I read a lot of articles about sports, and I also like to watch videos about them on YouTube while I’m sitting down at my dining room table eating breakfast. If I’m doing something like chores around the house and I want to be distracted, I’ll turn on a podcast like The Ringer or a channel like Thinking Football and just listen while I work. Recently, I’ve been paying pretty close attention to the NFL Draft, at least much more than I have in years previous. With the event set to occur next Thursday, in this blog post I want to detail some of my favorite prospects in the 2023 draft class and why I like each of them. These players aren’t necessarily who I think are the best in the class, but more so players that I like and am rooting for once they get into the league.
Jordan Addison
Kicking it off with my favorite wide receiver in this year’s class, Addison is a receiver who will dice you up no matter where he is positioned on the field. With the expansive route tree that he possesses, the USC prospect is a dangerous threat on all three levels. The production that Addison had in college is everything that you could desire when assessing a WR prospect. He won the prestigious Biletnikoff Award in his 2021 season playing at Pitt, delivering multiple signature performances en route to it, like his 202-yard, 4 touchdown game against Virginia. After he transferred to USC this past season, Addison kept up the dominance as he quickly formed an almost telepathic connection with his new QB, future top-five pick in the 2024 NFL draft Caleb Williams. He has an unmatched swagger to his game, and he will step up to the plate when the lights are the brightest, as he showed by catching multiple go-ahead touchdowns late in games for the Trojans. Some will look at his lean 5’11” frame and average performance in the athletic tests at the combine and project his ceiling as only a slightly above average player at the next level. Don’t let those people fool you, though. Addison is going to be a problem in the NFL.
Devon Witherspoon
Am I biased in calling this guy the best corner in the draft just because he went to the University of Illinois? Maybe, but even so, there are multiple reasons why Witherspoon stands out even amongst this year’s historically loaded DB class. The Illini product was a blur in orange and blue on the field this past season, with an unnatural knack for making huge plays. His on-ball productivity in 2022 was exceptional, as he closed out the season with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups. When you look at those numbers combined with his prowess in coverage (he allowed only 22 catches for 206 yards on 63 targets last season, amounting to an absurd average of 3.3 yards per target), it becomes easy to see why many analysts have him near the top of their draft boards. He also hits super hard for a cornerback. Like viciously hard. Witherspoon will deliver blows to receivers that make you utter an audible “damn!” as they are knocked to the turf. Bottom line, he is an extremely entertaining player to watch, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the NFL.
Bryce Young
Everyone will be quick to point out Young’s lack of height as a fatal flaw, and dismiss him from ever becoming an elite quarterback at the next level. But I will tell you right now that his lack of size isn’t going to matter. Because Young is a gamer. If I were to compare him to an NBA player, it would be Stephen Curry, because he can do the football equivalent of going and getting you a bucket. Bryce Young showed during his tenure at Alabama that he can make magic out there on the field. His ability to create something out of nothing when his pocket collapses is second to none, and there is a gigantic gap between him and every other QB in his class at this present moment. Historically however, quarterbacks of Bryce’s stature have had little success at the next level, with the notable exception of Drew Brees, though even he was a bit taller. The only concern I have about his height and especially his weight is how he will handle taking hits from NFL pass rushers, and the injury risk that comes along with that. Other than his physical profile however, Young has every intangible quality that you could ask for in your franchise star. He has the poise, the competitiveness, the leadership, and the unteachable creativity to improvise when things go south. Young is a unicorn of a prospect because of his size, and I’m excited to see if he can become a future All-Pro quarterback in the league.
The NFL Draft so far has gone as most people have predicted. There are already three quarterbacks off the board and the Bears have made a wise decision to not trade up and actually draft someone that they need. I am excited to see Bryce Young and CJ Stroud in the NFL next year. The Panthers and the Texans have ruined whatever good quarterbacks they have had before so we will have to wait and see what they do with these guys. There are also a lot of tackles off the board right now so it looks like the offensive line needs improvement on a lot of teams. I would like the Packers to have a great draft this year so that we can move on from Aaron Rodgers. We just need a decent offense and an excellent defense to make it back into the superbowl. The NFC North is going to be very different for the first time in a long time since all four of our teams are garbage. The Vikings just love to choke in every important game along with the Packers. I am not sure who they just drafted but they did focus on defense so I can only assume that Tight Ends and receivers will come in later rounds.
Hey Jack,
A someone who does not know much about football, I found your blog post interesting and straightforward to read. Your newfound enthusiasm for football really shines through in your post this week!
It was intriguing to read about Jordan Addison, who sounds like a talented wide receiver but he may be overlooked because of his stature. Similarly, it seems as though Bryce Young is underestimated as a quarterback because of his height. I never realized how important physical attributes were in the football scene.
I appreciated how you compared Bryce Young to Stephen Curry (a name I am much more familiar with). It made your point about the extent of ihs abilities quite clear.
Your discussion about Devon Witherspoon also caught my eye because I’m heading to UIUC next year for college! I actually am trying to expand my football knowledge before the next college season because I know how big the football scene is there.
Overall, your blog post provided me with a lot of new insight and contributed to my upcoming football-watching endeavors!
Celina Anwar