This new section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2023 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2023 NFL Draft Stock Up
Parker Washington, WR, Penn State Washington had superb game versus the Buckeyes, completely having his way with their talented secondary. In second quarter against Ohio State, Washington caught a short screen pass, broke a tackle, and then exploded down the sideline for a 58-yard touchdown. Just after halftime, Parker made a clutch third-down catch in traffic. On the next play, he got open on a deep crossing route to make a leaping grab for 27 yards. Early in the fourth quarter, Washington made a phenomenal diving catch with a defender draped all over him for a 26-yard gain. Washington totaled 11 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Washington put together an excellent game against Ohio State. He used his speed to generate separation, was explosive out of his breaks, and showed big-play ability to threaten a fast defense deep down the field. His great game against the Buckeyes will help his draft grade.
Joey Porter Jr., WR, Penn State Joey Porter Jr. is in the running to be the top cornerback prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was taking on the toughest passing attack he will see all season with quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Ohio State wide receivers.
Throughout the first half, the Buckeyes did not test Porter, but that changed midway through the second quarter. Porter tugged a receiver to keep him from pulling away, and that led to a pass interference penalty. Porter came back to fly over to the middle of the field to make a touchdown-saving tackle. Late in the fourth quarter, Penn State had too soft of coverage with too much cushion that let Marvin Harrison Jr. to get open on a slant for a critical first down. Porter drove hard to make a tackle, but missed when he dove for Harrison’s ankles.
Aside from those plays, Porter was quiet, but that was a good thing because he was doing a nice job of covering his receivers, including really limiting Emeka Ebuka, and Porter ran well with Harrison when they were matched up against each other. Overall, Porter put together a quality game against Ohio State that reinforces that he has No. 1 corner potential for the NFL.
Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Tuipulotu has been a beast this season for the Trojans, putting a lot of heat on the quarterback. With seven sacks, 22 tackles, one forced fumble and two passes defended, Tuipulotu is on his way to having a massive season. In 2021, he had 5.5 sacks and 48 tackles. The junior possesses the size to have the versatility to play end or tackle. Tuipulotu has early-round potential for the 2023 or 2024 NFL Draft.
Amari Burney, LB, Florida Burney has shown impressive pass coverage this season, starting in Week 1 when he had an interception in the end zone to clinch Florida’s win over Utah. In the loss to Georgia, Burney showed impressive pass-coverage ability, running stride-for-stride with star Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers and Georgia got lucky on one play when Burney had blanket coverage and tipped a pass while falling down that Bowers was able to control and run for a long touchdown. However, pro scouts are going to love seeing a linebacker who has the speed and athleticism to play tight coverage on a receiving weapon like Bowers.
Burney helped get his team back in the game against Georgia in the third quarter by producing two turnovers. The first one saw Burney rip the ball out of the hands of running back Kenny McIntosh, with Gators safety Trey Dean recovering the fumble. On the next drive, Burney made a phenomenal read while running with a back, deciding to cut inside the receiver to snatch the pass for an interception. Burney may not be an early-rounder of the 2023 NFL Draft, but this tape could help him to get consideration on Day 2.
Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Vaughn keyed Kansas State’s domination of Oklahoma State, putting his team in firm control of the game with a 62-yard touchdown run. Vaughn ripped the Cowboys defense with 158 yards on 22 carries and four receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown. Vaughn is a quick, shifty runner with tremendous moves to dodge tacklers. Standing at 5-foot-6, defenses have a really hard time seeing Vaughn behind the line, and he uses that stature to his advantage on cut-back runs. While Vaughn may not go on the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft, he could become a fourth-round steal who ends up being a Darren Sproles-like contributor as a pro.
2023 NFL Draft Stock Down
Habakkuk Baldonado, DE, Pittsburgh In 2021, especially late in the season, Baldonado looked like a potential future first-round pick. He ripped off nine sacks and put a lot of heat on the quarterback. However this season, Baldonado has gone quiet, recording just .5 sacks so far. Aside from the lack of production, Baldonado also does not have the same kind of presence against the quarterback. Baldonado needs to go on a tear to close out the season or his draft stock will slide significantly.
Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia There was a lot of hype that Smith was poised for a massive 2022 season after Georgia lost a lot of defensive line talent to the 2022 NFL Draft. However, Smith has been quiet mostly this year, recording just 16 tackles and three sacks so far, despite taking on a bigger role. Smith (6-3, 235) is undersized for the NFL as an edge rusher, and he could have problems holding up taking on NFL offensive linemen who are going to outweigh him on average by 70-90 pounds. The mass issue was only aggravated last Saturday when he was knocked out of the game against Florida with a shoulder injury. Smith does not look like a first-round talent for the 2023 NFL Draft, unlike some of the other Georgia linemen.
Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma Mims had an ugly game against Iowa State, dropping a few passes, including a potentially huge play downfield early in the game. He recorded only two catches for 16 yards despite seeing a lot of targets. Mims is not a big wide receiver and having sure hands is a necessity for him because is he not overly fast either. Mims’ ugly outing against the Cyclones made him look more like a late-rounder rather than a potential mid-round pick.
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