2023 Prospect Rankings

[CactusJack]

1. Jalen Carter
2. Cj Stroud
3. Bryce Young
4. Will Anderson
5. Bijan Robinson
6. Anthony Richardson
7. Devon Witherspoon
8. Christian Gonzalez
9. Tyree Wilson
10. Paris Johnson

11. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
12. Calijah Kancey
13. Peter Skoronski
14. Darnell Wright
15. Broderick Jones
16. Joey Porter
17. Deonte Banks
18. Zay Flowers
19. Jordan Addison
20. Quentin Johnston

21. Nolan Smith
22. Will McDonald
23. Brian Branch
24. Jahmyr Gibbs
25. Dalton Kincaid

 

[Chevy]

1. Will McDonald IV (3-4 OLB) IMO he is the best pass rusher in the last few drafts.
2. Bijan Robinson (RB): He is the safest offensive player in the draft. He has it all...acceleration, vision, contract balance, speed, hands. But I still wouldn't draft him in the top-15.
3. Cj Stroud (QB): I don't think he is a sure fire can't miss QB, but I think he is the the safest QB this year.
4. Christian Gonzales (CB): Gonzales I think would be CB #2 last year, but this year he is CB #1. He has the size, ball skills, and can play in any scheme.
5. Calijah Kancey (DT/DE): Kancy is the most disruptive interior defensive lineman since A.D. His best comp is John Randle, who was of similar size and arm length. Randle went on to have 7 Pro Bowls and a career of 137 sacks.
6. Tyree Wilson (DE/3-4 OLB): For me Wilson has a high ceiling and also a high floor as a prospect, which is why I have him rated higher than Will Anderson.
7. Will Anderson (3-4 OLB/DE): Anderson is the safest defensive prospect in the draft, but doesn't have a high ceiling as McDonald, Wilson, or Gonzales.
8. Paris Johnson Jr. (OT): Paris is long and athletic pass protector. vs the run he needs more dog in him. Franchise LT for someone.
9. Josh Downs (WR): If he were 6'1" and 200 lbs. he would be a top-10 pick. Take him late first and he will probably be top-10 in all the "2023 Draft Do Overs".
10. Dawand Jones (RT): The most intimidating player in the draft!

​

 

[AgentDib]

My board is still changing a lot. It's based on how much I like the player and the fit for the Seahawks given our current scheme and coaching. It's also heavily influenced by positional value as that's the only way that makes sense to me.

First Round

PLAYER	RANK	POS	SCHOOL	CONF
C.J. Stroud	1	QB	Ohio State	Big Ten
Will Anderson Jr.	2	EDGE	Alabama	SEC
Anthony Richardson	3	QB	Florida	SEC
Bryce Young	4	QB	Alabama	SEC
Joey Porter Jr.	5	CB	Penn State	Big Ten
Christian Gonzalez	6	CB	Oregon	PAC12
Will Levis	7	QB	Kentucky	SEC
Paris Johnson Jr.	8	OT	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jaxon Smith-Njigba	9	WR	Ohio State	Big Ten
Quentin Johnston	10	WR	TCU	Big 12
Bryan Bresee	11	DL	Clemson	ACC
Nolan Smith	12	EDGE	Georgia	SEC
Tyree Wilson	13	EDGE	Texas Tech	Big 12
Myles Murphy	14	EDGE	Clemson	ACC
Dalton Kincaid	15	TE	Utah	PAC12
Broderick Jones	16	OT	Georgia	SEC
Lukas Van Ness	17	EDGE	Iowa	Big Ten
Zay Flowers	18	WR	Boston College	ACC
Devon Witherspoon	19	CB	Illinois	Big Ten
Zach Harrison	20	EDGE	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jordan Addison	21	WR	USC	PAC12
Josh Downs	22	WR	North Carolina	ACC
Peter Skoronski	23	OG	Northwestern	Big Ten
Jalin Hyatt	24	WR	Tennessee	SEC
Deonte Banks	25	CB	Maryland	Big Ten
Michael Mayer	26	TE	Notre Dame	IND
Bijan Robinson	27	RB	Texas	Big 12
Calijah Kancey	28	DL	Pittsburgh	ACC
Brian Branch	29	S	Alabama	SEC
Keion White	30	EDGE	Georgia Tech	ACC
Will McDonald IV	31	EDGE	Iowa State	Big 12

