The 2023-24 NFL season is officially over and boy it was a good one.. And a big congrats to the Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl 58.
Like every other NFL draft, the 2023 class had plenty of surprises, disappointments and guys who came completely as advertised. Without further ado, let’s dive into our final grades for all 31 NFL 2023 first-round picks.
31. Felix Anudike-Uzomah: D
It was rather surprising to see the Chiefs use another first-round pick on the defensive line, given that it was already a massive strength. Sure enough, the Anudike-Uzomah pick remains a head-scratcher after one year.
Anudike-Uzomah had just half a sack in 17 games, seeing only one-fifth of KC’s defensive snaps. Hindsight is 20/20, but boy they could have used a receiver here.
30. Nolan Smith: D
Smith played all 17 games for the Eagles but saw only 188 defensive snaps, playing most of his rookie year on special teams. He had one sack and garnered a lackluster PFF grade of 50.2.
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Smith didn’t do a whole lot in his limited role as a rookie, but he should be a starter in 2024 with several Eagles’ linebackers and defensive linemen – namely Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham — headed to free agency or retirement.
29. Bryan Bresee: C
Bresee showed promise with six pass defenses and 4.5 sacks as a rotational player, but he was downright awful in run defense.
Despite the decent stat line, PFF had him ranked at 45.5 on the year. If Bresee is to grow into a star, he’s gonna have to refine his game as a run-stopper — especially given how disappointing New Orleans’ rush D was this year.
28. Myles Murphy: C
Murphy didn’t make as much of an impact on Lou Anarumo’s defense as many had expected. But of course, it was hard for him to do much when the Bengals only played Murphy for 28 percent of their defensive snaps.
Murphy had three sacks in a limited role for Cincinnati,
27. Anton Harrison: C-
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass protection let Trevor Lawrence down far too often this year, and Harrison’s up-and-down play as a rookie tackle didn’t help matters.
Harrison committed seven penalties and allowed five sacks on 1,112 offensive snaps. He only doesn’t grade lower because there were some hot stretches where he looked like a future Pro Bowler.
Harrison, like his other fellow rookie linemen, has a long way to go in developing as a quality starter..
26. Mazi Smith: D-
This was another questionable pick, since the Dallas Cowboys were loaded in the front seven. Sure enough, Smith underwhelmed as a rookie with one sack and three QB pressures in a limited role on defense.
Per PFF, Smith had a miserable 34.9 run defense – which proved to be one of Dallas’ few weaknesses this year.
25. Dalton Kincaid: C+
All things considered, Kincaid was a fine weapon for a Buffalo Bills team that was hot-and-cold all year long. He caught 73 passes — 29 of them being first downs — for 673 yards and two touchdowns.
Kincaid should only get better as he develops more chemistry with Josh Allen. There’s a lot to like about his game and fi in the Buffalo offense.
24. Deonte Banks: B
Banks had plenty of struggles but also plenty of flashes for the New York Giants in what was an overall disappointing year for Big Blue.
Though Pro Football Reference had Banks down for 606 yards and four TDs allowed in coverage, he also allowed just a 55.2 completion percentage and an opposing 79.6 passer rating when targeting.
With more experience, he could emerge as a Pro Bowl weapon for Brian Daboll’s squad in 2024.
23. Jordan Addison: A+
Addison wasted no time cementing himself as the perfect No. 2 receiver to Justin Jefferson. The USC product finished with 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 receiving TDS — tied with Sam LaPorta for the most among all rookies.
If the Vikings can get some health at QB next year, just imagine a receiving trio of JJ, Addison and TJ Hockenson. Scary thought for 31 other teams, we know.
22. Zay Flowers: A+
There it is! Finally, a true No. 1 wide receiver to help Lamar Jackson elevate the passing game in 2023.
Flowers had a phenomenal rookie year for the Baltimore Ravens, tallying 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns. With Mark Andrews missing seven games, Flowers stepped up big-time in the Ravens’ passing game and helped Jackson put together another MVP season.
21. Quentin Johnston: F
A giant disappointment here. No way to sugar-coat it.
Big miss here for the Los Angeles Chargers, who got very little out of the former TCU star this year.
Even with Mike Williams missing most of the year, and even with Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler missing considerable time, Johnston failed to step up and produce with Justin Herbert and company.
