On April 27, NFL teams will have the opportunity to be drafted best prospects In the class of 2023. But first, we gave our analyst project a chance to do that. Mel Kipper Jr., Todd McShea, Jordan Reed, and Matt Miller played a 10-round draft pick and 40 picks to build their best super squad made up solely of this year’s class prospects. For the full draft and some spirited discussion, check out the latest edition of “First Draft.”
Here’s how it works: Kiper, McShay, Reid and Miller drafted 40 picks to fill the starting lineups. Each roster had specific required positions: one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver or tight end, one offensive tackle, one inside offensive lineman, three forward seven defenders, one cornerback and one safety. Our experts were allowed to formulate positions in any order, and designed their units around whatever scheme they wanted to run on each side of the ball. Dexterity is key.
The super team draft also provided a unique way of looking at class, delving into place value, how each analyst stacks their personal board, and which prospects should be most impactful next level. Which team ended up with the best offense and the most dominant defense? Let’s start at the top with Miller and then move on to selection. You can even vote for the 2023 NFL Fantasy League winner below.
View all 40 draft picks, in order
Lists: Kiper | Makshi | Reed | Miller
Vote on which analyst team is the best
Watch the full draft on “First Draft”
Stills
The draft order was randomly selected, with Miller landing the first pick. But because it’s a snake format, Kiper has consecutive picks at No. 4 and No. 5, and Miller doesn’t pick again after No. 1 until No. 8. No deals were allowed.
1. Miller: Will Anderson Jr.OLB, Alabama
2. Reed: Til RobinsonR.B., Texas
3. Makshi: Bryce YoungQB, Alabama
4. Kipper: Galen CarterDT, Georgia
5. Kipper: Peter SkowronskyNorth West
6. Makshi: Jahmir GibbsRB, Alabama
7. Reed: CJ StroudQB, Ohio State
8. Miller: Jackson Smith NjegbaWR, Ohio State
9. Miller: Terry WilsonDee, Texas Tech
10. Reed: Bryan branchS, Alabama
11. Makshi: costume flowersWR, Boston College
12. Kipper: Jordan AddisonWR, USC
13. Kipper: Nolan SmithOLB, Georgia
14. Makshi: Devon WitherspoonCB, Illinois
15. Reed: Kalega KansiDT, Pittsburgh
16. Miller: Christian GonzalezCB, Oregon
17. Miller: Steve AvilaC/G, TCU
18. Reed: Miles MurphyD, Clemson
19. Makshi: Lucas Van NessD, Iowa
20. Kipper: Paris Johnson Jr.OR T, Ohio State
21. Kipper: Will McDonald IVDee, Iowa
22. Makshi: Broderick JonesOT, Georgia
23. Reed: O’Cyrus TorrenceG, Florida
24. Miller: Darnell WrightOR T, Tennessee
25. Miller: Drew SandersILB, Arkansas
26. Reed: Dawn JonesOR T, Ohio State
27. Makshi: Adetomiwa Adebaworede, northwest
28. Kipper: Joey Porter JrCB, Pennsylvania
29. Kipper: Riley MossCB/S, Iowa
30. Makshi: Joe TipmanC, Wisconsin
31. Reed: Trenton SimpsonILB, Clemson
32. Miller: Anthony RichardsonQB, FL
33. Miller: Sydney BrownS, Illinois
34. Reed: Duent BanksCB, Maryland
35. Makshi: Keon WhiteOLB, Georgia Tech
36. Kipper: Devon AshanRB, Texas A&M
37. Kipper: Will LevisQB, Kentucky
38. Makshi: Anthony JohnsonS, Texas A&M
39. Reed: Quentin JohnstonWR, TCU
40. Miller: Roshon JohnsonR.B., Texas
Miller team
QB: Anthony Richardson
RB: Roshon Johnson
WR/TE: Jackson Smith Njegba
extra time: Darnell Wright
G/C: Steve Avila
DL/LB: Will Anderson Jr.
DL/LB: Terry Wilson
DL/LB: Drew Sanders
CB: Christian Gonzalez
s: Sydney Brown
Miller on his team: I took a “best available player” approach to building an all-talented team, starting with the first player in class in Anderson. My strategy was to wait on the quarterback and run back while I built up the trenches. And I ended up getting away with the top rated wide receiver, right tackle, inside linebacker and linebacker, along with the two best edge forwards in the class. I can’t believe Jordan let Wilson drop me to ninth overall, but I luckily took his man to pair up with Anderson just off the edge. Come on…that’s not even fair.