 

[toffee]

1. Will McDonald IV (3-4 OLB) IMO he is the best pass rusher in the last few drafts.
2. Bijan Robinson (RB): He is the safest offensive player in the draft. He has it all...acceleration, vision, contract balance, speed, hands. But I still wouldn't draft him in the top-15.
3. Cj Stroud (QB): I don't think he is a sure fire can't miss QB, but I think he is the the safest QB this year.
4. Christian Gonzales (CB): Gonzales I think would be CB #2 last year, but this year he is CB #1. He has the size, ball skills, and can play in any scheme.
5. Calijah Kancey (DT/DE): Kancy is the most disruptive interior defensive lineman since A.D. His best comp is John Randle, who was of similar size and arm length. Randle went on to have 7 Pro Bowls and a career of 137 sacks.
6. Tyree Wilson (DE/3-4 OLB): For me Wilson has a high ceiling and also a high floor as a prospect, which is why I have him rated higher than Will Anderson.
7. Will Anderson (3-4 OLB/DE): Anderson is the safest defensive prospect in the draft, but doesn't have a high ceiling as McDonald, Wilson, or Gonzales.
8. Paris Johnson Jr. (OT): Paris is long and athletic pass protector. vs the run he needs more dog in him. Franchise LT for someone.
9. Josh Downs (WR): If he were 6'1" and 200 lbs. he would be a top-10 pick. Take him late first and he will probably be top-10 in all the "2023 Draft Do Overs".
10. Dawand Jones (RT): The most intimidating player in the draft!

Very refreshing!! a few random thoughts:

1. Is Bijan better than K9?
2. Battle between two Wills, McDonald IV that much better than Anderson? How so?
3. Kancey, can he play 3-4 DE with his height and short arms? or he is more 3 technique guy?

 

[therealjohncarlson]

My board is still changing a lot. It's based on how much I like the player and the fit for the Seahawks given our current scheme and coaching. It's also heavily influenced by positional value as that's the only way that makes sense to me.

First Round

PLAYER	RANK	POS	SCHOOL	CONF
C.J. Stroud	1	QB	Ohio State	Big Ten
Will Anderson Jr.	2	EDGE	Alabama	SEC
Anthony Richardson	3	QB	Florida	SEC
Bryce Young	4	QB	Alabama	SEC
Joey Porter Jr.	5	CB	Penn State	Big Ten
Christian Gonzalez	6	CB	Oregon	PAC12
Will Levis	7	QB	Kentucky	SEC
Paris Johnson Jr.	8	OT	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jaxon Smith-Njigba	9	WR	Ohio State	Big Ten
Quentin Johnston	10	WR	TCU	Big 12
Bryan Bresee	11	DL	Clemson	ACC
Nolan Smith	12	EDGE	Georgia	SEC
Tyree Wilson	13	EDGE	Texas Tech	Big 12
Myles Murphy	14	EDGE	Clemson	ACC
Dalton Kincaid	15	TE	Utah	PAC12
Broderick Jones	16	OT	Georgia	SEC
Lukas Van Ness	17	EDGE	Iowa	Big Ten
Zay Flowers	18	WR	Boston College	ACC
Devon Witherspoon	19	CB	Illinois	Big Ten
Zach Harrison	20	EDGE	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jordan Addison	21	WR	USC	PAC12
Josh Downs	22	WR	North Carolina	ACC
Peter Skoronski	23	OG	Northwestern	Big Ten
Jalin Hyatt	24	WR	Tennessee	SEC
Deonte Banks	25	CB	Maryland	Big Ten
Michael Mayer	26	TE	Notre Dame	IND
Bijan Robinson	27	RB	Texas	Big 12
Calijah Kancey	28	DL	Pittsburgh	ACC
Brian Branch	29	S	Alabama	SEC
Keion White	30	EDGE	Georgia Tech	ACC
Will McDonald IV	31	EDGE	Iowa State	Big 12

