A position-by-position tour on defense through all seven rounds. All the best prospects listed here within our 2023 NFL Draft Rankings.
See where each player grades by round, and keep as a handy guide to plan ahead who your team might target across all three days.
Keep track of the 2023 NFL Draft with all prospect rankings below:
2023 NFL Rankings – offense by position: QB, RB, WR, TE, OT and iOL, click here.
To see our 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 50 overall prospects, click here.
To see the 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: 51-100 overall prospects, click here.
2023 NFL Draft Rankings: Edge Defenders
Round 1
1. Will Anderson, Alabama – 6’4/253
2. Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech – 6’6/271
3. Lukas Van Ness, Iowa – 6’5/272
4. Will McDonald IV, Iowa State – 6’4/239
Round 2
5. Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern – 6’2/282
6. Myles Murphy, Clemson – 6’5/268
7. Derick Hall, Auburn – 6’3/256
8. Nolan Smith, Georgia – 6’2/238
9. Keion White, Georgia Tech – 6’4/285
10. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State – 6’3/255
Round 2-3
11. YaYa Diaby, Louisville – 6’3/263
12. B.J. Ojulari, LSU – 6’2/248
13. Byron Young, Tennessee – 6’2/250
14. Zach Harrison, Ohio State – 6’5/274
Round 3
15. Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame – 6’5/264
16. Tuli Tuipulotu, USC – 6’3/266
17. Isaiah McGuire, Missouri – 6’4/268
Round 4
18. K.J. Henry, Clemson – 6’4/251
19. Robert Beal, Georgia – 6’4/247
20. Dylan Horton, TCU – 6’4/257
Round 5-6
21. Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan – 6’2/262
22. Mike Morris, Michigan – 6’5/275
23. Isaiah Land, Florida A&M – 6’4/236
24. Tavius Robinson, Ole Miss – 6’6/257
25 Tyrus Wheat, Mississippi State – 6’2/263
2023 NFL Draft Rankings: Interior Defensive Line
Round 1
1. Jalen Carter, Georgia – 6’3/314
2. Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh – 6’1/281
3. Mazi Smith, Michigan – 6’3/323
Round 2
4. Bryan Bresee, Clemson – 6’5/298
5. Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin – 6’4/309
Round 2-3
6. Zacch Pickens, South Carolina – 6’4/291
7. Byron Young, Alabama – 6’3/294
Round 3
8. Siaki Ika, Baylor – 6’3/335
9. Cameron Young, Mississippi State – 6’3/304
10. Gervon Dexter, Florida – 6’6/310
11. Moro Ojomo, Texas – 6’3/292
Round 3-4
12. Karl Brooks, Bowling Green – 6’4/280
13. Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina – 6’4/334
Round 4
14. Colby Wooden, Auburn – 6’4/273
15. Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma – 6’2/291
Round 4-5
16. Jaquelin Roy, LSU – 6’3/305
17. Keondre Coburn, Texas – 6’2/332
18. Kobie Turner, Wake Forest – 6’3/290
Round 5-6
19. Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State – 6’2/304
20. D.J. Dale, Alabama – 6’1/302
21. Dante Stills, West Virginia – 6’3/286
Round 6-7
22. P.J. Mustipher, Penn State – 6’4/320
23. Cory Durden, NC State – 6’4/292
2023 NFL Draft Rankings: Linebackers
Round 2
1. Drew Sanders, Arkansas – 6’4/235
2. Jack Campbell, Iowa – 6’5/249
Round 2-3
3. Trenton Simpson, Clemson – 6’2/235
4. Daiyan Henley, Washington State – 6’1/225
Round 3
5. Dorian Williams, Tulane – 6’1/228
Round 3-4
6. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama – 6’1/227
7. DeMarvion Overshown, Texas – 6’3/229
Round 4
8. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin – 6’2/240
9. Yasir Abdullah, Louisville – 6’1/237
Round 4-5
10. Noah Sewell, Oregon – 6’2/246
11. Owen Pappoe, Auburn – 6’0/225
Round 5
12. Ivan Pace Jr, Cincinnati – 5’11/231
13. Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt – 6’1/230
14. SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh – 6’1/226
