Okay, everybody, the 2023 NFL Draft has officially come to an end. After careful thought and consideration, I have taken my grades from that Thursday night and updated them to what I see fit. There were sparks, thunderous applause, and plenty of boos for good ole’ Roger. However, the main thing to take away from this was that it was entertaining. Let me tell you, there are some excellent grades here, but some really terrible ones too. After all, you have to be even with it. You can’t just give out good grades otherwise people won’t take your critiques seriously.
Also, keep in mind that not all the teams are gonna be in here due to them being dumb or trades, etc… Here are the teams without a first-round pick;
49ers
Broncos
Browns
Dolphins
Rams
So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, here are my grades for each 1st Round pick for the 2023 NFL Draft
1.) Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young (QB/Alabama)
Grade; A
The Panthers finally have their quarterback. Will his size come into play? Maybe, but his skill set is too great to start wondering about dumb stuff like that. He is in a great position as he is surrounded by veteran offensive talents like Adam Thielen, Miles Sanders, D.J. Chark, and Hayden Hurst. Young has great accuracy and football knowledge and he should be able to perform well on this team.
2.) Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud (QB/Ohio State)
Grade; B+
In all this time, the Texans were telling us that they were not in the market for drafting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. Apparently, that was all smoke because he went #2 overall even though they said they were massive fans of Kentucky quarterback; Will Levis. Stroud coming off the board early here tells us many things. First, the Texans are taking a big chance here. Ohio State quarterbacks haven’t been the best to rely on aside from Justin Fields. Two, tests aren’t everything. Let’s see what the kid can give us this year.
3.) Houston Texans
Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE/Alabama)
Grade; A+
In a shocking twist, the Texans traded with the Arizona Cardinals sending them a massive overhaul of picks to move up nine spots. Why was this a crazy move? It’s because they were able to snag the best edge rusher by far in this class with Will Anderson Jr. I was a firm believer that if he went into the draft last year, he would have been one of the first if not the first edge rusher off the board ahead of Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson. This kid is gonna do great things for the Texans, mark my words.
4.) Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson (QB/Florida)
Grade; B
I’m gonna be honest here, I really thought the Colts were gonna put the strap to Will Levis and make them their guy. Instead, they go with the more raw Anthony Richardson out of Flordia. I don’t hate the pick, but is he ready to play right now? I don’t think so. That tells me one thing. They have huge confidence in Mustache Minshew Mania. I think down the line this will be a good decision which is what the draft is all about.
5.) Seattle Seahawks
Devon Witherspoon (CB/Illinois)
Grade; A
I didn’t see this coming, but I am a big fan of this pick. You now pair the best corner in this year’s draft class with the crazy-talented Tariq Woolen, and now you have an amazing secondary that can shut down anything in that division which already has some quarterbacking issues with Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy/Trey Lance, and an aging Matthew Stafford. Putting this secondary together is a surefire way to stop the passing-down effect and win out your division with a strong defense.
6.) Arizona Cardinals
Paris Johnson Jr. (OT/Ohio State)
Grade; A-
On rare occasions, you will get coaches that will listen to a quarterback when they petition for a certain player. Kyler Murray had thrown the idea to his new coach that he would like a linemen that will be able to protect him. So why not take the best one in the class? They had to trade up six spots with Detroit to get him, but this already provides huge relief to Kyler Murray in the future. I mean knowing you aren’t going to get sacked as often might motivate you to put down the controller and pick up a game script, but what do I know? It’s a good pick.
7.) Las Vegas Raiders
Tyree Wilson (EDGE/Texas Tech)
Grade; B
People might be excited about this, but Tyree Wilson is still very raw in his playing style. He is long and athletic which can help their defense since he isn’t asked to be the main focus of the pass rush with edge rushers still there with names like Max Crosby and Chandler Jones. They might rotate him with Jones just because he didn’t live up to his potential when they traded for him. Overall, it’s a decent pick, but who knows what can happen.
8.) Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson (RB/Texas)
Grade; B
It’s crazy how I called this would happen and that Bijan would go to the Falcons and not the Eagles. Don’t worry Dre, it’s still a bird so you got that. Is it an exciting splash play for the Falcons? Yes. Will it help their defense? No. As much as I love Bijan here, let us take a look at how the Falcons desperately needed two other positions. They needed to secure an edge rusher to get to the quarterback and a corner to help out in the secondary. I know they grabbed Jeff Okudah in a trade with the Lions, but I thought with some big names there, that’s where they would have gone. Bijan is still a great pick though, don’t get it twisted.
9.) Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Carter (DT/Georgia)
Grade; A+
The rich get richer, and what I mean by that is that the Eagles get more Georgia Bulldog players. They added Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in last year’s draft and now they trade up one spot with Chicago in order to select the best player in the draft; Jalen Carter. It was no surprise that Davis was going to fall due to off-the-field issues and some character concerns but with the issues that were happening, you can imagine how a player can get rattled a little bit. Carter is going to be a stud and ultimately make the last eight teams wish they were wrong when he gets out there.
