The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. That’s mean it is time to start analyzing and handing out some grade for all 32 teams. But perhaps no one’s analysis will receive more attention that Mel Kiper’s.
The face of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage got right to work on his grades for each team’s draft as soon as the final pick was on the books on Saturday. And from the looks of it, he sees two clear winners from this weekend’s event.
The first is the Philadelphia Eagles, who received an A grade from Kiper for their work.
According to Mel Kiper, Eagles GM Howie Roseman was able to get two of Mel’s top 12 players from the draft with his two first-round picks. That includes the top player on Kiper’s board, as Philly stole Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the ninth-overall pick. Then, with the 30th pick, they scooped up Carter’s former Bulldogs teammate, edge rusher Nolan Smith — whom Kiper claims could have gone as high as eighth-overall.
Kiper also mentions the Eagles’ Day 3 trade with the Detroit Lions for running back D’Andre Swift as one of his key reasons for grading the Eagles so high.
And right with them was the Seattle Seahawks, who impressed Kiper by taking two of the best players at their respective positions with their two first-round picks.
It started with Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who the Seahawks took fifth-overall. And they followed that up by taking arguably the best wideout in the draft, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, with the 20th pick.
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Kiper also had high praise for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, both of whom received A- grades for their respective drafts.
Kiper and the gang on ESPN went over their winners after the draft:
As for the worst drafters of the bunch, that would be the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders. It wasn’t too bad, however, as they each received B- grades from the ESPN analyst.
