With this year’s NFL draft in the books, it’s time for our annual look at the five WORST and the five best value picks of this year’s class.
While some teams reached big-time for a guy who doesn’t necessarily address their roster needs, other clubs somehow hit a home run by snagging a future star that shouldn’t have even been available when it was their turn to pick.
Before we start, we just want to clarify that for our “best picks,” we’re simply looking at the best value picks. Top prospects taken in their respective spots like Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Anthony Richardson were obvious picks, so there’s no need to mention those here.
With that said, let’s dive into the five absolute worst picks of the 2023 NFL draft, as well as the five best!
Worst: Jahmyr Gibbs
There are two main questions that any GM should ask himself before he makes a draft selection. Number one: Is this a position of need? And Number two: Are we getting good value with this pick?
In the case of the Detroit Lions and their no. 12 selection, Jahmyr Gibbs, the answer would be “no” to both questions. Sorry if it’s harsh, but it’s the reality of the situation.
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Gibbs doesn’t fit a roster need, because the Lions already have ex-Chicago Bear David Montgomery, who they signed in free agency during the offseason. He’s got four straight 800-yard seasons on his resume… And let’s not forget that, at the time, they still had D’Andre Swift on their roster as well.
Secondly, who had Gibbs being a top 20 pick, let alone 12th overall? The Lions could have easily traded down and nabbed Gibbs late in the first or early in the second-round. Seriously, who else was trying to get Gibbs that early in the draft?
Taking a running back that early is always risky business, especially when he’s not even considered to be capable of taking on a workhorse role—which is the case with Gibbs, who projects to be more of a change-of-pace-slash-receiving back with big-play capabilities.
The Lions could have considered Will Levis at No. 12, or addressed the league’s fifth-worst scoring defense of 2022.
It’s truly impossible to comprehend the thinking of the Lions’ brass sometimes. It’s moves like this that remind us why they’ve been rebuilding since 1957.
Best: Will Levis
Consider it the most shocking draft fall since Aaron Rodgers in 2005. Kentucky QB Will Levis was considered by many to be a top five selection — or at least a top-10 pick, according to countless mock drafts leading up to the actual event in Kansas City.
But the ex-Wildcats star went undrafted in round one, which was utterly shocking given his talent level and the fact that several teams could really use a potential franchise quarterback right about now… We’re looking at you, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons!
The Tennessee Titans aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. They traded up with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 33 selection and took Levis, putting them in a great spot to transition into a new era next year.
2023 is most certainly it for Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. He’s 35, injury prone and entering the final year of his contract. Levis probably will benefit from sitting behind Tannehill for a year before taking over the reins – so he’s truly in a good position here.
Levis has the slick arm and all-world ability to be a franchise QB in the Music City. Mike Vrabel should have no issue unlocking his potential when it’s the young man’s time to shine.
If the Kentucky sensation comes as advertised? This will be one of the biggest draft coups in recent memory. You don’t find franchise QBs after day one very often, after all…
Worst: Jack Campbell
Sorry to pick on the Lions again, but they’re asking for it with yet another questionable selection.
We seriously didn’t come across a single NFL expert who had Campbell going in the first round. So of course the Lions had to go way off the board and take a guy they could’ve likely landed by trading down.
Second, the Lions already have a promising linebacker in Malcolm Rodriguez, who showed signs of stardom last year. The defensive line and the secondary were much bigger needs, and Campbell doesn’t exactly look NFL-ready.
So a team in good position to steal the wide-open NFC North decided to go off the board with its two first-round picks. Both of whom they could have landed much later in the draft, had they traded down.
Just when you think the Lions are starting to do things the right way, they go and do something like this.
Best: Christian Gonzalez
Look, we know the New England Patriots haven’t been the same juggernaut since losing Tom Brady in 2020. But 31 other teams should know that it’s never — ever! — a good idea to let the best head coach of all-time steal a guy who should’ve been a top-10 pick.
After Devon Witherspoon, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez was widely considered the best cornerback prospect in the class. He also should have been a top-10 pick — the Falcons and Raiders both could’ve used him! But somehow he fell to New England in the 17th spot.
Here’s what especially funny about all of this: The Patriots actually traded down three spots with the Pittsburgh Steelers and still came away with Gonzalez. Isn’t it great being Bill Belichick?
Gonzalez has all the tools that Belichick’s other great shutdown corners have had. We’re talking guys like Ty Law, Darrelle Revis, Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore.
Gonzalez has the size at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. And he also has the range, speed and hands.
The Pats already have a top-five secondary with Jack Jones, Jonathan Jones and Kyle Dugger leading the way. And now they add a guy who could soon be in the running for the NFL’s top cornerback.
Worst: Will McDonald IV
This isn’t a knock against McDonald, who, based on his talent level, certainly deserved to be a first-round selection.
The New York Jets used the No. 15 selection on the Iowa State defensive end. And look, we understand the Jets appreciate his skill set and all. But with Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, Carl Lawson and 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson leading that defensive line…where does McDonald IV fit?
The Jets don’t need another pass-rusher. They could have used another offensive lineman like O’Cyrus Torrence, Anton Harrison or Cody Mauch. You just completed a trade for all-world quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so shouldn’t the next priority be to give him the best protection group possible?
