2023 NFL Draft Board: Top Prospect Battles To Watch in Week 6

Several 2023 NFL Draft eligible quarterbacks headline our top prospect matchups for the Week 6 college football slate. But the wave of conference play has also brought a number of high-quality skill-position battles elsewhere. Let’s look at the full list, and see where our eyes should be.

2023 NFL Draft: Which Prospect Battles Are Worth Keeping an Eye on in Week 6?

Washington State QB Cameron Ward vs. USC DEF Tuli Tuipulotu, Mekhi Blackmon

In a cycle where upwards of five teams might covet a quarterback in Round 1, everyone is wondering who QB4 in the 2023 NFL Draft is. There’s still a chance that Anthony Richardson enters the conversation behind C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Will Levis, but another quarterback who deserves more credence in the conversation is Washington State’s Cameron Ward.

Ward has completed 68.6% of his passes for 1,445 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions thus far. It doesn’t take much exposure to know that Ward, an Incarnate Word transfer, has starting talent. He’s a quick athlete for his size with elite arm elasticity and flashes of brilliant creative capacity off-script.

Cutting down on the turnovers and refining his mechanics will be big for Ward in the coming weeks. But against a talented USC defense with a ball hawk at CB in Mekhi Blackmon, Ward has a chance to take the next step.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson vs. Missouri DEF Isaiah McGuire, Jaylon Carlies, Kris Abrams-Draine

This is a crucial stretch for Richardson. We still don’t know if he’ll declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, as it all depends on his play down the stretch. The stretch in question starts now, with a talented Missouri defense on tap.

The Tennessee game a couple weeks ago wasn’t perfect, but it did look like things were starting to click for the 6’4″, 230-pound signal-caller. Richardson was playing more composed, trusting his eyes, and making some incredible plays in the pocket.

Richardson has a truly rare combination of athleticism and arm talent. And against a Missouri defense that has talent on every level, he’ll be asked to create.

Isaiah McGuire and others will generate pressure. In the secondary, players like Kris Abrams-Draine, Jaylon Carlies, and Martez Manuel pose a challenge. Coming off the bye, seeing how Richardson stacks growth is near the top of the watch list.

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels vs. TCU DEF Dylan Horton, Dee Winters, Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

Junior quarterback Jalon Daniels isn’t a guarantee to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. But if he keeps playing the way he has been, he could throw a wrench into the entire cycle.

The 6’0″, 215-pound signal-caller has been terrific for Kansas this year and is perhaps the biggest part of their 5-0 start. Through five games, Daniels has thrown 11 touchdowns to just one interception, and he also has over 300 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

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Daniels passes the test of talent with ease. He’s a high-level athlete with dynamic creative ability and a live arm. He can generate velocity without strain and push that velocity to multiple levels of the field. But TCU’s defense, with several quick and sound defenders like Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Dee Winters, will force Daniels to execute and avoid mistakes. If Daniels does, and wills Kansas to a win, the rise continues.

Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson vs. Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes

KJ Jefferson doesn’t have the same prestige that signal-callers like Richardson and Ward have on the draft circuit, but he’s quietly a very talented prospect in his own right and has been an efficient producer with Arkansas. Jefferson’s a tank as a runner at 6’3″, 243 pounds, with surprising lateral agility for his size. And while his pocket work remains a work in progress, he can sling the ball downfield and hit tight windows with velocity.

This week, as he rebounds from a loss to Alabama, Jefferson will have to work around Emmanuel Forbes, who’s arguably played like the best CB in the nation this year. With 11 interceptions in his collegiate career, Forbes is essentially a venus flytrap for footballs. He’s long, explosive, twitchy, and instinctive. Jefferson might not be able to steer clear completely, but he’ll have to be calculated with the risks he takes on Forbes’ side.

BYU OT Blake Freeland vs. Notre Dame EDGE Isaiah Foskey

Outside of the quarterback matchups in Week 6, this might be the most compelling prospect battle on the slate. It’s a battle that includes Isaiah Foskey, who’s long been a mainstream first-round candidate with his explosiveness, complete physical skill set, and hot motor. But Blake Freeland is a tackle prospect who’s rising in national circles. Just earlier this week, Shrine Bowl Director Eric Galko mentioned Freeland, and how impressive he was against Utah State’s Byron Vaughns.

At 6’8″, Freeland has the size and smooth athleticism to deal with longer, twitchy athletes like Vaughns. Foskey, however, brings that length and twitch, and supplements it with grating play strength and brutal power capacity. He’s also a technician with his hands and can stack rushing moves in rapid succession. With Jaren Hall, BYU will most certainly pass the ball in this one. In that context, Freeland vs. Foskey is a must-watch battle.

