Arizona
The Cardinals had nine picks in the 2023 draft and they spread the picks around evenly between offense and defense – four offensive players and five defensive players. The first four picks (Johnson-Wilson) should all start or be in the two-deep roster. Specifically, Johnson and Ojulari should be starters from day one this fall.
Best pick – Williams
??? pick – Gaines
Grade – B
Round/Pick | Prospect | Pos | College | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1/6 | Paris Johnson | OT | Ohio State | Cards trade up for the right to draft the first OL off the board in Johnson. Johnson gives the Cards a bookend OT for the next decade. |
2/41 | BJ Ojulari | Edge | LSU | Ojulari has good length, excellent bend, and good closing burst. He’s a very similar prospect to his brother Azeez (Giants). |
3/27 | Garrett Williams | CB | Syracuse | Very fluid and quick with excellent instincts. Coming off an ACL injury that ended his season. |
3/94 | Michael Wilson | WR | Stanford | Wilson looks the part and has excellent speed. Unfortunately, his hands are inconsistent and he spends a lot of time on the injured list. |
4/122 | Jon Gaines | IOL | UCLA | Arizona continues to add blockers up front in attempt to improve the run game in Arizona. Gaines has ideal measurables but is too stiff and has trouble adjusting to movement and games up front. |
5/139 | Clayton Tune | QB | Houston | Tune has the skills to become a starting caliber NFL QB with the size, arm strength, experience, and athleticism to operate virtually any system. A beneficial attribute considering his skills are significantly different than Kyler Murray’s skill set. |
5/168 | Owen Pappoe | LB | Auburn | Pappoe really turned heads with his combine performance and he occasionally flashed the speed, burst, and range at Auburn that once made him a 5-star recruit. But his film is inconsistent, his instincts have never developed as hoped, and he just leaves you wanting more considering his elite tools. |
6/180 | Kei'Trel Clark | CB | Louisville | Clark is the most underrated slot CB in this draft. He brings quick reaction skills, loose hips, and a physical mindset to the position. |
7/213 | Dante Stills | DT | West Virginia | Stills, son of long time NFL Edge Rusher Gary, is a quick-twitch 3T who wins with quickness, burst, and tenacity. Great value pick at #213. |
LA Rams
The Rams went from Super Bowl Champions to a 5-win also-ran for a variety of reasons. But perhaps the main reason they stumbled is the poor job of roster management on the 2022 team, specifically on the offensive line, which was by far the worst unit in the NFL. The drafting of Avila and McClendon gives them two potentially new starters on the OL in 2023. The Rams also addressed their abysmal pass rush with the selection of three Edge Rushers. Very good job of addressing needs without a first-round pick.
Best pick – Young
??? pick – Evans
Grade – A-
Round/Pick | Prospect | Pos | College | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2/36 | Steve Avila | IOL | TCU | One of the reasons the Rams struggled last year was because the quality of the offensive line play declined. Avila is big, strong, and powerful and can play any IOL position. |
3/77 | Byron Young | Edge | Tennessee | Young is quick and fast and has a high ceiling. He gives the Rams a young Edge to pair with Leonard Floyd. |
3/89 | Kobie Turner | DT | Wake Forest | Turner is undersized but quick and has an explosive burst through the line. Sounds kinda like a young Aaron Donald, doesn’t it? |
4/128 | Stetson Bennet | QB | Georgia | Rams trade up to draft the two-time National Championship game MVP. He is undersized but is a proven winner and an underrated athlete. There are some character concerns with Bennett but the Rams have a strong organization and can deal with runaway egos, such as Bennett. |
5/161 | Nick Hampton | LB-Edge | Appalachian State | Hampton figures to be developed as an Edge Rusher in LA. He lacks some desired size and length but he is smart and instinctual. Hampton should get opportunities to contribute early in his career. |
5/174 | Warren McClendon | OT | Georgia | The run on Bulldogs never seems to cease! McClendon is the multi-year starting ORT for the National Champions and brings size, strength, and competitiveness to the position. McClendon will compete for a starting job as a rookie in 2023. |
5 / 175 | Davis Allen | TE | Clemson | Great value pick by the Rams, who are quietly having a solid draft. Allen doesn’t offer much upside as a blocker but he competes and is tough. What he offers are reliable hands and solid YAC ability to the Rams passing game. |
5/177 | Puka Nacua | WR | BYU | Nacua offers size, a large catch radius, and precise route running to the Rams receiver room. |
6 / 182 | Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson | CB | TCU | Great value pick here. THT won the Thorpe Award and shows the agility and competitiveness to become a starting caliber slot CB in the NFL. |
6 / 189 | Ochaun Mathis | Edge | Nebraska | Mathis, a transfer from TCU, offers fantastic size and intriguing athleticism to the Rams rebuilding defensive line. |
7/215 | Zach Evans | RB | Mississippi | The Rams continue to add talent to their roster in the explosive former 5-star recruit at TCU. Evans has burst and explosive playmaking ability to be used as part of the RB stable in LA. |
7/223 | Ethans Evans | P | Wintage | The Rams are using their array of picks to rebuild the entire team, including special teams. Evans was the Division 2 All-American punter at Wingate and is surprising pick at #223. |
7/234 | Jason Taylor | S | Oklahoma State | The Rams continue adding quality prospects in the draft with the addition of Taylor, who figured to be drafted far earlier than pick #234. Taylor has the size, speed, instincts, and ball skills to become a starter early in his career. |
7 / 259 | Desjuan Johnson | DL | Toledo | Mr. Irrelevant is a ‘tweener Edge / DT prospect who holds the edge well in the running game and then shows burst rushing from the inside. Intriguing skill set who may make the Rams roster in September. |
San Francisco
The 49ers under GM John Lynch develop a plan each draft and then set out to execute that plan. The 49ers set out to improve the TE (2) and LB (3) depth. They also took the extraordinary step to draft the best kicker in this draft at #99 – an indication of the high expectations placed on Moody in the coming seasons.
