| Score | Overall |
| 94.1 | 1 |
| Position | Day |
| 1 | 1 |
| Score | Position | Day | Overall |
| 94.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Weight: | 314 lbs |
| Hands: | 10.25 | Arms: | 33.5 |
| 40 YD Dash: | -- | 10 YD Split: | -- |
| Vertical: | -- | Broad: | -- |
| Shuttle: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Hands: | 10.25 | 40 YD Dash: | -- |
| Weight: | 314 lbs | Arms: | 33.5 | 10 YD Split: | -- |
| Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- | ||
| Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Hands: | 10.25 | 40 YD Dash: | -- | Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Weight: | 314 lbs | Arms: | 33.5 | 10 YD Split: | -- | Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
Carter was born and raised in Apopka, Florida, Carter was a multi-sport athlete in high school at Apopka High School, playing defensive tackle, tight end, and punter for his high school football team, as well as competing in basketball and weightlifting. In fact, Carter's weightlifting prowess helped him place second in the FHSAA Class 2A heavyweight division with an impressive bench press of 395 pounds. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and received offers from many major FBS programs such as Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. He chose to commit to Georgia, where he earned playing time right away in his freshman season. Since then, Carter has established himself as a standout player, earning numerous accolades such as 2022 All-SEC First Team, 2022 All-American First Team, and being a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award in the same year. He was also named to the 2021 All-SEC 2nd team.
Insane power. When Carter puts his hands on someone, it looks like a video game with dramatic collision mechanics — the opposing player goes flying. The power is tremendous. One thing that contributes to his success here is his consistent hand placement. He gets inside of guards and easily wins the hand-fighting battle early on, eventually allowing him to shed blocks with ease.
Get off is incredible. First-step quickness is my most valued trait for an interior defender, and Carter’s is elite. He jumps out of his stance, beating opposing OLS to the punch on almost every single rep. You would think you were watching a player closer to 260 pounds rather than someone near 315 pounds.
Pass-rush arsenal is A+. Carter combines the aforementioned power with a slew of consistent, quick-hitting pass-rush moves, highlighted by a classic swim move. Carter has a variety of ways to win pass-rush reps, and he does a very good job of attacking with a plan on every down.
Impressive body and weight distribution. Carter is an athlete. He weighs 315 pounds, but is rocked up and lean. Some team’s staff might even be tempted to bulk him up even more, given how well he carries the weight, but I personally wouldn’t mess with his current size, strength, and quickness profile.
My top score of the 2023 NFL Draft class goes to Jalen Carter — he is the number 1 player on my board and is worthy of being drafted anywhere in the top-5. Outside of the troubling off-the-field issues, which can’t be ignored, he has no clear deficiencies. This is a special player who should be a plus player from his first snap in the NFL, both defending the run and getting after the quarterback.
| Score | Overall |
| 90 | 16 |
| Position | Day |
| 2 | 1 |
| Score | Position | Day | Overall |
| 90 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| Height: | 6' 1/2" | Weight: | 281 lbs |
| Hands: | 9.13 | Arms: | 30.63 |
| 40 YD Dash: | 4.67 | 10 YD Split: | 1.64 |
| Vertical: | -- | Broad: | -- |
| Shuttle: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 1/2" | Hands: | 9.13 | 40 YD Dash: | 4.67 |
| Weight: | 281 lbs | Arms: | 30.63 | 10 YD Split: | 1.64 |
| Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- | ||
| Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 1/2" | Hands: | 9.13 | 40 YD Dash: | 4.67 | Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Weight: | 281 lbs | Arms: | 30.63 | 10 YD Split: | 1.64 | Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
Kancey was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Kancey honed his skills as a defensive tackle at Northwestern High School, where he became a three-star recruit after his senior season. Kancey ultimately chose to commit to the University of Pittsburgh over offers from other FBS schools such as Louisville, Rutgers, and Kansas State. Since his freshman year, Kancey has been a force to be reckoned with on the field, earning numerous accolades and awards for his exceptional talent and hard work. In 2020, he was named a Freshman All-American, and he followed that up with even more impressive performances in the following seasons. In 2021, he was named to the First Team All-ACC, and in 2022, he earned several major awards and recognitions, including being named a First Team All-American, the College Football Network National Defensive Tackle of the Year, a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy, a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Position-best explosiveness and lateral quickness. Kancey wins with an elite first step and burst that takes opposing offensive linemen to the phantom zone. Comparing college prospects to Hall-of-Fame talents usually requires a 30-day jail sentence, but Kancey is the closest thing to **Aaron Donald **we have seen in this regard. Whether getting the jump as a pass-rusher or causing disruption as a run defender, the crown jewel of Kancey’s game is winning with quickness.
