Top 9 Biggest Potential Draft Busts in the 2023 NFL Draft

Biggest Potential Draft Busts

Bust happen as much if not more than surprises during the NFL Draft and today we will look at the most probable draft busts in the 2023 Draft class.

9) Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

Forbes was an excellent corner in College; the glaring question is his size. He is 6’1, which is fine, but he weighs just 166 lbs! That is a huge concern when it comes to durability when playing in the NFL.

Emmanuel Forbes 2022 Mississippi State Highlights 🔥|| HD

8) Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

Noah Sewell comes from an NFL family; his brother Penei was selected in the top five by the Detroit Lions, and both played at Oregon. They come from American Samoa’s football heritage with proud pedigrees to their credit.

His breakout season at Eugene was his sophomore campaign. Appearing in 14 games over 879 snaps, he recorded 72 tackles, 15 assists, 37 stops, 34 quarterback pressures hurried 21 times by him, and nine hits, four sacks, and one interception.

Though his performance dipped last season, Sewell still holds tremendous potential. With above-average athleticism for his position and good size, Sewell excels as an aggressive run defender who consistently pursues the ball; his instincts may not be ideal, and any misdirection will present issues at higher levels.

His shortcomings can be seen when he misses tackles and does not wrap his arms around players to drive them down to the ground. Sewell is typically utilized as a MIKE linebacker, yet outside the box, his lateral movement becomes detrimental.

Noah Sewell 2022 Highlights | Oregon LB | 2023 NFL Draft Prospect

7) Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland

Duncan appears to be an elite NFL tackle based on how he moves around a football field, yet he looks more like an average college tackle when engaged in blocking duties. This past season he only earned a 61.6 overall grade with 28 pressures allowed from 476 pass-blocking snaps – and regularly falls off blocks during tape analysis; it remains to be seen if this will ever change.

NFL Draft’s Top Sleeper – OT Jaelyn Duncan Senior Bowl Highlights

6) Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

Musgrave is an athletic 6-foot-6 tight end with impressive agility at his position, evading and outwitting defenders – an exceptionally rare trait among tight ends. Unfortunately, Musgrave was by far the least productive of thetop tight end prospects this past season – three other tight ends generated more receiving yards this past year alone than he did during four seasons at Oregon State! Additionally, nine out of 56 catchable passes for Oregon State were dropped, and this doesn’t help matters at all!

Luke Musgrave Oregon State TE Highlights || Fastest TE In The Draft

5) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

Levis emerged as the star quarterback at the top of this draft, not really, but if you were looking for physical attributes he would be the choice. If you witnessed his pro day, it became immediately evident why NFL evaluators hold such high regard for him; his ability to push 30+ yards downfield quickly without adding extra air is an invaluable advantage when attacking tight windows in NFL.

On tape, however, those special throws were less frequent than desired, and his accuracy varied widely from play to play. He will be drafted for his potential rather than how good he is today.

Kentucky QB Will Levis 2022 Highlights ᴴᴰ

4) Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

Jalen Carter has had an unfortunate turn of events since the end of the season. Off the gridiron, it has been nothing short of disastrous; recently pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged street racing accident which cost two lives – Georgia teammate Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy.

Do You Want More? Carter was ticketed for driving 90 mph in a 45 mph zone and showed up to Georgia’s pro day nine pounds heavier than when he attended the combine and could not complete position drills. Carter has “red flags”, sirens, and cautionary tape surrounding him. His athleticism will lead to some team picking him, but chances are it won’t work out.

Jalen Carter The Next Warren Sapp? | 2023 NFL Draft Profile

3) Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Reports indicate that Hooker has impressed the brain trusts of multiple teams, including Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers, to consider taking a chance on him in the first or early second round. Meanwhile, Seattle Seahawks, who now possess an aging Geno Smith, have made no secret they intend to select an early quarterback like Hooker as soon as possible – they could select him with either their fifth overall pick (from Denver), 20th pick or in either round two at 37 (also from Denver), 52 or even later on if possible.

On tape, he can be seen holding on to the ball too long, having difficulty with mechanics, and struggling with accuracy. A torn ACL will only hurt his chances as no NFL teams run that type of offense he participated in – meaning his learning curve will likely be steep at his next stop.

Hendon Hooker 2023 nfl draft quarterback prospect from University of Tennessee

2) Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

Jones may find his size a liability. We’ve seen larger offensive tackles struggle against smaller, quicker pass rushers despite possessing solid enough movement skills; this could still pose problems if Jones plays too upright.

Jones also was often guilty of incurring penalties while at Ohio State; during his final two seasons there, 16 infractions were recorded. It will certainly be crucial that this practice doesn’t carry over into his NFL career and continue hindering his performance.

Jones should be selected on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft due to his raw tools; however, should he sneak into the first round, he will likely become one of the key “boom or bust” players to keep an eye on as he adjusts to facing quicker pass rushers in the league.

Dawand Jones [Hype Highlights ] 🗻 AKA BIG THANOS

1) Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Richardson completed only 53.8 per cent of his passes during his sole season as a starter at Florida, though his lifetime mark of 54.7 per cent is slightly better. Unfortunately, Richardson joins four quarterbacks drafted within the last decade who completed less than 55 per cent of their college passes.

Who are the other three players? Christian Hackenberg, Trace McSorley and Trey Lance.

An NFL quarterback does not usually want to find himself among these guys.

But due to his inaccuracy and lack of starting experience at quarterback, Richardson is a high-risk selection; think Akili Smith!

Florida QB Anthony Richardson 2022 Highlights 🐊 ᴴᴰ