2023 NFL Draft: Former NFL GM provides his best picks and hidden gems in breakdown of how all 32 teams fared

The 2023 NFL Draft is over, which means it’s time to break down where each of the 32 NFL teams found value — and who better to do that than someone who was an NFL general manager for more than 15 years? On the “With the First Pick Podcast,” Ryan Wilson, Emory Hunt, and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman (2006-2021), provide their analysis for each team’s best pick as well as their hidden gem: a player who was chosen in a spot somewhat lower than the actual value he will provide. 

The league-wide breakdown is spread out by divisions, starting in the NFC East and finishing in the AFC West. Be sure to check out the full analysis on the podcast below (you can watch it live twice weekly on the NFL on CBS YouTube channel and you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts).

NFC East (Rick Spielman)

Best pick: Georgia DT Jalen Carter (9th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Alabama OL Tyler Steen (65th overall, 3rd Round)

Spielman: Jalen Carter was the best pick the Eagles made in this draft, the first pick they took. I understand the awful situation surrounding his legal issue, the incident in which two young people lost their lives. The poor Pro Day thing, he told people he wasn’t visiting them unless they were picking in the top 10. But, when you go to the Philadelphia Eagles, the 2022 NFC Champions, where Carter has seemingly half of his Georgia college teammates in linebacker Nakobe Dean, defensive lineman Jordan Davis, linebacker Nolan Smith, and cornerback Kelee Ringo, he was a very strong support system and culture in place. The Eagles will be able to bring him in and have him fit what they’re doing. I thought it was a great pick, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

They re-signed defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and defensive end Brandon Graham, those guys are your leaders who set the culture of your football team, so when you fall in line with them, Carter will be taught what it means to be a pro. If he learns what means to be a pro, watch out: no one will be able to block him. 

The Eagles drafted three Georgia Bulldogs, including two in Round 1 (Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith 30th overall) and traded for former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift on Day 3 of the draft, acquiring him and a seventh-round selection from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a seventh-round selection 30 picks higher and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Eagles matched a draft record by selecting five players from one school in a two-year span.  

Best pick: Illinois DB Jartavius Martin (47th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Utah OL Braeden Daniels  (118th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: When you watch Martin on tape, you watch his Illinois teammate Devon Witherspoon (selected fifth overall by the Seattle Seahawks) and safety Sydney Brown too. Martin plays over the slot, he can play free safety, and he can also line outside and play corner. Weak safety class, so he has the opportunity go in and start at free safety and help them as a nickel. Huge help for the Commanders whose 60 passing touchdowns allowed in the last two seasons are tied for the most in the NFL. 

Daniels was a left tackle at Utah, and there’s no question about his athleticism. When you watch how hard he plays, he tries to finish guys off all the time. Once he learns to settle down and control his emotions, I think he’ll slide inside to play guard and is even athletic enough to play center. What he does on the field you can’t coach: the constant effort and energy along with grit and toughness. 

Best pick: Minnesota OL John-Michael Schmitz (57th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Oklahoma RB Eric Gray (172nd overall, 5th Round)

Spielman: John-Michael Schmitz is big, he’s athletic, and he’s another guy who plays with grit and toughness. There’s no question about what he’s going to do in the run game. He can fit in any blocking scheme. When he locks on to you, you’re not getting away. I thought he was one of the top offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. 

Eric Gray was one of the most fun running backs I watched this draft season. He’s quick and elusive. The biggest knock on him is his speed and finish in the open field, long home runs. He’s a great singles and doubles hitter as a rusher, extremely violent when he runs. It’s going to get a lot of yards after contact. Gray can catch the ball out of the backfield, everything you want out of a running back. I think he’s going to be a major contributor for the New York Giants. Gray and Saquon Barkley in the backfield is going to be pretty special. 

Best pick: Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown (90th overall, 3rd Round)

Hidden gem: San Jose State DE Viliami Fehoko  (129th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: The Dallas Cowboys had a lot of solid picks, but DeMarvion Overshown, linebacker out of Texas, is a Dan Quinn-type player. He was a safety who moved up to linebacker, and you can see the progress he’s made from 2021 to this year. Overshown is naturally instinctive and has natural size for a Will linebacker position. He can run, instinctive following the ball, and excellent in coverage. The biggest knock on him is he needs to learn to be a better finisher when making the tackle, but when Dan Quinn gets a hold of these athletes with this type of instinct, he finds homes for them. Quinn will use him in a way that will shine on all of his positives and strengths.

