We're on to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Sporting News constructed its first Top 50 Big Board, and it's flush with talent from the usual college football powerhouses. Alabama leads all schools with nine players on the list, including two of the top three players in quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson.
Ohio State and Notre Dame are next with four players each. The Buckeyes have the top player in quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer also made the top-10.
Georgia and Clemson have three players each. The Bulldogs are led by defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and Clemons has a nasty defense coming back led by defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy.
Those five schools have 23 of the 50 players on this list. Here is a look at the best 50 best players available in the 2023 NFL Draft regardless of position, and how high each might be selected based on team needs, position scarcity and other factors.
MORE: Ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in 2023 NFL Draft
NFL Draft prospects 2023: Big board of top 50 players
1. C.J. Stroud*, QB, Ohio State
Stroud (6-3, 215) emerged as the Buckeyes' next star quarterback with 4,435 yards, 44 TDs and six interceptions last season, and he's working with a group of future NFL receivers in Columbus. Stroud's accuracy is a major plus. He had a 79.8% completion percentage with 18 TDs and one interception in the Buckeyes' last four games. That efficiency will be too much to pass up for a QB-needy franchise.
2. Will Anderson*, EDGE, Alabama
Should Anderson (6-4, 235) be No. 1? Maybe. He's drawing comparisons to the late Derrick Thomas for his ability to wreck a game off the edge. Anderson compiled 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss in 2021, and the Crimson Tide's defense should be better. Thomas was the No. 4 pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. Anderson will go higher than that.
3. Bryce Young*, QB, Alabama
The last three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks were No. 1 picks, and a Heisman QB has not fallen out of the first round since Ohio State's Troy Smith in 2006. Young (6-0, 194) put up 4,872 yards, 47 TDs and seven interceptions last season. There will be over-reactions about his size, but Young has handled the pressure of playing for the Crimson Tide with ease. That calm demeanor will be a hit with NFL GMs looking for a franchise QB.
4. Myles Murphy*, DE, Clemson
Murphy (6-5, 275) is a massive defensive end with dimensions similar to Georgia's Travon Walker, who was this year's draft season riser. Murphy has been more productive in college. He has 12 sacks and 25 tackles for loss through the last two seasons, and he is solid against the run. If there is a sleeper to leap up to No. 1, then this might be the guy.
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba*, WR, Ohio State
The Buckeyes will have their third first-round receiver in two years when Smith-Njigba (6-0, 197) is selected in 2023. He's an incredible route runner who gets in and out of routes with ease. He had 95 catches with 1,606 yards and nine TDs while averaging 16.9 yards per catch. He is a unicorn because there isn't a true NFL comparison.
6. Jalen Carter*, DT, Georgia
Carter (6-3, 310) is the next freakish defensive tackle from Georgia. He's a run stuffer who had 37 tackles, but he also created pressure from the interior with 3.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Carter will take on a featured role on a defense that lost eight players to the 2022 NFL Draft. He's the standard at defensive tackle for the next class.
7. Bryan Bresee*, DE, Clemson
Bresee (6-5, 300) was limited in the spring after suffering a torn ACL last season, but he should be ready to go for his junior season this fall. Bresee is another freaky talent who can play inside or outside, and he's a prime candidate to put on a show at the NFL Combine. He's produced 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in two seasons. He's a top-10 talent.
8. Michael Mayer*, TE, Notre Dame
Mayer (6-4, 251) was the to-go player in Notre Dame's offense last season. He had 71 catches for 840 yards and seven TDs, and he had a 74.7% catch percentage. He's a catch-and-run tight end in the middle of the field. Mayer lined up in the slot almost half the time, and he'll create mismatches in the middle of the field. The comparisons to Rob Gronkowski are off base, but Mayer remains worth a first-round pick.
9. Eli Ricks*, CB, Alabama
Ricks (6-2, 196), a freshman All-American in 2020, transferred to Alabama in the offseason. He has five interceptions and six pass breakups the last two years at LSU. He's no longer playing opposite Derek Stingley, Jr. Ricks is a lanky cornerback who should thrive with the Crimson Tide, and that means he can be the first corner taken in the draft.
