It’s Thursday, Apr. 27 — Day 1 of the 2023 NFL draft, so I’m posting my updated and final big board for this class.
If you’re into mocks, here are all of my 2023 iterations.
- Version 1 (May 2022): Way-Too-Early Lookahead
- Version 2 (January 2023): Pre-Super Bowl
- Version 3 (February 2023): Post-Super Bowl
- Version 4 (February 2023): Pre-Combine
- Version 5 (March 2023): Post-Free Agency
- Version 6 (March 2023): One Month Away
- Version 7 (April 2023): Early April
- Version 8 (April 2023): Mid April
- Version 9 (April 2023): 10 Days Away
- Version 10 (April 2023): One Week Away
- Version 11 (April 2023): Week of
- Version 12 (April 2023): Post-Aaron Rodgers Trade
- Version 13 (April 2023): Final
Over the past three years, I’m the No. 1 mocker in the FantasyPros Accuracy Contest. Over the past four years, I’m No. 2. For obvious and selfish reasons, I prefer the three-year window.
Historically, I’ve done well betting on the draft.
- 2019: 54-29 (+17.7 units)
- 2020: 124-88 (+26.2 units)
- 2021: 158-140 (+32.0 units)
- 2022: 70-50 (+29.3 units)
Check out my 2023 NFL draft prop card to see all the bets I’ve made to date. As I make more bets, I will post them first in the NFL draft channel in our FREE BettingPros Discord and then write up my bets for publication. To get my draft bets as quickly as possible, join Discord — because I plan on making a lot of bets today.
As far as big board accuracy goes, this will be my third year submitting a big board to Huddle Report. In each of 2021 and 2022, I finished in the top 20. Last year specifically I finished tied for No. 4.
I’m not a savant evaluator, but I feel good about my process.
I admittedly am not a film grinder. That’s not my edge. So I have a numbers-driven big board based mainly on mock draft data, historical draft trends, recruitment grades and college production.
Framed differently: If I were an NFL general manager who had just fired all my scouts and needed to put together a big board quickly, this would probably be the board.
So here’s my top 100 big board as well as my positional rankings, which include players outside of my top 100.
- Thor Nystrom’s 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 500
- Final Mock Drafts: Freedman | Jones | Weyrauch | Erickson
- NFL Draft Needs for Every Team
- Historical Draft Picks of All 32 Teams
- NFL Draft Prop Bet Cards: Freedman | Weyrauch | Erickson
- 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
Join us LIVE for the First Round of the 2023 NFL Draft!
2023 NFL Draft Big Board
Top 100 Notes
QB C.J. Stroud: He was the No. 1 player in my way-too-early top 50 big board. He has been passed by QB Bryce Young, but Stroud is still a top-five talent in my eyes.
RB Bijan Robinson: He’s a top-five talent, and I expect him to be drafted as such.
CB Christian Gonzalez: He’s my No. 1 corner because of his athletic profile, age and recruitment pedigree.
OL Peter Skoronski: Despite his short arms, he has the potential to be an above-average starter at tackle. And if a team kicks him inside to guard he could be an All-Pro.
QB Anthony Richardson: A unicorn.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: My No. 1 wide receiver in this class — but it’s a down year. He maybe would’ve been my No. 4 wide receiver last year?
TE Michael Mayer: The No. 1 tight end in an absolutely loaded class at the position.
DT Calijah Kancey: He really could be Aaron Donald 2.0.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs: The common comps for Gibbs are wrong. He’s not Alvin Kamara or Dalvin Cook.
But he is C.J. Spiller and Jahvid Best — and both those guys were drafted in Round 1.
LB Drew Sanders: A former five-star recruit with some Micah Parsons-like two-way functionality as an off-ball defender and edge rusher.
CB Emmanuel Forbes: Thin but tenacious.
QB Hendon Hooker: I’m not buying the Day 1 hype.
OL Cody Mauch: Small school guy with alpha dog energy and positional versatility.
TE Sam LaPorta: Athletic and productive, LaPorta will be someone I want in every dynasty league.
WR Cedric Tillman: He actually might be better than Tennessee teammate WR Jalin Hyatt. Although I have Hyatt ranked higher, I personally prefer Tillman.
RB Zach Charbonnet: A big-bodied three-down back with pass-catching skills. That’s what every fantasy manager wants.
WR Jonathan Mingo: Every draft has guys who are big, fast and minimally productive in college. Few of them turn into reliable NFL contributors.
WR Rashee Rice: One of the few big and productive receivers in this class.
RB Roschon Johnson: Landing spot will be the primary determiner of his dynasty value — but he’s intriguing.
More Mock NFL Drafts
- Thor Nystrom’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0)
- Matthew Freedman’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 13.0)
- Kent Weyrauch’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 10.0)
- Matthew Jones’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0)
- Andrew Erickson’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0)
- Mike Fanelli’s Mock Drafts w/ Trades (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0)
- John Supowitz’s Mock Drafts (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0)
- Russell Brown (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0)
- Ken Zalis (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0)
- PJ Moran (1.0 | 2.0)
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
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