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PFF Top 50


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The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and so has the first wave of NFL free agency. It's time to update PFF’s draft board.

These are the top 150 prospects who will be eligible for selection come April 27. Remember: The PFF board is skewed by positional value, meaning that higher-value positions are prioritized over lower-value ones.

Last Updated: March 27, 8:30 a.m.

1. QB BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA

Young is flat-out the best playmaker at the quarterback position in the draft class. He can get you a bucket. Young earned a 92.2 grade in 2021 when he won the Heisman, and he followed it up with a 91.5 in 2022.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

2. DI JALEN CARTER, GEORGIA

Carter is neck and neck with Quinnen Williams for the best defensive tackle prospect we’ve graded at PFF (since 2014). Williams was a touch quicker, while Carter is a bit more powerful, but it’s darn close. Carter finished 2022 with a Power Five-leading 92.3 overall grade.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

3. EDGE WILL ANDERSON JR., ALABAMA

Anderson had as productive a three-year career as we’ve seen from a defensive lineman. He picked up 207 pressures over that span. He’s an explosive and fluid 6-foot-4, 243-pound blue-chip edge.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

4. QB WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY

Levis fought to keep his head above water week in and week out against SEC competition. He’ll be battle-tested for the NFL. Levis played through turf toe for much of the 2022 season but earned a 90.6 overall grade when healthy under former Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen in 2021.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

5. QB C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE

Stroud put a stamp on his college tenure in a big way with the second-highest-graded game of his career against Georgia in the College Football Playoff. He has the accuracy and anticipation to thrive in the NFL.

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6. QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON, FLORIDA

Richardson oozes ability. His highlight reel from his lone season as a starter rivals any you’ll see from a college prospect. He’s still a project, though, and finished with an 80.1 overall grade this past season.

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7. CB DEVON WITHERSPOON, ILLINOIS

Witherspoon had one of the best seasons we’ve ever graded from a college cornerback. He was targeted 63 times in 2022 and allowed only 22 catches for 206 yards with three picks and 14 pass breakups. That comes out to 3.3 yards per target. He’s one of the feistiest cornerbacks in the class.

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8. OT PETER SKORONSKI, NORTHWESTERN

With sub-33-inch arms, Skoronski very well may end up a guard for some teams. At tackle, though, he was lights out this past fall. He allowed only six pressures on 474 pass-blocking snaps in his third season as Northwestern’s starting left tackle.

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9. EDGE TYREE WILSON, TEXAS TECH

Wilson is a handful for every lineman who has to block him. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder will have a length advantage against almost every tackle he faces in the NFL. He has inside-outside versatility and put up 50 pressures this past season.

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10. WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON, TCU

Johnston is a force of nature at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He is your vertical route tree X receiver in this class. For his college career, Johnston averaged 18.8 yards per reception.

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11. CB CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, OREGON

Gonzalez has everything you could want from a top cornerback — size, speed, length, hips and ball skills. He had a breakout 2022 season after transferring to Oregon, notching four picks and six pass breakups.

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12. WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA, OHIO STATE

Smith-Njigba missed almost the entire fall with hamstring issues but was Ohio State’s leading receiver in 2021 as a sophomore. That year, he caught 95 passes for 1,595 yards and nine scores. He provides the uncoachable route-running ability and ball skills that will always have a role in the NFL.

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13. DI CALIJAH KANCEY, PITTSBURGH

Kancey may be undersized, but he knows how to get to opposing quarterbacks. The 6-foot, 280-pound defensive tackle led all interior defenders with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade this past fall. He has the first-step quicks to still make an impact in the NFL. 

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14. EDGE LUKAS VAN NESS, IOWA

Van Ness is an ascending power rusher with unique strength and flexibility. When he wants to go through offensive linemen, he almost always can. He earned an 80.2 overall grade this past fall with 46 pressures on 271 pass-rushing snaps.

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15. TE DALTON KINCAID, UTAH

At 240 pounds, Kincaid bridges the gap between tight end and wide receiver. You’re not going to draft him for his blocking ability, but he’s at least serviceable in that regard. No, Kincaid can be a focal point of an offense with his route-running ability after recording 70 catches for 890 yards at Utah last season.

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16. CB DEONTE BANKS, MARYLAND

What an athlete. Banks went 4.35 in the 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot-4 broad jump at the NFL Combine. That matched his tape, where he easily mirrored receivers at all levels of the field.

