Biggest Winners: Houston Texans
When the Texans went out and hired DeMeco Ryans to be their new head coach, it felt like they were signaling a radical change in approach after back-to-back farcical tank years where they tasked David Culley and Lovie Smith with overseeing an operation that was set up to fail then cruelly gave them the boot at the end of the year. This philosophy carried over to the Draft and I got to say I loved the urgency and gusto behind their apporach. Aided by the extra 1st round pick they picked up in the Deshaun Watson trade and Nick Caserio's surprising willingness to give up valuable future assets (most notably one of their 1st round picks in 2024) to move up the board, the Texans were able to land a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud and the consensus best defensive player available in Will Anderson. Landing a pair of potential cornerstone players in the same draft, let alone with back-to-back picks, is some Madden Fantasy Draft-level shit that could end up expediting the Texans rebuilding efforts. Everything else they did afterwards is just gravy, although the picks of slot burner/remarkably crafty route-runner Tank Dell in the 3rd round and center Juice Scruggs-who is a great fit for their new zone-blocking heavy scheme under OC Bobby Slowik-could also prove to be highly valuable additions to their young corps.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts
Biggest Losers: New York Jets
This is more of an indictment of what the Jets didn't do opposed to the players they actually drafted. When they committed to bringing in Aaron Rodgers, they decided that they were going all-in on winning a title within the next year or two. Part of the deal with suddenly implementing a win-now mentality is an aggressive commitment to addressing your roster's biggest weaknesses. After a bafflingly quiet free agency period that was headlined by the additions of Rodgers' friend/WR3 Allen Lazard and competent yet not overly impactful veteran safety Chuck Clark-neither of which were top positions of need, the Jets also failed to commit to meaningfully solving their roster problems at the Draft. Spending a 1st round pick on another edge rusher (Will McDonald IV) to add their already loaded rotation is flat-out inexcusable, center Joe Tippmann might not even get on the field this year as the Jets just re-signed Connor McGovern-who has started for them since 2020 and consistently played pretty well and both guard spots should be occupied by Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laken Tomlinson barring injury and the couple of Day 3 picks they made that were at spots (tackle Carter Warren, linebacker Zaire Barnes) of need aren't exactly safe bets to make an impact right away. So, to recap, the Jets are betting big on a nearly 40-year-old quarterback and didn't invest in the tackle help he desperately needs to prevent him from getting decapitated by edge rushers or the inside linebacker/corner depth they needed to ensure their defense remains one of the best in the league. If the Rodgers experiment fails, this draft approach driven by luxury instead of practicality could end up being one of the central reasons why.
Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings
Best Value Pick: Christan Gonzalez to the Patriots (17th overall)
I don't know what is more shocking, that a projected top 7 pick slipped all the way down to #17 or that the Patriots were the team that finally took him. Gonzalez is one of the cleanest corner prospects in arguably the deepest class we've seen at this position in recent memory. He's got the speed (4.38) to keep up with anybody downfield, tremendous ball skills, fluid technique that allows him to effortlessly backpedal or change directions on a whim and a knack for playing physical without drawing many flags. Given the smaller stature of both Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones, Jalen Mills' expected shift back to safety and uncertainty around Jack Jones' standing with Bill Belichick after being fined by the team for undisclosed rule violations, Gonzalez should be in the mix for one of the starting outside corner spots right away.
Honorable Mentions: Joey Porter Jr. to the Steelers (32nd overall), Brian Branch to the Lions (45th overall), Josh Downs to the Colts (79th overall)
Worst Value Pick: Lukas Van Ness to the Packers (13th overall)
Throughout the evaluation process, Van Ness struck me as the pass-rusher equivalent of a "Looks Good in Shorts Quarterback". While he's a physical specimen with elite strength, length and speed for his size (6'5, 272 lbs), he wasn't able to generate much production (13 sacks and 19 TFL's in 26 games) despite being a cornerstone player on one of the best defenses in college football. On top of my doubts about Van Ness' ability to be a great pass-rusher in the pros, spending a 1st round pick at a position where they already have Rashan Gary and Preston Smith producing at a high level is a baffling use of a high-value asset for a team that isn't exactly overflowing with talent (especially on offense).
Dishonorable Mentions: Emmanuel Forbes to the Commanders (16th overall), Jonathan Mingo to the Panthers (39th overall), Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Bears (52nd overall)
Top Undrafted Free Agent: Sean Tucker, running back (Signed by the Buccaneers)
Although there were only 18 running backs drafted in 2023, I'm still very surprised that Tucker wasn't among them. Even with a reported mystery medical flag on his resume, Tucker's eye-popping burst and tackle-evading shiftiness in tight quarters and the open field alike should've put him in contention to be a Day 3 selection. Alas, the Buccaneers are an ideal landing spot for Tucker as their RB depth chart behind Rachaad White is completely unsettled now that Leonard Fournette is gone.
Honorable Mentions: Andre Carter II, edge rusher (Signed by the Vikings), Ronnie Hickman, safety (Signed by the Browns), Keaton Mitchell, running back (Signed by the Ravens)
Draft Grades: (Each team's draft class can be found here: https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-draft-final-quick-snap-grades-for-all-32-teams)
Arizona Cardinals: B+
Atlanta Falcons: A-
Baltimore Ravens: B
Buffalo Bills: B
Carolina Panthers: B-
Chicago Bears: B
Cincinnati Bengals: B+
Cleveland Browns: A-
Dallas Cowboys: B
Denver Broncos: B-
Detroit Lions: A-
Green Bay Packers: C
Houston Texans: A
Indianapolis Colts: A
Jacksonville Jaguars: C+
Kansas City Chiefs: B
Las Vegas Raiders: B-
Los Angeles Chargers: B-
Los Angeles Rams: B
Miami Dolphins: B
Minnesota Vikings: C+
New England Patriots: B-
New Orleans Saints: B
New York Giants: B
New York Jets: C-
Philadelphia Eagles: A
Pittsburgh Steelers: A
San Francisco 49ers: C
Seattle Seahawks: A-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Tennessee Titans: B+
Washington Commanders: B-
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