NFL draft: Where every 2023 first-round pick ranked as a high school recruit

Before they were selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the 31 players who heard their names called were high schoolers with a dream.

Some were rated by Rivals.com among the nation’s most elite prospects. Others had to scratch and claw just to receive a college scholarship. We decided to go back and look at how every first-round player was perceived as A high school recruit.

Each story — from each five-star recruit to players without an FBS offer — is unique.

1. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

Team: Carolina Panthers

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 2 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 dual-threat quarterback

Young was hovering around the top 50 in the rankings when he committed to USC before his junior year of high school. He maintained that commitment for more than a year, but he opted to play for Nick Saban rather than Clay Helton and flipped to Alabama in September of his senior season. And as he closed out his high school career, Young ended up being ranked second overall in the class of 2020. He lived up to that lofty ranking by winning the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman and now becoming the No. 1 pick.

2. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Team: Houston Texans

Rivals rating:4 stars, No. 51 overall

2020 position ranking:No. 3 pro-style quarterback

Another quarterback from Southern California, Stroud was not ranked as highly as Young in 2020. Stroud’s recruiting profile took off after strong showings in high-profile camp settings, including Elite 11 and The Opening. In the end, Stroud narrowed his choices to Ohio State and Georgia. He chose OSU and thrived during his time in Columbus. Stroud twice finished in the top four of the Heisman voting as he threw for 8,123 yards and 85 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. And he saved his best performance for last when he threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a College Football Playoff semifinal thriller vs. Georgia.

3. Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

Team: Houston Texans

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 22 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 weakside defensive end

When the final 2020 rankings came out, Anderson was given five-star status and considered the top weakside defensive end in the class. It capped off a rapid rise through the rankings for Anderson, who went from a four-star who barely cracked the Rivals 250 to a top 25 talent. Coming out of Hampton, Georgia, Anderson surprisingly wasn’t a big target for the Bulldogs.

Before his senior season, Anderson committed to Alabama with Auburn, Georgia Tech and Florida State among his other top suitors. Alabama’s talent evaluation of Anderson was spot-on as Anderson compiled 62 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks in three seasons with the Tide.

4. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Team: Indianapolis Colts

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 200 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 6 dual-threat quarterback

A native of Gainesville, Florida, Richardson was a three-star prospect for much of his recruitment before getting bumped up to four stars during his standout senior season. Richardson was an early commitment to Florida, his hometown school. He pledged to Dan Mullen not long after Mullen took the job, but Richardson actually reopened his recruitment as he began to attract attention from many other schools.

In the end, he stayed home and signed with the Gators. He spent just one season as UF’s full-time starter, but showed enough flashes of potential to declare for the draft. The move paid off.

5. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Rivals rating: Unranked

2019 position ranking: Unranked

Witherspoon has one of the most unique backstories in this draft. Coming out of Pensacola, Florida, he did not start playing football until his junior year. He received offers from programs like South Alabama, Southern Miss and UAB but ended up having to look at junior college for academic reasons.

Witherspoon even enrolled at Hutchinson Community College before receiving updated SAT scores that made him eligible to play Division I ball. That’s when Illinois swooped in and gave Witherspoon a chance to play in the Big Ten. He arrived on campus only weeks before the season began and ended up starting in three games as a freshman. By the time his senior year rolled around, Witherspoon was the top DB in the Big Ten. Now he’s a top-5 pick.

6. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Rivals rating:5 stars, No. 21 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 3 offensive tackle

A native of Cincinnati, Johnson was identified as a priority target for Ohio State early on in his high school career and it didn’t take too long for the five-star prospect to pick the Buckeyes. Johnson committed to OSU when Urban Meyer was still in charge. After the transition from Meyer to Ryan Day, Johnson backed away from his commitment and took visits to schools like Alabama, Georgia and LSU. He stuck with the Buckeyes and started at right guard as a sophomore before sliding to left tackle as a junior. He projects as a tackle long-term in the NFL.

7. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech

Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2018 position ranking: No. 26 weakside defensive end

Wilson was a three-star recruit who was considered the No. 65 recruit in the state of Texas in 2018. Wilson’s offer list didn’t exactly reflect his recruiting ranking as schools like Baylor, Florida, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas all offered him, mostly after his junior season. Before that, he had a pretty meager list. Washington State was one of the first to offer and he actually was committed to the Cougs for a short time. Later on, he pledged to Texas A&M and stuck with the Aggies during the transition from Kevin Sumlin to Jimbo Fisher. He spent two seasons at A&M before transferring to Texas Tech and emerging as an all-Big 12 player in Lubbock.

8. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Team: Atlanta Falcons

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 18 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 all-purpose back

A native of Arizona, Robinson cemented his status as a five-star recruit just before his senior season. He committed just before his senior year, too. Ohio State was seen as a favorite, with USC also in the mix. But in the weeks leading up to his commitment, Robinson began to focus on Texas. He committed in August 2019 when Tom Herman was still head coach and stuck with the Longhorns through the coaching change to Steve Sarkisian. Robinson put up big numbers in each of his three college seasons and ended up as the first running back off the board.

9. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 49 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 5 defensive tackle

Carter didn’t quite earn five-star status in 2020, but he was ranked in the top 50 in his class. An Apopka, Florida, native, Carter had most of the ACC and SEC programs competing for his signature. He mainly stuck to schools in the Southeast with programs like Florida, Florida State and Miami all getting visits. Later on, he announced a final three — Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. Shortly after announcing that top three, he committed to Georgia. He became a stalwart on the UGA defensive line, earning second-team all-SEC honors as a rotational player in 2021 and All-American honors in 2022.

10. Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Team: Chicago Bears

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 16 overall

2019 position ranking: No. 2 offensive tackle

Wright is the only five-star recruit to emerge from the state of West Virginia in the history of Rivals, dating back to 2002. Wright signed late in the class of 2019 and eventually chose Tennessee over West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina, among many others. Rivals had four tackles rated as five-star recruits in 2019 — Evan Neal, Wright, Charles Cross and Kenyon Green. Neal, Cross and Green all went in the first round last year. Now it’s Wright’s turn following his four-year run as a starter in Knoxville.

11. Peter Skoronski, OG, Northwestern

Team: Tennessee Titans

Rivals rating:4 stars, No. 223 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 21 offensive tackle

Coming out of the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Skoronski was a four-star recruit who tended to avoid the media spotlight as a high schooler. Skoronski got a lot of Big Ten attention, including offers from Iowa, Michigan and Penn State. Notre Dame also pursued Skoronski, but he stayed close to home and picked Northwestern before his senior season. He immediately became the Wildcats’ starter at left tackle, starting all 33 games he played in college. Now he’s moving on to the pros where he projects as a guard.

12. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

Team: Detroit Lions

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 70 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 2 all-purpose back

Gibbs attracted some Power Five attention but hadn’t really taken off in the recruiting world when he committed to Georgia Tech in May 2019. Once his senior season began, offers began to flood in. Ohio State, USC, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Texas and Georgia all showed interest, but Gibbs stuck with the Yellow Jackets. He spent two seasons at Georgia Tech but decided to transfer as the losses mounted. He ended up at Alabama and flourished, cementing his status as a first-round talent.

13. Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa

Team: Green Bay Packers

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2020 position ranking: Unranked

Van Ness was a three-star recruit from Barrington, Illinois, who was unranked at his position in the class of 2020. He had good size at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds but had only five Power Five offers — Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota. With his father an Iowa fan, the offer from the Hawkeyes carried the most weight and he committed to Kirk Ferentz’s program before his senior season. Van Ness didn’t even start at Iowa, but he was a big part of the team’s D-line rotation as he racked up 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

14. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 5 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 offensive tackle

Jones ended up emerging as the top tackle in the country in the class of 2020. Coming out of Lithonia, Georgia, the in-state Bulldogs were all over Jones and he ended up committing to UGA while he was still a sophomore. Other SEC programs made runs at Jones in the lead-up to signing day, especially after offensive line coach Sam Pittman left Athens to become the head coach at Arkansas. In the end, Jones stuck with the Bulldogs and ended up starting 19 games at left tackle and winning two national titles.

15. Will McDonald IV, DE, Iowa State

Team: New York Jets

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2018 position ranking: Unranked

A Waukesha, Wisconsin, native, McDonald had only two scholarship offers when he shut down his recruitment. He chose Iowa State over New Mexico and stuck with the Cyclones even as other programs — including Wisconsin — gauged his interest. At the time of his commitment, McDonald had played just one season of high school football. ISU’s staff recognized his potential and his talent rose to the surface as his college career progressed. Over his final three seasons at ISU, McDonald compiled 27 sacks.

16. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

Team: Washington Commanders

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 229 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 21 cornerback

A four-star recruit in 2020, Forbes was one of the best prospects in the state of Mississippi. He committed to MSU in February 2019. He ended up visiting schools like Ole Miss and Tennessee only to stay committed and sign with the Bulldogs. Forbes committed to Joe Moorhead’s staff and stuck with MSU after Moorhead was fired and Mike Leach was hired. He became a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, compiling a whopping 14 interceptions. Six of those INTs were returned for touchdowns, an FBS record.

17. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Team: New England Patriots

Rivals rating: 4 stars, not in Rivals 250

2020 position ranking: No. 25 cornerback

A lengthy corner out of Texas, Gonzalez was a four-star recruit in 2020. At one point in his recruitment, he put out a top five of Alabama, Arizona State, Colorado, Notre Dame and Ole Miss, only to instead verbally commit to Purdue. Gonzalez’s brother-in-law is former Purdue QB David Blough, so he had a connection to the Boilermakers. That commitment didn't last long, however. Three months later, Gonzalez flipped to Colorado. He played two seasons for the Buffs, transferred to Oregon for his junior year and then declared for the draft. On Thursday, he found a home in New England.

18. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

Team: Detroit Lions

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2019 position ranking: No. 39 outside linebacker

Only TCU quarterback Max Duggan ranked ahead of Campbell in the Iowa state rankings in 2019. Campbell had three offers from Power Five programs — Iowa, Iowa State and Minnesota. Iowa was the first to offer and Campbell went with the Hawkeyes. Campbell was a reserve for his first two years at Iowa before emerging as a star as a junior and senior. In those two seasons, he combined for 271 tackles and four interceptions.

19. Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rivals rating:3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2019 position ranking:No. 47 defensive tackle

Pitt has had success developing under the radar talent from Florida. Kancey is a great example of that. Kancey was not ranked among the top 100 players in Florida back in 2019, but Pitt pursued him heavily. Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Louisville, Rutgers and South Carolina were Kancey’s other Power Five offers, but the Panthers were the pick. A Miami native, Kancey was never offered by the Hurricanes. That proved to be a mistake as Kancey terrorized the ACC with 27 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

20. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 20 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 4 wide receiver

Like Garrett Wilson before him, Smith-Njigba committed to Ohio State as one of the top receiving prospects from the state of Texas. Smith-Njigba would eventually earn five-star status following a standout performance at the All-American Bowl, but he was a fringe Top 250 prospect when he committed to Urban Meyer as a high school junior. Smith-Njigba stuck with his OSU commitment when Meyer stepped down and ended up emerging as one of the best players in the country by the time he was a sophomore. That year, he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine TDs on a team that also had Wilson and Chris Olave, both of whom were 2022 first-rounders.

21. Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

Team: Los Angeles Chargers

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 80 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 14 wide receiver

Johnston was one of the top players in Texas back in 2020 and ended up as the third-best wideout in the state in the Rivals rankings. He got recruiting attention early in his high school career, including from many of the local Big 12 programs. Before his senior season, Johnston committed to Texas over Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma. All the while, TCU’s staff stayed in contact. Following some changes on the UT coaching staff, Johnston flipped to the Horned Frogs. In three seasons, he caught 115 passes and averaged 19 yards per reception.

22. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2019 position ranking:No. 86 wide receiver

Flowers was not even included in the top 100 recruits in Florida in 2019. Flowers played on both sides of the ball in high school and there were plenty of schools who preferred him as a defensive back. When he signed with Boston College over offers from schools like Kentucky, Nebraska, Pitt and South Carolina, BC actually listed him as a cornerback. Once he enrolled, Flowers moved to receiver and flourished. By the time his college career ended, he accumulated 200 catches for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns.

23. Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250

2020 position ranking: No. 86 wide receiver

Addison was considered the 21st-best recruit in Maryland in the class of 2020. It did not take him long to out-play that rating. Pitt receivers coach Chris Beatty was the first to offer Addison a scholarship back when Beatty was working at Maryland. That interest continued as Beatty switched jobs and Pitt was able to land a commitment even as Addison drew offers from schools like Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Addison caught 160 passes in two seasons at Pitt before a high-profile transfer to USC. Addison led the Trojans in receiving, but was not quite as productive as he was when he won the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore at Pitt.

24. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

Team: New York Giants

Rivals rating: 2 stars, not in Rivals 250

2019 position ranking: Unranked

Banks was an under the radar recruit from Edgewood, Maryland, who got a two-star rating from Rivals. He had only two FBS offers — from Buffalo and Kent State — when Maryland offered him a scholarship. He committed two weeks later and said playing for the Terps was a dream come true. Banks quickly out-played that two-star rating by becoming a starter at cornerback as a true freshman. Banks missed most of his junior season with a shoulder injury but bounced back in a big way as a senior.

25. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Team: Buffalo Bills

Rivals rating: 2 stars, not in Rivals 250

2018 position ranking: Unranked (wide receiver)

Once upon a time, Kincaid was a two-star wide receiver prospect from Las Vegas who attracted very little attention from college programs. He ended up signing with the University of San Diego, an FCS program that doesn’t offer scholarships. At San Diego, Kincaid added weight and became a tight end. In two seasons, he caught 68 passes for 1,209 yards and 19 touchdowns. From there, he explored a transfer, landed at Utah and emerged as a star. In 2022, Kincaid caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight scores.

26. Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 142 overall

2019 position ranking: No. 9 defensive tackle

Smith was considered the seventh-best prospect in Michigan in 2019 and he saw a steady rise in the rankings as his high school career progressed. Smith visited Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin but decided to wrap up his recruiting process before his senior season by committing to the in-state Wolverines. He didn’t play much his first two seasons, but later became a stalwart on UM’s defensive front by starting 28 consecutive games over his final two seasons in Ann Arbor.

27. Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Rivals rating: 4 stars, No. 166 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 15 offensive tackle

Harrison was a four-star recruit out of Washington D.C. in 2020. Offers started rolling in for Harrison as early as his freshman season and top programs from around the country entered the fray. Harrison narrowed his choices down to six schools — Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Ole Miss. Penn State and Michigan were considered threats for Harrison, but Oklahoma was the pick. He became a two-year starter for the Sooners, was a first-team all-Big 12 pick as a junior and snuck into the first round.

28. Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson

Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 4 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 strongside defensive end

Murphy was the top-rated player in Georgia and at his position in the class of 2020. He was identified early as a high level recruit. Georgia and Auburn were Murphy’s first two offers. Alabama was also among his early offers. Clemson jumped into the fray in May of 2018. A year later, he committed to the Tigers. Auburn and Georgia were his other finalists. Over three seasons, he put up 139 tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. Now he is headed to the Bengals as a first-round pick.

29. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

Team: New Orleans Saints

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 1 overall

2020 position ranking: No. 1 defensive tackle

Bresee was the No. 1 player in the entire class of 2020. Coming out of the state of Maryland, the Terps were the first to offer him a scholarship as a high school freshman. Dozens more would follow as he continued to dominate high school competition. Bresee would eventually whittle down his lengthy list to six schools: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. Clemson was the pick as Bresee wrapped up his recruitment while still in his junior year. Bresee battled injuries in college, but he proved to be incredibly disruptive when healthy.

30. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Rivals rating: 5 stars, No. 2 overall

2019 position ranking: No. 1 outside linebacker

Only Derek Stingley Jr. was ranked higher in 2019 than Smith. Smith was the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country and the Georgia native received an offer from the Bulldogs as a high school freshman. Several other big programs quickly joined in, including Miami, Tennessee and South Carolina. Smith ended up committing to Georgia as a sophomore and ultimately signed with UGA despite efforts to flip him from programs like Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. Smith stayed four years at UGA and finished his career with 114 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

31. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Rivals rating: 2 stars, not in Rivals 250

2020 position ranking: Unranked

Anudike-Uzomah was just a two-star recruit in the class of 2020. He played high school ball in the Kansas City area and only had a few offers in the lead-up to national signing day. During his senior season, he committed to North Dakota State, a powerhouse FCS program. Later on, though, he got an offer from Kansas State that he could not pass up. He barely played as a freshman but improved rapidly. He became an all-Big 12 player as a sophomore and combined for 97 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks over his last two seasons. Now he gets to play for his hometown team as a first-round pick. How cool is that?