Pass-rush moves and hand technique are above average. Sometimes when you get a guy that wins primarily with quickness and explosiveness, they rely so heavily on that trait they don’t take the time to develop secondary options. But Kancey has. He has a variety of good pass-rush moves, including a wicked swim-over as well as some good backdoor counters. His play speed and intensity really set him up well to string moves together as well. He is relentless when rushing the passer.
Plays with good leverage. For an interior defender on the extremely small side, Kancey checks the box on all three forms of leverage when he plays: hand placement is good, pad level is good, and body positioning is good. This really helps him maintain gap integrity as an undersized player, especially in 2022, when he took a giant step forward in this regard.
Call him "The Closer." I have already noted that Kancey is a fantastic athlete, but another spot it pops is in his closing burst on the ball carriers, especially as he bends around corners and engages tackle opportunities with great balance and control. He will convert a large number of pressures to sacks as well as early penetrations to TFLs.
Kancey has the makings of a true difference-maker as a pass-rusher/disruptor in the NFL. His size and length are sizable concerns (no pun intended), though, and admittedly he won’t be for everyone. I am willing to live with the consequences of my evaluation if his lack of size/length ends up costing him, because the other traits are just insane. Officially, he scores as a top-10 player for me.
| Score | Overall |
| 86.9 | 29 |
| Position | Day |
| 3 | 2 |
| Score | Position | Day | Overall |
| 86.9 | 3 | 2 | 29 |
| Height: | 6' 2" | Weight: | 323 lbs |
| Hands: | 9.75 | Arms: | 33.75 |
| 40 YD Dash: | -- | 10 YD Split: | -- |
| Vertical: | -- | Broad: | -- |
| Shuttle: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 2" | Hands: | 9.75 | 40 YD Dash: | -- |
| Weight: | 323 lbs | Arms: | 33.75 | 10 YD Split: | -- |
| Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- | ||
| Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
| Height: | 6' 2" | Hands: | 9.75 | 40 YD Dash: | -- | Broad: | -- | Cone: | -- |
| Weight: | 323 lbs | Arms: | 33.75 | 10 YD Split: | -- | Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | -- |
Smith is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he attended East Kentwood High School before committing to the Michigan Wolverines as a four-star prospect in 2019. He turned down offers from Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State to stay in his home state. Since joining the team, Smith has become a standout defensive lineman, earning All-Big Ten honors in both 2021 and 2022. He has also been recognized for his academic achievements as a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. In 2021, Smith was named the team's Richard Katcher Award winner, an honor given to the Wolverines' top defensive lineman. The following year, he was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year.
Big, strong, and physical. Smith is an absolute unit. His presence on the field is obvious when you pop on the tape. He is one of, if not the, strongest players in the draft class, and it’s evident in his play style. His initial punch jolts offensive linemen backward, and he has the stoutness and power to continue that push into the backfield. His low anchor and solid pad level allow him to handle double teams very well. He will be very disruptive in the run game.
Athletic marvel. Mazi entered the 2022 season at #1 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List. The bottom line is simply guys this big that move like Smith moves are just rare. The physical traits are intoxicating. Mazi has elite agility for a player walking around at 325+ pounds, and he pairs that with tremendous hip and ankle flexibility — a natural bender. Teams will be able to include him on stunts and twists, which is a scary thought considering the size and power he has. Despite a modest get-off, he is also very explosive, which you can see with how he changes directions and closes on ball carriers with a blur.
Intangibles, intangibles, intangibles, oh my! This guy is a coach's dream. Smith’s football IQ is top-notch, most noticeable in his ability to see and diagnose run keys. Secondly, he is a workout warrior who takes tremendous care of his body and diet. This is evidenced by his 28 consecutive starts and the enormous snap load he took on, again notable because of his massive frame. Lastly, Smith was voted a team captain heading into 2022.
Hand usage needs big-time work. Smith is so used to moving people at will that when it doesn’t work, it's almost like he forgets he can reset his hands and continue the positioning battle. He is going to have to develop better hand technique and urgency to get those hands reset when he starts to lose. This will be paramount to his ability to shed blocks at the same level he did in college.
