2023 NFL DRAFT: Position Breakdown: OFFENSIVE SKILL

 

This year’s crop of skill athletes may lack a sure top ten pick but there is so much depth here. The wide receiver, running back and tight end classes all have several instant impact guys. The strength of the class lies in the smaller shifty receivers. 

Bijan Robinson-RB-Texas
5'11"/215/4.46/37’ vert
NFL Comp: LaDanian Tomlinson/Marshall Faulk  
1894 Total Yards
20 Touchdowns
19 receptions

Running Backs are no longer valued as high as receivers or even tight ends but Robinson is an outlier that is more than just a traditional running back. He can be lined up nearly anywhere in a formation. As a back, he is an elite downhill runner with excellent vison and balance. In the passing game he is good as both a receiver and in pass protection. We are talking about the total package as modern day running back.


Quentin Johnston-WR-TCU
6’3”/208/40.5 vert
NFL Comp: Dez Bryant/Braylon Edwards
60 receptions
1069 total yards
6 TD

In a class filled with smaller shifty receiver, Johnston is the one big and physical threat that will be drafted early. He plays to his big frame and has the skill set to separate from quicker corners. If a team takes him in the top 15 they should expect production similar to Dez and Braylon in their respective primes.


Jaxon Smith-Njigba-WR-Ohio St
6’0”/196
NFL Comp: Greg Jennings/Julian Edelman  
2021 Stats (injured in 2022)
95 receptions
1606 total yards
9 TD

JSN is the perfect modern-day receiver that can get open in space and beat defenders down the field. He battled thorough injuries in 2022 after a stellar 2021 season. His short area quickness was displayed at the combine where he was in the top five percentile of both the 3 cone and short shuttle drills.


Michael Mayer-TE-Notre Dame
6'5"/249
NFL Comp: Mark Andrews/Dalton Schultz
67 receptions
809 total yards
9 TD

Mayer has the best combination of size, hands, quickness and IQ of any in the class. He should start from day one and is among the safest picks of any player in the draft. Mayer was an instant impact player at Notre Dame even as a true freshman and should be able to contribute from day one in the NFL.


Jordan Addison-WR-USC 
5'11"/173/4.49
NFL Comp: Antonio Bryant/Tyler Lockett   
2021 Stats
100 receptions
1593 total yards
18 TD

Addison won the Biletnikoff Award at Pittsburgh then transferred to USC where he didn’t put up the same numbers but did help Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. His route running is elite as is his ability to operate in space. The production is there, the only question marks are in regard to his size.


Zay Flowers-WR-Boston College
5'10"/195/4.41
NFL Comp: Santonio Holmes/Hunter Renfrow
44 receptions
815 total yards
5 TD

Flowers is a South Florida native that is equally good as a deep threat and in the short passing game. In my opinion there is little to no difference in skill set between him, JSN and Addison. He was not highly recruited but found a great spot at BC where he was the best player on the team the past 3 seasons. He is very experienced and productive. Given those traits, he is one of the safer options in this draft class.


Dalton Kincaid-TE-Utah
6'4"/246
NFL Comp: George Kittle/Hunter Henry 
70 receptions
890 total yards
8 TD

Kincaid is a great athlete that can be a team’s second option as a receiver. He was very productive at Utah and should make an easy transition to the next level.


Jahmyr Gibbs-RB-Alabama
5'9"/199/4.32
NFL Comp: LeSean McCoy/Andre Ellington
1370 Total Yards
10 Touchdowns
44 receptions

Gibbs appeal in the passing game was evident last year. He has an incredible combination of breakaway speed and explosiveness. His upside is based on how he will be used in the offense that he lands.


Darnell Washington-TE-Georgia
6'7"/264
NFL Comp: Marcedes Lewis/Brandon Pettigrew
28 receptions
454 total yards
2 TD

Washington is HUGE Target with a massive wingspan that will also help in the run game as a blocker. He also played in an offense where he was the second tight end so he will be comfortable as a role player in any offense that he lands.


