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
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Richardson was expected to be a star of the combine, and he definitely delivered. The 6-foot-4, 244-pounder pup up an electric 40 time of 4.43 seconds, plus recorded excellent jumps and threw some beautiful deep balls in the field work. Team sources say also Richardson interviewed well while in Indianapolis. I have Richardson in the top 10 of my 2023 NFL Mock Draft, and that looks like a safe bet after how he performed at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State As good as Richardson was at the combine, Stroud was even better in the passing portion of the workout. Stroud fired bullets with tremendous accuracy, ball placement, and velocity. Along with having a strong arm, Stroud throws a very catchable ball and his timing is superb. Stroud had a phenomenal throwing session in Indianapolis and definitely gave teams a workout to validate his high first-round status for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Smith has gotten a lot of media hype, but he never had a season of production in college that justified the lofty projections. Smith’s best season came in 2021, when he had 3.5 sacks and 55 tackles. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Smith had an electric 40 with a eye-popping time of 4.39 seconds. He is undersized to be a NFL edge defender, but his fast 40 shows the pure speed he has off the edge. Smith’s combine could help make him a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft despite his lack of production in college.
Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Henley has been a sleeper throughout the draft process, but at every stage, he has impressed. After good tape in 2022, Henley did very well at the Senior Bowl. Then he nailed the combine with a good time in the 40 of 4.54 seconds and impressive jumps. Henley (6-2, 225) is a smooth moving linebacker who is well-suited to the passing-driven NFL. He looks like a near lock for the second round this April in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Quan Martin, S/CB, Illinois NFL team sources last week told WalterFootball.com that Martin was a player who really helped himself with a tremendous workout at the combine. He had a superb 40 time of 4.46 seconds and tied for the fastest 10-yard split at 1.47 seconds. Martin also recorded excellent jumps that illustrated big-time explosion and did very well in the field workouts. While Martin was quiet at the Senior Bowl, he did have superb tape from his final season with the Illini. In my 2023 NFL Mock Draft I have Martin going in the second round, but after his tremendous combine, he could get late first-round consideration.
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Banks was known to have a great skill set, and he gave that definitive proof during his combine workout. The big cornerback ran a blistering 4.35-second time in the 40-yard dash, and the 6-foot, 197-pounder has an excellent combination of size and speed. Banks is raw and needs some development, so he might a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but his combine workout could motivate more teams to want to work with him.
Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Months ago, team sources told me that Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell could be a late first-round pick if he worked out well before the 2023 NFL Draft. Campbell recorded the fastest three-cone-drill time of any linebacker at the combine and also moved well in the coverage reps. While Campbell did not set the combine on fire in the 40, he ended up performing very well in the field drills. Sources from six different teams texted that they think Campbell is definitely in the running to be a late first-round pick during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Campbell wasn’t the only Hawkeye to really help himself in Indianapolis. LaPorta had a superb workout with an excellent showing in the field drills. The workout numbers were also very good, including a 4.59-second time in the 40-yard dash, which was the second fastest of any tight end. LaPorta probably locked himself into the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with his combine performance.
2023 NFL Draft Stock Down
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Carter came into the combine as potential top-five pick, but his draft stock was thrown into chaos, or at least limbo, because of an arrest for street racing. That incident saw the other car wreck, leaving two friends dead and two friends injured. Sources from the NFL said they believed this arrest could potentially cause them to drop Carter from their draft boards entirely, but that it could also end up being a near non-factor. The result will all comes down to Carter’s role and and actions that night.
Police reports say that Carter left the scene and then returned a few hours later. League sources say that if Carter saw or knew about the accident and left the scene while his teammate had just died, a staffer was dying, and two people were injured ,that would lead to him dropping him from their board. If Carter drove away because he lost track of them during their race and did not know there was an accident, then they feel he probably would not be significantly hurt by a reckless driving and speeding incident.
A source from a team that is picking high in the first round and is also very strict on character said Carter is almost off their board regardless of his actions around the incident. Carter already faced makeup concerns with teams, such as his character and work ethic. That source said they doesn’t think their franchise will want to deal with Carter’s lack of work ethic and poor decision-making.
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