Limited pass-rush plan. The one thing likely holding him back from being a consensus top-25 pick is his lack of productivity as a pass-rusher, especially when you consider the physical traits at his disposal. I already mentioned poor hand usage, which definitely trickles into his pass-rush attack, but from my vantage point, he also gets caught between trying to win with moves vs. taking a collapse-the-pocket approach. Ideally, he develops some go-to pass-rush moves (his swim move is already pretty good) and mixes in some power rush attacks based on the alignment of the front.
Needs to get under control when closing on the QB. When Smith did have clean pass-rush wins, he often would find himself out of control in the backfield and would wind up whiffing on the QB or sliding off of him outright. He could have easily quadrupled his sack production with better tackling ability.
Smith was, surprisingly, one of my favorite players in this draft class. It is really easy to get enamored with the physical ability he has, and it's also easy to see a clean pathway to success with a little bit of good coaching. While I do think there are some clear deficiencies to his game, there is more than enough to work with here and warrant betting on the traits. He scores as an early day-2 pick whom I could easily see going in the first round.
| Score | Overall |
| 81.7 | 61 |
| Position | Day |
| 5 | 2 |
| Score | Position | Day | Overall |
| 81.7 | 5 | 2 | 61 |
| Height: | 6' 3 1/2" | Weight: | 309 lbs |
| Hands: | 9.75 | Arms: | 33.88 |
| 40 YD Dash: | 5.08 | 10 YD Split: | 1.79 |
| Vertical: | 29.5 | Broad: | 111 |
| Shuttle: | 4.65 | Cone: | 7.34 |
| Height: | 6' 3 1/2" | Hands: | 9.75 | 40 YD Dash: | 5.08 |
| Weight: | 309 lbs | Arms: | 33.88 | 10 YD Split: | 1.79 |
| Broad: | 111 | Cone: | 7.34 | ||
| Vertical: | 29.5 | Shuttle: | 4.65 |
| Height: | 6' 3 1/2" | Hands: | 9.75 | 40 YD Dash: | 5.08 | Broad: | 111 | Cone: | 7.34 |
| Weight: | 309 lbs | Arms: | 33.88 | 10 YD Split: | 1.79 | Vertical: | 29.5 | Shuttle: | 4.65 |
Benton is from Janesville, Wisconsin, where he attended Janesville Craig High School. He earned first-team all-state honors as a senior after finishing with 75 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He was also a two-time state qualifier in wrestling. He was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and received offers from both Iowa and Wisconsin. He ultimately chose to commit to the University of Wisconsin in 2018. Since then, Benton has established himself as one of the most promising young defensive linemen in college football, earning All-Big Ten honors in both 2021 and 2022 and being recognized for his academic success as a 2020 Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Huge man with enormous wingspan. Benton is a very well-proportioned 310+ pound man. He carries a lot of weight in a sturdy lower half and is very muscular/well put together. He doesn’t have a lot of body fat at all for a guy his size. The size/length combo really stands out when you watch the tape.
Insane power off the rip move. He has great play strength and knock-you-back power. His initial strikes are violent and impactful and can send offensive linemen flying. There are a lot of plays on which he just tosses guys out of his way.
Good pass-rush arsenal. Benton has upside as a pass-rusher at the next level. On top of his raw power, he adds a couple of very well-developed moves that he had good success with. His cross-chop was extremely effective, as was his club-swim. He can use his club-swim as a primary move to attack the gap he is shading, or he can load it into more of a hump-swim and weaponize it as a counter — both versions were highly effective.
Hand fighting extraordinaire. You can tell Benton was a wrestler as soon as you put on the tape. He diligently fights for hand positioning and will not surrender any easy wins to the opposing OL. This translates well to the aforementioned pass-rush moves.
Smooth athlete with excellent balance and flexibility. Benton’s top-notch balance and ankle flexibility allow him to transition from deconstructing blocks to chasing ball carriers very smoothly. This, combined with excellent length, gives him very sneaky range. If he can get off the block, there is a good chance he will get a piece of the ball carrier.
Needs to be more consistent with leverage/pad level. His tall long frame can get the best of him at times, as he has a tendency to play high and will occasionally get washed out in the run game. He did improve in this area in 2022, though. It’s also worth noting, when he can diagnose a double team and/or feels the need to anchor, he does a good job of getting his pads right. As he fixes some things with his pad level, he should get even more consistent in deconstructing blocks.
Doesn’t play with ideal flow in the run game. Benton is at his best when he is on the attack getting upfield. When he plays within the scheme a bit more and is forced to diagnose run concepts and OL footwork, he is slow to react and can find himself getting reached easily.