Johnston had just 38 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns. That included five outings with 10 receiving yards or less. Gross, we know.
20. Jaxon Smith-Njigba: B+
JSN was never gonna post eye-popping stats in Seattle’s rush-heavy offense as a rookie, not to mention that DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are Seattle’s two best receivers.
But Smith-Njigba was better than expected as a rookie, hauling in 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns. His defining rookie moment? The game-winning TD in the final minute against the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 15.
A very bright future lies ahead of Smith-Njigba in Emerald City.
19. Calijah Kancey: D
At first glance, four sacks seems pretty good for a rookie defensive tackle. But the data paints another picture for the new Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Kancey finished with a woeful PFF grade of 46.6. He was supposed to strengthen Tampa’s stout run D, yet PFF graded him at a miserable 29.8 in the run defense. So much for forming a dynamic interior lineman duo with Vita Vea this year.
18. Jack Campbell: C+
This was another highly-criticized pick at the time, but Campbell exceeded expectations in year one for the Lions.
Campbell had two sacks and 95 combined tackles in a limited role on defense. PFF also gave him a stellar run defense grade of 75.9. Campbell was a key reason why Detroit finished as the No. 2 run D behind only Chicago.
17. Christian Gonzalez: A
Gonzalez was playing lights out before unfortunately suffering a torn Labrum that ended his season after just four games. But what a first impression Gonzalez made for an otherwise miserable New England Patriots team.
The Oregon product has three pass defenses and one interception — and PFF had him graded at 80.8 before his injury. He has all the tools to be the next great cornerback in New England.
16. Emmanuel Forbes: D-
A very forgettable rookie year for Washington’s new cornerback, to say the very least.
Forbes was benched twice early in the Commanders’ season and was picked apart time and time again in coverage. Per Pro Football Reference, Forbes yielded a 105.3 passer rating when targeted and allowed three TDs in coverage.
A renowned ball-hawker in college, Forbes also had just one interception in year one as a pro.
15. Will McDonald IV: D-
Hindsight is 20/20, but boy did the Packers blow it by not taking an offensive lineman here. They had enough pass-rushing depth and didn’t need McDonald, for starters.
Secondly, Aaron Rodgers was under duress in the opening minutes of his Jets debut before suffering a torn Achilles on a sack from Leonard Floyd. Now imagine what could have been avoided if the Jets took an offensive lineman here?
McDonald played less than a fifth of the Jets’ defensive snaps in the 15 games he was available for and finished with three sacks. Why’d the Jets take McDonald knowing they wouldn’t utilize him much as a rookie anyway?
14. Broderick Jones: B+
Jones was one of the best first-year offensive linemen this year, providing stability on a Pittsburgh o-line that has endured plenty of changes and combinations over the last three years.
Jones did allow four sacks but committed only two penalties on 766 offensive snaps. Thanks to his superb run-blocking, Najee Harris again hit 1K rushing while helping Jaylen Warren rush for a career-high 784.
13. Lukas Van Ness: C+
The Green Bay Packers had enough pass-rushing depth when they took Van Ness at No. 13 overall, so the pick was a bit of a head-scratcher at the time.
But Van Ness had a solid all-around rookie year for a guy who only saw one-third of the Pack’s defensive snaps. He had four sacks and provided some valuable depth in the run-stopping department.
If he sees an increased role, Van Ness will be a top breakout candidate in 2024.
12. Jahmyr Gibbs: A+
This pick was widely scrutinized at the time, but hindsight allows us to tip our hats to the Lions for a genius selection here.
Despite missing two games, and despite playing less snaps than David Montgomery, Gibbs finished with 945 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished with 1,261 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.
The Lions finished with the league’s fifth-best scoring offense and won their first division title in 30 years. NOW we see why the Lions were obsessed with him from the get-go.
11. Peter Skoronski: C
Skoronski was the consensus top offensive tackle in this class, so this initially felt like a great value pick for the Tennessee Titans.
Skoronski had plenty of ups and downs as a rookie, though, and the Titans eventually moved him to guard. He allowed five sacks in 863 offensive snaps and was awfully inconsistent in the run-blocking department.
Like Wright and Johnson, there’s a lot of polishing to do on this young lineman heading into 2024.
10. Darnell Wright: C
Wright was a serviceable starter for the Chicago Bears in year one…at least as a run-blocker.
