This is the Gridiron Review’s list of players we think have the highest chance of busting in the 2023 NFL Draft. Some are ones we think just will not be good, and others we feel are decent but being blown way out of proportion as far as their draft projections.
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
Tyree Wilson SCREAMS bust in our opinion. It is so odd to see him projected a top 5 pick repeatedly by almost all NFL Analysts. We do not even have a 1st round grade on him. He has incredible length and good power, but he has some of the worst burst in the class. It is weird to see him say he would run in the 4.5s because that does not show on film at all. Wilson has no jump and seems to labor to get to the tackles. His pass rushing moves are few and far between, and he needs a ton of development in that area. Wilson seems very coachable which is a plus, but he is a major project that is not worth a top 15 pick
Tanner McKee, Quarterback, Stanford
It is puzzling to see some have McKee as a top 5 quarterback in this class. He is a 7th rounder to us, and there is one glaring reason why. He may have the worst pocket presence we have ever seen. He cannot sense pressure to save his life and fails to read blitzing defenders before the snap. He was sacked a ridiculous amount of times at Stanford this year. And most of them were his fault. This is not something we see suddenly getting better.
Will Levis, Quarterback, Kentucky
Anyone that follows us knows that we do not like Levis much. He has some great physical attributes, but a lot going against him. He has an unearned arrogance that rubs us (and most teams if reports are to be believed) the wrong way. He was unable to beat our Sean Clifford at Penn State which should have sirens blaring. He also seems very inadequate at reading defenses with some of the ugliest interceptions of any player in this class.
Hendon Hooker, Quarterback, Tennessee
This is a disclaimer, we only think Hooker busts is he is taken in the first rounder. We feel Hooker is a very safe quarterback (injury not taken into account), but with extremely limited upside. He reminds us of Trubisky or Bridgewater as a game manager with decent athleticism, but he should not be a 1st rounder to us.
Zach Evans, Running Back, Ole Miss
His hype has died down some, but for a player who has never won over a backfield and with Trent Richardson levels of vision, we do not get how people fall in love with him.
Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
White is a physical freak, there is no denying that. But, he is extremely raw as a player. He has almost no pass rushing plan or move set, and needs to win on his athleticism alone at the moment. He would be much better suited going in the 3rd round and given as much time to develop as needed.
Derek Parish, EDGE, Houston
He has gained a lot of steam recently, and his film is pretty decent. But, Parish has 1 percentile arm length. It shows on film and we do not see how he will be able to win at the next level. Parish may need to consider a positional change to more off-ball or blitzing MLB (which he has the athleticism to do so) in order to stick at the next level.
Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
Mazi benched an incredible number and you would think he has the strength to own the middle of the line, except, his strength is far less impressive on film. Smith does not routinely take on double teams and he gets overwhelmed far too much for a player with as much strength as he has. He needs a lot of work to improve his technique.
Luke Musgrave, Tight End, Oregon State
We just do not get Musgrave hype. We said this way back in February that Musgrave does not see to be anything special and we stand by it. He has good straight line speed but that is about it. A mystery injury kept him out most of the season, he does not make people miss ever, and his route running is just okay.
Chase Brown, Running Back, Illinois
Chase Brown had one of the better combines at the running back position. He tested very well in all areas, but unfortunately it does not show on film. He lacks explosiveness and that 40 time is nowhere to be seen. Now, he does offer pass catching ability and can be the type of running back to grind defenses down with consistent 4 yard carries, but we do not expect him to be anything elite.