The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, so there’s no better time than now to look at a way-too-early top 10 heading into the next draft, which should be one of the most loaded in years. Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order.
NFL DRAFT 2023: First-round grades/high school memories
*****
JOE ALT: NOTRE DAME
Alt is a classic story of a former tight end who hit a late growth spurt and is now projected as a top pick in the NFL Draft. Countless others have followed this path, so it's a story we should remember for the next rankings cycle. Alt displays tremendous athleticism and he blossomed physically into a beast on the offensive line.
Originally ranked as a tight end, the Fridley (Minn.) Totino Grace standout was ranked as a mid-three-star and picked Notre Dame over Iowa and Minnesota in the summer before his senior season. His father, John, played for the Hawkeyes and had a long NFL career, and his brother is a professional hockey player.
In 807 snaps last season for the Irish, Alt allowed no sacks.
*****
BROCK BOWERS: GEORGIA
The former four-star wasn’t rated high enough at No. 118 nationally and eighth in the position rankings. He has led Georgia in receiving during his first two seasons and has clearly emerged as one of the best pass catchers in college football, including receivers.
Bowers is an awesome route runner, has great hands, has a knack for getting open and is a willing blocker. In two seasons, the former Napa, Calif., standout who picked Georgia in the summer before his senior year, has caught 119 passes for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns.
*****
EMEKA EGBUKA: OHIO STATE
There is plenty of talk about Marvin Harrison Jr. possibly being a generational talent, but maybe not enough people are talking about Egbuka’s production last season at Ohio State and the possibility of him going very early in the first round.
Since his high school days at Steilacoom, Wash., Egbuka, who picked the Buckeyes over Oklahoma and Washington, has been so consistent and so trustworthy catching every ball thrown his way and making the tough catches look easy.
Last season in Columbus, the former five-star receiver had 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns, right around Harrison’s numbers. Egbuka continues to remind us of a more physically developed Chris Olave.
*****
Olu Fashanu
Shortly after his third visit to Penn State the four-star from Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga picked the Nittany Lions over Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and others during the summer before his senior season.
Fashanu was not an immediate contributor in Happy Valley, but really emerged this past season after taking a redshirt year and then seeing spotty service two seasons ago. This past year, Fashanu started eight games at left tackle and did not give up a sack in 281 pass-blocking snaps.
If there is one offensive tackle who could emerge even more dominant this season and move right into that top 10 group it could be Fashanu, who seems to get better and better each time he takes the field.
*****
MARVIN HARRISON JR.: OHIO STATE
Although he was the No. 87 prospect in the 2021 class, this might be the biggest miss from a rankings perspective heading into the 2024 NFL Draft because Harrison could be a generational talent and one of the best receivers coming into the draft in many, many years.
He looks like an Adonis, has a huge catch radius and has nearly unstoppable skills as an outside receiver after catching 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season. He’s the son of an NFL legend, he has phenomenal skills and Harrison has a chance of being the No. 1 overall pick.
*****
DRAKE MAYE: NORTH CAROLINA
The numbers across the board for Maye were phenomenal last season as he completed more than 66% of his passes for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions as he emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. It also didn’t hurt that North Carolina was in some shootouts throughout the year.
Maye’s showing last season is why one unnamed NFL exec told Yahoo Sports recently that he and USC quarterback Caleb Williams would be taken ahead of any QB in this year’s draft, including Bryce Young.
Rated No. 147 overall in the 2021 class, the Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park standout was ninth at the quarterback spot in a class led by five-star Quinn Ewers. There is so much to love about Maye and his NFL potential, but he will also be closely watched this upcoming season because in four losses to end last year, Maye did not have great performances, especially in games against Clemson, NC State and Georgia Tech.
*****
KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY: ALABAMA
Alabama beat out Auburn and LSU for the five-star from Pinson (Ala.) Pinson Valley who finished as the No. 1 cornerback. He was the top-rated prospect in the Alabama state rankings and No. 28 overall in the 2021 class.
McKinstry had only 35 tackles and one interception this past season but that’s actually a compliment to the former five-star because quarterbacks did not dare throw his way much. He had - by far - a team-high 15 pass breakups, so when the ball was thrown his direction McKinstry used his length and timing to knock passes away.
One of the most interesting aspects of McKinstry that NFL teams will love is that QB ratings when the ball is thrown his way are drastically low. Last season, QB ratings vs. McKinstry was a lowly 59.0 last season according to NFL Draft Buzz, so he’s been phenomenal in coverage so far in Tuscaloosa.
*****
JT TUIMOLOAU: OHIO STATE
Five months after the second signing day of the 2021 recruiting class, Tuimoloau finally picked Ohio State over Washington, USC, Alabama and Oregon, among many others. Ranked seventh nationally in that class, Tuimoloau was tops in the Washington state rankings and second at strong-side defensive end, behind only USC signee Korey Foreman.
Tuimoloau has definitely had a much better career than Foreman up to this point and he was a Swiss Army Knife along the defensive line at Ohio State last season. The Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic standout had only 28 tackles, but 10.5 of them were for loss along with 3.5 sacks. The former five-star also added two interceptions, four pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
*****
JARED VERSE: FLORIDA STATE
Verse could be the feel-good story of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Catawissa (Pa.) Central Columbia defensive end was unranked in the 2019 class and went to Albany, where he totaled 74 tackles (21.5 for loss) and 14.5 sacks in 15 games before entering the transfer portal.
He picked Florida State over Tennessee and many others and this past season, Verse finished with 48 tackles (17 for loss) and nine sacks. After watching him play for the Seminoles this past season, it’s mind-boggling how Power Five programs were not all over him in high school.
At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, Verse is bouncy, athletic, bends well off the edge and is incredibly disruptive in the backfield. Comps to Josh Sweat or Kayvon Thibodeaux definitely make sense.
*****
CALEB WILLIAMS: USC
Williams became instantly famous in college football when he brought Oklahoma back in the Red River Showdown to beat Texas. He finished his freshman season with the Sooners by throwing for 1,912 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions.
After then-coach Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC, Williams followed and he had a Heisman-winning campaign last year, completing more than 66% of his passes for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and only five picks.
Rated as the sixth-best prospect in the 2021 class, the Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga standout was the top-rated dual-threat quarterback and chose Oklahoma over Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Maryland, USC and others, mainly because of Riley’s history with quarterbacks. Williams is the likely No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft as things stand now.
