Pro Player Comparisons for Notable 2023 NFL Draft Prospects
Comparison may be the thief of joy, but it's a handy tool for analyzing NFL draft prospects too.
Fans, scouts and analysts can talk about a player's film, traits and measurables, but it's hard to avoid the temptation to make comparisons between prospects and potential counterparts in the league.
It can be a flawed practice. No player in the league is identical, and comparisons can set an unrealistic bar for a prospect to clear. But they are valuable in their ability to generate some context for what a prospect's game might look like in the NFL.
Here, we'll take a deeper look at a few of those comparisons for some of the notable prospects in our latest big board.
The comparisons come from the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department's scouting reports, and the prospect list ranges from some of the most dominant players in the draft to some of the most unique.
Edge Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
1 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 1 overall (No. 1 Edge)
Pro Player Comparison: Khalil Mack
Let's start with our No. 1 overall player in the draft. If it were for the importance of finding a franchise quarterback, Will Anderson Jr. would be the no-brainer first overall pick.
Not only does Anderson play a premium position, but he has unrivaled production. Since 2020, Anderson racked up 206 pressures with Alabama. The next most from a Power Five conference player had 126, per Pro Football Focus.
B/R scout Matt Holder sees a lot of Khalil Mack in Anderson's game, and it isn't hard to see why. They have nearly identical builds coming out of college. Anderson is 6'3½", 253 pounds while Mack came in at 6'3", 251 pounds at the combine.
Mack also came into the league as a productive college player (74.5 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks) who needed to refine his pass-rushing arsenal. The Buffalo product only had four sacks in his rookie campaign but quickly became elite, racking up four All-Pro selections over the next six seasons.
The difference between Anderson and Mack is the former played against SEC competition in college. That could lead to an even quicker transition to the league and a more productive rookie season.
QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
2 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 7 overall (No. 2 quarterback)
Pro Player Comparison: Colin Kaepernick
Anthony Richardson is this year's lightning-rod quarterback prospect, so Colin Kaepernick would be his player comparison.
Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen made the comparison in his scouting report of Richardson. Kaepernick's career is the embodiment of the boom-or-bust potential the Florida quarterback has.
For three seasons, Kaepernick looked like a star. From 2012-2014, he threw 50 touchdowns to 21 interceptions in the regular season, going 25-14 as the 49ers starter. They also went to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl.
Kaepernick was also the perfect running quarterback for then-offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system. Kaepernick had 1,578 rushing yards in that timespan too.
At his best, Richardson could put up those kinds of numbers and have that kind of success. He didn't do that at Florida. As Klassen noted, his accuracy was an issue at times, and he only completed 54.7 percent of his passes at Florida.
Much like Kaepernick, Richardson's success is going to depend on being put in the right position to succeed. When Roman departed, Kaepernick proceeded to go 3-16 as the starter with a total QBR of under 50 in each of the last two seasons.
Richardson has all the tools to succeed in the league. He has an incredibly live arm, the athleticism to be a rushing threat in the NFL and enough pocket presence to develop into a good passer.
But it's going to take the right context and coaching staff to get the most out of him.
CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
3 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 9 overall (No. 1 cornerback)
Pro Player Comparison: Eli Apple
Joey Porter Jr. comes in at No. 1 among all cornerbacks on Bleacher Report's big board, which isn't exactly a common take.
The consensus big board over at NFL Mock Draft Database factors in over 100 big boards, and it has Oregon's Christian Gonzalez (No. 4 overall) and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon (No. 8 overall) ahead of Porter Jr. (10th overall).
Porter has all the makings of a divisive players once he hits the league too. On one hand, he has prototypical size, the physicality and competitiveness you'd like to see from an alpha cornerback. On the other, he's prone to being too aggressive and getting too handsy, which is bound to draw flags.
That's why B/R scout Cory Giddings' comparison to Eli Apple is appropriate.