10. Jordan Addison*, WR, Pitt
Addison (6-0, 175) led the FBS with 17 TDs last season, and that came with 1,593 yards. He had 100 catches on 144 targets. He's an all-around receiver with great hand placement in the vertical passing game, and that route-running ability will translate well at the next level. The last two Pitt receivers to be taken in the first round were Larry Fitzgerald (2004) and Jon Baldwin (2011).
11. Kelee Ringo*, CB, Georgia
Ringo (6-0, 205) secured his place in Georgia lore with a game-sealing pick six in the CFP championship game against Alabama. He had eight pass breakups for the Bulldogs, and 2022 will be his first season as a full-time starter. Ringo looked good in the spring, too. He will challenge to be the first cornerback selected in 2023.
12. Bijan Robinson*, RB, Texas
A running back hasn't been drafted with a top-10 pick since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018. Robinson (6-0, 215) has first-round talent, and he's averaged 6.5 yards per carry with the Longhorns. He's also an excellent with receiver who has averaged 20 catches and three TDs per season out of the backfield. Robinson has the talent to be a top-10 pick, but he'll fall just outside.
13. BJ Ojulari*, EDGE, LSU
Ojulari (6-3, 245) increased his tackles for loss (12) and sack (7) totals last season, but he only had 2.5 sacks in SEC play. He will need to be more of a difference maker with first-year coach Brian Kelly. The talent and measurements are there, and Ojulari has a chance to put it all together as an experienced junior.
14. Zion Nelson, T, Miami
Nelson (6-5, 316) made our big board last season, but he decided to return to school for another season. Nelson has a nice blend of size and quickness, and he's a veteran player that will benefit from the arrival of first-year coach Mario Cristobal. The best tackles in this class have a chance to move up in the regular season, and Nelson is at the top of that list for now.
15. Malachi Moore*, S, Alabama
Moore (6-0, 182) is at the middle of the first round in most mock drafts. He doesn't pile up a lot of tackles, but he has four interceptions the last two seasons and is around the football at the right times. Moore had a sophomore slump of sorts, but the bounce-back appeal is there in what should be an improved-and-healthy Crimson Tide secondary.
16. Trenton Simpson*, LB, Clemson
Simpson (6-3, 225) might need to put on more weight, but he's going to showcase his ball-hawking skills for new defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. The plan is to get Simpson closer to the line of scrimmage as a weak-side linebacker. He has 10.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss through two seasons. Could he match that total as a junior?
17. Brandon Joseph*, S, Notre Dame
The Irish needed a replacement for Kyle Hamilton, and they found one in the transfer portal. Joseph (6-1, 192) was a SN first-team All-American as a freshman at Northwestern in 2020. He totaled 129 tackles and nine interceptions the last two seasons with the Wildcats. That all-around ability will shine with first-year coach Marcus Freeman.
18. Nolan Smith*, EDGE, Georgia
Smith (6-3, 235) has room to move up given his surroundings at Georgia. Smith had 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss last season. The former five-star recruit will take on a more prominent role with the Bulldogs, and that ability to play defensive end or edge rusher adds value. He needs more sacks.
19. Henry To'o To'o, LB, Alabama
To'o To'o (6-2, 225) complimented Anderson well and will be another solid inside linebacker in the NFL. He also has the ability to bump outside. To'o To'o finished with 111 tackles and four sacks in 2021. Anderson and Dallas Turner will get more attention, but To'o To'o remains first-round material.
20. Kayshon Boutte*, WR, LSU
Boutte (6-0, 190) is next off the line at LSU. He's a speedy receiver who excels with intermediate routes, and he accelerates well after the catch. Boutte averages 15.0 yards per catch with 14 TDs the last two seasons. Imagine what he would have done with Joe Burrow at LSU.
21. Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame
Foskey (6-4, 257) made a surprising decision to return to school for his senior year, and the goal is to become a better all-around player. He had 10 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2021. Another 10-sack season would tie the school record set by Justin Tuck, a third-round pick in 2005. Foskey won't fall that far.
22. Jahmyr Gibbs*, RB, Alabama
Gibbs (5-11, 200) is another transfer portal pickup bound to have a breakout season with Alabama. He showed a preview of that with a 75-yard TD run in the spring game. Gibbs ranked third in the FBS with 150.4 all-purpose yards per game at Georgia Tech last season. That value in the rushing, receiving and return game will make him a Reggie Bush-type player at the next level.
