Category: 2023 NFL draft

Grading every rookie from the Saints 2023 draft class

Grading every rookie from the New Orleans Saints 2023 NFL draft class: How did Bryan Bresee, Kendre Miller, Blake Grupe stack up?

The New Orleans Saints are going to be relying on their young players heavily as other parts of the roster begin to show their age, but how did each of their rookies from the 2023 NFL draft class grade out? Who is off to a good start, and who needs to make up for lost time?

Here’s how we evaluated each Saints rookie now that the 2023 season is behind them:

C.J. Stroud’s S2 Cognition test score was potentially invalid and shouldn’t have been leaked

A new report indicates that C.J. Stroud’s S2 Cognition test score was potentially invalid and shouldn’t have been leaked. Not a huge surprise there.

The S2 Cognition test, which has replaced the Wonderlic as a supposedly good way to evaluate the processing skills of quarterbacks in the pre-draft process, has been taking a beating all season long. Why? Because Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud scored an 18 out of a possible 100 on the test, and he’s been one of the best rookie quarterbacks in pro football history for the Houston Texans.

“I’m not a test taker, so I play football,” Stroud said, via Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, after the results were leaked. “At the end of the day, I don’t got nothing to prove for nobody. So, I’m not going to sit hee and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do, so that’s all that matters to me. There’s a whole bunch of people that know how to coach better, know how to play quarterback better, know how to do everything on social media. As the man in the arena — that’s what’s tough — is stepping into the arena with 10 toes. I’m going to stand on that. I know what I can do. I know what I can process. If I’m not the smartest quarterback in this draft, I know I’m one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there tomorrow. I have that confidence in myself, and I don’t think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart.

“I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody, man. At the end of the day — if you don’t trust and believe in me — all I can tell you is, ‘Watch this.’”

Well, we’ve all watched this, and we’re all impressed. That includes the Baltimore Ravens’ defense, who will try to bounce Stroud out of the playoffs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.

The Ravens know they’re dealing with a different C.J. Stroud this time around

Now, the inventors of the test have told the Wall Street Journal that Stroud’s results may have been invalid, and certainly should have never been put out there in the first place.

Whether this is the case, or whether this is damage control from the test’s inventors, it’s yet another reminder that these tests obviously aren’t the be-all/end/all when it comes to quarterback evaluation. After all, Dan Marino scored a 16 on his Wonderlic, and the average for quarterbacks is 24.

Grades for Titans’ 2023 draft picks after first season

With their first season in the books, we’re grading the performance of each Titans 2023 draft pick.

The Tennessee Titans made a total of six picks in the 2023 NFL draft in what was the first for Ran Carthon as general manager.

Tennessee started off the draft by taking Peter Skoronski, who settled in at left guard. The Titans then drafted quarterback Will Levis, running back Tyjae Spears, tight end Josh Whyle, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and wide receiver Colton Dowell.

While those players had varying degrees of success, the overwhelming thought is that it was a successful first year for the draft class as a whole, which has led to plenty of praise for Carthon.

But as you’ll see in our grades for each draft pick following the 2023 season, that was largely a result of the performances of the top half of the class.

C.J. Stroud makes NFL history in playoff win over Browns

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud makes history in the Texans’ playoff win over the Browns

It is fair to say at this point that the Houston Texans nailed their 2023 draft picks. With yet another stellar performance, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud gave Houston its first playoff win since the 2019 season.

There was little surprise to see Stroud perform the way he did given his track record on the season as one of the top quarterbacks across the league, not just among rookies. Against an elite Cleveland defense, Stroud threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for three touchdowns in the first half of a playoff game, an incredible stat in a huge win.

The story of C.J. Stroud gets bigger and bigger with each win, especially as we crawl deeper into the playoffs. At this point, Stroud has already shoved himself into the conversation for the greatest rookie season by a quarterback ever, and the sky truly is the limit for the young signal-caller. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans have flipped this franchise around and look ready to compete in the playoffs for years to come.

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Grading every rookie from Giants’ 2023 draft class

How did the New York Giants’ draft class fare in 2023? Giants Wire hands out grades for all seven rookies.

Now that the 2023 NFL regular season is in the books, it’s time to review how the New York Giants draft class performed.

The Giants had seven selections in last spring’s NFL draft, four on defense and three on offense.

Here’s how they fared in their debut seasons.