Viliami Fehoko Jr. is like a bull in a china shop. He plays with his hair on fire with every snap.  Fehoko is going to give the Cowboys some edge rush. He’ll beat you with his quickness, didn’t athletically test the way you want, but the way this guy plays football, with how hard he works with his motor never stopping, great pick for Quinn and the Dallas Cowboys. 

NFC North (Rick Spielman)

Best pick: Tennessee OT Darnell Wright (10th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Texas RB Roschon Johnson (115th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: The Chicago Bears definitely needed a new right tackle, and they got probably the most physical of all of the offense linemen who went in the first round. Wright had a great game against Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., shut him out in pass protection. When he was a left tackle in 2021, I had him as a Day 3 pick, Rounds 4-7. He moves over to the right side and becomes a top ten pick. I think he’ll be a Day 1 starter when he comes in. Wright is going to be a tone-setter for them. The Bears allowed the highest-sack percentage in the NFL last season (13.3%) , so Wright will be a huge help. 

When you think of Monsters of the Midway, you think of Roschon Johnson, this type of player. November and December when it’s cold and rainy, give this monster the ball, and he’s going to churn out yards for you. Johnson is the kind of back that the more times he carries the ball, the better he’s going to wear defenses down. He can catch the ball and help on special teams. He’s going to be a very good football player. Here’s the David Montgomery replacement who can ground and pound. 

Detroit Lions

Best pick: Iowa TE Sam LaPorta (34th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Western Kentucky DT Brodric Martin (96th overall, 3rd Round)

Spielman: I think Sam LaPorta may be the best tight end in this class when it’s all said and done. Some people out there think he’s a poor man’s George Kittle. This is a tough, aggressive football player. He loves to block, but he needs to get a little stronger. Underrated pass-catcher and underrated as a weapon after the catch. LaPorta had a great combine, great Pro Day, so he ascended throughout the whole draft process. He didn’t get a lot of passes, caught a lot on out routes since that’s all Iowa’s quarterback could throw there. I think LaPorta is going to be more than just an out route catcher, and I think he’s going to get Jared Goff another weapon, replacing T.J. Hockenson in Detroit. 

Brodric Martin is a giant of a man at 6-5, 337 pounds. When you watch him on tape, he cannot be moved at the point of attack. Martin has to get his pad level a little lower, but he’s strong and athletic. He can separate and locate the ball. Martin isn’t that much of a pass-rusher, more of a two-down nose tackle. When Martin gets an opportunity to play, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn likes a lot of two-gap, nose tackles up there. He’s definitely going to help solidify their run defense. 

Best pick: Iowa LB Lukas Van Ness (13th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Michigan State WR Jayden Reed (50th overall, 2nd Round)

Spielman: I love Lukas Van Ness. He’s going to give the Packers everything they want, and he’s a multi-position player. Van Ness hasn’t nearly reached how good of a football player he’s going to be as an NFL prospect. He blew out the combine and had a phenomenal Pro Day. Van Ness can play defensive end, you’ve seen him play inside. Green Bay outside linebacker Rashan Gary is coming off a torn ACL and getting a little older. When we talked to him, Van Ness said most teams viewed him as a defensive end. He has a lot of versatility, and he has the highest ceiling among the defensive guys coming out early in this draft. 

The Packers drafting Van Ness in the first round extended their NFL Draft record with 21 straight drafts not selecting a running back, wide receiver, or tight end in the first round. However, they have a tradition of getting weapons in the second round: Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Greg Jennings among them. I loved the slot wide receiver out of Michigan State that they got with the second second round pick, Jayden Reed. He’s an explosive playmaker underneath who reminds me of Randall Cobb and that kind of athlete. Reed can plays after the catch, and he made some highlight reel plays down the field even though he’s a small target. He can give them some return ability as well. There’s a reset going on around Jordan Love, but a lot of talented football players on the offensive side of the ball. 

Minnesota  Vikings

Best pick: USC WR Jordan Addison (23rd overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: LSU DB Jay Ward (134th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: Jordan Addison is the most explosive route runner in this year’s draft. He reminded a lot of DeVonta Smith when he was coming out. They ran about the same time, about the same size. They lost Adam Thielen as a cap-casualty. K.J. Osborne is a good third receiver, but he’s not a number two. Justin Jefferson is going to get a lot of double teams, so this kid is going to get a lot of ball thrown his way. He’s going to make an immediate impact in this offense. 