Lacks ideal explosiveness. While I wouldn’t say this is a major issue, Benton can be inconsistent with his explosiveness off the snap. Sometimes he pops, and sometimes he just seems sluggish. I wonder how badly the knee injury he played through in 2022 affected him.
Benton is the classic case of a guy whose best football is likely ahead of him. You saw him take some major leaps with consistency and pass-rush ability in 2022, and I can’t help but feel like he will just keep trending upwards. He does have some things to clean up, though, and there is enough concern to cause some pause. For me, he scored as a day-2 player whom I am comfortable taking in the mid-2nd round.
| Score | Overall |
| 75.5 | 98 |
| Position | Day |
| 8 | 2 |
| Score | Position | Day | Overall |
| 75.5 | 8 | 2 | 98 |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Weight: | 335 lbs |
| Hands: | 10.25 | Arms: | 32.38 |
| 40 YD Dash: | 5.39 | 10 YD Split: | 1.88 |
| Vertical: | -- | Broad: | -- |
| Shuttle: | 4.99 | Cone: | 7.8 |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Hands: | 10.25 | 40 YD Dash: | 5.39 |
| Weight: | 335 lbs | Arms: | 32.38 | 10 YD Split: | 1.88 |
| Broad: | -- | Cone: | 7.8 | ||
| Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | 4.99 |
| Height: | 6' 3" | Hands: | 10.25 | 40 YD Dash: | 5.39 | Broad: | -- | Cone: | 7.8 |
| Weight: | 335 lbs | Arms: | 32.38 | 10 YD Split: | 1.88 | Vertical: | -- | Shuttle: | 4.99 |
Ika hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he attended East High School. As a four-star recruit, he initially committed to BYU but re-opened his recruitment and received offers from numerous FBS programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU. He ultimately chose to commit to LSU, where he was a part of the 2020 national championship team. He decided to enter the transfer portal in the middle of his 2020 season and ended up at Baylor. Ika established himself as a key player on the Bears’ defensive line. He was named the 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in the same year. In 2022, Ika was named to the All-Big 12 First Team again and was also a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award. He capped off a strong season by being named to the All-America Third Team.
Massive and powerful. Ika is a mountain of a man. He has a naturally wide base and good build and carries his weight very well. His size and strength pop immediately when you put on his tape. His ability to anchor against double teams really stands out.
Consistently resets the line of scrimmage. Ika uses insanely violent hands to get into the chest plate of linemen, lock them out, and drive them backwards. When he is locked out like this, he can peek gaps side-to-side and force early commitments from ball carriers. He then is capable of easy sheds to get into pursuit.
Quickness and play speed. For a guy who probably plays around 340 pounds, Ika has incredible foot speed and a good motor. His ability to flow laterally and track wide-bending run concepts is really something special. He should be a plus run defender from Day One in the NFL. In 2021, there is a good amount of tape penetrating and outright disrupting runs in the backfield.
More juice as a pass-rusher than you would expect for a guy this big. Ika has some pocket-pushing potential. His strength and pop at the snap really set him up well to push blockers into the QB’s lap. Even if he doesn’t get a ton of "free" pressures, he at minimum should be adequate at preventing pocket climbs and step-ups from the QB, allowing his teammates on the EDGE to get home more frequently. Ika does have a nice club/swim move that he parlays with his quickness well to get loose into the backfield as well. It’s worth noting that his pass-rush production absolutely dove off a cliff in 2022, so any projection being made about his pass-rush potential needs to be done with his 2021 tape.
Plays with inconsistent leverage. That’s not ideal for a guy who best profiles as a true nose, to say the least. At times, Ika can struggle with all three properties of leverage (hands, pad level, body position), but most notably seems to get lazy with his pad level and finds himself playing too high a lot. Ika gets accolades from many for his durability and endurance (played nearly 40 snaps a game), but I sincerely wonder if a more traditional NT workload would fix the leverage/pad level issues, something closer to 20-25 snaps a game.
Limited ceiling as a pass-rusher. Anytime you are talking about a guy as big as Ika, it should come with the assumption he won’t be a world-beater as a pass-rusher. There are very few exceptions, and even the best of his archetype, **Vita Vea **and Dexter Lawrence, both tested as significantly better athletes with elite explosiveness.
Ika projects as a traditional NT archetype with a little more pass-rush potential than the usual prospect of the same projected role. He has a lot of functional qualities to his game and should be a plus player in a specific role. Ika has the size and strength to be a traditional two-gapper but also has plus foot quickness and play recognition to play shades as well if needed. Teams looking to fix or improve their run defense should key in on Ika as early as mid-day-2.