Best pick – Luter
??? pick – None
Grade – A-
Round/Pick | Prospect | Pos | College | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3/87 | Ji’Ayir Brown | S | Penn State | 49ers join the draft and take the instinctive ballhawk. Brown is the best safety in this class. |
3/99 | Jake Moody | K | Michigian | The best kicker in this draft goes to San Francisco. Robbie Gould, you’ve been placed on notice. |
3/101 | Cameron Latu | TE | Alabama | Latu is a dangerous weapon in the passing game and he competes as a blocker. Latu should assume #2 TE duties this season. |
5/155 | Darrell Luter | CB | South Alabama | This is one of the best picks in the draft. Luter has a starting caliber skill set to be developed in San Francisco. |
5/173 | Robert Beal | LB-Edge | Georgia | Beal will most likely be featured as a pass rush specialist early in his career. He displays the ability to bend and flatten while having one of the best closing bursts in this draft. |
6/216 | Dee Winters | LB | TCU | Winters gives the 49ers a mobile and rangy LB who figures to play in-space and utilized to neutralize TEs and RBs in coverage. |
7/247 | Brayden Willis | TE | Oklahoma | One of the better blocking TEs in this draft, Willis is a solid all-around TE but will most likely be placed on the 49ers practice squad due to the depth at the position in San Francisco. |
7/253 | Ronnie Bell | WR | Michigan | 49ers finish a solid draft with the selection of Bell, the experienced and dependable Wolverine possession receiver. One of the best blocking WRs in this draft, Bell is likely to begin the season on the practice squad. |
7/255 | Jalen Graham | LB | Purdue | Graham is a long, rangy off the ball LB who is athletic enough to pick up TEs in coverage and has a nice closing burst as a blitzer. Making the roster is challenging but he should be on a practice squad next season. |
Seattle
Last year, the Seahawks spent significant draft capital on improving the OT position and this year they apply a similar approach to the IOL by using two mid-round picks on potential starters. Seattle also signaled their commitment to running the football as next season’s team will have one of the best group of RBs in the NFL.
Best pick – Oluwatimi
??? pick – Reed
Grade – B+
Round/Pick | Prospect | Pos | College | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1/5 | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinios | Seattle surprisingly goes with CB Witherspoon, adding another quality CB to a dangerous secondary. |
1/20 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State | JSN is the first WR off the board. JSN is quick, fast, and explosive and the best WR available in this draft. In Seattle, he’ll get to operate out of the slot and create mismatches over the middle of the field. |
2/37 | Derick Hall | Edge | Auburn | Hall is very strong and excels in run defense. Experienced SEC defender who needs to add some pass rushing moves to his arsenal. |
2/52 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | UCLA | You wouldn’t think that a team having Kenneth Walker would take another RB that high. Charbonnet is strong, physical, and a great pass catcher. |
4/108 | Anthony Bradford | OL | LSU | Bradford has experience all along the OL but figures to slide inside to OG in Seattle. Bradford has good length and power. |
4/123 | Cameron Young | DT | Mississippi State | Young brings an intriguing blend of size and length as Seattle re-tools their offensive and defensive lines. |
5 / 151 | Mike Morris | Edge | Michigan | Morris’ stock was undoubtedly was hurt by his poor combine performance but his 2022 tape was solid. Morris offers good size and length to man the edge against the run and possesses a powerful bull rush to push the pocket. |
5/154 | Olusegun Oluwatimi | IOL | Michigan | Seattle continues their heavy emphasis on interior lineman (offensive and defensive) with the drafting of the Rimington Award winner. A great value pick at #154. Oluwatimi lacks some desired athleticism but has size, is a great technician, and exhibits a high football. He should be the starting center in Seattle early in his career. |
6/198 | Jerrick Reed | S | New Mexico | |
7/237 | Kenny McIntosh | RB | Georgia | Seattle adds their second RB in this year’s draft with the Bulldog back. McIntosh has experience with being in a crowded position group in Athens so the Seahawk RB room won’t faze him. McIntosh is well-rounded and an excellent receiver out of the backfield. He'll compete for a roster spot, and playing time, as a rookie this fall. |
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