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
Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Last week, I was texting with some team sources, and multiple of them said they believe McDonald is going to be a late first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. McDonald worked out well at his pro day, showing that he had maintained his dynamic speed and athleticism while gaining weight and getting to 245 pounds. McDonald is a dangerous pass rusher with serious ability to get to the quarterback. I have him going late in the first round of my 2023 NFL Mock Draft and if he slips to the second round, he should not have a long wait.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Over the past few months, Gibbs has gone under the radar in terms of how high teams are on him. As WalterFootball.com reported in the Hot Press last week, in speaking to sources at 11 different teams, eight of them had Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with a first-round grade. Some of them have Gibbs among the highest graded players in the 2023 NFL Draft at any position.
“We only have four players with an elite grade,” said an AFC director of player personnel. “Bijan Robinson, Will Anderson, Jalen Carter and Jahmyr Gibbs. We have Gibbs just a hair behind Robinson.”
With that many teams giving Gibbs a first-round grade. He has a strong shot to be a first-round pick despite the downgrading of the running back position.
Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Some teams picking late in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft have Campbell as a top candidate for their pick. Many teams have him as the top non-pass-rushing linebacker, and there are a number of teams picking in the back half of Round 1 that could use linebacker help. Campbell is viewed as a safe pick to turn into a good pro starter thanks to being very smart and instinctive while having quality size and speed. He could be a nice value pick late in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Adebawore has had an excellent postseason that featured a good combine performance. He showed off serious speed in the 40-yard dash and has an impressive skill set. Adebawore has a tweener body type, but teams could play him at end in base defense and move him inside to tackle in the sub package. Adebawore is getting a lot of media hype, and it will only takes one team to fall in love and select him earlier than expected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Kancey has done well in the pre-draft interviews, according to team sources. They said he has impressed with his character and work ethic. Kancey is undersized, but he has serious interior pass-rush ability and could end up being a late first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Interior pass rushers are hard to find, and Kancey showed amazing speed to get after quarterbacks last season.
Shakel Brown, DT, Troy Brown is a sleeper prospect who could be a late-round find from the 2023 NFL Draft. In 2022, he recorded four sacks, one forced fumble and 32 tackles. Brown put together a phenomenal pro-day that included impressive numbers in the 20-yard shuttle, bench press and vertical jump, as well as a tremendous field workout. His pro day really helped Brown create a buzz with teams.
2023 NFL Draft Stock Down
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Since winning the National Championship, Carter has had a series of mistakes that have hurt his draft stock, and it looks unlikely that Carter will be the first non-quarterback taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. A few months ago, he was one of the favorites for that designation, but that was before he was involved in a reckless street-racing driving incident that ended with the other car getting in a fatal accident that killed a teammate and a Georgia staffer plus left two others injured.
Carter then did not interview well at the combine and was not forthcoming about that incident. After that, he gained nine pounds prior to the Georgia pro day and was so out of shape he couldn’t complete the pro-day workout. All of these issues reinforce the concerns that teams had about his work ethic, character, and maturity.
In my 2023 NFL Mock Draft, I still have Carter going in the top 10, but the chances of him sliding to the end of the top 10 are improving with thanks to his disastrous draft-season performance.
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