Josh Downs-WR-UNC 
5'9"/171/4.48
NFL Comparison: Emmanuel Sanders/Davone Bess
101 receptions
1335 total yards
8 TD

Downs has been under the radar in the draft process as JSN, Addison, Flowers and even Jalin Hyatt seem to be getting more attention. Downs is an elite slot weapon with his innate ability to stop on a dime. He is a slot only option but that isn’t a bad thing. In 2023 every team uses multiple receivers on nearly every play and the team that takes Downs


Luke Musgrave-TE-Oregon St
6'6"/253/4.61
NFL Comp:  Martellus Bennett/Cameron Brate

Musgrave is a physical freak athlete that has battled through injuries. He really improved his draft stock at the Senior Bowl and Combine. He has the best combination of size and athletic ability of any tight end in the draft class. However, his injuries and lack of production are concerning.


Jalin Hyatt-WR-Tennessee
6’0”/176/4.39
NFL Comp: Ted Ginn/Will Fuller 
67 receptions
1267 total yards
15 TD

Hyatt was the 2020 winner of the Biletnikoff Award after putting up video game like numbers. 22 percent of his receptions were touchdowns in 2022. He was blazing speed and amazing abllity to get open. We have seen similar great college player like Ted Ginn and Will Fuller have success as deep threats but neither was a star like they were in college. This is likely to be the case for Hyatt as he is limited by his size.



Cedric Tillman-WR-Tennessee
6’3”/213/4.39
NFL Comp: Keenan Allen/Kenny Britt
2021 Stats:
64 receptions
1081 total yards
12 TD

Tillman only played in 6 games due to an ankle injury. In 2021, he was the top receiver on a Tennessee offense that had Jalin Hyatt and Velus Jones. Tillman is a physical receiver that is also a good route runner. He has nice ability after the catch and is a redzone threat. Similar to Keenan Allen in 2013, Tillman may slip to the 3^rd Round or later due to injury concerns. He could easily end up being the steal of this draft class.


AT Perry-WR-Wake Forest
6’4”/198/4.47
NFL Comp: Marvin Jones/Tre’Quan Smith  
71 receptions
1293 total yards
15 TD

Similar to Tillman, Perry provides teams looking for a tall and fast receiver a nice option on day two. He is an explosive deep threat that has a nose for the endzone. He is the best in the class at adjusting to the football and making contested catches. As a fan I hope he is paired with a deep ball passer like Josh Allen or Russell Wilson.


Sam LaPorta-TE-Iowa
6'3"/245/4.59
NFL Comp: Dallas Clark/Lance Kendricks
58 receptions
657 total yards
1 TD

LaPorta is a great pass catcher that would be great in an offense that uses him in motion a lot.  He is a very interesting prospect as he is better than George Kittle as a prospect coming out of Iowa. He is similar to another Iowa product in Dallas Clark in 2003. The pipeline continues. 


Tucker Kraft-TE-South Dakota St
6'5"/254/4.69/122’ broad jump
NFL Comp: Tyler Higbee/Todd Heap
27 receptions
348 total yards
3 TD

Kraft is a small school player that has a high upside due to his combination of size and athletic ability. The jump from FCS to NFL will be a big adjustment and learning curve for Kraft. Hopefully the team that drafts him will be patient with his development. 


Marvin Mims-WR/KR-Oklahoma
5'11"/183/4.38
NFL Comp: John Brown/Bernard Berrian
54 receptions
1083 total yards
6 TD

Mims provides value as a deep ball threat and kick returner. He has elite speed and is very elusive in the open field. Despite being a small receiver, he does a good job in contested catch situations and high points the football at an elite level. 


Rashee Rice-WR-SMU
6’1”/204/4.39/41” vert
NFL Comp: Michael Gallup/Zay Jones
96 receptions
1355 total yards
10 TD

Rice has the best hands of anyone in the draft class and is especially good in contested catch situations. He is the ideal well-rounded receiver that blends speed, jumping ability and physicality. The main questions concern coming from a spread offense where he did not need to run advanced routes. 


Tank Dell-WR-Houston
5'8"/165/4.49
NFL Comp: Jamison Crowder/Troy Walters
90 receptions
1329 total yards
12 TD

Dell's overall 40 time was a disappointment for his slight frame, but his 10-yard spit was elite at 1.49 seconds. This really tells the story with Dell who is a phenom in short area quickness. Jamison Crowder had the same concerns about size and speed despite his insane college production at Duke. Crowder ended up being a steal in the 4^th round in 2015 and was a productive slot receiver for several years.