10.) Chicago Bears
Darnell Wright (OT/Tennessee)
Grade; B
I had Wright graded either third or fourth for my offensive tackle positions. It is weird that he goes second overall compared to the rest of the line class because Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski was still there. Maybe the Bears felt their interior offensive line was pretty solid as Wright normally plays the straight-forward tackle position. There are thoughts that maybe Broderick Jones or Skoronski should have gone here, but it is so hard to predict how linemen are gonna be these days.
11.) Tennessee Titans
Peter Skoronski (OT/Northwestern)
Grade; A
The Titans desperately needed offensive line help, and they are able to grab maybe the best interior offensive lineman or overall best tackle in this year’s draft with Peter Skoronski. This pick will help establish the offensive line for the future to ensure that pressure is taken off of either Ryan Tannehill, Will Levis, or Malik Willis. A lot of questions still need to be answered in Tennessee, but overall, this is a great start.
12.) Detroit Lions
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB/Alabama)
Grade; F
Lions, what the hell are we doing here? You were one of the best draft classes last year, and you come out guns blazing and make this dumb pick. Bijan should have been the only running back drafted in this first round. You had multiple other ways you could have gone here. I get that you traded DeAndre Swift to get him, but this is hella dumb. He was set to go in the early/middle second round, and I feel you could have gotten him there instead of in the first round. Lions, do better please.
13.) Green Bay Packers
Lukas Van Ness (EDGE/Iowa)
Grade; B
I knew no matter if was Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love, there was no way the Packers were gonna break the tradition of screwing over their quarterback with an offensive skill player. I had them taking an edge, but it was no Lukas Van Ness. Now, the kid is a great player and should help out that pass rush for Green Bay’s defense. He is very athletic and can do freak-like maneuvers to bust up the opposing quarterback. So overall, I just wanted to tell all you Packer lovers, I told you so.
14.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Broderick Jones (OT/Georgia)
Grade; A
The Steelers did the thing!! They traded up three spots to spite the Jets and finally grab their left tackle of the future in Georgia’s Broderick Jones. This mammoth of a man is gonna finalize the Pickett fence and protect Kenny for life. For real though, this pick was such a steal as we only had to give up a fourth-round pick to swap with New England. I’m sure they were grinning too at the thought of screwing over the Jets. This is such a big moment for this team. Good on you Omar Kahn, good on you!!
15.) New York Jets
Will McDonald IV (EDGE/Iowa State)
Grade; C
So, this was 100% a panic pick for the Jets. The one thing they needed more than anything in this draft was an offensive tackle, and the Steelers jumped in front of them to take the last big one. Even with that, they had other options to go with but instead went with Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State. I think the kid is decent, but I had him going last to the Chiefs because they like “to reach” on certain guys. I think he is a big reach for the Jets here, and I’ll validate that when the season starts.
16.) Washington Commanders
Emmanuel Forbes (CB/Mississippi State)
Grade; B
The rest of the guys here at TFTB are huge fans of this Emmanuel Forbes kid from Mississippi State. I think he is good, but is he good enough to go ahead of Christian Gonzalez? I am not entirely sure. The kid has speed and heart, but he isn’t the most physical corner. I know people hate that argument, but how will he do when faced with bigger challengers and receivers? I think he should still do well in Washington though, so it’s a B.
17.) New England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez (CB/Oregon)
Grade; A+
The Patriots trade down and still get the guy they wanted all along with Oregon cornerback; Christian Gonzalez. This kid was supposed to be the first corner taken in the draft, but I guess fell due to concerns about how much he loved the game of football. I always think that is a stupid reason, but apparently, the Steelers felt the same way about him. Still, New England gets a gold mine here to help in their secondary which has been a huge disappointment as of late.
18.) Detroit Lions
Jack Campbell (LB/Iowa)
Grade; D-
Again Detroit, what are we doing here? The Lions have now reached not one, but two picks in the first round. I know how much the Lions loved this kid, but again he was set to be taken in the second round, and I believe they could have easily got him there. The only reason why this isn’t lower is because they needed a defensive player. I just don’t know what to make of this pick or the last one, but the Lions proved to be better later on at least.
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Calijah Kancey (DT/Pitt)
Grade; B+
I originally had Kancey going here, but the more I thought about the Will Levis slide, I thought maybe they would have taken him to compete with current starter; Baker Mayfield. This is still a great pick for them though because Kancey has Aaron Donald comps, and I firmly believe the Bucs will be tanking to get Caleb Williams in next year’s draft. Getting a great defensive player and also not planning on doing anything great works well with getting your guy for the future.
20.) Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR/Ohio State)
Grade; A-
JSN was the first receiver taken off the boards in the draft as he should have been. He gets an amazing opportunity here to shine as the third guy in the rotation behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. He can learn from them and also capitalize on them getting shadowed in the passing game. He will eventually replace Lockett and become the #2 guy behind Metcalf which will make Geno Smith and whoever plays after him very happy to have a solid receiving piece.