So did you just leave carter off your board entirely? Seems a tad ridiculous

 

[AgentDib]

I'm not comfortable giving Carter a huge $20m+ guaranteed signing bonus and then expecting him to put maximum effort in when he hasn't done so previously with much more reason. How would your work ethic change over the next year if you received $20m next month?

Carter is #46 on my list - as of today - because that's the first pick where the signing bonus dips under $3m. I also don't mind dropping guys in general because there's always another intriguing prospect to pick who you might like better.

It's worth clarifying that my draft takes aren't what I think the Hawks should do. My only advice to them would be to use their own boards and not mine; they have a full professional scouting department and a wealth of inside information that we don't have access to. If, however, the Hawks FO forgets to hit save the night before the draft and they lose all their work? Then I'd tell them to pass on Carter in the first round. The fun part about draft speculation for me is that we'll get to see how it turns out over the next couple of years.

 

[Ruminator]

If, however, the Hawks FO forgets to hit save the night before the draft and they lose all their work?

Oh, yeah, that must have been what happened in some of their recent drafts between 2015 and 2021!

 

[Chevy]

Very refreshing!! a few random thoughts:

1. Is Bijan better than K9?
2. Battle between two Wills, McDonald IV that much better than Anderson? How so?
3. Kancey, can he play 3-4 DE with his height and short arms? or he is more 3 technique guy?

My top-10 that I ranked are not so much Seahawks specific. So I wouldn't want the Seahawks to draft Kancey, Parris Johnson, or Bijan.

At this point I don't know that Bijan is better than K9. Bijan was the better all-around RB coming out college. But, K9 proved to be a good receiver coming out of the backfield his rookie season, which was a knock on him coming out of college. K9 to me looks like a more elusive runner, and more of a creative runner if the blocking isn't there for him.

I really like Anderson which is why I have him in my top-10 rankings, and would be happy although not excited if we drafted him at #5. McDonald is the more refined pass rusher of the two. He also has elite bend to turn the corner, whereas Anderson is more stiff (which is probably why he choose not to do any agility testing at the combine or at his Pro-Day). McDonald is also more of an explosive pass rusher, quicker first step. Again Anderson did not to do the explosive testing, vertical & broad jump, at the combine or his Pro-Day. Anderson, to me, doesn't play with a high motor. He gives up on plays to quickly. McDonald also has longer arms. McDonald is known to study his opponents that he is going to be going up against, so he can then have a game plan with his pass rushing techniques.

From what I could find of McDonald's Pro Day results were fairly amazing numbers in agility for a pass DE/OLB. McDonald had 3-cone time of 6.60, which is better than TJ Watt and Von Miller. His 20-yard shuttle was 4.21.

Kancey I think will be a Pro Bowl player if drafted by a 4-3 defensive team. So ,yeah not a fit for the Seahawks. If he goes to the Eagles, then I think he will be one of the best pass rushing DTs in the NFL.

 

[Chevy]

So did you just leave carter off your board entirely? Seems a tad ridiculous

I think him leaving Carter off his top-30 is fine. Carter has some red flags. Some teams may have Carter off their 1st round board.

 

[CactusJack]

My board is still changing a lot. It's based on how much I like the player and the fit for the Seahawks given our current scheme and coaching. It's also heavily influenced by positional value as that's the only way that makes sense to me.

