The 2023 NFL Draft didn’t have as many prospects as previous drafts, but it did boast a lot of value in the 2nd to 4th or 5th rounds. Many teams made their mark in the 2nd round. , including a pair of NFC North teams, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Both addressed big needs for their franchises in the first two days, albeit in a different order than some might like. Several teams came in happy after runs using tight ends, interior offensive linemen, and pass rushers and defensive backs.
Here are picks from rounds 2 and 3 that caught my eye, as well as a few picks that made me question the overall direction some clubs have taken going forward.
Choices I liked
QB Will Lewis (#33 vs. Titans)
I like the landing spot and I’m not surprised to see Will Lewis selected here. I heard he could have gone in the first half of round 1, but things obviously didn’t go his way. The Titans clearly liked him, trading up eight spots to get him. Landings matter in the NFL, they define your career path, especially for a quarterback. He’ll be heading to a Tennessee team that relies on a run game with All-Pro Derrick Henry. Head coach Mike Vrabel understands the importance of running the ball first. They play good defense and took Northwestern’s blue-chip offensive lineman Peter Skoronski in the 1st round, showing Vrabel has a plan. If that had been the case all along — that people thought Levis was going to go early in the second round — then there wouldn’t have been any concern about him falling because he wasn’t very good, not because of how he played. The year 2022. He is what he is: an incredibly physical, strong-armed quarterback who needs a chance to step into that NFL starting quarterback role.
He’ll get that opportunity behind the soon-to-be 35-year-old Ryan Tannehill, and he can take over when the veteran’s contract expires at the end of the year, if not sooner. It’s also tough news for soon-to-be 24-year-old running back Malik Willis, who was the team’s third-round pick a year ago. This choice is a clear vote of no confidence in him.
DE Kejon White (#46 Patriots)
The Patriots took cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th overall pick, and they selected another physical specimen in the 2nd round in cornerback Keion White. He plays a lot of five-technique, on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle at the end of the line of scrimmage to rush the pass. A young man with a lot to prove as he graduated from high school and ended up at Old Dominion. He transferred to Georgia Tech and then fell into this draft after being called to the green room in Round 1 on Thursday night. White entered the Senior Bowl as one of those guys who can rush the passer from multiple positions. Looking back at that choice that took him to New England, we’ll say “oh, that made a lot of sense.”
CB Jartavius Martin (No. 47 for commanders)
Martin jumps off the screen when you watch him, literally, as he recorded the highest vertical jump of 44 inches at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. This pick, in addition to Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in the 1st round, means Washington has addressed a serious need. Many times teams draft teams from their division that they have to beat. That’s what happens here. Martin has played some deep safeties, some nickel corners and even some outside corners for Illinois. This versatility makes him intriguing. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine and comes off a fantastic Illini defense that saw Devon Witherspoon go fifth overall to the Seahawks. This is a great start to the 2023 NFL Draft for the quarterbacks.
OL Cody Mauch (No. 48 Buccaneers)
Cody Maush was one of the big winners in the Senior Bowl. They took defensive tackle Calijah Kancey in the 1st round, so now they have two guys with the shortest arms in the draft. Mauch can help bring a winning culture back to Tampa Bay after winning three FCS titles in his time at North Dakota State. The 2022 FCS First-Team All-American is also durable, starting 39 consecutive games to end his college career.
OL Tyler Steen (#65 vs. Eagles) and S Sidney Brown (#66 vs. Eagles)
Philly continued to bolster its offensive line with another Alabama Crimson Tide blocker in Tyler Steen. He was strong in protecting Bryce Young, allowing just two hits on 469 pass-blocking snaps in 2022. Steen played offense in college, but he could be a quarterback with the Eagles to see the field sooner.
This was a great pick for the Eagles, getting a potential starter at safety — a position of need following the free agency departure of CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Lions — in the 3rd round. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a tight end in 2022 with six interceptions, the most in the conference and tied for third in the nation. Brown has the ability to change direction quickly, a key skill for any defensive back.
Choices I didn’t like
CB Cam Smith (Dolphins #51)
I didn’t like his tape in the fall. His measurables are solid: 6-1, 180 pounds, 4.43 40 time and a 38-inch vertical jump. He plays a lot of zone coverage and you wonder how his coverage ability translates at the NFL level. Smith isn’t crazy in run support, so we’ll see how that plays out in the pros as well. He missed the Senior Bowl, costing himself the chance to endear himself to multiple teams and scouts. It will be interesting to see how new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is able to motivate a player like this to help the run support.
DL Gervon Dexter Sr. (No. 53, Bears)
I like Jervon Dexter when he’s on and focused, but the 6-6, 310-pound play-wrecker doesn’t always show up and make plays. Dexter has first order abilities. However, the reason I don’t like this pick is because when the Bears were sitting at No. 9 overall in Round 1, they could potentially have the top pick in the draft, Georgia defensive end Jalen Carter. They moved back at No. 10 against a 2024 fourth-round pick from the 2022 NFC champions. Would you rather have Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who was taken 10th overall by Chicago, and Jervon Dexter? Or would you rather have Carter and Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen? This is my concern, so I rate this choice as follows.
WR Rashee Rice (No. 55 Chiefs)
Rice led the nation in receiving yards per game in 2022, averaging 112.9 yards per game, but this wide receiver class is weak. Reese was my 11th-best wide receiver prospect in the group, with Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman still available at that spot. Similar body type and similar player to Rice, but Tillman is more explosive when healthy. North Carolina’s Josh Downs is still in the running here. I understand if you are looking for a big target. The good news is that when you have 2022 NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, you don’t need to run a 4.3 40-yard dash. At 6-1, 204 pounds, Reese ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
CB Tyreek Stevenson (#56 vs. Bears)
One word for Tyreek Stevenson’s game would be confusing because he looks the part (six-foot, 198 pounds, 4.45-40 time and 38.5-inch vertical jump), but he doesn’t appear to play and make plays. . Stevenson is tall and can be fluid at times. Looking at last year’s Chicago Bears draft, cornerback Kyler Gordon (No. 39 overall), safety Jaquen Brisker (No. 48 overall) and cornerback Jaylon Johnson (No. 50 overall in 2020). Years ago, they are good picks in the second game. I’m confused as to what the Bears plan is here on the defensive side of the ball. I’m not really sure what they’re trying to achieve with the player they want. taking over. I understand filling a need. When Stephenson plays in zone coverage, he bites double moves and gets confused. Great athlete, but don’t play him to the point of weakness
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