Every NFL draft cycle, as Round 1 nears and I begin to lock in my final Big Board rankings, I like to pick my favorite prospects at every position for the class. It has become a tradition, highlighting players I like more than most, regardless of where they get drafted and where I have them ranked at their position. This year, I even threw in a fullback and kicker.
What follows below is not a list of the best overall prospects in the 2023 class, nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position. These are the prospects I've:
Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or higher than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects or ...
Ranked higher in close debates within position groups or ...
Watched and rewatched on tape, just because I like the way they play.
Got it? I try not to take the obvious prospects -- only three of my favorites are in my top 25 rankings. We'll start with my favorite passer in this class and I'll include projections for the round in which each prospect is likely to be drafted. I'll also give a few fun notes and stats for each of the 14 prospects. Round 1 begins April 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App:
Quarterback
Clayton Tune, Houston
What, you expected a first-round pick here? C'mon, that's too easy. Of course I could have taken any of the four likely to go in the top 10, including Will Levis (Kentucky), whom I have ranked just behind Bryce Young (Alabama) but ahead of C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Anthony Richardson (Florida). I just really like Tune on Day 3. He's accurate, experienced and can move around the pocket. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he has a solid frame.
Tune started 44 career games for the Cougars and he took a step forward in 2022, throwing 40 touchdown passes and 10 picks with 4,074 yards. He ranked fifth in the FBS in Total QBR in the fourth quarter of games, just behind Stetson Bennett (Georgia) and Caleb Williams (USC). That means he was at his best when the game was on the line. Tune, my sixth-ranked quarterback overall, is exactly what I'd look for in a Day 3 quarterback. Don't underrate him.
Projection: Tune likely will be a fifth- or sixth-round pick, but he could be a high-end backup.