15. Dee Winters, TCU – 5’11/227
Round 5-6
16. Ventrell Miller, Florida – 6’0/232
17. Mohamoud Diabate, Utah – 6’3/227
18. Jeremy Banks, Tennessee – 6’1/232
19. Shaka Heyward, Duke – 6’3/235
Round 6-7
20. Cam Jones, Indiana – 6’1/226
21. Aubrey Miller, Jackson State – 6’2/225
22. Isaiah Moore, NC State – 6’2/233
2023 NFL Draft Rankings: Cornerbacks
Round 1
1. Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – 6’0/181
2. Christian Gonzalez, Oregon – 6’1/197
3. Deonte Banks, Maryland – 6’0/197
4. DJ Turner, Michigan – 5’11/178
Round 2
5. Joey Porter Jr, Penn State – 6’3/193
6. Julius Brents, Kansas State – 6’3/198
7. Kelee Ringo, Georgia – 6’2/207
8. Darius Rush, South Carolina – 6’2/198
Round 3
9. Clark Phillips III, Utah – 5’9/184
10. Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State – 6’1/166
11. Cory Trice, Purdue – 6’3/206
Round 3-4
12. Cam Smith, South Carolina – 6’1/180
13. Tyrique Stevenson, Miami – 6’0/198
14. Darrell Luter, South Alabama – 6’0/189
Round 4
15. Mekhi Blackmon, USC – 5’11/178
16. Garrett Williams, Syracuse – 5’10/192
17. Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford – 6’0/191
18. Jakorian Bennett, Maryland – 5’11/188
19. Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M – 6’2/200
Round 4-5
20. Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern – 5’11/191
21. Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State – 6’2/193
22. Mekhi Garner, LSU – 6’2/212
Round 5
23. Alex Austin, Oregon State – 6’1/195
24. Riley Moss, Iowa – 6’1/193
25. Terell Smith, Minnesota – 6’1/204
26. Eli Ricks, Alabama – 6’2/188
27. Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville – 5’10/181
Round 5-6
28. Carrington Valentine, Kentucky – 6’0/193
29. Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina – 6’2/200
30. Anthony Johnson, Virginia – 6’2/205
2023 NFL Draft Rankings: Safeties
Round 2
1. Brian Branch, Alabama – 6’0/190
Round 2-3
2. JL Skinner, Boise State – 6’4/209
3. Jartavius Martin, Illinois – 5’11/194
Round 3
4. Sydney Brown, Illinois – 5’10/211
5. Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State – 5’11/203
Round 3-4
6. Jordan Howden, Minnesota – 6’0/203
7. DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama – 6’1/203
8. Christopher Smith, Georgia – 5’11/192
Round 4
9. Jammie Robinson, Florida State – 5’11/191
10. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M – 6’2/198
11. Jordan Battle, Alabama – 6’1/209
Round 4-5
12. Jay Ward, LSU – 6’1/188
13. Marte Mapu, Sacramento State – 6’2/217
14. Jerrick Reed, New Mexico – 5’10/192
15. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame – 6’0/202
Round 5
16. Daniel Scott, California – 6’1/208
17. Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State – 6’0/204
18. Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State – 6’1/203
19. Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh – 5’10/193
Round 5-6
20. Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State – 6’0/205
21. Rashad Torrence, Florida – 6’0/193
22. Trey Dean III, Florida – 6’2/200
Round 6-7
23. Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa – 6’0/205
24. Gervarrius Owens, Houston – 6’0/195
25. Tyreque Jones, Boise State – 6’2/195
Keep track of the 2023 NFL Draft with all prospect rankings below:
2023 NFL Rankings – offense by position: QB, RB, WR, TE, OT and iOL, click here.
To see our 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 50 overall prospects, click here.
To see the 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: 51-100 overall prospects, click here.
Feel free to comment on these 2023 NFL Draft Rankings on Twitter @BenAMatthews.