2023 NFL Draft Day 2: Grades for every team from Round 3
The 2023 NFL Draft continued on Friday, April 28, with Rounds 2 and 3. Will Levis was the star of the show, as he finally came off the board at 33rd for the Tennessee Titans.
However, that did not mean the rest of the day was uneventful. A few interesting players went off the board in the third round, including Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, who was taken by the Detroit Lions.
How wisely did the teams use their picks, though? Who did well and who did badly? Time to find out.
2023 NFL Draft Round 3 Grades
No. 64 Chicago Bears - Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
Grade - C
Last season, the Chicago Bears were the worst team in the league despite Justin Fields' record-breaking performance, and that can be attributed to their defense. They already have many defensive linemen, and this pick could have been better spent on the secondary.
No. 65 Philadelphia Eagles - Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama
Grade - A-
The Eagles already boast the best offensive line in the league, with a trio of Pro Bowlers in champions Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson and incoming junior Landon Dickerson. Now they may have gotten stronger, even if Steen does not have as much name value as, say, Paris Johnson.
No. 66 Philadelphia Eagles - Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
Grade - B
The Eagles secondary just got deeper. Cornerback Darius Slay is shaping up to be a superstar, and adding a safety like Brown will only add to their deep threat defense.
No. 67 Denver Broncos - Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Grade - B
Another linebacker in a deep field? Sanders could prove to be a stud, but he faces an uphill struggle before he can break out.
No. 68 Detroit Lions - Hendon Hooker, QB Tennessee
Grade - A
Good on the Detroit Lions for future-proofing their quarterback situation. If Hooker was able to prove himself a key piece in the Volunteers' turnaround, he could play the same role at the Lions.
No. 69 Houston Texans - Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
Grade - A+
The Texans needed another promising pass-catcher for CJ Stroud, and they struck gold with a somewhat local product. With Amari Rodgers and Dalton Schultz onboard, the team could be back on top of the AFC South again.
No. 70 Las Vegas Raiders - Byron Young, DT, Alabama
Grade - A
Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby get another potential contributor to their pass rush. Alongside first-round selection Tyree Wilson, the Riders have a promising defense on their hands.
No. 71 New Orleans Saints - Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
Grade - F
The Saints already have Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams onboard; why do they need another running back? What they needed was another prolific wide receiver to complement Michael Thomas.
No. 72 Arizona Cardinals - Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
Grade - A
Budda Baker finally has a great sidekick in the Cardinals secondary. While not going for Will Anderson Jr. is still somewhat questionable, the defense should still look good, especially with the Kyzir White's arrival.
No. 73 New York Giants - Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Grade - A
The Giants get another prolific wide receiver to add to their collection of Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson. This may be a draft steal if things go well.
No. 74 Cleveland Browns - Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
Grade - A+
The Browns' passing game just got better, as Hyatt's college teammate joins Elijah Moore, Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Suddenly, Deshaun Watson has plenty of targets to throw to.
No. 75 Atlanta Falcons - Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State
Grade - C
Calais Campbell is the star defensive acquisition of the Falcons, but he could be gone after this season. Harrison, though, does not seem to fit the bill of his successor.
No. 76 New England Patriots - Marte Mapu, LB Sacramento State
Grade - A+
The Patriots already have a potent secondary bolstered by Christian Gonzalez, and now they're adding a complement to Matthew Judon. While Mac Jones is still on the hot seat, Mapu, Gonzalez and DE Keion White could enginner a defensive turnaround.
No. 77 Los Angeles Rams - Byron Young, DE, Tennessee
Grade - A-
Aaron Donals is still an elite-level defender, but even he can only do so much. Turning to the other Byron Young of this draft class will do wonders for the Rams' future.
No 78 Green Bay Packers - Tucker Kraft, TE, SD State
Grade - F
The Packers already have a rookie tight end in Luke Musgrave; why do they need another? They need to do more on defense, especially the line. There are only five defensive linemen on their roster, as of this writing.
No 79 Indianapolis Colts - Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Grade - A+
The Colts needed another receiver to complement Michael Pittman Jr., and they nailed it. Anthony Richardson will surely enjoy throwing the ball to them.
No. 80 Carolina Panthers - DJ Johnson, LB, Oregon
Grade - B
After bolstering their offense, the Panthers have turned to their defense, and they have picked up someone who can complement Pro Bowler Brian Burns.
