Dr. Tee’s April Master Draft Rankings - NHL, NFL, NBA
Introduction
This year has possibly been the best all-around sports drafting experience we have ever seen - with generational talents such as Victor Webanyama, Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson, Bijan Robinson, Michael Mayer, Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov. With exciting seasons from players previously mentioned, they have given us reasons to start heated debates from anywhere from the casual couch, to “job on the line” board meetings; these players have provided us with excitement, hope and optimism for the future generations to come in our respective sports leagues.
Today we will be looking at the National Hockey League, National Football League, and National Basketball Association’s best and brightest young stars. How are these guys so good you ask? Well, that’s exactly what we will be looking at: what makes them so good, how they will change the game, and where they are ranked on my big boards of the top 60+ players available for each sport.
NHL Draft Rankings | April, 2023
~The Generationals~
3 Players
No. 1 | Connor Bedard, F, WHL
An absolute unit in every way possible on the ice, Bedard is unanimously agreed upon as one of, if not the greatest hockey prospect of all time - having one of the greatest draft eligible seasons we’ve ever seen as well. Bedard’s lethalness starts with his shot; NHL-ready since he turned 15, Bedard has been using it to tear up every level of play he’s entered since Midget-Prep where he starred playing in a Private league in British Columbia.
Bedard’s edgwork and hockey IQ don’t fall far behind, helping put him in places on the ice where only he can operate with or without the puck. Although he thinks the game at a remarkable level, far beyond his peers, Bedard’s strength on his skates cannot be overlooked. His low center of gravity (standing at around 5’9” 180 pounds), has him low, and ready for contact at any point. For any other player besides Bedard, usually this would be enough time to give a proper analysis on one’s game. But because it’s Bedard these two paragraphs were only scratching the surface.
Comparable: Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner
No. 2 | Adam Fantilli, F, NCAA
The newly proclaimed 2023 Hobey Baker award winner posted one of the greatest college seasons by a freshman in NCAA history, rivaling the likes of Jack Eichel and Thomas Vanek. The biggest flaw in his game is his ability to turn on and off so often. Playing on a loaded Michigan team, there’s moments in games where you think to yourself, “where’s that Fantilli guy been? Haven’t seen him in a while,” which is what separates Bedard from Fantilli. However, his amazing overall skill set and constant ability to make a big play is what propels him into being a generational prospect.
At around 6’3” over 200 pounds, Fantilli has the build of a great traditional power forward, with speed and puck handling of a player half his height and weight. When at his best, there’s no better way to describe Fantilli’s game than flat out electric. Playing in the Big Ten Conference has done many great things for Fantilli’s physical, defensive and mental side of his game, but what has really stood out has been his killer mentality. He truly fits the theme of college hockey so well, which is why he was able to lead the NCAA in scoring and develop what will be his NHL style of play in such the way he has.
Comparable: Evgeni Malkin
No. 3 | Matvei Michkov, F, KHL
Perhaps the biggest boom or bust of this year’s draft class, Michkov was at one point considered so close to Bedard that he may just be better than him. Alas, Michkov is struggling to get minutes in the KHL, probably the second best professional hockey league in the world, while Bedard is playing in the WHL, but the gap has definitely widened.
The most eye-opening part of Michkov’s game has been his size. Scaring off scouts with ease, while standing at around 5’9”-5’10” and just around 170 pounds. On the other side of the spectrum, Michkov’s elite side of his game is polar opposite to his downsides. With elite hands and an amazing shot that can only be challenged by Bedard, Michkov can simply score from anywhere. What makes him such a threat is the fact that you always have to keep your eyes on him - if you don’t look for the puck in the back of your net. While simultaneously being one of the bigger boom or busts of the past few drafts, Michkov has the upside of an All-Star but the floor of a struggling star that can never put together the elite pieces in his game and develop the negatives.
Comparable: Eeli Tolvanen
Player Spotlight: No. 40 | Matthew Mania, D, OHL
An eye-drawing prospect, Mania has risen up draft boards consistently throughout the course of the season. While supporting Sudbury with offensive creativity from the back-end, Mania is a good puck handler with a nose for creating chances for himself and his teammates. Mania is at best an average skater, especially when skating in a straight line, while his skinny frame doesn’t help him much on the defensive end either. A raw overall prospect, proper development will be key over the much needed 3-4 seasons he enjoys in juniors and the AHL before he’s able to be a real high level impact player in the NHL.
Comparable: Henri Jokiharju
The Top 64
*Different color equals a different level tier a player is on - tiers will consist of multiple players*
Honorable Mentions:
Noah Dower Nilsson
Noel Nordh
Lukas Dragicevic
Theo Lindstein
Ondrej Molnar
Maxim Strbak
Genadi Chaly
Jordan Tourigny
Mathieu Cataford
Zeb Forsjfall
Maddox Fleming
Will Vote
Jesse Nurmi
Kasper Halttunen
Cameron Allen
NFL Draft Rankings | April, 2023
~The Generationals~
2 Players
No. 1 | Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Yes. Bijan Robinson is the best overall player in this draft and when you really take a closer look it’s not even close. One of the most dominant prospects at a position we have seen in a long time, Robinson’s gifted play style has been talked about highly, but it hasn’t been talked about in the way it should be. Boasting one of the most consistent three-year careers of a running back in college football history, Robinson ended his junior season with a total of 1,894 scrimmage yards (1,580 rushing, 314 receiving), 20 total touchdowns (18 rushing, 2 receiving), with an average of 6.8 yards per touch from scrimmage. Those are both unbelievable and historic numbers, and again, still haven’t propelled him into the top end conversation of the draft. I will say the most likely reason for this is the amount of teams that simply just don’t need one or won’t draft one that are picking inside the top 15. Despite this, it shouldn’t take away from Robinson’s talents.
