CJ Stroud, Devon Witherspoon, Will Anderson Jr, Jalen Carter and Bijan Robinson are among the many marquee 2023 NFL rookies who’ve arrived as advertised.
On the flip side, other highly-touted rookies like Bryce Young, Tyree Wilson, Emmanuel Forbes and Quentin Johnston have endured plenty of first-year pains and simply can’t wait for 2023 to end.
And then you have rookies who entered the league with minimal expectations and yet already look like bonafide stars. What’s the term for that again, Oh yeah…”draft steal.”
Plenty of those have surfaced here in 2023. So without further ado, let’s dive into the 10 biggest NFL draft steals of the year.
Puka Nacua
Another reminder as to why Les Snead doesn’t care for first-round picks. Who needs ‘em when you can just find a superstar in days two and three of the draft anyway?
The Los Angeles Rams drafted the BYU product in the fifth round at No. 177 overall. Even when star wideout Cooper Kupp landed on the IR to begin the season, not much was expected of Nacua or the other Rams’ receivers.
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Well, it didn’t take long for Nacua to make an epic first impression. He racked up 10 receptions for 119 yards in the Rams’ Week 1 30-13 upset win of the Seattle Seahawks. Turned out NOT to be beginner’s luck, but rather the beginning of a rise to stardom.
Nacua and Matthew Stafford have formed one of the game’s most dynamic offensive duos this year — and it has kept the Rams in the playoff hunt during a year of transition. In Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers, Nacua set a rookie single-game record by tallying 15 receptions.
Nacua is going to finish as the rookie leader in receptions and receiving yards by a country mile. And to think he’ll likely finish top-10 in receiving this year, too.
Not bad for a little-known fifth-round pick out of BYU, huh?
Tank Dell
The Houston Texans’ 2023 NFL Draft class has the opportunity to go down as one of the greatest in NFL history. Quarterback CJ Stroud is already a superstar, and Will Anderson Jr. hasn’t been too shabby himself as a run-stopping force and explosive pass-rusher off the edge.
Oh, and then there’s Houston product Tank Dell — whom the Texans nabbed in the third round at No. 69 overall.
Dell is having one of the best rookie seasons for a wide receiver in recent memory — and the Texans are in postseason contention because of it.
Dell and Nico Collins have formed one of the game’s top receiving duos this season, allowing Stroud to perform like an MVP candidate no less.
What else is there to say? With Stroud, Dell and Collins headlining the offense, there’s no telling how scary-good Houston’s offense will be in the coming years.
De’Von Achane
Despite missing about one-third of his rookie year, however, Achane has established himself as one of the NFL’s elite rookies of 2023. Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s now impossible to comprehend how he fell to the Miami Dolphins in round three at No. 84 overall.
Through his first four NFL games, Achane racked up 460 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns — including a four-TD outburst against the Denver Broncos in Week 3.
Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are getting all the love in Miami — but don’t forget how much more explosive this group is with Achane in the backfield.
Miami found itself a hidden gem here in Achane. Mostert may be the lead RB1 for now, but Achane is the future of Miami’s backfield. He’s got multiple future All-Pro selections written all over him.
Mekhi Blackmon
Brian Flores’ work in turning around the Minnesota Vikings defense this year isn’t getting enough love.
Last year, the Vikings defense couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Despite few changes on the player personnel side, Flores has turned this hapless defense into a borderline top-10 unit.
One reason for the D’s unexpected success? Rookie cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who’s flown under the radar all season long amid a roller-coaster season in The Gopher State.
The USC product was drafted in the third round by the Vikings at No. 102 overall. With future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson departing in free agency, the Vikings desperately needed its young defensive backs to step up — and Blackmon was up for the challenge.
Don’t let Blackmon’s non-eye-popping box score fool you. He’s not racking up the takeaways because opposing quarterbacks are wisely throwing elsewhere.
What a find by the Vikings. If they end up making the playoffs this year,consider Blackmon the unsung hero of the 2023 Minnesota defense.
Demario Douglas
To put it perfectly blunt, the New England Patriots are enduring their worst season since 1992.
That squad went 2-and-14 and averaged a pathetic 13.5 points per game. Well, this year’s Patriots could easily finish with a lower mark. It’s gotten so bad that many expect the Patriots to move on from Bill Belichick — the GOAT of NFL coaches by the way — after this season.
The positives in New England are few and far between this year. If Pats fans are looking for something to be optimistic about, how about the play of rookie standouts in cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wide receiver Demario Douglas?
Gonzalez’s promising year was unfortunately cut short with a torn labrum he suffered in Week 4 — but Douglas has trudged along and given the Patriots something to cheer about this year.
The Liberty wideout was drafted in the sixth round at No. 210 overall by the Pats. Douglas has emerged as the new WR1 in Foxborough since Kendrick Bourne’s season-ending ACL tear, giving Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe SOME life in the passing game.
Take your guess as to who will start for New England at QB next year. The good news is that there’s a new potential WR1 for the next signal-caller to work with in Douglas.