21.) Los Angeles Chargers
Quentin Johnston (WR/TCU)
Grade; C-
I’m a little higher on Johnston than most of the other guys here at TFTB, but I can admit when a pick is bad. This is the only place I did not want Quentin Johnston to go. He was compared to Mike Williams so bad so why would you take a guy just like him? I would have preferred if they would have gone Zay Flowers or Jalin Hyatt here to get some speed. He will be competing with Josh Palmer for the third spot, I guess.
22.) Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers (WR/Boston College)
Grade; B-
The Ravens grabbed another pass catcher for Lamar after the big contract signing. Is it weird that I was so high on Zay Flowers, but I think this pick is bad for him. He has incredible skills as a receiver, but now he is going to be competing for targets in an offense that rarely passes and with guys like OBJ, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews. Just seems a little foolish to me. I would have gone edge or corner here, especially after the OBJ signing and Jackson’s extension.
23.) Minnestoa Vikings
Jordan Addison (WR/USC)
Grade; A
This pick, however, is an amazing place for a receiver to do well in. Jordan Addison is an amazing route-runner type of receiver. Now, you pair him with the likes of Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborne. That is great stuff happening there. Kirk Cousins will be trying to hit the griddy as much as possible when Addison brings him another way to skate by with a big extension. I love you Kirk, but come on, that’s pretty accurate. Money talk aside, this pick rocks, and Jordan Addison should be stoked to be the latest Viking.
24.) New York Giants
Deonte Banks (CB/Maryland)
Grade; B+
With no big-name receivers left, the Giants had to go to another need in a cornerback. Banks brings big-time moves and was ultimately my fourth or fifth-ranked corner in this entire draft. He should help out a once-struggling Giants secondary finally find its rhythm once again now that Daboll has taken over.
25.) Buffalo Bills
Dalton Kincaid (TE/Utah)
Grade; F
Are we just gonna rub Josh Allen’s nuts the whole time instead of helping the team?? What the actual hell was this pick? You took a rookie tight end when you still have Dawson Knox as a young and hard-working tight end. This could have been anything else. I would be less mad if it was a wide receiver, but a tight end??? This pick should have 100% been Nolan Smith out of Georgia. You have Von Miller who got injured last season, and seemingly after that, you couldn’t pressure the quarterback. Probably the worst pick of the draft, honestly.
26.) Dallas Cowboys
Mazi Smith (DT/Michigan)
Grade; B
Dallas goes defensive tackle with this pick. I don’t hate it cause Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence can’t do everything. Getting Mazi Smith will be essential to their defense. A big thing that Dallas started getting control of was the run game. Putting Mazi on this squad means that they understand that it is still a problem and want to snuff it out completely. Will he be able to fully do it? We will have to wait and see.
27.) Jacksonville Jaguars
Anton Harrison (OT/Oklahoma)
Grade; B
I get the pick because it is safe. You want to protect Trevor Lawrence and Harrison was essentially the last offensive tackle I could have seen going in the first round. You could have argued Joey Porter Jr, or Brian Branch here, but by taking Anton Harrison, the Jaguars want to keep Lawrence safe from getting sacked as much. Let’s hope that it works out for them cause I want to take Trevor for fantasy this year.
28.) Cincinnati Bengals
Myles Murphy (EDGE/Clemson)
Grade; C+
Yeah, I mean the kid has some decent talent, but Cincinnati had big holes they had to fill, and ultimately this wasn’t one of them. Even with the pick, I really wasn’t big on Myles Murphy coming into the draft. Of course, I am thinking about it from a Steelers fan perspective. I just don’t get scared knowing that the Bengals selected him. They could have taken bigger names like JPJ, Michael Mayer to fill the tight end role that Hurst left behind, or Branch to fill in their desperate need at safety. Oh well, the Bengals are gonna bungle, I guess.
29.) New Orleans Saints
Bryan Bresee (DT/Clemson)
Grade; B
Two Clemson guys back-to-back gives me PTSD of Alabama, but I did make this prediction correctly by taking Bresee here for New Orleans. The defense has been aging and having issues so drafting a guy like Bresee here to fill the slots when they are gone isn’t a bad idea. You are thinking of the future. Now will he be decent? I think so. He had an off-year and a personal tragedy to boot. I’m willing to give him a chance and a decent grade.
30.) Philadelphia Eagles
Nolan Smith (EDGE/Georgia)
Grade; A
This is the steal of the draft hands down. How do you idiot teams let Nolan Smith fall this hard? I kept saying that Buffalo should have been the one to take him, but again the Eagles get richer and richer with the blood sweat, and tears of the Georgia Bulldogs. Nolan Smith will be an instant hit here to complement an already well-established defense. Teams beware cause Smith is here.
31.) Kansas City Chiefs
Felix Anudike-Uzomah (EDGE/Kansas State)
Grade; B-
I knew they were going to go edge here, but really didn’t know who they were going to select. The Chiefs are already well-established other a few positions. This was one of them, and although I am not a huge fan of this Kansas State edge rusher, I can see why they did it. They are all about taking chances to give guys the best opportunity they need to succeed. With this kid now on the edge, the Chiefs can only get better.
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