FIRST LOOK
Sizing up way-too-early rankings for ’23 NFL draft
The 2022 NFL draft should be a reminder that attempting to predict the outcome of the annual event a year ahead of time is a fool's errand. At this time last year, Georgia's Travon Walker was a lightly used backup not in the discussion for the first round, much less the No. 1 overall pick. Breakout seasons from other Day 1 picks in Jameson Williams, Quay Walker and Jermaine Johnson II, among others, further highlighted the folly of trying to forecast one draft right as another ends.
But this year's group also featured talents who earned top draft billing after putting themselves on the radar a season or more ago, including Derek Stingley Jr., Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal. So while determining the exact outlook of a draft class this early might prove impossible, one can get a sense of the overall shape. With that in mind, here's our early NFL draft rankings for 2023:
1. Will Anderson, OLB/DE, Alabama: Walker, Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson were widely seen as being a rung below the likes of Myles Garrett and other elite pass rushers from previous years. Anderson, however, appears to be well on his way to reaching that class and would likely have been the No. 1 pick this year had he been eligible.
2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: Size questions will undoubtedly dog Young, who's listed at 6-0 and 194 pounds. But the Heisman Trophy winner demonstrated many of the traits that can help teams look beyond a passer's stature. Composed under pressure and consistent from the pocket, Young can be a rhythmic distributor while still showing the capacity to thrive outside of structure.
3. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State: Proving himself a worthy successor to Justin Fields, Stroud stepped in as the Buckeyes' new starter and became the catalyst of the country's most prolific offense. At his best, the 6-3, 218-pound passer offers plenty of reason to believe he could be the first quarterback taken next April, as he thrives in the deep game.
4. Jaxon Smith-njigba, WR, Ohio State: Smith-njigba had already established himself as the Buckeyes' leading receiver ahead of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave before the Rose Bowl, but his 15-catch, 347-yard record performance with Ohio State's two first-round receivers having opted out of the game elevated him to a tier all his own.