College Football Championship 2023: NFL Draft Prospects to Watch for Georgia vs. TCU

It takes a roster filled with talented players for a team to reach the College Football Playoff, then have an opportunity to play for the national championship. So it's no surprise that Georgia and TCU each have plenty of standouts on both sides of the ball.

On Monday night, either the Bulldogs or the Horned Frogs will win the national championship. Georgia is looking to become the first school to capture back-to-back national titles since Alabama in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, while TCU could win a championship in the first CFP appearance in program history.

Once Monday's game is complete and the season is over, both teams will be losing key players because of graduation and some who will leave early to enter the 2023 NFL draft. Quite a few of them are poised to go on to have success at the professional level.

Here's a closer look at the top NFL draft prospects who will be participating in Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Not only is Jalen Carter the top NFL draft prospect taking the field Monday, but he's one of the best players in the 2023 class. It's possible the 21-year-old defensive tackle could be the first player selected, but if he's not, he's slated to at least be a top-five pick on April 27.

Carter, a 6'3", 300-pound junior, is a formidable presence on Georgia's defensive front. He's played 26 games over the past two seasons, collecting 67 tackles (15.5 for a loss) and six sacks for a Bulldogs defense that has been among the best in the country. This season, he has 30 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 12 games.

Because of his impressive performance in 2022, Carter earned first-team All-America honors and was named to the All-SEC first team. Plus, he's proved that he can be effective at both helping to stop the run and pursuing opposing quarterbacks.

There's a good chance that Carter hasn't reached his full potential yet and will only get better with more experience. That'll be an exciting thing for one NFL franchise moving forward.

Quentin Johnston has room to grow in terms of route running, and he's occasionally dropped too many passes. But the 21-year-old TCU wide receiver has enormous big-play potential, which will make him an exciting player as he moves on to the NFL.

A 6'4", 215-pound junior playmaker, Johnston has been a contributor throughout his three-year career with the Horned Frogs. But he's taken his game to another level in the 2022 season, as he's recorded 59 catches for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. That includes a strong performance in TCU's Fiesta Bowl win over Michigan in which Johnston had six receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown.

There are plenty of talented receivers in the 2023 NFL draft class, and it seems likely that multiple will go in the first round. Johnston should be among them, as he's proved he has the playmaking ability to develop into an exciting NFL wideout.

If TCU is going to knock off Georgia on Monday, it will likely need a strong performance from Johnston. The Bulldogs have a dominant defense, so if Johnston can make a big play or two, it could change the momentum of the game.

Broderick Jones didn't have much starting experience entering the 2022 season, which marked his third year at Georgia. He redshirted in 2020, then began 2021 in a reserve role before becoming the starter at left tackle late in the year.

This season, Jones has been the Bulldogs' starting left tackle since the beginning of the year. And the 6'4", 310-pound force has been quite effective, even earning a spot on the All-SEC first team.

Georgia's offense is averaging 494.9 total yards and 39.4 points per game, as the unit has been among the best in the nation. That was made possible by its solid offensive line, which includes Jones as an anchor on the left side protecting quarterback Stetson Bennett's blind side.

There are several tackles in the 2023 draft class who will likely be selected ahead of Jones. But he should be in consideration in the first round for some teams, and he may just get taken on the event's opening night.