In the NFL Draft, teams rarely get the exact prospect they covet most early. So that means plenty of analysis of marquee prospects falls on deaf ears for many fans. You know Bryce Young is a fun, improvisational quarterback right? That's fine and dandy, but let's say your team is picking outside the top 10. He won't be available then. So are there any quarterbacks like Young who'll be available on Day Two or Day Three?
You've come to the right place. This article pinpoints "Plan B" and "Plan C" options for some of the most highly coveted prospects in the 2023 draft class.
Quarterback
Plan A: Bryce Young, Alabama
Plan B: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Thompson-Robinson gives his all every snap on every play, and as the former No. 2 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the country, you better believe has ad-lib capabilities. While on the smaller side, he's a tick bigger than Young and has plenty of Young-esque improvisational plays on film.
Plan C: Jake Haener, Fresno State
Haener is another smaller-statured quarterback with Young/DTR toughness and style to his game. He'll take hits in the pocket, pop back up, and is unafraid to make throws through closing windows down the field. While not quite as nifty eluding pressure, Haener is far from a statue in the pocket and can extend plays with good regularity.
Running back
Plan A: Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Plan B: Devon Achane, Texas A&M
Achane is a rare sub-4.30 running back in that he shouldered a feature-back role in college. He's worked tirelessly between the tackles, and is the epitome of a home run hitter.
Plan C: Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
Abanikanda might be the most underrated back in the class. I'm serious. A shade under 5-foot-11 and over 210 pounds, the Pitt star has an NFL-caliber frame already and subtle explosiveness through the line of scrimmage and down the field. Abanikanda had three games in which he averaged more than 7 yards per carry in 2022.
Wide receiver
Plan A: Zay Flowers, Boston College
Plan B: Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
Mims doesn't have the same level of YAC brilliance to his game as Flowers, but he could even be more of a dangerous vertical weapon and he's a tick taller. Want proof? Mims reached the 20 yards-per-grab benchmark in each of his final two seasons at Oklahoma and ran 4.38 at the combine.
Plan C: Demario Douglas, Liberty
Douglas will get knocked because he's small and didn't play at a major program in the Power Five. Don't care about those things. This is a well-rounded pass receptor. Douglas' catches and receiving yards improved every season at Liberty. As an upperclassmen, Douglas was a problem with the ball in his hands
Tight end
Plan A: Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Plan B: Sam LaPorta, Iowa
Kincaid was brilliant on film in 2022 but hasn't been able to showcase his athletic traits during the pre-draft process due to injury. LaPorta has. He tested like an elite athlete at the combine and is even a bit more dynamic after the catch than the Utah star.
Plan C: Brenton Strange, Penn State
Do not sleep on Strange, and he may sneak his way into the back portion of the third round. What he lacks in Kincaidian high-volume stats, Strange makes up for with springy athleticism that was confirmed at the combine.
Offensive tackle
Plan A: Broderick Jones, Georgia
Plan B: Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
Like Jones, Saldiveri won't be a "finished product" the moment he steps onto an NFL field for game action. Also like the Bulldogs star, who's locked into the first round, Saldiveri is a plus athlete with a noticeable mean streak. Saldiveri has similar measurables to Jones too.
Plan C: Warren McClendon, Georgia
Stylistically, McClendon and Jones are different. But if you miss out on Jones or Saldiveri early-ish in the draft, turn your attention to McClendon, who quite simply, blocks everything. I got major Jamaree Salyer vibes watching McClendon opposite Jones at Georgia this past season.
Interior offensive line
Plan A: O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
Plan B: Chandler Zavala, North Carolina
Torrence probably goes in Round 1. If not, he'll be scooped up near the beginning stages of the second round. Zavala was a surprise combine snub despite ultra-clean film from a huge, athletic, scheme-versatile guard prospect.
Plan C: Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan
Sow is an experienced, masher at guard with elite-level athletic traits. Every year it feels like an eventual high-level starter on the inside. Sow is that prospect in this year's class. He dominated the MAC for multiple seasons.
Edge rusher
Plan A: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Plan B: Derick Hall, Auburn
Hall needs more pub! He's a productive, battled-tested rusher from the SEC with a stocky, chiseled frame and elite testing numbers. If he's picked on Day Two -- steal city!
Plan C: Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
Fehoko is a lot like Matthew Judon as a prospect. Similar size, similar lack of buzz, probably similar draft position (Judon was picked in Round 5). Fehoko knows how to beat blockers in a variety of ways and tips the scales at close to 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds.
Defensive tackle
Plan A: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Plan B: Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma
Redmond isn't being buzzed about more because at Oklahoma they didn't unleash him up the field nearly enough. When he got those opportunities, he thrived. Not quite as explosive as Kancey -- very few defensive tackle prospects are -- this Sooners defensive tackle plays with serious juice and converts that speed to power at the point of attack.
Plan C: Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
Johnson didn't test close to Kancey nor Redmond. On the field, he looks like a freaky athletic specimen at around 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds. He shoots gaps outstandingly and gets up and under bigger blockers, driving them backward with surprising regularity. He knows how to use his hands to beat interior offensive linemen too.
Linebacker
Plan A: Trenton Simpson, Clemson
Plan B: Dorian Williams, Tulane
Williams isn't a rocket of Simpson-level caliber. He's close, though. Simpson ran 4.43. Williams ran 4.49 with a 10-foot broad jump, which was too inches better than what Simpson managed at his pro day. Simpson had a much higher vertical. Williams plays with impeccable range because of his speed and incredible length. He's a stud in coverage too.
Plan C: Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
Banks is an older prospect, and while that's not always a positive, his experience shines on film. The longtime Tennessee defender plays with a twitchy, high-energy style and gets after it as a blitzer. He combats blocks well and finds the football in coverage because of how well he can stick with backs and tight ends in coverage.
Cornerback
Plan A: Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Plan B: Riley Moss, Iowa
Moss is a corner. Say it with me. Ross is a corner at the NFL level. He's ultra-athletic and was a stat-sheet filler at Iowa. He mirrors routes like a veteran and has the speed to run with faster receivers at the next level.
Plan C: Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
A late watch for me, Luter has the on-field demeanor of a cornerback playing on his second professional contract. He stays low in his backpedal, follows routes like he's magnetized to them, is a reliable tackler, and his ball skills are NFL-ready.
Safety
Plan A: Brian Branch, Alabama
Plan B: Jartavius Martin, Illinois
Martin is a fine athlete who wore many hats at Illinois, just like Branch did at Alabama. His range as a tackler and in coverage will make him a major defensive asset at the next level.
Plan C: Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
Merriweather rarely misses a tackle and although he's not a freaky athlete his instincts and route-recognition skills allow him to play faster and make plays in coverage with a high level of regularity.