First Round

PLAYER	RANK	POS	SCHOOL	CONF
C.J. Stroud	1	QB	Ohio State	Big Ten
Will Anderson Jr.	2	EDGE	Alabama	SEC
Anthony Richardson	3	QB	Florida	SEC
Bryce Young	4	QB	Alabama	SEC
Joey Porter Jr.	5	CB	Penn State	Big Ten
Christian Gonzalez	6	CB	Oregon	PAC12
Will Levis	7	QB	Kentucky	SEC
Paris Johnson Jr.	8	OT	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jaxon Smith-Njigba	9	WR	Ohio State	Big Ten
Quentin Johnston	10	WR	TCU	Big 12
Bryan Bresee	11	DL	Clemson	ACC
Nolan Smith	12	EDGE	Georgia	SEC
Tyree Wilson	13	EDGE	Texas Tech	Big 12
Myles Murphy	14	EDGE	Clemson	ACC
Dalton Kincaid	15	TE	Utah	PAC12
Broderick Jones	16	OT	Georgia	SEC
Lukas Van Ness	17	EDGE	Iowa	Big Ten
Zay Flowers	18	WR	Boston College	ACC
Devon Witherspoon	19	CB	Illinois	Big Ten
Zach Harrison	20	EDGE	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jordan Addison	21	WR	USC	PAC12
Josh Downs	22	WR	North Carolina	ACC
Peter Skoronski	23	OG	Northwestern	Big Ten
Jalin Hyatt	24	WR	Tennessee	SEC
Deonte Banks	25	CB	Maryland	Big Ten
Michael Mayer	26	TE	Notre Dame	IND
Bijan Robinson	27	RB	Texas	Big 12
Calijah Kancey	28	DL	Pittsburgh	ACC
Brian Branch	29	S	Alabama	SEC
Keion White	30	EDGE	Georgia Tech	ACC
Will McDonald IV	31	EDGE	Iowa State	Big 12

First time I've seen Zach Harrison ranked or mocked that highly (1st round). Fascinating.

 

[AgentDib]

First time I've seen Zach Harrison ranked or mocked that highly (1st round). Fascinating.

I know this is a scorching hot take, but compare Zach Harrison (#85 overall) to Tyree Wilson (#7 overall).

Size
Zach Harrison - age 21, 6' 5.5", 274lbs, 36.3" arms, 25 reps
Tyree Wilson - age 22, 6' 6.1", 271lbs, 35.7" arms, 23 reps

Production
Zach Harrison - 85.3/78.4 PFF pass rush/run defense grade in big 10
Tyree Wilson - 79.9/72.8 PFF pass rush/run defense grade in big 12 (didn't play vs. Oklahoma tackles)

Athleticism
Zach Harrison - 8.70 RAS at pro day
Tyree Wilson - ??? RAS, didn't test at combine or pro day due to foot

People are down on Harrison because he was a former five star recruit who disappointed fans by not being completely dominant at Ohio State, and he has good but not elite athleticism.

Wilson does have better stats, but against a lower tier of competition. LJ Collier also looked pretty good in the big 12 and didn't translate to the NFL that well. Maybe Wilson would have tested better, but I don't see Wilson as the more agile player on the field.

If we want a really long defender to develop into a 3-4 end then I'd feel way better about taking Harrison in the back of the first round then I would about Wilson at #5 overall. Harrison was the better prospect going into college, played vs. better competition, is a year younger, and just seems like a better value.

 

[CactusJack]

