2023 NFL Draft: Six of the best hauls
After months of speculation, the 2023 NFL Draft is now in the bag with the final round done and dusted.
In what was a dramatic event in Kansas City, Bryce Young went first overall, there were a flurry of trades and lots of value found in the later rounds
But amid all the drama, it was clear who had great weekends. Let’s take a look at some of the initial winners of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman does it again. Every year, the Philadelphia Eagles (or Bulldogs rather) just seem to get into positions to stockpile that calibre of talent, or players just naturally fall into their reach.
This was evident in the first round, as Jalen Carter – perhaps the No. 1 overall talent in 2023, his off-field question marks notwithstanding – fell to #9 where the Eagles traded up a place to get him, while his college team mate and the uber-athletic edge rusher Nolan Smith, projected by many as a top ten pick, fell to #30.
On top of this, Philadelphia managed to add depth to the offensive line, bring in high upside corner Kelee Ringo Round Four, and may have even found a starting running back by essentially giving Detroit a 2025 fourth-rounder (and a seventh-round pick swap) for another former Georgia star D’Andre Swift as he heads into a contract year. What a move that could turn out to be.
The clear winners in 2023.
Pittsburgh Steelers
What a solid three days it was for Steelers fans, where all their draft wishes seemed to fall into place. After using their first-round pick to move up for Broderick Jones (great pick by the way), all hope seemed lost for what seemed the perfect marriage, and the prediction of many, that the team would draft Joey Porter Jr. But after he fell unexpectedly out of the first round, Pittsburgh were in a position to draft the star corner with the first pick in the second – 24 years after selecting his father.
Using the early second-rounder on Porter, gained in the Chase Claypool trade with the Chicago Bears, shows just how good a deal it was for Pittsburgh. Keeanu Benton adds great strength and athleticism at offensive tackle at should provide plenty of competition for a starting role.
In the later rounds, adding the huge Darnell Washington in the third gives Pittsburgh effectively an extra offensive lineman, while Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig, someone who can play inside or outside for the Steelers looks great value at #132. All-in-all, a lot of holes filled and a lot of quality added.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have continued to make the most of what increasingly looks like a brilliant bit of business to trade QB Russell Wilson to Denver last year. Seattle had yet another sensational draft weekend, adding skilled players in the first round with CB Devon Witherspoon and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while also addressing their pass rush in the second round with pass rusher Derick Hall.
Zach Charbonnet is a classic Pete Carroll move, the pickup of Anthony Bradford adds power at guard, and I really like the addition of nose tackle Cameron Young, who at 6-foot-3, 304 pounds will be a big presence on a defensive line.
Can’t wait to see this young team make even more strides in 2023.
New England Patriots
Talk about value, the Patriots managed to pick up a handful of steals throughout the week. Christian Gonzalez considered by many as the premium and most athlete cornerback available in 2023, is a great pick at #17, especially considering the team traded back early as well. And Keion White, one of our favourite edge players available, adds some real juice to an already formidable pass rush after coming in the second-round.
The physical Kayshon Boutte could be insane value in the slot at #187, while the relatively unknown Marte Mapu is seen as a real potential star as a linebacker/hybrid who will have a big role on special teams. Overall, the Patriots have certainly improved during draft week, after a shaky offseason so far in New England.
Carolina Panthers/Houston Texans
We’re bunching the two together as they’ve both solved their biggest need, while also having given up a good deal to get their. The Panthers traded away a fortune to get to #1 overall, while the Texans‘ final day victory against the Colts last year looked to be very costly.
But with the selection of a new franchise QB, and for Houston a blue-chip defensive player as well, it must feel worth it already. Both the Panthers and Texans managed to get value by giving their new quarterback a solid receiver option to through at, with Jonathan Mingo and Tank Dell respectively, while they have also added solid depth to their offensive lines.
It’s been an offseason of change, but finally both of these teams look to be moving in the right direction after the draft. With Bryce Young and CJ Stroud now at the helm, the sky is the limited for these franchises if they continue build the right way.
New York Jets
There was a tint of anti-climax when the fantastic Kyle Stickles, who brought so much positive energy to announcing the New York Jets first round selection on Thursday, revealed that the team was drafting Will McDonald. But his length and flexibility off the edge makes him such an enticing pick for the Jets in the first round, and he’ll be dangerous if he’s able to consistently get off the blocks of strong NFL linemen.
But the main win for the Jets is using this year as a means to acquire four-time MVP QB Aaron Rodgers, who more than addresses New York’s main problem, which is why they are graded so well. Yes they gave up a lot, including losing out on Broderick Jones after the Steelers traded up to get him after what would have been New York’s pick, but Joe Tippmann (Round 2) and Carter Warren (Round 4) have major upside to be major pieces on their offensive line. Zach Kuntz is such an exciting move as an unbelievable athlete for his size, making him one of the best seventh-round selections and a big project for New York to work on.