When Apple is at his best, he can be a lockdown corner. He's also liable to get torched from time to time. For instance, in the AFC Championship Game he gave up just 41 yards on nine targets for a passer rating of 76.6 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round he was torched to the tune of 102 yards and a touchdown.
Porter is likely to have the same ebbs and flows throughout his career. It's the nature of the cornerback position, but his physical playstyle and willingness to take risks is going to make it more pronounced.
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DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
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Big Board Rank: No. 11 overall (No. 2 defensive line)
Pro Player Comparison: Ndamukong Suh
Bryan Bresee is a notable prospect because his recruiting pedigree, athleticism and potential seem to be doing the heavy lifting for his stock as a prospect. His college career was dimmed a bit by injuries, so he's the kind of player where a comparison can be helpful to understand his game.
The Clemson product was the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings coming out of high school. He ended up playing 25 games across three years at Clemson with 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
Despite that, Holder compared Bresee to five-time All-Pro selection Ndamukong Suh. It's a lofty comparison based on Bresee's lackluster college production, but the traits are there.
First, Bresee is an elite athlete. He was 14th on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes in college football. Feldman mostly highlighted his incredible strength, but he had strong running numbers as well.
Highlights from Holder's scouting report include his "quick reaction to the snap" and "good acceleration off the ball, especially on passing downs."
Those traits at 6'5½", 298 pounds are rare. That's why he has the chance to live up to such a lofty comparison.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
5 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 12 overall (No. 2 wide receiver)
Pro Player Comparison: Slower CeeDee Lamb
The "slower" part of this comparison from Klassen comes from the lack of top-end speed on Jaxon Smith-Njigba's film. He was a slot-only player at Ohio State and is definitely more quick than fast working on the inside.
However, Smith-Njigba's performance at Ohio State's pro day could arguably lift the "slower" label when compared to Lamb. His 4.48 40 time was a tick faster than the 4.50 that Lamb ran coming out of Oklahoma.
The speed comparisons are splitting hairs, though. What's important is that Lamb has proved that he's more than just a slot receiver. According to Player Profiler, he had the sixth-most slot snaps in the league but still only lines up there 45.5 percent of the time.
He moves all over the formation as the focal point of the Cowboys' passing game and has rewarded them with 3,396 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over his first three seasons.
For Smith-Njigba to have similar success he's going to have to prove he can win on the outside as well. It's important to note that Ohio State didn't have to move Smith-Njigba around. The Buckeyes wideout shared the spotlight with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. in his time in Columbus.
It's a good time to remember that Justin Jefferson was primarily a slot receiver at LSU. Roles can change in the league, and Smith-Njigba shouldn't be typecast as a slot-only option.
Edge Nolan Smith, Georgia
6 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 13 overall (No. 3 edge defender)
Pro Player Comparison: Melvin Ingram
Nolan Smith is arguably the most difficult player to come up with a comparison for. When you don't account for position, Nolan Smith's most comparable athletes on MockDraftable include Cordarrelle Patterson and Adrian Peterson.
The only edge defenders who show up are fellow 2023 prospects Yasir Abdullah and Byron Young. Neither are expected to be drafted anywhere near as early as Smith.
The 6'2", 238-pound pass-rusher ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and posted a 41.5" vertical and 10'8" broad jump. He would have posted a 9.99 relative athletic score as a wide receiver. As a defensive end, he scored a 9.22 because of his small stature.
Matt Holder's comparison for Smith is Melvin Ingram. However, Ingram didn't have the same questions about size coming into the league. He was 6'1" and 264 pounds coming out of South Carolina.
Still, Holder notes Smith's play strength in his scouting report:
"Physical at the point of attack and has pop in his hands to get extension and shed blocks from offensive tackles fairly easily. He's violent when shedding and has shown flashes of using his quickness to defeat blocks, too," Holder wrote.