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17. S BRIAN BRANCH, ALABAMA

Branch is the definition of a football player. He plays the game you wish every defensive back would. He’s also the best tackling defensive back PFF has graded, missing only four tackles on 174 career attempts.

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18. CB JOEY PORTER JR., PENN STATE

Porter is the press cornerback you want in the class. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, he attacks receivers at the line of scrimmage the same way his father attacked offensive tackles. He had a career year this past fall, allowing only 143 yards in 10 games.

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19. OT PARIS JOHNSON JR., OHIO STATE

Johnson showed out in his first season at left tackle — he yielded all of 14 pressures on 449 pass-blocking snaps. At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, he ticks all the physical boxes you could want at the position.

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20. OT DARNELL WRIGHT, TENNESSEE

Wright is a four-year starter who finally saw the proverbial light flip on this past fall. His tape against Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. was outstanding, as he allowed only one pressure in that game and eight for the season.

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21. DI BRYAN BRESEE, CLEMSON

The former top recruit in the 2020 class, Bresee isn’t your run-of-the-mill 300-pounder. He can really move and is even capable of playing outside the tackles. He came back from an ACL tear to earn a career-high 82.0 pass-rushing grade this past fall.

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22. EDGE NOLAN SMITH, GEORGIA

Smith is a modern undersized edge-rusher who, at only 238 pounds, can be a three-down player. In fact, he earned a 90.0-plus run-defense grade over the past two seasons. He needs more power elements to his pass-rushing toolbox, but he’s a high-end athlete who can win with speed.

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23. EDGE MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON

Murphy is too freaky to pass up. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder is this year’s version of Travon Walker. Murphy could stand to add some pass-rushing moves, but he still racked up 76 pressures over the past two seasons.

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24. OT ANTON HARRISON, OKLAHOMA

Harrison is a nimble 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle who saw time on the left side for the Sooners ever since he was a true freshman. This past season, he allowed only nine pressures on 447 pass-blocking snaps.

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25. EDGE WILL MCDONALD IV, IOWA STATE

McDonald will be one of the more interesting defensive line prospects in the class because his tape is almost all at a position that he won't play in the NFL. He was frequently a four- or five-technique in Iowa State’s defense at 236 pounds. McDonald is at his best in space off the edge, where he can be a speed rusher. He earned an 84.1 pass-rushing grade in 2022 and an 85.3 mark in 2021.

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26. OT BRODERICK JONES, GEORGIA

Jones is a bully of an offensive tackle. You’re not going through him, you’ll have to go around. He earned an 84.1 pass-blocking grade in his first full season starting at left tackle for the Bulldogs.

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27. RB BIJAN ROBINSON, TEXAS

Robinson has such an uncanny ability to stop and start for a 220-pounder. And when he is at top speed, good luck trying to tackle him. Robinson set the PFF college record with 104 broken tackles in 2022. 

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28. TE MICHAEL MAYER, NOTRE DAME

Mayer is as polished a tight end as you’ll see in the draft. And he’s only a true junior. He racked up 2,099 yards and 18 scores in his Notre Dame career. 

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29. WR ZAY FLOWERS, BOSTON COLLEGE

Flowers is the best pure separator in the draft class. Defensive backs won't be able to stick with him across on his route breaks unless they're holding him. He racked up 1,077 yards and 12 scores this past season. 

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30. WR JORDAN ADDISON, USC

Addison was the Biletnikoff Award winner with Pittsburgh in 2021 before transferring to USC. He’s a crafty route runner with the kind of bend to run a full route tree. He caught 159 passes for 2,468 yards and 25 scores over the past two seasons.

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31. CB EMMANUEL FORBES, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Forbes started ever since his freshman year in 2020 for the Bulldogs, improving every single year. He’s still on the skinny side for the position, but he doesn’t play like it. His ball production is tremendous, with 14 picks and 17 pass-breakups in his career. 

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32. EDGE FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH, KANSAS STATE

Anudike-Uzomah is one of the best edge benders in the draft class. He’s the type of edge rusher that’s going to convert a lot of pressures to sacks because of that. Of his 89 pressures the past two seasons, 21 ended up as sacks. 

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33. DI MAZI SMITH, MICHIGAN

Smith is a special athlete for a 337-pound nose tackle and could very well see a Dontari Poe-esque rise up draft boards after the combine. He turned it on strong down the stretch in 2022, as well, and earned a 79.2 overall grade on the season. 

