2023 NFL Draft Big Board: 200 Prospects, 40 Profiles, 4 Sleepers to Watch
The process started back in December, and we've finally reached the end of it all. The NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and with that, so comes the time when people release their rankings and/or draft guides.
Be sure to click here to check out the full guide.
Everything is available all on this spreadsheet, which includes a ranking of more than 200 plus prospects in this year's NFL draft, over 50 scouting reports and positional rankings. All of this is free, and I encourage you all to use it to follow along with the draft. Of course, I could not get to every single prospect in this year's class, not everyone has a report, and there are a few that I regret not being able to get to, but I am very pleased with the number of prospects I did get to.
There are definitely some prospects I am higher on than the consensus, some I am lower on, and some that I view at different positions. Obviously, I am not perfect with my process, and I'm not going to get every prospect's evaluation correct, but I am confident in my process.
With that said, here are a few prospects who did not get a scouting report at a few positions that I ended up being a big fan of:
Cornerback: Cory Trice Jr, Purdue
Cory Trice ended up being a top 10 cornerback for me in my rankings, and I was surprised by just how promising his film was. Some of the best press reps I've seen in this class from a placement and technique perspective. He fits perfectly in a heavy press man scheme. He's taller than he is long, but he still possesses quite a bit of length to be able to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point.
Trice has good foot quickness and play recognition with his eyes to be both functional from off coverage, either from a pedal, or from a shuffle. Combine that with his stellar testing numbers and he's a more scheme-versatile corner than some of the peers I've seen ranked ahead of him. He has a chance to be a real steal. Look for him to come off the board sometime in the third round.
Safety: Christopher Smith, Georgia
Unlike Trice, Chris Smith is among the worst testing athletes at his position, but he makes up for it with some of the best film in the entire class. Georgia asked so much of Smith, constantly putting him on islands in quarters coverage versus slot receivers and he showed to be up to the task.
His outstanding instincts and play recognition allow him to trigger a hair faster than many of his contemporaries and his 1.55 10-yard split also backs up that aspect of his game. He had a very good week at the Senior Bowl that only aimed to reinforce that he is a prospect worth betting on from the film alone.
Tight End: Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
Luke Schoonmaker is among my favorite tight ends in this entire class. His lack of receiving yards throughout of his career is more of a product of who was featured in the passing game and the fact he was asked to block inline so much, which he was outstanding at.
Schoonmaker is arguably the best blocker in this class, as he excels in both pass protection help and creating holes in the run game, but his receiving upside should not be ignored as he tested extremely well in all testing categories. Much of it shows up on the film with how effortless his hip sinks were and he showed good hands whenever the ball was thrown his way.
Nose Tackle: Calvin Avery, Illinois
Usually, nose tackles tend to fall beneath the cracks, with players such as Poona Ford, who carved out a good role as a two-down run stuffer. I believe Calvin Avery could very much do that and maybe more in terms of pass-rush potential.
Avery is built low to the ground, which aids in his ability to win the leverage battle at the line of scrimmage, showing the flashes to absorb double teams and hold the point of attack one on one. The hand usage and ability to peek, stack and shed is something I value greatly in an interior defensive lineman. Avery has the makings to be a steal on day 3.
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