No. 81 Tennessee Titans - Tyjae Spears
Grade - B+
With Derrick Henry reaching the crossroads of his career, the Titans needed to bolster their ground game, and Tyjae Spears could be the man to do the job.
No. 82 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - YaYa Diaby, LB, Louisville
Grade - C
The Bucs already have a pair of Pro Bowl linebackers in Lavonte David and Devin White. They could have bolstered the DL and/or secondary instead with this pick. Nevertheless, Diaby is not a bad addition.
No. 83 Denver Broncos - Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
Grade - B
Moss joins a burgeoning secondary helmed by Pro Bowlers Justin Simmons and Patrick Surtain II. He could prove to be a steal.
No 84 Miami Dolphins - Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
Grade - D
The Dolphins are already deep at running back, with Jeff Wilson, Myles Gaskin and now Raheem Mostert competing for the starting job. Achane could well be lost in the shuffle.
No 85 Los Angeles Chargers - Daiyan Henley - LB, Washington State
Grade - C
This was supposed to be a D or even F, as the Chargers already have Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, but they operate on the outside. So, at inside, Henley could work out well here.
No. 86 Baltimore Ravens - Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
Grade - D
Roquan Smith already leads a deep inside rotation, so the only way for Simpson to get in is by moving to the outside, which is what the Ravens need to fortify.
No. 87 San Francisco 49ers - Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
Grade - B
Brown could be a solid addition to a 49ers secondary that already has Pro Bowler Talanoa Hufanga and FA acquisition Isaiah Oliver.
No. 88 Jacksonville Jaguars - Cartavious Bigsby - RB, Auburn
Grade - C
D'Ernest Johnson Jr. and Travis Etienne are the main priorities of the Jgs' running game, so Bigsby has to prove himself on special teams first.
No. 89 Las Angeles Rams - Kobie Turner, DE, Wake Forest
Grade - C
Again, refer to the Byron Young situation, although it can also be said that the Rams should have gone for another tackle to complement Aaron Donald.
No. 90 Dallas Cowboys - DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas
Grade - A
The Cowboys need linebackers, and they made a good choice with Overshown. He will enjoy developing under Pro Bowlers Micah Parsona and Leightin Vander Esch.
No. 91 Buffalo Bills - Dorian Williams - LB, Tulane
Grade - A
Von Miller is not getting any younger, so good on the Bills for future-proofing their pass with Wiliams. He and Matt Milano could be a great tandem once Miller hangs them up.
No. 92 - Kansas City Chiefs - Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma
Grade - B
Losing Orlando Brown Jr. to the Bengals was rough, but they could have used another center or even guard here.
No. 93 Pittsburgh Steelers - Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Grade - D
Between Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward, the Steelers do not need another tight end. Another wide reciever could have been the call here.
No. 94 Arizona Cardinals - Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
Grade - C
Despite rumors of a trade, DeAndre Hopkins could be staying in AZ, and with Marquise Brown and Zach Pascal also there, Wilson will not be a major factor in the depth chart.
No. 95 Cincinnati Bengals - Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
Grade - A+
Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell represent major losses for the Bengals secondary, so Battle is an excellent addition. He could prove to be the leader the unit needs.
96 Detroit Lions - Brodric Martin, DT, WKU
Grade - C
The Lions' defensive line is stacked, and Martin could have a tough time finding a prominent role.
97 Washington Commanders - Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas
Grade - D
The Commanders have way too many offensive linemen, so it's likely that Stromberg will not play a single snap. Passing might have been a better option here had it been available.
98 Clevelnd Browns - Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Grade - A-
Another tackle gives the Browns another option to maximize Myles Garrett's pass-rushing potential. Decent signing.
99 San Francisco 49ers - Jake Moody, K, Michigan
Grade - A+
Zane Gonzalez has not been a good pro football kicker, so upgrading to a record-breaker like Moody is an excellent decision.
100 Las Vegs Raiders - Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati
Grade - C
With Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Jakobi Meyers onboard, it's tough to see Tucker breaking into the rotation.
101 San Francisco 49ers - Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
Grade - B
The 49ers already have Pro Bowler George Kittle, but they still get a pass here because of Latu's versatility. He played linebacker before becoming a tight end, so he could always return there to bolster a shallow unit.
102 Minnesota Vikings - Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
Grade - C
Blackmon joins a fairly deep secondary led by Pro Bowler Harrison Smith, so he needs to prove himself first. especially at his position.