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
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington The Tampa, Florida product Penix played at Indiana before transferring to the Huskies, and he has been on fire for Washington this season. That hot streak continued with an overwhelming performance against Michigan State Penix was utterly unstoppable, ripping up the Spartans defense. He completed 24-of-40 passes against them for 397 yards and four touchdowns.
For the NFL, Penix (6-3, 214) is an interesting prospect. He has a strong arm with the ability to fire missiles down the field. On top of a his arm strength, Penix also has some athleticism and ability to make plays with his feet. He shows good field vision and keeps his eyes downfield as he moves in the pocket. Against Michigan State, Penix was accurate, instinctive, aggressive and confident. His phenomenal performance against the Spartans will really draw attention from pro evaluators.
Jaren Hall, QB, BYU After leading his team to an overtime win over Baylor, Hall played well in a loss to Oregon. If the BYU defense hadn’t been dominated by the Oregon rushing attack, Hall could have had a huge game. He completed 29-of-41 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions despite playing without his two best receivers.
Overall, Hall performance against the Ducks was useful for NFL purposes. He showed an accurate, strong arm and the ability to work through his progressions. Hall throws a very catchable ball with nice loft on passes downfield. Thanks to his speed and athleticism, Hall has the ability to make things happen with his feet and is a dual-threat quarterback who is dangerous throwing on the run. Hall is going under the radar, but that could change in the months to come.
Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M Jones didn’t play in the previous two games, but he made up for it with a phenomenal game against Miami. Jones made some huge open-field tackles, flying over to ball-carriers and limiting gains. In the second quarter against the Hurricanes, Jones demonstrated excellent zone coverage when he came down hill and broke up a pass. In the fourth quarter, Miami tried to challenge Jones downfield, but he had blanket coverage to force an incompletion.
Against the Hurricanes, Jones showed excellent cover skills assisted by his size, speed and athleticism. He ran the route to prevent separation, read the field well in zone, and showed very good eye discipline. Jones looked like a future first-round cornerback taking on Miami.
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri Abrams-Draine is not a big cornerback, but he shows coverage skills and the potential to be a slot corner in the NFL. To go along with athleticism, Abrams-Draine is fast and a fluid athlete. He has played well thus far in 2022. In 2021, Abrams-Draine was solid and recorded three interceptions and seven passes defended.
Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Some NFL sources have compared Vaughn to former Kansas State great Darren Sproles, which is high praise. Like Sproles, Vaughn is very short at 5-foot-6, but he is strong for his size, weighing in at 176 pounds. In 2021, he averaged six yards per carry, running for 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also took 49 catches for 468 yards and four scores. Vaughn is sleeper who some teams are very intrigued with as a potential rotational back for the NFL.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Anudike-Uzomah broke out in 2021, recording 11 sacks and six forced fumbles. He has maintained a high level of play this year, totaling 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble so far. Anudike-Uzomah has some dangerous edge-rush ability and has impressed team evaluators. He is a rising prospect who could end up highly coveted if he repeats his 2021 production.
2023 NFL Draft Stock Down
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame A number of NFL sources have told WalterFootball.com they are not very high on Mayer. They feel he has potential as a receiver, but see some flaws that keep him from being viewed as elite. They say he is neither an impressive blocker nor a great athlete. Those are concerning issues for a tight end who is primarily a pass catcher. Mayer could end up being a second-day prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft rather than the top tight end.
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Team sources like Boutte but are not as high on him as the media hype suggests. “He’s sort of small, more smooth than explosive and twitchy,” said an AFC director of player personnel. “He’s a lazy route runner and lacks detail. I like his hands; he catches it well and has good ball adjust. Has quickness and juice. His run after the catch is inconsistent, but he can run with the ball. He’s more of a vertical receiver than short to intermediate. He’s just not as dynamic as I expected. He reminds me of a smaller less powerful D.J. Moore.”
While team evaluators feel he has talent, Boutte will need to produce more in the weeks to come to ensure he ends up going in the first or second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Javon Foster, OT, Missouri There was some buzz about Foster entering the 2022 season, but pro sources say they have not been impressed when watching Foster this year, including his performance against Kansas State. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder has good size, but his play and technique makes him look more like a third-day late-round pick.
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