Experts share biggest NFL Draft risers
The 2022 NFL season may not be over, but the draft evaluation process is fully underway.
We are just a few days away from Super Bowl LVII kicking off in Glendale, Arizona. But the pre-draft events have already begun as the 2023 Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl both took place last week.
The Shrine Bowl brought prospects to Las Vegas, while the Senior Bowl saw many of the nation's top players gather in Mobile. Between all of the practices, along with the games itself, both collegiate All-Star contests saw many players stand out throughout the week.
While the NFL Combine does not start until February 28, and all pro days to come after the combine, some prospects have already helped boost their draft stock with strong showings last week.
Experts from ESPN, Pro Football Focus, CBS Sports and NFL.com shared their top performers from the Shine Bowl and Senior Bowl festivities.
Here are the biggest draft risers from the various media outlets, along with commentary on some prospects.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina - "Rush has been the biggest eye-opener for me this week. At 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, he has a slight frame, but his short-area quickness and smooth hips have been consistent traits. A true technician, his read-and-react skills have suffocated wideouts on routes. He's patient and can make plays on the ball, recording two interceptions on Thursday (he had two in the 2022 season)." -- Reid
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane - "At 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, he is much heavier than what many evaluators were expecting. The extra weight hasn't had a negative effect, though, as he had multiple explosive runs during the three-day stretch. Spears is likely a complementary back at the next level, and NFL teams are envisioning him in a Tony Pollard-like role. He was an early-Day 3 target last week. Now? It wouldn't surprise me if a team selects him in the third round." -- Reid
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota - "Schmitz has had a wonderful first two days of practice and has been the most impressive offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl. His ability in space will give scouts a Creed Humphrey-like vibe, and he also routinely handled seal blocks and head-up defenders in the session. If you're looking for the first center to come off the board, Schmitz is taking the spot. He allowed just one sack all season in 2022." -- Miller
Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech - "The 6-foot-5, 280-pound pass-rusher has excellent power on tape, and that lower-body strength showed up in practice. At one point, he executed a perfect spin move in offense vs. defense 11-on-11s, displaying agility, balance and a great bull rush coming off of it. I admit I was late to come around on White, but more than half a dozen of the scouts I polled at the Senior Bowl say he's the top-ranked prospect in Mobile this week. The buzz around White is that he'll be a first-round pick, with one scout for a playoff team even wondering if he'd still be available when it selects in the later parts of Round 1. White had 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 2022." -- Miller
Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah updated his ranking of the top 50 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
No. 50 Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
No. 49 Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
No. 48 John Michael Schmitz, IOL, Minnesota
No. 40 Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
No. 47 Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
No. 37 Steve Avila, IOL, TCU
No. 46 Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
No. 45 Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
No. 44 Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
No. 43 Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
No. 42 Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
No. 38 Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
No. 39 Cody Mauch, OT, North Dakota State
No. 36 Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
No. 41 O'Cyrus Torrence, IOL, Florida
No. 35 BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
No. 27 Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
No. 34 Joe Tippmann, IOL, Wisconsin
No. 32 Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
No. 31 Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
No. 30 Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU
No. 29 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
No. 28 Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
No. 26 Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
No. 25 Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State
No. 33 Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
No. 24 Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
No. 21 Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
No. 22 Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
No. 20 Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
No. 23 Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
No. 17 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
No. 13 Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
No. 19 Broderick Jones, OT Georgia
No. 16 Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
No. 18 Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
No. 14 Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
No. 15 Jordan Addison, WR, USC
No. 12 Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
No. 10 Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
No. 11 Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
No. 9 Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
No. 8 Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
No. 7 C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
No. 5 Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
No. 6 Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
No. 4 Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
No. 3 Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
No. 2 Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
No. 1 Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College - "Flowers was on every single "watch list" heading into the Shrine Bowl, and he did not disappoint. He simply moved at a different speed than the other receivers on the practice field. He had some first-round buzz going into All-Star week, and now it feels more likely than not that he'll crack the top 31 picks in the draft. His tape has plenty of dynamic route-running and after-the-catch highlights, and he was able to showcase that again on many occasions during Shrine Bowl week." -- Sikkema
John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
Tank Dell, WR, Houston
Trey Dean, S, Florida - "Dean was an up-and-down player at Florida, but the best of his playmaking ability showed up in Vegas at the Shrine Bowl. After weighing in at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Dean earned an 80.2 coverage grade during practices and even grabbed an interception during the game. He was one of the big winners from the secondary players at both the Shrine and Senior bowls." -- Sikkema
Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia
Kei'Trel Clark, CB, Louisville - "Intensity. That's the word that best describes the 5-foot-10, 179-pound cornerback from Louisville who had a great week in Vegas for Shrine Bowl practices. His motor was running at 100% at all times, he was quick to diagnose route concepts and screen plays and he was versatile as an inside and outside cornerback. His All-Star week showing made him one of the biggest risers of the week." -- Sikkema
Davis Allen, TE, Clemson - "He nearly matched his production from his first three years with the Tigers (49 receptions for 508 yards and seven touchdowns) in 2022 (39 receptions for 443 yards and five touchdowns. Allen is not a flashy player, but he is consistent. He has soft hands and takes pride in his blocking." -- Edwards
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green - "Brooks arrived in Bowling Green as a 6-foot-4, 235 pound defensive lineman. Over the course of his career, he gained 70 pounds. Despite his changed frame, the Falcons played him on the edge quite a bit. The Michigan native recorded 26.5 sacks over the course of his career, including 10 this past season. For a player of his size, he does a good job of breaking his feet down in space and changing directions." -- Edwards
Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, USC - "Tuipulotu has great speed and quickness relative to his 6-foot-4, 290 pound frame. However, he was commonly lined up on the edge and asked to rush the passer. His responsibilities in the NFL will be different and that should benefit him long-term, but it may require a longer adjustment period compared to a prospect that fulfilled a traditional 3-tech role throughout his collegiate career." -- Edwards
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
Payne Durham, TE, Purdue - "The Purdue tight end is on the short list of players who helped themselves the most this week at the Senior Bowl. Durham appeared to improve with each day during practice and might have saved his best for Saturday's game. Durham caught two passes for 24 yards and hauled in a two-point conversion for the National team, showing off impressive athleticism for a 258-pounder. There were a few times he was moved as a blocker in the game (and during the week's practices), but he also had some wins in that department." -- Edholm
Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati - "At 5-10 and 231 pounds with sub-31-inch arms, Pace won't be for everyone in the NFL. But his full-tilt style was on display Saturday, as he regularly took on offensive linemen (including the 342-pound Darnell Wright and 337-pound O'Cyrus Torrence) to make plays. Pace had a game-high 10 tackles and seemingly was everywhere." -- Edholm
Isaiah Land, EDGE, Florida A&M - "Florida A&M edge rusher Isaiah Land was pressed into some inside linebacker duty in the game. He worked at both positions this week in practice. But Land also saw action as a pass rusher -- his specialty -- and collected a fourth-down sack of Haener in the fourth quarter. The 6-3, 226-pound Land could be a tricky fit on an NFL defense, but he made a few statements this week." -- Edholm
Aubrey Miller Jr., LB, Jackson State
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