But he had plenty of struggles in pass protection, allowing seven sacks and committing 11 penalties on 1,127 offensive snaps. But most rookie offensive linemen endure their fair share of struggles, so this wasn’t exactly surprising.
Wright should improve considerably in 2024 and grow into a key cog on the Bears’ o-line.
9. Jalen Carter: A+
Carter was a great value pick for the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 9 overall. He had six sacks and two forced fumbles in a rotational role while finishing with an elite PFF grade of 89.0 on the year.
Carter was one of the few bright spots on a Philly D that tremendously underperformed in the regular season. He’ll unquestionably get a full-time starting job next year and hit that next level of super stardom.
8. Bijan Robinson: B+
Robinson stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 1,463 yards of offense and eight touchdowns.
But as we warned you, the Atlanta Falcons didn’t at all need Robinson.
They already had a 1,000-yard rusher in Tyler Allgeier. Robinson’s all-pro-level talents didn’t move the needle at all for Atlanta, who finished 7-and-10 for the third straight year. That cost Arthur Smith his job, but the bottom line remains that Atlanta needs a quarterback.
Anywho, at least Robinson performed and wasn’t at all a bust — and we wouldn’t be shocked if he were to win multiple rushing titles in Atlanta.
7. Tyree Wilson: D-
Wilson played in all 17 of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2023 games but didn’t start any of them. He played just 44 percent of the club’s defensive snaps, recording 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.
PFF had Wilson graded at a disappointing 47.1 on the year. But it’s hard to fault him too much after seeing limited action as a rookie. Bigger things are in store for 2024 — and working alongside Maxx Crosby can only help Wilson grow.
6. Paris Johnson Jr.: C-
We felt like Arizona reached for Johnson here at No. 6, and he certainly proved the naysayers correct with a very lackluster rookie campaign.
Per PFF, the former Ohio State star allowed eight sacks and committed 12 penalties on 1,130 offensive snaps. He finished with a grade of 60.1 on the year, highlighting the fact that there’s plenty of room for improvement.
5. Devon Witherspoon: A+
The Seattle Seahawks were among the bigger disappointments this year, but their prized rookie corner does not fit under that category.
Pro Football Focus graded Witherspoon — who had 16 pass defenses in just 14 games — at 84.1 on the year. He was one of PFF’s top-graded run-stopping defensive backs, morphing into a unicorn on an otherwise underwhelming Seattle D.
4. Anthony Richardson: B
Richardson was limited to four games in his rookie year due to several injuries, having required season-ending shoulder surgery in October.
But for the brief action we saw, he sure dazzled in Indianapolis. Richardson threw for 577 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception while rushing for 136 yards and four touchdowns.
With backup Gardner Minshew, the Colts finished 9-and-8 and just barely missed out on the postseason. With Richardson returning next year, the Colts have all the pieces to actually win the AFC South.
3. Will Anderson Jr.: A+
The Texans gave up a giant package to Arizona for the No. 3 pick, which they used on the top defensive player of his class. Like Stroud, the Texans saw grade-A production from the get-go.
Anderson Jr. tallied seven sacks and finished third in ESPN’s pass rush win rate among edge rushers, behind only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. He was second in run stop win rate among edge rushers, too, behind only Maxx Crosby.
And to think this is only the start. Folks, you’re looking at a future First-team All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year. What a coup by the Texans to get both Stroud and Anderson Jr.
2. CJ Stroud: A+
The Texans better send the Panthers a giant gift basket of thanks for taking Young over Stroud.
Houton took the Ohio State QB at No. 2 and immediately reaped the rewards. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions — leading Houston to an unexpected AFC South division crown in year three of a giant rebuild.
The future is in H-Town, and we’re not just talking about the hot Texas sun.
1. Bryce Young: F
We aren’t solely blaming Young for his first-year struggles. David Tepper is officially the new worst owner in football with Dan Snyder gone, and the lack of weapons around Young — coupled with an atrocious offensive line — did not help matters.
Still, the Panthers sold the farm to trade up and get Young. You’d like more than a 2-14-0 record, 59.8 completion percentage, 11 touchdowns and 10 picks. It also didn’t look good on Young that Andy Dalton had a superb outing — with the same supporting cast no less – in Week 3 against Seattle.
Plenty of work to do on fixing Young in Carolina.
