draft Tight ends: The Top 5

Michael Mayer, Notre Dame: Mayer was NFL ready as a freshman, at least from a physical stand point. He has ideal size and solid athleticism. His game does compare somewhat to Rob Gronkowski. He is an all-around tight end who should be a top 20 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Dalton Kincaid, Utah: Kincaid, a transfer from San Diego, didn’t do much in his first year at Utah. He had a bit of a break out in 2021 while sharing snaps with Brant Kuithe. He put on a show against USC with 16 catches for 234 yards this past season. He is a little on the older side, turning 24 in October of his rookie year. His blocking is probably his biggest weakness. Kincaid has good hands and is a smooth route runner.
Darnell Washington, Georgia: Washington is a mountain of a man at 6’7 264 pounds and ran a 4.64 4o-yard dash at the combine. He flashed some in 2020, but an injury derailed his 2021 season. He came back in 2022 and showed he can be consistent, having his best season yet. Already a good blocker, Washington showed improved route running this past season.
Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State: Kraft had a big 2021 season with 65 catches 773 yards and 6 TDs. A lot was expected of him coming into 2022, but due to an injury he played in only nine games, missing five, and never seemed to be himself after he came back. Kraft has good size and athleticism. His blocking can be inconsistent, though.
Sam LaPorta, Iowa: LaPorta has been a solid tight end since he stepped on campus. He is a solid all-around tight end who is probably a little bit better as a receiver. LaPorta is an adequate blocker. He is dependable and a hard worker. The former Hawkeye tested a lot better at the combine than many thought going in, meaning he might have more upside than initially thought. LaPorta does have a decent floor.

2023 NFL Draft Tight ends: Best of the Rest

6. Luke Musgrave, Oregon State: Musgrave is the son of Bill Musgrave, and has been a solid receiving tight end. He has shown improvement each season. At 6’6 253 and 4.61 40-yard dash speed, he has the size and speed to be an effective weapon in the passing game. His blocking leaves a lot to be desired.

7. Josh Whyle, Cincinnati: Whyle has the new-age tight end size at 6’7 248 pounds and is a good athlete. He is not used in-line that much since his frame is lacking a little, but when asked to block he has done his job. While not the same level, he is in the Kyle Pitts mold. He has yet to meet the potential he flashed in 2020, but seemed to start in 2022.

8. Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion: Kuntz is a Penn State transfer who couldn’t get on the field at PSU and subsequently transferred. He is a massive tight end at 6’7 255 pounds and ran a 4.55 40-yard dash with a 40″ vertical. He exploded in 2021 with 73 catches for 692 yards and 5 TDs. Big things were expected of him this past season. He got injured in Week 5 and didn’t play the rest of the season. His blocking has consistently been a weakness.

9. Cameron Latu, Alabama: Latu is a former edge, and it shows in his play. He plays a very physical brand of football. The former Crimson Tide tight end has shown potential in the passing game. He has solid size at 6’4 242 and runs in the 4.7 range. He showed flashes in 2021, but regressed some as a receiver. However, Latu showed improved blocking.

10. Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan: Schoonmaker is a late bloomer. He had a total of two catches in his first three seasons at Michigan. The former Wolverine was mostly used as a blocker until 2022, where he showed some flashes of potential as a receiver. He measured in at 6’5 250 and ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at the combine. One of the downsides is that he is already 24 years old

2023 NFL Draft Final Position Rankings: Wide Receivers

Let’s get right into the third group in our look at my final position rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: the wide receivers . This is another interesting group in that there seems to be some disagreement on the strength of the class. I feel it is a deep class, but not strong at the top.

As always, I will be listing players at their expected NFL positions. Be sure to check out my mid-season rankings, and if you want to check out the draft database that I update almost daily, you can find it at risendraft.

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2023 NFL Draft Wide Receivers: The Top 5

Quentin Johnston, TCU: Johnston flashed his potential last season, and big things were expected. After starting off slow, he then had two big games in the middle of the season and two towards the end. He has all the size, speed, agility, and upside to be a elite receiver; he just needs to find consistency.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State: JSN, as he is known, had an out-of-nowhere season last year: 95 catches, 1,606 yards, and 9 TDs. JSN started off 2022 a little slow then got injured and didn’t really play the rest of the season. Teams just need to understand his role in the NFL will be as a slot receiver, but he can be a really good one.
Rashee Rice, SMU: Rice didn’t stand out statistically from 2019-2021, but that was because of the other receivers on the roster. He is big, long, and athletic. Has experience in the slot and the outside. He is a physical guy who can get YAC.
AT Perry, Wake Forest: Perry is another in a line of big, long, and speedy receivers in this class. He blew up last year with 71 catches, 1,293 yards, and 15 TDs. He can do it all on the field and demonstrated improved flexibility in 2022. His numbers were down a bit, mostly due to Hartman missing the first couple games and having four other receivers around him that look to be NFL players.
Cedric Tillman, Tennessee: Tillman is the quintessential tall, long, deep threat, but he is not just a deep threat. He has the strength and catch radius to produce on all three levels. He blew up in 2021 with 64 catches, 1,081, and 12 TDs. He was off to a good start in 2022 before he got hurt and ended up playing just six games and of course got overshadowed a bit by Jalin Hyatt’s season.

