2023 NFL Draft: How Round 1 picks ranked as college football recruits
The book has closed on Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft with many of the top college football stars hearing their names called with a chance to build on their legacy and move into the professional ranks, and a time to reflect on their journey dating back to when they were promising high school recruits with their eyes on getting to the league.
Going strictly by the star ratings awarded by the 247Sports Composite, it was another good showing for the former five-star recruits out there. A total of 13 players who were named five-stars were taken in the opening round of this year's draft. Eight of those players taken were four-stars as recruits, and another eight were three-stars. Two players who went in Round 1 had no stars as recruits.
Related: 2023 NFL Draft picks by college football teams, conferences
2023 NFL Draft: How Round 1 picks ranked as college football recruits
1. Panthers: Bryce Young. All the services ranked the eventual Alabama pledge as the No. 1 quarterback in his recruiting class while 247Sports called him the top overall player nationally.
2. Texans: C.J. Stroud. The Ohio State quarterback earned a 5-star rating from 247Sports but was a 4-star on the other services and was the consensus No. 3 quarterback in the country.
3. Texans: Will Anderson. The edge rusher was named the No. 1 player at his position by both 247 and Rivals and the No. 6 on the ESPN rankings.
4. Colts: Anthony Richardson. The three major services listed Richardson as a top-10 quarterback nationally and was a top-35 player from the state of Florida.
5. Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon. One of the overlooked players as a recruit, the defensive back didn't receive any stars or rankings from the services.
6. Cardinals: Paris Johnson. The consensus No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, unanimous 5-star, and the No. 10 overall player before committing to Ohio State.
7. Raiders: Tyree Wilson. The No. 31 overall edge rusher nationally when combining the average from the services and a three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals.
8. Falcons: Bijan Robinson. Rivals and 247 called the running back a five-star prospect, who was the consensus No. 2 player at the position.
9. Eagles: Jalen Carter. 247 and ESPN named Carter a five-star and the No. 2 and No. 3 defensive tackle, respectively.
10. Bears: Darnell Wright. A consensus five-star across the board and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country.
11. Titans: Peter Skoronski. 247Sports was higher than most on the Northwestern offensive tackle, naming him No. 1, while ESPN ranked him 19th and Rivals at No. 21.
12. Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs. The consensus No. 9 running back in the nation and the No. 13 player from the state of Georgia.
13. Packers: Lukas Van Ness. A consensus 3-star edge rusher and the No. 51 defensive lineman, according to 247Sports.
14. Steelers: Broderick Jones. Ranked No. 1 at his position by ESPN and Rivals and No. 3 by 247Sports, the offensive tackle was a 5-star at all three major services.
15. Jets: Will McDonald. Highly regarded in his state as the No. 3 player from Wisconsin, the defensive end was the consensus No. 65 player at his position and 3-star.
16. Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes. A four-star cornerback who was top-15 at his position nationally and the No. 2 player from Mississippi.
17. Patriots: Christian Gonzalez. The consensus No. 27 cornerback nationally and a top-50 prospect from the state of Texas.
18. Lions: Jack Campbell. 247Sports ranked the linebacker the highest among the services, at No. 20 in his position rankings and No. 3 from the state of Iowa.
19. Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey. A three-star from Florida who finished as the consensus No. 85 defensive lineman in the nation.
20. Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The wide receiver was listed as the No. 3 player at the position nationally and a five-star on the 247 and ESPN boards.
21. Chargers: Quentin Johnston. A consensus four-star and the No. 17 ranked wide receiver nationally.
22. Ravens: Zay Flowers. The eventual Boston College wide receiver was the 1,064th ranked player nationally and a three-star on the services.
23. Vikings: Jordan Addison. The No. 4 ranked wide receiver, according to 247Sports, which named him the No. 6 player from Maryland.
24. Giants: Deonte Banks. The 13th ranked recruit from Maryland and the No. 86 ranked cornerback nationally.
25. Bills: Dalton Kincaid. No stars and no rankings for the tight end, who parlayed his Utah career into a job catching passes from Josh Allen.
26. Cowboys: Mazi Smith. The former Michigan defensive tackle was a four-star across the board and the No. 14 overall at his position.
27. Jaguars: Anton Harrison. A consensus four-star prospect who was the No. 23 overall offensive tackle recruit.
28. Bengals: Myles Murphy. A five-star phenom across the board, the future Clemson star was named the No. 1 edge rusher by both 247Sports and Rivals and the No. 4 by ESPN.
29. Saints: Bryan Bresee. The No. 1 defensive lineman in his class by all the services and the No. 1 overall player listed by Rivals before pledging to Clemson.
30. Eagles: Nolan Smith. The consensus No. 1 at linebacker, from the state of Florida, and overall recruit at any position and unanimous five-star.
31. Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah. A three-star who was named the No. 198 player at the edge rusher position.
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