Georgia OT Broderick Jones vs. Auburn EDGE Derick Hall

Broderick Jones‘ journey to the early rounds continues, as the former five-star carries on through SEC play. For the most part, the returns have been positive for Jones in 2022. He came into the season with upside, and he’s delivering on his natural traits.

This matchup against Auburn edge rusher Derick Hall serves as a great barometer or checkpoint for Jones. Jones has the athleticism and strength to stymy Hall, but the latter has the natural leverage acquisition and technical proficiency to capitalize on Jones’ mistakes.

Arizona OT Jordan Morgan vs. Oregon DL DJ Johnson, Brandon Dorlus

In a strengthening 2023 NFL Draft offensive tackle class, Jordan Morgan is another name that needs more hype. He has the athletic tools and looks the part at 6’6″, 320 pounds.

The 2022 season was about cleaning up his technique and becoming more controlled and composed working to the apex. So far, he’s looked a notch above his 2021 form, and he’s one of the rising senior prospects on the circuit.

Of course, Morgan faces his toughest challenge this week. DJ Johnson is a ball of ruthless energy off the edge at 6’4″, 271 pounds, and his blend of traits can be dangerous. There’s also Brandon Dorlus — a 6’3″, 285-pound goblin with power, burst, and complete alignment versatility. If Morgan holds strong in this one, it could be big for his stock.

Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson vs. Kansas State CB Julius Brents

This is low-key one of the best WR-CB matchups, not just in Week 6, but over the past few weekends. Both of these Big 12 prospects feel underrated in their current states. Xavier Hutchinson is an uber-productive safety blanket with superb foot speed and lateral quickness as a route runner at 6’3″, 205. Julius Brents, meanwhile, is a 6’4″, 202-pound albatross with 34″ arms at cornerback.

Brents, an Iowa transfer, doesn’t have much ball production to this point. But at 6’4″, he’s surprisingly proficient at sinking his hips and matching WRs with his feet. The result of his combination of tools? He simply hasn’t been tested a ton this year. Hutchinson was a reception machine against Kansas, with 13 catches for 101 yards. He’ll get his looks again. We’ll see if Brents can dictate how effective he’ll be. It would be a milestone game for him.

Purdue CB Cory Trice vs. Maryland WRs Jeshaun Jones, Dontay Demus Jr., Rakim Jarrett, Jacob Copeland

Cory Trice is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Teams simply don’t throw his way. And when they do, they don’t get anything. In Week 5 against Minnesota, Trice was dominant. On 38 coverage snaps, he was targeted just three times, allowed no completions, and logged two deflections. At 6’3″, 210 pounds, Trice has quick twitch, he’s fluid, disciplined, and he’s physical all across the route.

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Maryland’s receiving corps, however, provides a mix of traits that Trice hasn’t seen yet. Dontay Demus Jr. is an alpha. Rakim Jarrett is a dynamic slot weapon. And Jacob Copeland and Jeshaun Jones have both been reliable in their respective roles. The combined size, speed, and conversion ability of these four will test Trice in Week 6. If Trice keeps playing at a high level, it could help him take the next step with his prestige.

Florida G O’Cyrus Torrence vs. Missouri DT Kristian Williams

The Florida vs. Missouri contest quietly has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. But one of the more underrated prospect matchups might be Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence against Missouri defensive tackle Kristian Williams.

Williams, an Oregon transfer with a stout 6’2″, 314-pound frame, has just now started to catch on as a redshirt junior. He has a sack and two TFLs over the past two games, and stresses interior blockers with his initial burst and natural leverage. At 6’6″, 330 pounds, Torrence gives up a leverage advantage. Still, he has the knee bend, powerful hands, and strength to make this a battle.

Other Prospect Battles To Watch in Week 6

• Missouri OT Javon Foster vs. Florida EDGE Brenton Cox Jr.
• Texas A&M G Layden Robinson vs. Alabama DT Byron Young
• Indiana OT Luke Haggard vs. Michigan EDGEs Mike Morris, Eyabi Okie, Jaylen Harrell
• ECU RB Keaton Mitchell vs. Tulane LB Dorian Williams
• UTSA WRs De’Corian Clark, Zakhari Franklin vs. Western Kentucky CB Kahlef Hailassie
• Oklahoma G Chris Murray vs. Texas DT Moro Ojomo
• Liberty WR Demario Douglas vs. Massachusetts CB Josh Wallace
• Washington OL Jaxson Kirkland vs. Arizona State DT Nesta Jade Silvera
• Miami OT Zion Nelson vs. North Carolina OLB Noah Taylor
• Illinois OT Julian Pearl vs. Iowa DL Lukas Van Ness