Smith plays much stronger than his frame would indicate, so that's where the Ingram comparison makes sense. However, Benjamin Solak of The Ringer compared Smith to the Philadelphia Eagles' Haason Reddick.
For those with doubts that Smith can produce despite his size, Reddick is the antidote for that doubt. He has become an elite pass-rusher despite coming into the league at 6'1", 237 pounds and being an athletic doppelgänger to Smith.
QB Will Levis, Kentucky
7 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 21 overall (No. 4 quarterback)
Pro Player Comparison: Ryan Tannehill
Will Levis is another interesting evaluation for draftniks. The 6'4", 229-pound quarterback has prototypical NFL size and 26 starts in three years for evaluators to analyze, but it's still tough to nail down who he is.
Klassen landed on a Tannehill comparison and expounded on his reasoning in his scouting report:
"Like Tannehill, Levis has the arm, toughness, functional athleticism, and experience to come in and play right away. However, the accuracy woes, inconsistent processing, and lack of spark outside the pocket make for a long and winding road before Levis can reach his full potential."
Tannehill was a wide receiver for his first two years at Texas A&M, but that athleticism hasn't always translated into being a dynamic NFL quarterback. In all, Tannehill has never rushed for more than 311 yards in a season and wouldn't qualify as an elite passer either.
Tannehill is 78-65 as a starter but has only been a part of two seasons with double-digit wins. He has four seasons with a QBR over 50.0 and six seasons with a sub-50.0.
He's a functional NFL starter, but it's hard to argue that he's been more than that.
That begs two questions for Levis' case to be a top-10 pick. Can he surpass Tannehill as a player, and how high would Tannehill go in the draft if evaluators could see that this is what he would become?
TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
8 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 24 overall (No. 2 tight end)
Pro Player Comparison: Athletic Marcedes Lewis
What comparisons can you make for a 6'7", 264-pound tight end with elite athleticism?
Washington is a fairly unique prospect in that there aren't many tight ends who could become legitimate weapons in the passing game but could also probably put on 30 pounds and become an elite offensive tackle.
Derrik Klassen didn't attempt to come up with a direct player comparison, putting an "athletic" Marcedes Lewis comp to Washington.
It's high praise and a revealing look into his vast potential. Lewis has carved out a 17-year career in the league because of his blocking ability. In his prime, he was a decent receiving option, his best season as a receiver included 58 receptions for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010.
Now consider that Washington could be every bit as good a blocker as Lewis and has the athleticism to develop into an even better receiver.
Lewis's relative athletic score ranked 58th out of all tight end prospects from 1987 to 2006, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network. Washington ranks 11th among all tight end prospects from 1987 to 2023.
The sky is the limit for Washington.
DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
9 of 9
Big Board Rank: No. 72 overall (No. 9 defensive line)
Pro Player Comparison: Milton Williams
Much like Washington, Adetomiwa Adebawore is one of the most unique prospects in this class. After all, there aren't many defensive linemen running a 4.49 40-yard dash at 282 pounds.
Adebawore isn't just a workout warrior. He has production in the Big Ten backing his resume. He racked up six sacks and 22 hurries while lining up primarily in the B gap and outside the tackle last season, per PFF.
From the impressive athletic testing to how he was deployed in college, Holder's comparison of Milton Williams holds water. Coming out of college, Williams had the same questions as a tweener who wasn't quite fluid enough to be a defensive end but wasn't big enough to be an every-down interior defender.
Thus far, Williams has essentially become a functional rotational player but not an overt steal as a third-round pick. He has played 851 snaps as part of the Eagles defensive line rotation, collecting six sacks and 18 total pressures.
It's a good reminder that off-the-charts athletic testing, especially for a player with a unique build at his position, is not a guarantee of success. While it's tempting to look at the undersized Adebawore and think of Aaron Donald, that's a small fraction of his range of outcomes.
It isn't impossible. Adebawore has a quick first step and is a rare athlete.
But it's much more likely his career takes the same shape as Williams'.
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