Asking a 38-year-old Duane Brown and an injury-prone Mekhi Becton to fill out your starting offensive tackle positions is certainly interesting. Good luck there, A-Rod.
Best: Broderick Jones
The Steelers had one last pressing need coming into the draft: and that was one more rock-solid offensive lineman to protect Kenny Pickett.
Pickett is the future in Pittsburgh. They have a stacked set of offensive weapons and a top-10 defense. One more quality pass blocker would help Pittsburgh re-enter contention in the AFC, and now they’re here.
The Steelers completed a deal with the rival Patriots to move up into the No. 14 spot, where they selected Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Broderick Jones. So there it is! Pittsburgh has its long-term blindside protector for their franchise QB.
Per Pro Football Focus, Jones allowed zero sacks in his final season at Georgia and only seven hurries in 470 pass-blocking snaps.
Jones is everything the Steelers needed to complete a promising-looking offensive group. You think Pickett and star running back Najee Harris are smiling right now? I certainly do!
Worst: Mazi Smith
Defensive line wasn’t exactly an area of need for the Dallas Cowboys, but Jerry Jones surprisingly decided to use the No. 26 pick on Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Dallas already has Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong Jr. and the promising Osa Odighizuwa to round out their d-line. So where does Smith fit here, and who’s he going to eventually replace for snaps?
The Cowboys should have looked to the secondary or even tight end. Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer would have been the perfect replacement for Dalton Schultz. Even Alabama safety Brian Branch would have been a coup in the No. 26 spot.
Dallas just added another unnecessary luxury to one of the strongest areas of their roster. And Smith was quite a reach in the first round. Again, the Cowboys could have traded down and snagged him on day two if they wanted.
This just wasn’t their best use of resources, and it’s hard to project how Smith will immediately help a team that’s in win-now mode.
Best: Brian Branch
Speaking of Branch.
And yes, rejoice Lions fans! We were highly critical of the Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell picks earlier in this video, but we have zero room for negative talk about the Brian Branch selection.
The do-it-all Alabama defensive back was supposed to be a day one pick. Incredibly, he wasn’t even an early round-two pick. The 2020 national champion FINALLY heard his name called by the Lions in round two at No. 45 overall.
Though he’s listed as a safety, Branch can also play cornerback. And as evidenced by his three sacks for the Crimson Tide in 2023, Branch can also be deployed as a pass-rusher. Dan Campbell will absolutely love that versatility.
Branch, who excels in coverage, is also a quality playmaker on the ball — having recorded 23 pass defenses over his three years at Alabama. Never mind his low interception totals — other teams were just too smart to not throw in his direction.
Detroit signed veteran corners Emmauel Moseley, Cameron Sutton and fellow versatile safety CJ Gardner-Johnson in free agency. And now they have Branch to shore up the remaining issues in the secondary.
Maybe Detroit reached for Gibbs and Campbell in round one, but they made up for it by taking the best safety in this class on day two. Lions fans are going to love Branch right away. Just you watch.
Worst: Bijan Robinson
Look, we know. Robinson is the best running back prospect since Saquon Barkley.
But folks, the running back is a devaluing position. Look at every Super Bowl champion of the past 15 or so years. How many of them actually had a truly elite running back? They simply aren’t needed to win in this league anymore.
Teams ESPECIALLY do not need two good running backs. The Atlanta Falcons found a 1,000-yard rusher in Tyler Allgeier, who by the way was a fifth-round pick in 2022. And yet, the Falcons — with a plethora of other roster needs — used the No. 8 pick on Robinson.
Where’s the logic in this? Allgeier is a stud, and do-it-all weapon Cordarrelle Patterson is the perfect change-of-pace option behind him. Why didn’t Atlanta take Will Levis with this pick? Even if they believe Desmond Ridder is the answer at QB, how about some help on that atrocious front seven…or that lackluster secondary?
We have no doubt that Robinson will flourish in the NFL. But someone like Christian Gonzalez, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith or Myles Murphy would have made a lot more sense here.
Best: Nolan Smith
The Philadelphia Eagles got great value at No. 9 when they picked up Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Sure, the off-the-field issues can’t be ignored. But from a pure football standpoint…he was once viewed as the No. 1 prospect in this class, and the defending NFC champs got him ninth overall…
What’s even crazier, though, is that Carter might not even end up being the best pick by Eagles GM Howie Roseman in this year’s draft.
Instead, it just might be his Georgia teammate, linebacker Nolan Smith. He’s another guy whom many thought would be a top-15 pick, yet Smith didn’t go until No. 30 overall to the 2022 runner-ups.
Smith was a key cog in the Bulldogs’ squad that won back-to-back national championships. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker did it all for Georgia as a pass-rusher, run-stopper and open-field tackler.
Adding more youth to a front seven with ageing stars like Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox was a necessity for Roseman. He addressed that need big-time by taking Carter and Smith with the team’s first two picks.
So the Eagles linebacker corps now consists of Smith, sacks specialist Haason Reddick and another ex-Bulldog in Nakobe Dean — whom the Eagles landed in round three a year ago. Is that not a scary thought for the rest of the league?
Philly’s defense is absolutely loaded from top to bottom. It’s silly that the other teams let the rich get even richer by allowing Smith to fall into Philly’s hands.
Which do you think was the best pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and which was the worst?