Zach Charbonnet-RB-UCLA
6'0"/214/4.53
NFL Comp: Matt Forte/Justin Fargas 
1690 Total Yards
14 Touchdowns
37 receptions

Charbonet has a great combination of vision and speed. He also showed ability as a pass catcher the past two seasons. Combine that with his 214-pound frame and you have a starting running back from day one. The question is whether a team take him in the second or could he slip to the late day two.


Devon Achane-RB/KR-TX A&M
5'9"/188/4.36
NFL Comp: Raheem Mostert at RB/Tyreek Hill at KR
1298 Total Yards
11 Touchdowns
36 receptions

Achane is a polarizing prospect because he is so fast and elusive but so small as a running back. The fact is there just aren’t any starting backs that are sub 190 pounds in the modern-day NFL. In theory a team could try to use him as a Tyreek Hill as kick returner and gadget player, but he is never going to be a Tyreek level receiver. With his speed he can provide value to any team in the league, the question will be when is the perfect time to take that calculated risk. 


Tyler Scott-WR-Cincinnati
5'10"/177/4.44/39.5” vert
NFL Comp: Dexter McCluster   
55 receptions
904 total yards
9 TD

Scott is a former running back and former track star that is developing as a wideout. His speed and elusiveness are evident on the tape. His skillset and athletic ability are very valuable. He is not very physical and has had some problems with drops.  


Kayshon Boutte-WR-LSU
5'11"/195
NFL Comp: Earl Bennett
2020 Stats
245 receptions
735 total yards
5 TD

Boutte has a good combination of ball skills, quickness and physicality. Boutte looked like a first-round lock after his freshman season. He had a bad leg injury in 2021 and had ankle problems last year. He was a top 25 prospect coming out of high school and able to play right away at a place like LSU. The talent is there but the question marks are too.


Jayden Reed-WR/KR-Michigan St
5'11"/187/4.33
NFL Comp: Randall Cobb
2021 Stats
59 receptions
1026 total yards
10 TD

Reed was more productive in 2021 than 2022 due to the shortcomings of the Spartan offense as a whole. He is a pretty tough player given his size. He runs good routes and has good hands. He provides value as a return man and could carve a role as a number three receiver. 


Trey Palmer-WR-Nebraska
6’0”/192/4.33
NFL Comp: Andre Roberts  
71 receptions
1043 total yards
9 TD

Palmer is a pure deep ball threat with decent size. After not playing much at LSU, Palmer broke out at a senior at Nebraska.


Xavier Hutchinson-WR-Iowa St
6’2”/203/4.53
NFL Comp: Jakobi Meyers  
107 receptions
1171 total yards
6 TD

Hutchinson is a Florida native that was very productive at Iowa State. He is not a burner but has great hands and good instincts. We have seen plenty of guys carve out nice roles despite speed limitations.


Luke Schoonmaker-TE-Michigan
6'5"/252
NFL Comp: Heath Miller
35 receptions
418 total yards
3 TD

Schoonmaker is a steady inline tight end that can help in both the pass and run games. He waited for his time at Michigan and was productive as fifth-year senior last season. Teams know exactly what they are getting with him as a player.


Tyjae Spears-RB-Tulane    
5'10"/202/39” vert
NFL Comp: Aaron Jones
1837 Total Yards
21 Touchdowns
22 receptions

Spears is a great athlete that fits perfectly as a third down back. He is a natural pass catcher even though he was not asked to do that as much at Tulane. Like Aaron Jones,Spears was an ultra-productive every down college back at a smaller school (UTEP 13-16). In the right situation he can have a similar impact. 


Zach Evans-RB-Ole Miss  
5'11"/202
NFL Comp: Sony Michel
1055 Total Yards
10 Touchdowns

Evans was a top 20 recruit in the 2020 class and played two seasons at TCU before transferring to Ole Miss. He had a feature role last year where he flexed his big play potential. With only 290 attempts in his college career Evans has very limited wear and tear on his body.

Tank Bigsby-RB-Auburn
6'0"/210/4.56/21 reps
NFL Comp: Tony Pollard
1050 Total Yards
10 Touchdowns
30 receptions

Bigsby is a great all-around athlete that has both power and speed. He put up good numbers despite splitting carrier in the Auburn backfield. Like Tony Pollard, he could be a 4^th round steal that is a better pro than college player.