Jay Ward is another one of those multi-positional defensive backs. He’s played some nickel, but I think he’ll end up as a free safety. What sticks out most about him is instincts and awareness in zone coverage. Ward isn’t afraid to come up and hit. I think he plays with a lot of savvy. He’s going to have a chance to play multiple positions and be solid special teams backup for them.  

NFC South (Rick Spielman)

Best pick: Alabama QB Bryce Young (1st overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: NC State OL Chandler Zavala (114th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: I have no doubt about Bryce Young. If he wasn’t 5-10 and weighed 200 pounds, there wouldn’t be any concern. He’s a phenomenal player and checks every box through the pre-draft process. This guy has a phenomenal ability for someone who is 5-10 to slide through the pocket and make all the throws. You can make Steph Curry-like comparisons. I’m not saying Young is Patrick Mahomes, but he looks a lot like Patrick Mahomes in his body mannerisms out there. Every time he got on the big stage, he answered the question. I don’t have any doubt that he’ll answer the question when he starts Day 1 for the Carolina Panthers. 

Chandler Zavala is a big, massive human being (6’3, 322 pounds). He’s another one that is very physical in the run game, and when he locks on to you, he’s going to throw you to the ground. Zavala runs into some issue in pass-protection, but he has enough athletic skills to recover. Even though he wasn’t invited to the combine, I think he’ll come in and compete for a starting guard job right away. 

Best pick: Texas RB Bijan Robinson (8th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Utah CB Clark Philips III (113th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: There’s no question Bijan Robinson is a top-five talent, and the Falcons followed their board and took a top-five talent. He does everything. It’s hard to poke holes in his game on tape. The Atlanta Falcons are going to be explosive on offense with everything they’ve done the last five years, and this one is going to take them over the top. 

Clark Phillips was another fun player to watch on tape. He has great ball skills as a small corner, but he played outside in the Pac-12 and did a great job covering those receivers. He’s tough, gritty and will come up in run support. Where he fell is because he didn’t run fast enough at the combine. When you have a small corner (5’9, 184 pounds) that’s quicker than fast, you’re going to put him in as the nickel to cover the slot receivers. Phillips is smart, he’ll be a starter at nickel for the Falcons. 

Best pick: North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch (48th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Pittsburgh LB SirVocea Dennis (153rd overall, 5th Round)

Spielman: Cody Mauch is a tough, excellent football player. I think he can play tackle, guard, center, including all five offensive line spots. He showed up down at the Senior Bowl at left tackle, and they moved him inside to guard. When you see the FCS kids go up against the big boys at the Senior Bowl, he didn’t bat an eye. That was probably the first time in his career that he moved inside to play guard, it was amazing. He was one of the top offensive linemen down there. 

SirVocea Dennis is an undersized linebacker, very instinctive. Excellent range. I think he’s a good enough athlete in coverage. You have to remember with linebackers, they have to come in and contribute on special teams. Sometimes everyone gets so caught up in what you’re doing on defense, but sometimes when you draft these guys, you have to take into account that this guy could be an excellent special teams player for the Buccaneers.

Best pick: Clemson DT Bryan Bresee (29th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Fresno State QB Jake Haener (127th overall, 4th Round)

Spielman: If you look at the 2021 tape on Bryan Bresee, he could’ve been a top 10 pick. Understanding he went through an ACL injury and the tragic death of his sister, but he’s athletic, can play the run, and I think he can be a dominant in-line pass-rusher. The Saints got a steal with where they picked him.

I think Jake Haener is Case Keenum: he’s going to be an excellent backup who can come in and win games for you as he grows into the position. 

NFC West (Emory Hunt)

Seattle Seahawks

Best pick: Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (20th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Michigan DE Mike Morris (151st overall, 5th Round)

Hunt: Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the first drafted wide receiver at No. 20, the latest the first wide receiver came off the board since 2019. When you look at what happened to them in the postseason, opponents took away Seattle’s options on the perimeter with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett played through injury. Smith-Njigba can step right in on the outside or the inside to provide another vertical threat in addition to an underneath threat for Geno Smith.