Jordan Battle
The Cincinnati Bengals’ season went down the drain when they lost Joe Burrow for the year in Week 11 with a wrist injury. But make no mistake: The future in Cincy remains ultra-bright with “Joe Cool 2.0” leading the way on offense.
And Lou Anaruo’s D should remain a force in 2024 and beyond. After all, the Bengals struck gold in round three when they snagged Alabama safety Jordan Battle in round three with the No. 95 selection.
Curiously, Battle has seen less than a third of the Bengals’ defensive snaps and has been mostly used on special teams. Obviously, that’s going to change in 2024.
Though Battle has had his struggles in pass coverage — like any first-year defensive back — he’s made up for it with his elite run defense. PFF ranked Battle as a top-10 rookie of 2023 in Weeks 11 and 12 — citing his status as the No. 3-graded rookie run defender.
The Bengals D never gets enough love because all the credit goes to the Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase-led offense. But the Cincinnati defense is a top-10 unit at full strength, and the potential of the group is limitless provided Battle gets more playing time next year.
Byron Young
To clarify — this is the LOS ANGELES RAMS’ Byron Young we’re talking about. Not the other Byron Young that went 70th overall to the Las Vegas Raiders this year.
The Rams’ Byron Young was taken seven spots later at No. 77 overall with the pick that Les Snead acquired from Miami in the Jalen Ramsey blockbuster trade. Call it a win-win for both sides.
Leonard Floyd’s departure left the Rams in desperate need of another stud pass-rusher to complement future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Enter Young.
The outside linebacker out of Tennessee has been a force in Raheem Morris’ defense — racking up five sacks through his first nine games. Young has also been exceptional in pass coverage and has performed nicely in the run-stopping department with Donald, too.
Young has a good shot of finishing as the rookie leader in both sacks and forced fumbles. Jalen Carter has turned heads as the best rookie pass-rusher in this draft, but don’t overlook Young here. The Rams found another future star with a day two pick. The more that stays the same…
Tuli Tuipulotu
It’s hard to find many positives for the Los Angeles Chargers this year. Mike Williams was lost for the year in Week 3 with a torn ACL.
Austin Ekeler also missed time and hasn’t produced up to his usual standards in a contract year. And Brandon Staley’s inept in-game management has led to another year of Justin Herbert’s prime being wasted. Yippee.
So we don’t blame anyone if they’ve overlooked the few positives for the Bolts this year, so allow us to bring one to your attention: The play of rookie outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu.
The 2022 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and USC was drafted in the second round by the Chargers at No. 54 overall. Needless to say, Tuli Tuipulotu has outperformed his draft position.
While Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa get most of the attention on the Chargers’ D, Tuipulotu has low-key formed a three-headed pass-rushing trio with the two veteran stars.
Tuipulotu has also been a valuable contributor on the Chargers’ special teams, playing roughly half the snaps on that unit.
2023 will go down as a wasted year for the Chargers, but Justin Herbert isn’t the only young superstar this team can build around over the long run. Tuipulotu promises to play a big role on the defense for years to come, too.
Josh Downs
Downs exceeded 1,000 yards receiving in each of his last two years at North Carolina, but he wasn’t exactly highly-touted entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Downs in the third round at No. 79 overall. He was the fourth receiver taken in round three — but Downs would unquestionably be a first-round pick in a 2023 NFL Draft do-over.
Colts’ rookie head coach Shane Steichen quickly helped unlock Downs’ potential — turning him into an explosive game-changer on a surprisingly-potent Indy offense.
The Colts lost Anthony Richardson for the season after four games, and star running back Jonathan Taylor will have missed roughly half the year as well. But Downs, Michael Pittman Jr, Zack Moss and Gardner Minshew II have come together in the wake of adversity to round out a prolific offensive unit.
Expectations were extremely low for these Colts coming into 2023, but Downs has helped them stay in playoff contention all season long. To think he’s only a rookie, too! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for him when Richardson returns to the field in 2024.
Rashee Rice
The Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver room has been a problem for much of the year.
Kadarius Toney is a bust, Skyy Moore hasn’t broken out as hoped and Marquez Valdes-Scantling can’t hold onto the football. What’s the nickname for that? Oh yes…”butter fingers.”
Fortunately, Travis Kelce has been his usual-dominant self, and rookie Rashee Rice has emerged as a key contributor for Patrick Mahomes and company. It took Rice a few weeks to get going, but he has finally asserted himself as the new WR1 wideout in KC. At least for now.
Drafted in round two at No. 55 overall, Rice finally had his breakout game in a Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos with four receptions for 72 yards. That was followed by a five-catch-60-yard and one-TD outing against the Chargers.
In Week 12 against the Raiders, Rice finally exploded with eight receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Finally, the SMU product had arrived.
Rice has been a borderline top-five rookie wideout since his Week 6 contest against Denver, and he should only get better with the game’s best quarterback throwing him the football. If the Chiefs end up repeating as champions, you know Rice will have been a key reason why.
Who do you think is the greatest steal of the 2023 NFL Draft so far