1. Will McDonald IV (3-4 OLB) IMO he is the best pass rusher in the last few drafts.
2. Bijan Robinson (RB): He is the safest offensive player in the draft. He has it all...acceleration, vision, contract balance, speed, hands. But I still wouldn't draft him in the top-15.
3. Cj Stroud (QB): I don't think he is a sure fire can't miss QB, but I think he is the the safest QB this year.
4. Christian Gonzales (CB): Gonzales I think would be CB #2 last year, but this year he is CB #1. He has the size, ball skills, and can play in any scheme.
5. Calijah Kancey (DT/DE): Kancy is the most disruptive interior defensive lineman since A.D. His best comp is John Randle, who was of similar size and arm length. Randle went on to have 7 Pro Bowls and a career of 137 sacks.
6. Tyree Wilson (DE/3-4 OLB): For me Wilson has a high ceiling and also a high floor as a prospect, which is why I have him rated higher than Will Anderson.
7. Will Anderson (3-4 OLB/DE): Anderson is the safest defensive prospect in the draft, but doesn't have a high ceiling as McDonald, Wilson, or Gonzales.
8. Paris Johnson Jr. (OT): Paris is long and athletic pass protector. vs the run he needs more dog in him. Franchise LT for someone.
9. Josh Downs (WR): If he were 6'1" and 200 lbs. he would be a top-10 pick. Take him late first and he will probably be top-10 in all the "2023 Draft Do Overs".
10. Dawand Jones (RT): The most intimidating player in the draft!

​

How did you not have Spoon in your top 10?

Hit: Dawand has looked good. Nice call on that one. Definitely looks like a 1st rounder up to this point.

Stroud has been good too. But I still don't think his ceiling is as high as AR.

Miss: Wilson has struggled & hasn't looked like a top 10 pick. Anderson has definitely been the far superior player so far. But we all miss sometimes.

Thoughts?

 

[Chevy]

How did you not have Spoon in your top 10?

Hit: Dawand has looked good. Nice call on that one. Definitely looks like a 1st rounder up to this point.

Stroud has been good too. But I still don't think his ceiling is as high as AR.

Miss: Wilson has struggled & hasn't looked like a top 10 pick. Anderson has definitely been the far superior player so far. But we all miss sometimes.

Thoughts?

My thoughts on when I had posted it are what I was thinking at that time which was March of this year. I haven't edited it since then to be slick, unlike you.

I noticed you edited your rankings of the players on your initial post today at 10:30 AM. So, you are trying to position yourself as the all knowing troll.

I would have had a real conversation with you had you not edited your rankings today.

 

[CactusJack]

My thoughts on when I had posted it are what I was thinking at that time which was March of this year. I haven't edited it since then to be slick, unlike you.

I noticed you edited your rankings of the players on your initial post today at 10:30 AM. So, you are trying to position yourself as the all knowing troll.

I would have had a real conversation with you had you not edited your rankings today.

lol c'mon...It's not that big of a deal. I'm just curious if you've changed your perspective on any of the prospects since March. I'm honestly not trying to troll you, I promise.

You always have an interesting take.

 

[Chevy]

lol c'mon...It's not that big of a deal. I'm just curious if you've changed your perspective on any of the prospects since March. I'm honestly not trying to troll you, I promise.

You always have an interesting take.

Yes I have changed my thoughts on the prospects to this point of the season, which is the norm of all draftnicks...there are hits and misses every draft. Will McDonald was drafted to the wrong team, they are deep at DE and his personality doesn't fit what the head coach likes in his players.

At this point of the year I would rate CB Devin Witherspoon as the top rated prospect from this past draft. So we may have possibly got the best player in the draft at #6.

Keep putting out your takes on prospects and we can have respectful discussions on prospects. I won't shut down your take, or point out the misses you had in the past. I do enjoy debating prospects and going back to look at players.

 

[CactusJack]

Yes I have changed my thoughts on the prospects to this point of the season, which is the norm of all draftnicks...there are hits and misses every draft. Will McDonald was drafted to the wrong team, they are deep at DE and his personality doesn't fit what the head coach likes in his players.

At this point of the year I would rate CB Devin Witherspoon as the top rated prospect from this past draft. So we may have possibly got the best player in the draft at #6.

Keep putting out your takes on prospects and we can have respectful discussions on prospects. I won't shut down your take, or point out the misses you had in the past. I do enjoy debating prospects and going back to look at players.

That's fair. How would you rank them now?

I was a huge proponent of Jalen Carter. But I didn't have an issue with taking Spoon at that spot. Given his character.