Mel Kiper Jr. updates 2023 NFL Draft big board

As we enter February, the NFL Draft process is just starting. A ton of evaluations, breakdowns, and conversations are going to take place between now and April 27th. Now, with Mel Kiper Jr. updating his big board, we have the latest evaluations for some of the players he believes could be selected early in this draft.

For all the talk about quarterbacks in this class, defense is very prominent within this edition of Kiper’s board. He has a pair of defenders atop his list in Georgia’s Jalen Carter and Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. before we reach the coveted trio of QBs.

1. DT Jalen Carter – Georgia Bulldogs
2. DE Will Anderson Jr. – Alabama Crimson Tide
3. QB Will Levis – Kentucky Wildcats
4. QB Bryce Young – Alabama Crimson Tide
5. QB CJ Stroud – Ohio State Buckeyes
6. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Ohio State Buckeyes
7. OT Peter Skoronski – Northwestern Wildcats
8. RB Bijan Robinson – Texas Longhorns
9. OT Paris Johnson Jr. – Ohio State Buckeyes
10. CB Devon Witherspoon – Illinois Fighting Illini
11. DT Calijah Kancey – Pittsburgh Panthers
12. WR Quentin Johnson – TCU Horned Frogs
13. DE Tyree Wilson – Texas Tech Red Raiders
14. CB Joey Porter Jr. – Penn State Nittany Lions
15. DE Myles Murphy – Clemson Tigers
16. CB Christian Gonzalez – Oregon Ducks
17. DL Lukas Van Ness – Iowa Hawkeyes
18. WR Jordan Addison – USC Trojans
19. WR Zay Flowers – Boston College Eagles
20. TE Michael Mayer – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
21. QB Anthony Richardson – Florida Gators
22. TE Luke Musgrave – Oregon State Beavers
23. TE Dalton Kincaid – Utah Utes
24. OT Broderick Jones – Georgia Bulldogs
25. CB Deonte Banks – Maryland Terrapins

Carter remained Kiper’s No. 1 prospect in this edition after a month since his last one was released. In fact, each of his top four prospects in Carter, Anderson Jr., Levis, and Young retained their spots. It’s CJ Stroud who officially moved up to the Top-5 after coming in at No. 7 last time.

Ohio State leads the way with three selections on Kiper’s board with all of them comings in the Top-10. Alabama and Georgia tied for second with two selections apiece. No other school doubled up in this edition from Kiper.

A lot will change between now and the draft in Kansas City this spring. However, this is a solid road map for how things could look on team’s boards come the time that they’re on the clock.