Best of the Rest 6-10

6. Jordan Addison, USC: The former Biletnikoff winner had a ok season for USC, although down statically, and inconsistent. A good route runner who gets YAC, his size will be a hinderance at the NFL level. Because of this, he might have to primarily play out of the slot. Addison also had a poor workout at the combine.

7. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee: The former Volunteer came out of nowhere in 2022, catching 67 balls for 1267 yards and 15 TDs; his previous season he only had 226 yards and 2 TDs. He has speed to burn, but weights just 176 pounds. 89% of his career snaps came in the slot and the route tree he was asked to run was limited.

8. Zay Flowers, Boston College: Flowers was really known as just a deep threat early in his career, but he really expanded his repertoire in 2022 and had a big season with 78 catches for 1077 yards and 12 TDs. His size at 5’9 182 will almost assuredly limit him to mostly playing out of the slot, but because of his speed he can still be a high impact player.

9. Josh Downs, UNC: Downs is of similar size and skill set to Zay Flowers, but is a little less dynamic. Downs is similar t0 Flowers in that he might have to play in the slot. That said, his size and frame (5’9 171) works well with his agility and speed. Furthermore, he did play most of his snaps in the slot.

10. Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss: Mingo is a player that has slowly climbed up my board since the start of the season and has really rocketed up since I was able to do a deep dive. He has everything you want physically and temperament wise. He does not stand out statistically due to the offense he played in. Mingo can beat DBs over the top, take a slant to the house, and bully DBs in the run game. The former Rebel still needs work of course, but has as much upside as anyone in the top 5.

2023 NFL Draft Final Position Rankings: Running Backs

Welcome to part two of my final position rankings. Today we focus on the running backs for the 2023 NFL draft. You can see my mid-season rankings here. I will be listing players at their expected NFL positions. We will be going position by position. Let’s get going with the running backs.

This is a really deep group. We could see two taken in the first round, and a bunch taken on Day 2. After #2, I feel like any of the other top 10 guys could be slotted between 3 – 10. If you want to check out the draft database that I help update almost daily, you can find it at risendraft.

2023 NFL Draft Running Backs: Top 5

Bijan Robinson, Texas: He has been the presumed #1 running back of the 2023 NFL draft class since at least two years ago. He has done nothing in his time to change that. He has continually improved year in and year out. He has everything you want in a featured running back. He can even play snaps as a receiver, he can block, he can do it all. Amazing vision and agility.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama: Any other year and Gibbs is the #1 back in the class. Similar to Robinson in that he can contribute in all facets, just in a smaller package. Fast, explosive, quick, and can run routes. His pass blocking needs work. Gibbs has home run ability.
Kendre Miller, TCU: Miller kind of came out of nowhere, having shared a backfield with Zach Evans in 2021. This year, he really showed he is one of the top backs in the class. The former Horned Frog has excellent vision and agility with solid speed. Miller has ideal RB size and improved as a receiver in 2022.
Tyjae Spears, Tulane: Spears was in a similar situation to Miller in that he was sharing carries in 2021, so his potential was kind of hidden. He blew up in 2022 with over 1500 yards rushing and 19 TDs. Spears has reminded me a bit of Aaron Jones; he is quick, good speed, crazy vision, good hands, and really good contact balance for his size (5’10 201).
Tank Bigsby, Auburn: Bigsby has good size at 6’0 210, with solid 4.56 speed. He has good vision and decent power for his size. The problem is he has not shown much growth since his freshman year. He has been an inconsistent pass protector and receiver. That said, he still has potential to be a good all-around back — if he can get in the right situation.

2023 NFL Draft Running Backs 6-10:

6. Roschon Johnson, Texas: Johnson came to Texas as a quarterback and transitioned to running back. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind the top running back in the class, but when he was able to get on the field he showed a lot of talent and upside as a running back. He has similar size to Robinson, but their running styles differ. Johnson is more of a power back. He also has a lack of wear and tear on his body going for him.

7. Sean Tucker, Syracuse: Tucker is a good back on a team with not a lot of talent. The fact that he was able to rush for over 1,500 yards in 2021 is a testament to how good he is. He has solid size at 5’9 and 207. His top-end speed is pretty average, sitting in the 4.5 range, but he accelerates quickly. He has also been a poor pass blocker and receiver in the past. However, he has shown improvements. There have been some questions on his vision.

8. Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh: Good size and speed at 5’11 216 and 4.5 speed. He had a breakout season in 2022, and showed flashes late in 2021. Abanikanda had that crazy 322 yard game with six touchdowns. He is a very good runner with great vision, and is very slippery. Development in the passing game has been stunted. Blocking has also been inconsistent, which happens with a lot of college backs.

9. Devon Achane, Texas A&M: Achane is speed, speed, and more speed. He was stuck behind CJ Spiller the last two seasons, but he was still able to play over 300 snaps last season. He is almost the complete opposite of Spiller. Small (5’9 188), quick, and fast. He has shown flashes as a receiver, but has not been consistent. He will need to add another 10 pounds or more to handle the riggers of the NFL. His blocking is not good right now and will need work as well.

10. Chase Brown, Illinois: The 5’10 210-pound speedster with 4.43 speed lit up the combine. Despite his size, he is actually pretty good in pass protection. He was very productive the past two seasons on a pretty weak Illinois offense. Brown still needs to find some consistency.