It’s finally happening. After months of waiting, one of the biggest sporting events of the year is nearly here! The second-biggest event on the NFL calendar is the NFL Draft. This year’s NFL Draft 2023 is taking place with Round One on Thursday, April 27th at 8 p.m. EST. Rounds Two and Three will happen on Friday, April 28th, starting at 7 p.m. EST. The final four rounds will take place all day long on Saturday, April 29th. For the first time ever, the NFL will conduct the draft in Kansas City, the home of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs. Expectations are huge for enormous boos towards Commissioner Roger Goodell and for hundreds of thousands of fans to celebrate the NFL fest. It’ll all happen at historic Union Station where 259 men will learn where their future homes will be in the NFL. Of course, not all 259 picks are owned by one team, there are 32 teams in the league, and each one gets assigned a pick for all seven rounds, however, teams are free to trade any pick. Yet, not all of those 259 picks will be all guys on defense or offense. Some say this year’s draft is defensive-heavy while others say there’s plenty of depth in the offensive portion of the draft class. One thing is for sure and that’s the fact that with under a week to go until the draft, there are players rising up the NFL draft boards and on pace for a better draft selection than many expected just a few weeks ago. This article will be all about the risers and fallers at each defensive position before the 2023 NFL Draft. Go check out FantasyData’s home page for the article on the offensive positions. Let’s get started!
- Offensive NFL Draft Risers & Fallers
- NFL Draft Risers and Fallers for Offensive Players
- 7 NFL Teams Likely to Trade at the NFL Draft
- 2023 NFL Draft Picks By Team
- Final NFL Mock Draft (4.0)
Rising Defensive Players at Each Position
Defensive Line: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Aside from the fact they both went to Pittsburgh, Kancey is drawing some Aaron Donald comparisons. That’s caused his draft stock to vault up to DL2, behind Jalen Carter. It’s considered nearly a lock for him to go Day One after an excellent combine showcasing his speed, athleticism, and technique. There is one concern though, beyond the fact he’s an undersized DT, similar to Donald. The concern is with his arm length as he has abnormally small arms compared to any other DT, even Donald. However, it appears teams are willing to overlook that purely because of his stamina, ferociousness, and talent.
Edge Rushers: Nolan Smith, Georgia; Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
There probably weren’t two edge rushers that had a better NFL Combine or Pro Days than these two. Nolan had a blazing 40-yard dash and did phenomenally in all his drills. He leaped ahead of numerous edge rushers to where it wouldn’t be a shock to see him go top ten. He possesses rare speed, athleticism, agility, and technique in a large frame that very few other edge rushers in the NFL have. In non-Will Anderson years, Smith could be a candidate to go as the first edge rusher off the board. As for Adetomiwa, he’s been exciting to watch as his draft stock continues climbing. He showcased his own speed and athleticism to prove to teams that he deserves far more recognition despite the fact he went to Northwestern. Adebawore was seen before as a likely round-three pick. Now, he’s looking more like an early day two selection, and could even see his name called on day one for teams that want a fast and large guy at edge rusher who could develop into one of the best edge or perhaps interior rushers in today’s game. Adebawore has the ability to play inside as well.
Linebackers: Jack Campbell, Iowa
There were some high expectations for Campbell coming into this draft season and he’s blown past them. After an elite combine and Pro Day, Campbell has established himself as the LB1. He had a 4.65 40-yard dash at 6’5 and 249 pounds. Combine that with excellent burst and agility and Jack’s now the best bet for any linebacker to go round one. It would be surprising to see, but if there’s one linebacker that could do it, it’s Campbell. He’s got great field awareness, and zone coverage, and will be a team’s centerpiece on defense for years to come.
Cornerbacks: Julius Brents, Kansas State; DJ Turner, Michigan
The two big NFL Combine winners from the defensive backs group were easily Brents and Turner. They turned heads with their speed and measurements. Brents made scouts envy as only one of them will get his elite size. He’s got lanky arms and a massive wingspan, two things that are huge for cornerbacks. He trained under a top secondary coach and performed really well at KSU. He’s flying up draft boards to Round Two potential. The same is true of Turner who ran a blazing 4.26 40-yard dash. There are nearly no receivers that will be able to run past Turner. NFL teams will love that and it appears that they’re falling in love with him. He’s a likely Day Two pick and is coming off a strong season at Michigan.