23. Noah Sewell*, LB, Oregon
Sewell (6-3, 250) is the first of two Oregon linebackers on our Big Board. He had a breakout season in 2021 with 114 tackles and four sacks, but he also covered well with an interception and five pass breakups. He'll evolve more with new coach Dan Lanning, who was the defensive coordinator at Georgia.
24. Spencer Rattler*, QB, South Carolina
Rattler (6-1, 200) was our No. 2 QB on last year's big board, but that didn't go according to plan. Rattler was benched at Oklahoma, and he transferred to South Carolina in the offseason. He's still a talented QB who has passed for 40 TDs and 12 interceptions the last two seasons. Rattler also has the SEC spotlight now. If he performs well, then he'll land in the first round.
MORE: Rattler's transfer a new reality
25. Jaxson Kirkland, T, Washington
Kirkland (6-7, 310) is massive, and he has started at right guard and left tackle for the Huskies. That kind of versatility has paid off in recent drafts, and Kirkland is healthy again after missing two games last season. He can emerge among a group of tackles fighting to stay in the first round.
26. Zach Evans*, RB, Ole Miss
27. Paris Johnson Jr.*, T, Ohio State
28. Jalen Catalon*, S, Arkansas
29. Tre'Vius Hodges Tomlinson, CB, TCU
30. Marvin Mims*, WR, Oklahoma
31. Justin Flowe*, LB, Oregon
32. Peter Skoronski*, T, Northwestern
33. Joey Porter Jr.*, CB, Penn State
34. Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
35. Byron Young, DT, Alabama
36. Jarret Paterson, C, Notre Dame
37. Justin Eboigbe, DT, Alabama
38. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, DE, Washington
39. Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
40. Carter Warren, T, Pitt
41. Dawand Jones, T, Ohio State
42. Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
43. Rakim Jarrett*, WR, Maryland
44. Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State
45. Jahleel Billingsley*, TE, Texas
46. Tank Bigsby*, RB, Auburn
47. Kyu Blue Kelly, CB, Stanford
48 Phil Jurkovec*, QB, Boston College
49. Willie Lampkin*, G, Coastal Carolina
50. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
NFL Draft prospect ranking by position
Quarterback
1. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (1)
2. Bryce Young, Alabama (3)
3. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (24)
4. Phil Jurkovec, Boston College (48)
5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (50)
Running back
1. Bijan Robinson, Texas (12)
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (22)
3. Zach Evans, Ole Miss (26)
4. Tank Bigsby, Auburn (46)
Wide receiver
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State (5)
2. Jordan Addison, Pitt (10)
3. Kayshon Boutte, LSU (20)
4. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma (30)
5. Rakim Jarrett, Maryland (43)
Tight end
1. Michael Mayer, Notre Dame (8)
2. Sam LaPorta, Iowa (42)
3. Jahleel Billingsley (45)
Offensive line
1. Zion Nelson, Miami (14)
2. Jaxson Kirkland, Washington (25)
3. Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State (27)
4. Peter Skoronski, Northwestern (32)
5. Carter Warren, Pitt (40)
6. Dawand Jones, Ohio State (41)
7. Jarret Patterson, Notre Dame (36)
8. Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina (49)
Edge rushers
1. Will Anderson, Alabama (2)
2. B.J. Ogulari, LSU (13)
3. Nolan Smith, Georgia (18)
4. Derick Hall, Auburn (34)
5. Will McDonald, Iowa State (44)
Defensive ends
1. Myles Murphy, Clemson (4)
2. Bryan Bresee, Clemson (7)
3. Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame (21)
4. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington (38)
Defensive tackles
1. Jalen Carter, Georgia (6)
2. Byron Young, Alabama (35)
3. Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (37)
Linebackers
1. Trenton Simpson, Clemson (16)
2. Henry To'o To'o, Alabama (19)
3. Noah Sewell, Oregon (23)
4. Justin Flowe, Oregon (31)
Cornerbacks
1. Eli Ricks, Alabama (9)
2. Kelee Ringo, Georgia (11)
3. Tre'Vius Hodges Tomlinson, TCU (29)
4. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (33)
5. Kyu Blue Kelly, Stanford (47)
Safety
1. Malachi Moore, Alabama (15)
2. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame (17)
3. Jalen Catalon, Arkansas (28)
4. Jordan Battle, Alabama (39)