Roschon Johnson-RB-Texas
6'0"/219 /4.58
NFL Comp: Rhamondre Stevenson
682 Total Yards
6 Touchdowns

Johnson is the most physical runner in this draft class. He shared carries with the best back in the nation and was still able to put up modest numbers. There is always a place in the league for big guys with elite speed that run physical.

 

HONORABLE MENTION SORTED BY POSITION

 

Big Receivers	HT	WT	ARM
Jonathan Mingo-WR-Ole Miss	6'2''	220	32.13
Michael Wilson-WR-Stanford	6'2''	213	31.00
Jadon Haselwood-WR-Arkansas	6'2''	215	31.25
Dontay Demus Jr-WR-Maryland	6'4''	212	34.25
Elijah Higgins-WR-Stanford	6'3''	235	31.75
Justin Shorter-WR-Florida	6'4''	229	33.75
Bryce Ford Wheaton-WR-WVU	6'4''	221	33.50
Joe Ngata-WR-Clemson	6'3''	217	33.13
Jalen Wayne-WR- South Alabama	6'1''	210	32.13
Grant DuBose-WR-Charlotte	6'2''	201	31.88

 

Elite Speed Receivers	HT	WT	40
Matt Landers-WR-Arkansas	6'4''	200	4.37
Andrei Iosivas-WR-Princeton	6'3''	206	4.43
Charlie Jones-WR-Purdue	6'2''	188	4.43
Puka Nacua-WR-BYU	6'1''	206	4.49

 

Slot Only	HT	WT	40
Parker Washington-WR/KR-Penn St	5'10''	204	4.51
Derius Davis-WR-TCU	5'8''	168	4.36
Tre Tucker-WR-Cincinnati	5'9''	187	4.4
Jalen Moreno Cropper-WR-Fresno St	5'10''	171	4.4
Rakim Jarrett-WR-Maryland	6'0"	190	4.44
Ronnie Bell-WR-Michigan	6'0''	191	4.54
Demario Douglas-WR-Liberty	5'8"	179	4.44
Dontayvion Wicks-WR-Virginia	6'1''	206	4.62
Mitchell Tinsley-WR-Penn St	6'1''	205	4.6
Jake Bobo-WR-UCLA	6'4''	206

 

Tight Ends/H-Backs	HT	WT	40
Zack Kuntz-TE-Old Dominion	6'7''	255	4.55
Brenton Strange-TE-Penn St	6'4"	253	4.7
Will Mallory-TE-Miami	6'5"	239	4.54
Cameron Latu-TE-Alabama	6'4''	242
Davis Allen-TE-Clemson	6'6"	245	4.84
Hunter Luepke-TE/FB-N Dakota St	6'1"	230
Kyle Patterson-TE-Air Force	6'6"	260
Noah Gindorff-TE-N Dakota St	6'6"	263
Travis Vokolek-TE-Nebraska	6'6"	259
Payne Durham-TE-Purdue	6'6"	253	4.87
Leonard Taylor-TE-Cincinnati	6'5"	250
Brayden Willis-TE-Oklahoma	6'4''	241
Josh Whyle-TE- Cincinnati	6'7"	248	4.69
Blake Whiteheart-TE-Wake Forest	6'4"	247	4.7

 

Running Backs	HT	WT	40
DeWayne McBride-RB-UAB	5'10''	209
Chase Brown-RB-Illinois	5'10''	209	4.43
Kendre Miller-RB-TCU	5'11''	215
Israel Ibabikabda-RB-Pittsburgh	5'11''	216
Sean Tucker-RB-Syracuse	5'9''	207
Eric Gray-RB-Oklahoma	5'10''	207
Kenny McIntosh-RB-Georgia	6'0''	204	4.62
Mohamed Ibrahim-RB-Minnesota	5'8"	203
Keaton Mitchell-RB-East Carolina	5'8''	179	4.37
Chris Rodriquez-RB-UK	6'0''	217
Deuce Vaughn-RB-Kansas St	5'5''	179
Evan Hull-RB-Northwestern	5'10"	209	4.47
Deneric Prince-RB-Tulsa	6'0''	216	4.41
Tiyon Evans-RB-Louisville	5'10"	225	4.52
Tavion Thomas-RB-Utah	6'0"	237	4.74
Camerun Peoples-RB-APP St	6'1"	217	4.61