Mike Morris impressed me more than Mazi Smith, the Dallas Cowboy’ first-round pick, when watching Michigan tape. He’s fundamentally sound and does a great job against the run. When you’re that fundamentally sound, that gets you on the field, and the Seahawks needed a lot of help in that area. Morris gives them a solid foundation as a base defensive end. 

Best pick: Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. (6th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Stanford WR Michael Wilson (94th overall, 3rd Round)

Hunt: I didn’t like the trade up, but I like the player in Paris Johnson Jr. He’s someone who can help out on that left side, and he did a great job protecting C.J. Stroud in the pocket. When you think about Kyler Murray coming off the knee injury, they’ll probably ask him to stay in the pocket more. To me, Paris Johnson was the best one in the class at the position. 

Michael Wilson was my number one X wide receiver, if he’s healthy. He had injury problems in college. Wilson can track the football well and closes on the football well. He had a fantastic week at the Senior Bowl. If you could bottle up what you saw from him that week and have that for 17 games, that’s great. I understand why he went where he went because you can’t depend on him from 17 weeks. 

Best pick: Penn State S Ji’Ayir Brown (87th overall, 3rd Round)

Hidden gem: South Alabama CB Darrell Luter Jr. (155th overall, 5th Round)

Hunt: Ji’Ayir Brown was one of my favorite combo safeties, he can play free or strong safety. I loved the ball skills, loved the instincts. Brown can be successful in a split-safety look or even in a deep-third. For me getting a guy like that on the back end is huge because we saw them have issues there in the playoffs. Seattle right out of the game went deep down the middle of the field, so you need someone who can take that away. Brown does that to me.

Darrell Luter Jr. is an outstanding corner. Great man coverage skills, and he can play on either side of the field. He’s able to jam guys at the line of scrimmage, turn and stay in people’s faces. He’s a corner that has been battle-tested. 

Best pick: Tennessee LB Byron Young (77th overall, 3rd Round)

Hidden gem: Georgia QB Stetson Bennett (128th overall, 4th Round)

Hunt: Byron Young does a great job getting off the ball. He reminds me of Samson Ebukam out of Eastern Washington. 

Stetson Bennett kind of fits what they have had on their quarterback depth chart in John Wolford, a guy who is athletic and can throw on the move. Bennett fits what they want. There are off-the-field things to worry about with him, LA you worry about with him going out, but if he has his head on straight he’s a gamer. Bennett can get the job done on short notice. 

AFC East (Emory Hunt)

Best pick: Wisconsin OL Joe Tippmann (43rd overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda (143rd overall, 5th Round)

Hunt: I love centers who can get out and move, it expands your playbook. It helps out in the passing game. When you talk about Wisconsin, your start with the center. Joe Tippmann is one of the better ones in the class, and I think the Jets got a steal in him.

Israel Abanikanda out of Pitt is six feet, 219 pounds, and you rarely see guys with that level of explosiveness and acceleration. I think he’s an underrated kickoff returner for this football team right out of the gate. Him dropping this far in the draft is shocking to me. He’s explosive and dynamic. It makes you wonder what’s going on with Breece Hall’s health since they took a foundational running back. 

Best pick: Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez (17th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu (76th overall, 3rd Round)

Hunt: Christian Gonzalez has great man-to-man skills, great matchup skills. Him going this deep in the first round is a steal after thinking he was going top 10. He finds himself in a situation where he’s going to get coached by one of the best defensive minds in Bill Belichick. He has great ball skills, he won’t shy away from the moment or any matchup with the other team’s top receiver. 

Marte Mapu out of Sacremento State is built like a shoe-string french fry at 6’3, 217. This is Bill Belichick going for versatility. He can play safety, he can play down at linebacker, and he can cover shallow. He’s a defensive player who can move across the back end of a defense, match up on game day and have success. 

Best pick: Florida G O’Cyrus Torrence  (59th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Tulane LB Dorian Williams (91st overall, 3rd Round)

Hunt: O’Cyrus Torrence was my number two guard in this class and once he blocks you, it’s a wrap. He does a great job in the run game. Buffalo needed help in the interior where quarterback Josh Allen sees a lot of pressure and where he has issues stepping up in the pocket. That is going to be solved with O’Cyrus Torrence. Torrence is a dominant player and a fun one to watch on film. One of the better ones to wat

O’Cyrus Torrence’s college career stats

Starts	47
Pass Block Snaps	1,427*
Sacks Allowed	0
Pressures Allowed	21
Pressure Pct	1.5%

* Most in FBS without allowing a sack in last four seasons  

Dorian Williams is the Tremaine Edmunds replacement. This was the best cover linebacker available. He can play zone and he’s a pressure player. Williams needs to blitz with a better plan, sometimes he just crashes into things. The want to is there, so I think this is a hidden gem who could play next to Matt Milano. 

Best pick: Texas A&M RB Devon Achane (84th overall, 3rd Round)

Hidden gem: Stanford WR Elijah Higgins (197th overall, 6th Round)

Hunt: Devon Achane was their best pick because of the game-breaking, Olympic speed. Combine that with the zone-blocking scheme and the lanes he will find in it, wow. He ran through so much trash at A&M, but he won’t have that in Miami. Achane will hit a lot of home runs in the run game, and he’ll step on the field right away in the return game. 

AFC North (Emory Hunt)

Best pick: Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. (32nd overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton (49th overall, 2nd Round)

Hunt: Joey Porter Jr. was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ best pick. A legacy guy, his father Joey Porter played eight seasons and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. He fell into their laps at pick 32. They needed a corner who could play outside with press skills, which are uncanny because of his long arms. Pittsburgh’s combination of need and what they got in Porter Jr. was a great pick. 

Keenu Benton as a nose tackle is a phenomenal player. He had offensive linemen looking like cows on skates at the Senior Bowl. Benton makes them more physical up front, especially in the run game. 

Best pick: Boston College WR Zay Flowers (22nd overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly (157th overall, 5th Round)

Hunt: Zay Flowers reminds me of Tyreek Hill, bold praise I know. He’s so explosive in all directions. He’s so dynamic, and he was open so much at Boston College. However, he didn’t have a quarterback. Now he’s going into a situation where he’s the third receiver, but he’s going to be the home run hitter at the position. Flowers really helps out this offense. 

Kyu Blu Kelly is someone who helps them out in a position of need, but he also allows them to bring back cornerback Marcus Peters if they want to. I thought he had one of the best practices at his position at the Senior Bowl. 

Best pick: Clemson DE Myles Murphy (28th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Purdue WR Charlie Jones (131st overall, 4th Round)

Hunt: Myles Murphy to me was one of the most underrated pass rushers in this draft, some thought he was too nice of a player. He plays the run well. I like his skillset, and going to a place like Cincinnati allows him to fit in within the rotation they have there, headlined by Trey Hendrickson.

 Charlie Jones is always open. He’s someone that may be the heir apparent to Tyler Boyd. He has to get better getting off the line in press coverage, great working through the zone. He’s your quintessential slot receiver. This felt like a future pick for Cincinnati. 

Best pick: Ohio State OT Dawand Jones (111th overall, 4th Round)

Hidden gem: Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman (74th overall, 3rd Round)

Hunt: I love Dawand Jones, a big mammoth of a guy (6’8, 374 pounds). Big offensive lineman. He had one great practice at the Senior Bowl. He’s a plug-and-play right tackle only. They need that help up front. Great get at offensive tackle. 

Cedric Tillman torched Purdue in the Music City Bowl in 2021. If he stays healthy, this is someone you can put on the outside in Cleveland. They like bigger guys, and he fits the mold at 6’3, 213 pounds. 

AFC South (Ryan Wilson)

Best pick: Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud (2nd overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Houston WR Tank Dell (69th overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: C.J. Stroud is their best pick. They needed a quarterback, they needed to leave this draft with a quarterback. I can’t think of being a general manager and letting a team in your division get Stroud. Losing twice in a year to him would’ve led to some tough questions. 

Tank Dell is incredibly tough. Because of his quickness, he presents a nice target for Stroud. 

Best pick: Florida QB Anthony Richardson (4th overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: North Carolina WR Josh Downs (79th overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: Anthony Richardson athletically makes the offense so dynamic. He’s going to help out Jonathan Taylor’s yards per carry average because of the threat of his athleticism. Richardson has such a high floor because of the athleticism, which means he can be brought along slowly. He has such a beautiful deep ball that he can complete more accurately than everything else. You want him to be more consistent on the shorter stuff, but his run game help will allow him to get on the field in Week 1. 

Josh Downs is a smaller receiver (5’9, 171 pounds). He is a more polished slot receiver. More so than Parris Cambpell. 

Best pick: Kentucky QB Will Levis (33rd overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Tulane RB Tyjae Spears (81st overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: I think Will Levis would benefit from sitting behind a veteran like Ryan Tannehill. That gives him a chance to learn decision-making, an issue for him.

Tyjae Spears (5-10, 200) looks nothing like Derrick Henry (6-3, 247), but he is special. Great explosion. He can hit the re-acceleration to hit the second and third gear that you like to see. This was the spark plug that led the Tulane resurgence. 

Best pick: Auburn RB Tank Bigsby (88th overall, 3rd Round)

Hidden gem: Penn State TE Brenton Strange (61st overall, 2nd Round)

Wilson: Tank Bigsby is a strong fit. He can set the pace, wear down the defense. Then, Travis Etienne can come in and hit the home run. Bigsby is a straight, down-hill runner. He doesn’t waste time getting north and south. That’s something the Jaguars needed. It will help prolong Etienne’s career, so this is a great fit for the player and the team.

Brenton Strange is incredibly athletic and loves to block. Evan Engram doesn’t necessarily block for you, and he’s on the franchise tag. Strange could be here for the next four years. I think his best football is ahead of him. Strange will block you into the stands. 

AFC West (Ryan Wilson)

Best pick: Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer (35th overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker (100th overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: Michael Mayer is the complete tight end in this draft class, may not be the most athletic. He may be the best blocker at the line of scrimmage outside of Darnell Washington in this class. Mayer isn’t overly twitchy getting in and out of his cuts, but he’s very smooth. He knows out to get open, relying on his route savvy. This guy may be the best contested-catch tight end I’ve seen in a long time. He can be a threat in the red zone. Mayer isn’t overly athletic after the catch, but he will run through people. This is a very solid pick at tight end, fills a need for the Raiders. Mayer led all tight ends in receptions (180) and receiving yards yards (2,099) in in college football over the last two seasons. 

Tre Tucker is a quick starter, someone who gets himself open quickly. This offense is working underneath and handling getting yards after the catch. Can you extend and get the first down? I think Tucker can do that. The Raiders are going to play the quick game because that’s where Jimmy G tends to excel, so you want to surround him with catch-and-run guys. I think Tucker is excellent in that regard. 

Best pick: TCU WR Quentin Johnston (21st overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: USC DL Tuli Tuipulotu (54th overall, 2nd Round)

Wilson: Quentin Johnston is 6-3, 210 pounds and some change. Plays faster than his 40 time of 4.50, great at all three levels. I think Johnston is an immediate upgrade in this offense. He’s a better inside, slot guy who’s a huge threat after the catch. We saw glimpses of that in the Michigan game where he caught the low crossing route and took it over 70 yards for a touchdown. I think that’s where we could see him do a lot of damage in this offense. Johnston is a big man with small man movement skills. 

Tuli Tuipulotu is a tweener right now. If he’s going to play inside, he’ll have to add some weight. There’s some twitch to him. He’s not a true edge, speed rusher. He knows how to work the edges of blockers. The Chargers could use him multiple ways as an inside rusher or as an outside rusher. He’s going to have to add weight if you put him fully inside.

Best pick: Kansas State DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (31st overall, 1st Round)

Hidden gem: Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris (92nd overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: Felix Anudike-Uzomah is an edge pass rusher. They put him down inside, but when he was outside the offensive tackle’s shoulder, he can bend and dip at the edge. He was great quickness and he can find the quarterback. He will pursue and chase until the whistle ends. He needs to get a little stronger, but he can step right in as a pass rusher. 

Wanya Morris was interesting because he wasn’t messing around at the Senior Bowl. He’s a great depth piece who could compete for play time right away. 

Best pick: Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims (63rd overall, 2nd Round)

Hidden gem: Iowa CB Riley Moss (83rd overall, 3rd Round)

Wilson: Marvin Mims is 5-11, 183 pounds, runs a 4.3 40-yard dash (4.38), he’s an absolute playmaker on the inside and the outside. He plays with an edge. Mims also has return ability. I love his fit in Sean Payton’s offense. 

Riley Moss ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, but I don’t know if he plays that fast. I would start him at outside corner and see if he can do it. If not, then move him inside. He’s more than smart enough to play safety. At the Senior Bowl, he performed in man coverage as a corner. He’s instinctive, can find the ball in the air, and he’ll come up and hit you when playing the run.