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34. EDGE BJ OJULARI, LSU

Ojulari is the younger brother of Giants edge-rusher and second-rounder Azeez. He’s a similarly undersized edge with an array of pass-rushing moves at his disposal. He saw playing time ever since his freshman year and racked up 127 pressures in three seasons.

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35. OT DAWAND JONES, OHIO STATE

Jones is as big a tackle as you’ll ever see at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms. At that size, he is one of the more refined pass protectors in the class. Jones allowed only five pressures on 419 pass-blocking snaps last season.

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36. IOL O'CYRUS TORRENCE, FLORIDA

Torrence is the top true guard prospect in the class. At 6-foot-5 and 347 pounds, he’s a big boy to try and overpower. He started for three seasons at Louisiana before transferring to Florida, where he earned an 88.0 overall grade last fall.

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37. QB TANNER MCKEE, STANFORD

McKee is already well equipped to operate an NFL offense given what he was asked to do at Stanford. He’s one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the class, and he pairs that ability with lightning-quick processing. McKee’s career time to throw at Stanford was a swift 2.49 seconds.

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38. LB DAIYAN HENLEY, WASHINGTON STATE

Henley is a converted receiver who now covers them with ease. He also tracks them down in space, as he missed only five tackles on 97 attempts last season.

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39. CB CAM SMITH, SOUTH CAROLINA

Smith gets his hand on passes more frequently than any other cornerback in this class. Of his 70 targets over the past two seasons, Smith broke up 15 of them and picked off four others. He’s an instinctive and versatile player.

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40. WR JOSH DOWNS, NORTH CAROLINA

Downs is a slot weapon that you can feed schemed-up targets to and watch go to work. He racked up 195 catches for 2,364 yards and 19 scores across the past two years. The only problem is that he’s probably never going to be much more than a slot at his size (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), with only 81 routes on the outside in his career. 

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41. EDGE ADETOMIWA ADEBAWORE, NORTHWESTERN

Adebawore is one of the single freakiest athletes in NFL Combine history. His 4.49-second 40-yard dash is the fastest ever for a player 280-plus pounds by .16 seconds. That kind of explosiveness is worth betting on.

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42. EDGE TULI TUIPULOTU, USC

Tuipulotu is an ascending, versatile defensive lineman. He barely came off the field for the Trojans this past fall (733 snaps) as he racked up 56 pressures. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he can play on the edge, over tackles or at three-technique in the NFL.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

43. TE SAM LAPORTA, IOWA

LaPorta is outstanding with the ball in his hands. He can not only run away from defenders (4.59-second 40-yard dash), but he can also make them miss (20 broken tackles on 58 catches in 2022).

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

44. WR TANK DELL, HOUSTON

Dell’s size — 5-foot-10, 165 pounds — won’t be for everyone, but he’s an easy separator with another gear to stride away from defenders. He had a monster 2022 campaign for Houston with 108 catches, 1,399 yards and 17 scores.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

45. LB JACK CAMPBELL, IOWA

Campbell is as reliable as it gets at the linebacker position in this class. And at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds with NFL-caliber range, there’s no debating whether his game will translate to the next level. Campbell finished 2022 with a 91.7 overall grade to lead all Power Five linebackers. 

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

46. CB TYRIQUE STEVENSON, MIAMI (FL)

Stevenson began his college career at Georgia, where he started games in 2020 before becoming a shut-down outside cornerback at Miami for the past two years. 

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47. IOL STEVE AVILA, TCU

Avila has started at both center and guard over the course of his career. And he provides a physical presence regardless of where he's at. He allowed only 11 pressures on 540 pass-blocking snaps in 2022 for an 83.6 pass-blocking grade.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

48. IOL LUKE WYPLER, OHIO STATE

Wypler may be on the small side, but he’s as advanced a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman as you’ll see. He’s likely a center only, and a darn good one, after earning overall grades of 82.4 and 79.6 in his two seasons as a starter. 

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

49. TE LUKE MUSGRAVE, OREGON STATE

It’s a shame we saw only two games of Musgrave before an undisclosed knee injury cost him the rest of the 2022 season. The senior tight end was balling with 11 catches for 169 yards and a score over that span. He’s the best athlete at the position in the class, boasting the kind of speed and agility to separate from defensive backs.

Click here for advanced stats, grades and a deep-dive analysis

50. RB JAHMYR GIBBS, ALABAMA

Gibbs is a home run waiting to happen — not only on the ground, but also through the air. In three years between Georgia Tech and Alabama, Gibbs caught 103 passes for 1,215 yards and eight scores.

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