Imagine both of the star Cleveland Brown running backs morphed into one. That’s exactly what Robinson is; a hybrid of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. He has a physical brand to his game that is enticing, but also has the build, speed and agility to put a defender on his butt without putting a figure on him.
Comparable: Nick Chubb
No. 7 | Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Would I still take Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Peter Skoronski, CJ Stroud and Bryce Young ahead of him? Yes. Easily. It’s not a debate. However, when we look back at this draft in five years, the chance of me wanting to take Mayer over those five players is much higher than many people think. Over his tenured time as a part of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish program, Mayer never had a season with less than 40 receptions, and was one of the nation’s best tight ends all three seasons of his career. This past season, Mayer tallied 67 receptions for 809 yards and a career high 9 touchdowns during a very up and down year for the Notre Dame football team.
Mayer is the perfect example of a perfect tight end prospect. He’s everything you want in a traditional tight end and more, showing potential in both the blocking department of his game and the ball-catching department as well. He’s a great route runner with an average 4.7 40-time. Standing at around 6’4” 265 pounds, if Mayer can continue to build off his route running and find ways to sneak past defenses he’ll be a lethal threat on any team for year’s to come - in dare I say a Travis Kelce-esque fashion.
Comparable: Dallas Goedert
Player Spotlight: No. 41 | Josh Downs, WR, UNC
Downs may just be my favorite wide receiver prospect in this year’s draft. He has a game centered mainly around smooth route running with elite in and out breaks, with quick-twitch fakes that end up making a DB look silly. Despite playing in a below average frame, Downs excels at the small details in his game. With great hands, as well as elite speed and agility, Downs continuously used these features in his game to have his way with college defenses. In 2022-23, Downs finished his season with 94 receptions for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns. He provides upside and potential for any team needing receiver depth, and can fit in almost any role on a team.
Comparable: Doug Baldwin
The Top 64
*Different color equals a different level tier a player is on - tiers will consist of multiple players*
Honorable Mentions:
DJ Turner
JL Skinner
Tyrique Stevenson
Tanner McKee
Zach Charbonnet
Devon Achane
Jordan Battle
Jammie Robinson
Derick Hall
AT Perry
Rashee Rice
Olusegun Oluwatimi
Michael Wilson
Zach Evans
No. 1 | Victor Wembanyama, PF, France
In the eyes of many considered the greatest NBA draft prospect of all time, and already gaining traction to become a potential goat candidate, Wembanyama has been nothing short of generational while playing in France for the Metropolitan 92’s. Concerns involving lack of competition and injury issues have arose and with good reasoning behind them, however it would take a Titanic-esque collapse for someone like Wembanyama to not be successful in a league like the NBA that’s played in the fashion it is. Wembanyama can ball-handle like a guard, flick his wrist from behind the arc like a 40% 3-point shooter, and drive like the 7’4” mammoth of a man he is. Similar to a player like Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, he’s skinny and anything but a force in the paint for his size, however with that size comes the ability to fill it out. Something that NBA teams will need to prioritize with him is both his health and how often and how much muscle he gains. If he can continue to keep his jumpsuit smooth throughout that crucial time of development he must go through, he’ll easily be a top 10-15 player in the NBA nearly every year of his career, it’s just the question of whether or not he can do it.
Comparable: Chet Holmgren
No. 2 | Scoot Henderson, PG, G-League Ignite
Henderson is the number two prospect in this class and with no grain of salt. In nearly any other draft over the past five to ten years Henderson would easily top the board; however, Victor Wembanyama will not be detached any time soon, so in the meantime we’ll look at what makes Henderson such a good number two in a draft class like this one. Henderson starred for the G-League Ignite this past season, leading the team in scoring with an average of 21.2 points per game dishing 6 assists a game. Major improvement in his jump shot and overall shot selection has been the main talk of the town - propelling him to being a 47% three point shooter despite shooting a mere 2.8 attempts per game.
Henderson’s raw athletic ability will make your jaw drop as you watch an effortless crossover executed into a dunk over a seven plus foot center. His driving and finishing at the rim is already NBA-ready, with a layup package that gives off major Kyrie Irving vibes. Henderson is a true mixtape-creator and will make you “ooh” and “aww” at every single play every single time he has the ball in his hands.
Comparable: John Wall
Player Spotlight: No. 15 | Jordan Hawkins, SG, UConn
Hawkins really started to make a name for himself during UConn’s amazing 2023 March Madness run which was capped off with the Huskies winning their fifth national championship. During that stretch Hawkins battled with illness but didn’t shy away from the big stage, averaging 16.3 points on 50% shooting from 3-point range on seven attempts per game. Hawkins has NBA scouts excited for what has been a quick rise up draft boards, that has shown much maturity and progression in his game over a short period of time. I love Hawkins’ ability to catch and shoot threes, however, what was shown a little bit more was his ability to create his own shots on the offensive end. Developing that overall offensive skill will be his biggest project heading into his rookie season and one that may make him an All-Star if he can perfect it.
Comparable: Klay Thompson
The Top 62
*Different color equals a different level tier a player is on - tiers will consist of multiple players*
Honorable Mentions:
Mouhamed Geye
JJ Starling
Jaime Jaquez
Reece Beekman
Oso Ighodaro
Dillon Mitchell
Mark Mitchell
Marcus Carr
Trevon Brazile
Kobe Brown
Adem Bona
Bryce Hopkins
Zach Edey
Darius McGhee
Adam Flagler
Andre Jacksom II
Azuolas Tubelis
Max Abmas
Dillon Jones
Ousmaine N'Diaye
Julian Phillips
Hope Y’all enjoyed,
And until next time.