Safety: Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
This safety class isn’t exciting or groundbreaking. There’s not a ton of talent nor is it extremely deep. That has helped Antonio climb the rankings to now being the second safety taken off the board most likely. He’s a dependable player with great size and speed. He’s able to work inside or out and in the box or out deep. He isn’t a star or elite in any category. Yet, he does everything well and will make NFL coaches happy. He’s a dependable player that has risen up the draft boards thanks to that, his versatility, and the fact he’s good at everything without any warts.
Just the same can be said for players that are flying up the draft boards at this late notice, there are plenty of players that are unfortunately falling down the draft boards. This can cause them to miss out on millions of dollars or go into a more rough situation than many expected. However, these players that fall can also become a steal if they prove that they should’ve never fallen in the first place. So, let’s take a look at what players might slip during the NFL Draft and go later than most people expected.
Falling Defensive Players at Each Position
Defensive Line: Siaka Ika, Baylor
For months, Ika had been hyped up as a dominant interior defender worthy of being taken in the first round. Unfortunately for him, that’s changed significantly since then. He’s measured in well,\ but didn’t do amazing at either the Pro Day or NFL Combine. While reviewing the tape, there’s become concerns about how much effort Ika can put into every down. There are concerns that he takes plays off or cannot handle a three-down full-time workload. If he can’t handle that, then his value and stock drop immensely. Perhaps that’s why he’s now viewed as a likely second-round pick. Teams won’t take that kind of risk for an interior defender in the first. Still, Ika can be a solid player in the NFL for years to come.
Edge Rushers: Andre Carter II, Army
Carter was seen as a likely First Round pick for months. Then came the Senior Bowl. He struggled immensely during it and tanked his stock. After that, it fell quite a bit more due to uneven performances at the NFL Combine and at Pro Days/visits. Carter still has potential, but he’s vastly more likely to be taken in the Third Round versus the first or even second. It’s quite a stunning fall as he’s been usurped by ten or more edge rushers.
Linebackers: Drew Sanders, Arkansas; Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
Sanders is still highly valued, but just not as much as he was. His lackluster combine allowed Jack Campbell and Simpson to surpass on the linebacker leaderboard. At one point, Sanders was the favorite to go LB1. That now looks to be Campbell. Sanders is still a talented player, but he’s not the franchise linebacker that teams expected him to look like coming into draft season. The same is true of Pace who had an okay Senior Bowl and Combine. He didn’t light the world on fire but did show his speed to fly around the field. The bigger concern is well, his lack of bigness. Ivan is a smaller linebacker which scares teams as NFL players, especially tight ends and running backs, are far larger and tougher to bring down than college guys. Those concerns have caused Pace Jr. to drop down the draft board.
Cornerbacks: Kelee Ringo, Georgia; Emmanual Forbes, Miss. St
Forbes dominated college receivers with his play, but NFL receivers are far bigger, faster, and tougher. The number one issue that continues to drag on Forbes is his size. He has excellent height at 6’1 but yet weighs a meager 166 pounds. He’s basically skin and bones. That’s not ideal when it comes to big-bodied wide receivers that won’t be afraid to pummel him. This could lead to an increased risk of injuries or other health issues. Yet, his talent is real so he’s still a definite second-round pick. As for Ringo, since breaking out on Georgia’s team two or so years ago, he’s failed to advance his skills. He’s gone from likely day one to day two thanks to attitude, mentality, and other concerns. His physical play is still superb, but there are far safer defensive backs to take before Ringo. No longer is he a strong candidate to go top 15 as he was a year ago.
Safety: Christopher Smith, Georgia; JL Skinner, Boise State
Skinner played great in college, but against weaker opponents in the Mountain West. Then, he has great height but is skinnier. That thinness can hurt him since he likes to play in the box and close to the line of scrimmage. He will be run through by the larger NFL players. There are concerns as well with his coverage skills. In a crowded safety class without many standouts, Skinner is at risk of falling into the group instead of rising to the top. Another player at risk is Smith.
Hope this helps prepare you for the NFL Draft and gets you a bit more familiar with all the players that will be taken over the span of three days! Plus, if there are any sites listing odds for guys to go higher/later than their expected draft selection, then this article will certainly help you out there! May the Force be with You during the NFL Draft…
