2023 NFL Draft: Reacting to the AP All-American First Team Selections
With bowl season upon us, various outlets are looking back on the college football season that was. Every year, the Associated Press’s All-American team is a highly anticipated aspect of the college football postseason, and 2022 was no different. This article reviews the 2022 AP All-American first team from a 2023 NFL Draft perspective.
To see the entire AP All-American team, click here.
Not in the 2023 NFL Draft
Of course, some of the players on the AP All-American first team will not be in the 2023 NFL Draft. In general, these players are returning to school in 2023 because they have not been out of high school long enough to be eligible to declare for the NFL.
It all starts with USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy in addition to his first-team nod. Williams is only in his second collegiate season and is currently the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The other ineligible players on offense are Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr.—both are also second-year players. Harrison would be the top wide receiver in this year’s class if he were in it; he is a generational talent at wideout whose matchup with Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo (a potential 2023 NFL Draft first-rounder) in the College Football Playoff semifinal will be must-see television.
The defensive side of the ball features one second-year player: safety Kamren Kinchens from Miami. An elite ballhawk with a stocky build, Kinchens put America on notice of his talents when he turned in a three-interception game against Georgia Tech in October. He will be one to watch in the 2023 season.
Everyone else on the All-American first team is draft-eligible. Not all players on the team have confirmed that they will declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, but this article assumes that they are unless they have said otherwise.
First-Round Picks
As it does every year, the AP All-American first team boasts a ton of likely first-round picks.
Beginning on offense, Texas running back Bijan Robinson torched his competition this year and showcased the NFL-caliber speed, cutting ability, and balance that could make him one of the rare modern running backs that merits a first-round pick. Along the offensive line, Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence is starting to feel like a first-round lock, while Northwestern guard/tackle Peter Skoronski should also get selected on Day One.
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer is insanely gifted and should immediately be a Top Five receiving tight end in the league. The prospect of having a player of Mayer’s caliber on a rookie contract will be hard for many teams in the #11-20 range to pass up on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft. Also, Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt burst onto the scene this year and may have secured himself a first-round slot with tremendous play in the Volunteers’ high-flying offense.
As for the defense, the first team has a couple of first-round locks. Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr. and Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter could each go in the first five picks. Anderson is probably going to be a polarizing player throughout the draft process. Some analysts found his performance this season underwhelming. But others point out that while Anderson’s stats may be somewhat down this year, part of the reason is that opposing offenses have focused more intently on Anderson with double teams, chip blocks, and shifts in pass protection. With respect to Carter, the latest news about the Georgia standout is that ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay recently called Carter’s character into question, after which a few of Carter’s teammates immediately came to his defense. Carter’s talent means he is going to get a shot somewhere.
Some other defenders have a decent shot at the first round. USC EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu was arguably the best defensive player in college football this season; a team might gamble on his tremendous production and top-shelf physical tools. Meanwhile, Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders, Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III, Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and Georgia safety Christopher Smith are all in the running for the first round.
Sanders and Witherspoon surprised some this year with their extraordinary play, and NFL scouts are studying them closely to see if they each merit first-round selection. In addition, Smith is one to watch in the pre-draft process; teams will be interested in how well he tests in the speed and agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But the fact remains that Smith is one of the savvier back-seven defenders in the 2023 class.
Day Two (and Later) Picks
The rest of the 2023 NFL Draft will see various first-team AP All-Americans. Michigan running back Blake Corum was well on his way to having a season for the ages before an injury kept him out of much of the Ohio State game. But he is superbly talented and should still get picked in the middle rounds. Another offensive skill position player to watch is Iowa State wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who has probably been the best wide receiver in the Big 12 over the last three seasons taken together. He tracks the ball well and is surprisingly difficult to bring down after the catch; he is a late Day Two or early Day Three prospect.
The AP also named Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn as its first-team “All Purpose Player”; Vaughn is an enigmatic prospect—a five-foot-six running back who has established himself as one of the better collegiate backs over the past two seasons. Vaughn could be a mid-round selection.
Along the offensive line, both USC guard Andrew Vorhees and Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz are on NFL radars. Schmitz played tremendously well this season; expect his draft stock to rise in an unsettled center class. He is an especially talented run blocker who could make sense for teams like the Indianapolis Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders—squads with top-flight running backs built around the inside run who could use an upgrade at center.
All five remaining defensive players are also almost certain to be drafted. Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is one of the most underrated players in the 2023 NFL Draft class. He is undersized, but he projects as a highly disruptive pass rusher who is quicker than most interior NFL offensive linemen. Kancey might go as high as the second round if he can showcase—at the Scouting Combine—the stellar athleticism he’s flashed on tape.
Linebackers Ivan Pace Jr. (from Cincinnati) and Jack Campbell (from Iowa) are middle-round guys, with Campbell having a shot at going in the early Day Two window. Moreover, TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson—who was named first-team “Defensive Back” (a category separate from “Cornerback”)—could be one of the better slot corners in the NFL in a few years. The problem for Hodges-Tomlinson is that “slot corner” does not ordinarily have a high position value, and he will probably go on Day Two.
Finally, the AP honored NC State kicker Christopher Dunn and Michigan State punter Bryce Baringer with first-team All-American honors. While neither one is likely to get drafted, both should get an opportunity in the NFL.