Kiper gave me hell for picking JSN because we both knew he was coming – Smith Ngigba is my buddy this class and seems like the best receiver of the bunch away. Then having the QB with the highest cap of any prospect in the class at 32nd overall is pretty cool. And I had to get at least one Texas player on my team, and I think Johnson would have been one of the best running backs in the country if he hadn’t backed up the Longhorns’ obvious first man. There are so many positives here!
Christian Gonzalez NFL Draft Profile
Check out the highlights from dynamic Oregon angler Christian Gonzalez.
Reid team
QB: CJ Stroud
RB: Til Robinson
WR/TE: Quentin Johnston
extra time: Dawn Jones
G/C: O’Cyrus Torrence
DL/LB: Kalega Kansi
DL/LB: Miles Murphy
DL/LB: Trenton Simpson
CB: Duent Banks
s: Bryan branch
Reid on his team: The second overall pick came to Robinson and Carter, but I held on to my board due to the steep descent into this year’s running back class after the top two ball carriers. Then I got two other key players on offense, Stroud and Johnston to develop. Todd threw me for a loop by taking Young inside the top three, and with Matt’s back-to-back picks, I had to make sure I was one of the best passers in the class. And to round out the offense, I value physical fitness in the trenches, so I was also happy to add two huge linemen in Torrence and Jones. Try to slow this unit down.
In defense, I prioritized speed, physicality and explosiveness. In the intro seven, Kancey, Murphy, and Simpson fit those attributes perfectly. On the back end, I’ve focused more on variety and players who can thrive in covering men. Branch #10 in general may have looked early, but I learned my lesson last year and wanted to craft the weaker positions early. Overall, I am very happy with my team this year.
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Take a look at some of DT Calijah Kancey’s most exciting plays from his career as a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
McShay’s team
QB: Bryce Young
RB: Jahmir Gibbs
WR/TE: costume flowers
extra time: Broderick Jones
G/C: Joe Tipman
DL/LB: Lucas Van Ness
DL/LB: Adetomiwa Adebawore
DL/LB: Keon White
CB: Devon Witherspoon
s: Anthony Johnson
McShay on his team: It focused on adding offensive firepower, playmakers, and versatility. With Anderson and Robinson off the board, I wanted to get Young right off the bat. I consider him the best prospect in the entire class. I was planning to follow it up with Carter in sixth, but Kiper stole it from me (although I was a bit surprised he jumped Skoronski early with his next pick). So I took Gibbs since I saw a great drop in the running back position after him, and I know I can move him around offense. And Flowers is one of only two receivers to get a first grade from me, so that was a no-brainer.
I wanted to get ahead in key positions and secure the best or second best prospect in the most important positions. I ended up doing that on every position except the front seven, though I still caught three players in my top 41 and my #2 defensive final in Van Ness. This team will do some plays. Young will be able to distribute, and good luck containing Gibbs and Flowers in the open field. And no one would be able to move the chains against me with Van Ness coming off the rim and Witherspoon choking receivers. Just another year, another dominant project for me.
Jahmyr Gibbs NFL Profile
Check out the top highlights that contributed to a stellar college life for Alabama native Jahmer Gibbs.
Kipper team
QB: Will Levis
RB: Devon Ashan
WR/TE: Jordan Addison
extra time: Paris Johnson Jr.
G/C: Peter Skowronsky
DL/LB: Galen Carter
DL/LB: Nolan Smith
DL/LB: Will McDonald IV
CB: Joey Porter Jr
s: Riley Moss
Kipper on his team: Listen, I love my team. Even after I got stuck on the fourth pick, I managed to land Carter, the number one on my board. I added two power edge rushes on Smith and McDonald to get past tackles and get to the quarterback. We’ll struggle a bit with putting the edge on the running game, but that might not matter if Carter is already in the background in awhile. In the secondary, Porter would shut down the team’s best receiver (though he’d struggle with Flowers’ turnaround; ToddToddTodd got Flowers in front of me in the third) and Moss would fly to football and play deep safety. Some teams see it as a corner, but I have a second-round score on it to be safe.
On offense, I added both the top-rated tackle (Johnson) and the top-rated guard (Skoronski) to protect the quarterback. Ultimately, whether you like my team comes down to your feelings for Levis, whom I ranked ahead of Stroud and Richardson. I think he will become a star in the right situation. On this offense, he’d fire jabs at Addison and Achan while my team cruised down the field.
Nolan Smith’s NFL Draft Profile
Take a look at the highlights from Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith.