The best draft pick each NFL team made in 2023

Arizona desperately needed pass rushers heading into the draft after losing J.J. Watt and Zach Allen. Ojulari is a potential building block, showing production at LSU with 16.5 career sacks, and is the younger brother of Giants star Azeez Ojulari. The upside is exciting for a Round 2 pick.

Atlanta added veteran pass rushers Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree during the offseason, but they desperately need young players behind them. Harrison wasn’t a very productive pass rusher at Ohio State, but the physical traits are there to be a find while he learns from veterans.

In recent years, Baltimore has made a living turning mid-round pass rushers into stars, and Robinson could be their next pupil. The Ole Miss product improved in each college season, peaking with six sacks last year. He has huge potential on the end at 6-foot-7 for a team that clearly knows what it’s doing at the position.

Torrence was one of the biggest and most ferocious guards in the class, and looks like a potential steal in the late second round. The Bills had a need at guard, and want to develop the power running game that fits Torrence’s strengths.

The Panthers traded up for the first overall draft choice early, and made the right choice with Young. He was an instinctive playmaker at Alabama who has all the traits of an NFL star with accuracy, smarts, and mobility. There are questions about Young’s arm strength and durability, but the tape doesn’t lie. With plenty of defensive talent and a developing offensive line to support him, Young has the chance to vault the Panthers atop the weak NFC South immediately.

Sewell was arguably the top inside linebacker prospect in the draft class entering 2022, but some regression caused him to drop all the way to Round 5. Chicago added middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds during the offseason, but Sewell has the upside to be a future starter if the Bears can unlock what he showed at Oregon in 2021.

There’s real uncertainty at running back in Cincinnati due to Joe Mixon’s off-field troubles along with the loss of Samaje Perine. Brown is a minimal investment in the fifth round who could pan out, showing polished hands and blocking ability along with vision in his highly productive career at Illinois.

The Browns paid big for Deshaun Watson last season and desperately need him to play better than he did when returning from suspension. Still, the team hasn’t invested much in backup options, but Thompson-Robinson could be the answer at that spot. He dropped in the draft in part because of his lack of size and durability, but Thompson-Robinson was very accurate and mobile while leading Chip Kelly’s offense. He has great upside to contribute for a fifth-round price.

Dallas has big questions at running back with Tony Pollard returning from injury and Ezekiel Elliott gone. Vaughn dropped in the draft due to his lack of size, but he’s been incredibly productive while contributing to every facet of the offense. With Pollard likely to emerge as an early down back, Vaughn can immediately take over on third downs.

Sanders was a do-everything playmaker at Arkansas last season with 103 tackles and 9.5 sacks. He dropped to the third round in part due to playing a position that is no longer considered vital, but Sanders’ upside to help in various ways could make him the steal of the draft in the third round.

Detroit is caught in between at quarterback with Jared Goff, who revitalized his career last season, but has shown enough past inconsistency that the organization should have its doubts. Hooker is the perfect pick to develop behind him, as a super productive and accurate passer at Tennessee. The Lions have no reason to rush Hooker as he recovers from ACL surgery, but he could be ready to replace Goff by 2024.

The Packers have focused on improving their front seven over the last year, and Van Ness is the newest addition. He’s a powerful pass rusher out of Iowa who fits the Green Bay defense, with the potential to be a franchise player on the edge.

Houston continues to rebuild their roster, and might have found a starter from the fifth round. He was the centerpiece of the Alabama defense over the last two seasons, and now has an excellent developmental coaching staff led by head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Richardson was seen as the highest-risk quarterback in the 2023 class, but also might have the most upside due to his physical tools. He enters the perfect situation with a head coach in Shane Steichen who has helped develop multiple young quarterbacks recently. The team won’t push Richardson after adding Gardner Minshew, a quarterback experienced in the offense, but the rewards for the Colts could be astronomical.

The Jaguars organization has done a complete 180 since hiring Doug Pederson. After winning the AFC South last season, they are now in a position to win now, and they had no bigger need entering the draft than offensive tackle. Harrison should be able to play immediately with Cam Robinson facing a suspension for PEDs and is a critical addition for Trevor Lawrence.

The Chiefs face some uncertainty at the tackle spots after losing Orland Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie. Since Andy Reid was hired in 2013, the team’s track record in drafting offensive linemen has been impeccable, and Morris could be an immediate contributor on the right side. He’s an elite athlete and former top recruit who should get excellent tutelage from the Chiefs coaching staff. The team is hopeful he will develop as seamlessly as recent draftees Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith.

Tucker didn’t produce huge numbers at Cincinnati, but he’s a perfect fit for Josh McDaniels‘ offense. An undersized slot receiver, Tucker was a regular kick returner for the Bearcats and has time to develop as an understudy for Hunter Renfrow.

Obviously, the Chargers aren’t in the market for a new starting quarterback with young star Justin Herbert under center, but it never hurts to have backup options. Duggan is coming off a breakout season at TCU, and joins his top receiver, Quentin Johnston, with the Chargers. It’s an environment that should help him develop into a No. 2 for LA.

The Rams desperately needed to rebuild the backend their defense during the draft, and took a big step with seven draftees. One of the most intriguing is Hodges-Tomlinson, the nephew of Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Hodges-Tomlinson is extremely undersized at 5-foot-9, but he made played at TCU with five picks over the last two seasons. He could be a nice find as a nickel corner and special teamer.

The Kyle Shanahan– Mike McDaniel combo has made some mistakes with running backs over the years, but it’s magic when they hit on one. Achane has big upside due to his elite speed, and would seem to be a great prospect in the same mold as Raheem Mostert and Jeffrey Wilson Jr.  An impressive training camp could put him in the thick of the offense for Miami.

The Vikings haven’t exactly committed to Dalvin Cook in 2023, and he showed a slight downturn in production last season. It was necessary to think about the future, and there weren’t many more productive prospects than McBride. He gained over 1,700 yards last season at UAB, and while there are questions about his receiving skills, his upside is beyond what teams can usually find in the seventh round.

Boutte seemed like a top prospect not long ago, but his college career didn’t develop as hoped. Still, has the potential to contribute on special teams as the Patriots see what he can do as a receiver, and the team’s weak wide receiver room needs high-upside prospects like Boutte.

Derek Carr is the new quarterback in New Orleans, but it remains to be seen if he is the long-term solution. Haener is a pocket passer who was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the class, including a 72% completion rate last season at Fresno State. He joins his fellow college alum, Carr, in what could be a great situation to develop.

Some Giants fans were disappointed the team didn’t spend a higher pick at wideout, but Hyatt has the potential to help. The speedster averaged 18.9 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns last season for Tennessee and should be a great immediate weapon.

Wisconsin has been a great developmental ground for offensive linemen over the years, and Tippmann could be plug-and-play for a team looking to win now after acquiring Aaron Rodgers. Quality offensive line depth should be a big relief for Rodgers after Green Bay struggled in that area last season.

Smith showed great pass-rushing skills in the Georgia defense, but an injury last season hurt his draft stock initially. That all changed after a spectacular combine performance, and Smith looks like a great developmental prospect for an Eagles front seven that already had an embarrassment of riches. The team’s recent Super Bowl runs were partly fueled by elite pass rush, and the recipe remains the same with Smith’s addition.

Pittsburgh has done well developing tight ends over the years, and Washington should be an excellent complement to Pat Freiermuth. A mountainous tight end, Washington has the blocking skills to play immediately opposite Freiermuth and gives the team more ability running the ball. He could also be a solid Red Zone threat due to his height.

The 49ers have done well developing tight ends, and it’s an extremely important part of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. George Kittle has missed time with injuries in recent seasons, and Latu shows potential as a converted linebacker who showed athletic potential in college at Alabama.

The Seahawks struck gold when DK Metcalf fell to them late in the second round due to injury concerns in 2019, and Smith-Njiba could be a similar situation. He missed most of last season with a hamstring injury but was a star for all of 2021 for Ohio State. Seattle has a receiver with excellent immediate No. 3 potential who should eventually replace Tyler Lockett.

The Bucs desperately needed to rebuild their offensive line this offseason, and Mauch could be a great value in the second round. He’s still learning but has great athleticism and could help at tackle or guard immediately.

The running game is the center of Tennessee’s offense, so it’s only appropriate that they plan beyond Derrick Henry. Henry has started to show some age over the last two seasons, and Spears has the ability to lighten the load on the veteran, at the very least. He had over 1,800 yards from scrimmage at Tulane last season and is more capable as a speed back.

The Commanders have plenty of weapons, but the offensive line was one of their biggest needs coming into the draft. They hope to have that area solved after selecting Stromberg and fourth-round guard Braeden Daniels. Stromberg currently stands as a good backup plan for Chase Roullier, who has played only 10 games over the last two seasons. We could see Stromberg as a plug-and-play starter sooner than later.