Report: Rookie Saints RB Kendre Miller (ankle) unlikely to play vs. Buccaneers

NOF’s Brooke Kirchhofer reports that rookie Saints running back Kendre Miller (ankle) is unlikely to play against the Buccaneers in Week 17:

Kendre Miller is officially listed as questionable to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but don’t expect the New Orleans Saints rookie running back to suit up. Miller’s ankle injury has continued to linger and slow him down and “it’s trending the wrong direction for him playing Sunday,” per NewOrleans.Football’s Brooke Kirchhofer.

It’s been a very disappointing rookie year for Miller, the 71st overall pick in the 2023 draft and the fourth running back to go off the board. In-season hamstring and ankle injuries have limited him to just seven games in his first year in the NFL. He’s totaled 28 carries for 83 rushing yards while catching 9 receptions for another 111 receiving yards. He can play, but we just haven’t seen that often enough.

Miller had to sit out most of his first summer in the NFL recovering from a college knee injury. Then he injured his hamstring in the preseason and suffered a sprained ankle midway through his rookie year. It’s been a frustrating 12 months for him, the Saints, and the team’s fans. Hopefully he can get right in the offseason.

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Giants rookie QB Tommy Devito stuns the world with comeback on Monday Night Football

Giants undrafted rookie QB Tommy DeVito stuns the world with comeback on Monday Night Football

It doesn’t seem that long ago in New York that Big Blue was looking hopeless as the franchise ever has. Previously sitting at a record of 2-5 and losing their “franchise quarterback” for the season, they have now rattled off three wins in a row to suddenly return to playoff contention behind the arm of their stunner rookie quarterback Tommy Devito.

Last night against the Green Bay Packers the rookie showed up when the lights were brightest. Devito enjoyed a turnover free game and rattled off over 70 yards rushing on the ground while also being efficient through the air. Devito completed 17/21 passes, for 158 yards, and a touchdown.

If that wasn’t enough after Green Bay went up by a point late into the fourth quarter, Devito cooly and calmly turned on the charm and drove New York right down the field to kick a game winning field goal as time expired. You can’t write a much more fitting story for this New York team, and Tommy Devito could be well on his way to making it his full time job should his play continue to be this good.

Browns rookie Dawand Jones proving to be the steal of the 2023 NFL Draft

Dawand Jones is proving that he clearly should not have fallen all the way into the fourth round

It’s not everyday you see a rookie offensive lineman come in out of the fourth round of a draft and completely dominate. Yet, that is exactly what the rookie for the Cleveland Browns, Dawand Jones, has been able to do.

We have seen multiple elite performances out of Jones, locking down some of the best pass rushers in the entire league such as Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt. In his first 11 games of his career, Jones has given up just three quarterback hits and three sacks on the season for a variety of different signal callers. He is also part of one of the most stable running attacks in the league, one which he is a clear anchor for on the right side of that Cleveland attack.

It’s hard to be successful in the league as a rookie, especially one drafted in the later rounds. It’s even tougher when you are thrown the adversity of blocking for multiple different quarterbacks and losing your top running back. Dawand Jones is proving that he clearly should not have fallen all the way into the fourth round, and is solidifying himself not only as the best rookie offensive lineman from this class, but one of the best tackles in the league.

A.T. Perry has an opportunity to prove himself in Michael Thomas’ absence

A.T. Perry has a big opportunity to prove himself in Michael Thomas’ absence. The rookie must step up with a vacancy in the receiving corps:

The New Orleans Saints have placed wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve. This continues an unfortunate trend for the wide receiver, though there’s hope he returns before the end of the season. There are two ways to go about filling Thomas’ role. You’re likely replacing his production with multiple players, but who’s going to step into his role.

New Orleans brought back Keith Kirkwood and Marquez Callaway after Thomas’ injury. The Saints philosophy is to typically lean on veteran players. Kirkwood had 209 receiving yards as a rookie with New Orleans, but that was in 2018. Callaway was the Saints lead receiver when Thomas missed a whole season. Callaway would be able to slot well into Thomas role.

However, neither Callaway or Kirkwood have Perry’s upside. The Saints should lean away from their typical reliance on veterans in favor of getting a bigger sample size of a young player. Thomas’ absence opens the door for A.T. Perry to show himself deserving of a bigger role. Perry is a rookie who registered his first catch and touchdown in last week’s game versus the Minnesota Vikings.

In this week’s opening press conference, Saints head coach Dennis Allen said “Mike’s position is the kind of position they see Perry playing” and expected a bigger role for Perry. This is the right call, as Perry deserves an opportunity to show if he can be a future asset for the Saints.

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