Tag: 2023 NFL draft

NFL.com ranks Broncos’ 2023 draft class worst in the league

It’s too early to truly grade the 2023 draft class, but early returns are not good for the Broncos.

Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter recently ranked all 32 classes from the 2023 NFL draft and their rankings were not kind to the Denver Broncos or general manager George Paton.

Denver’s 2023 draft class ranked 32nd, dead last in the NFL.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 11), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 14) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 25) dew mixed reviews. The Houston Texans had the No. 1-ranked class.

The Broncos only ended up making five picks last year following the trades for quarterback Russell Wilson (2022) and coach Sean Payton (2023). With those five picks, Denver landed WR Marvin Mims, LB Drew Sanders CB, Riley Moss, DB JL Skinner and OL Alex Forsyth.

Mims was the only one who made a big impact as he earned a Pro Bowl nod and received All-AFC and All-Rookie recognition from PFWA as a returner.

Mims aside, last year’s class certainly doesn’t look great right now, but a one-year sample size is too short of a window to truly judge a class. Most pundits agree that it takes three years before being able to give a fair grade. So we’ll revisit this topic in 2026, but the early returns are concerning.

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Best photos from rookie season of Bills 2023 draft class

Best photos from rookie season of #Bills 2023 draft class:

The Buffalo Bills did not have the biggest of draft classes in 2023 but their haul from it ended up being an impactful one.

At the top, tight end Dalton Kincaid slowly came along during his first year in the pros after being a first-round pick. Then as a surprise selection in Round 2, offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence became a Day 1 for Buffalo.

On the flip side, some players from the Bills’ recent draft class were even too good to stick around. The likes of seventh rounder Nick Broeker now lines up on the Houston Texans’ offensive line after Buffalo had to cut Broeker and try to get him on their practice squad.

Following the conclusion of all six draft picks’ first year in the NFL, here are some of the top photos of each from their first season in 2023:

Colts’ 2023 draft class ranked near bottom by CBS Sports

CBS Sports ranked the Colts’ 2023 draft class near the bottom of the league.

The Indianapolis Colts came out of the 2023 NFL draft with their biggest haul of the Chris Ballard era, which included several high-potential players at positions of need.

While there is still much promise surrounding the class, the 12-player draft haul didn’t have as big of an impact due to the amount of injuries that hit the group of rookies.

That is largely why CBS Sports had the Colts at No. 25 in their ranking of the 2023 draft classes across the league.

Year 1 hits: WR Josh Downs

Downs was a spark underneath for Gardner Minshew with 68 snags for 771 yards with two scores. JuJu Brents was average at his very best at corner, and fifth-round tight end Will Mallory turned in 18 receptions for 202 yards. Other than that, the Colts did not get much impact from the rest of their huge, 12-pick class. Of course Anthony Richardson waits to return from an early-season shoulder injury.

When it was all said and done, the Colts wound up selecting 12 players in the 2023 draft. Before they entered the regular season, three of those selections suffered season-ending injuries.

Safety Daniel Scott tore his ACL in OTAs, offensive tackle Jake Witt suffered a hip injury that placed him on season-ending injured reserve in August and edge rusher Titus Leo suffered an undisclosed knee injury that forced him to spend the entire season on the injured reserve list at the time of roster cuts.

Then, running back Evan Hull suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Cornerback Julius Brents missed the entire spring workouts due to wrist surgery and didn’t make his season debut until Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson missed 1.5 games due to a concussion and then suffered the season-ending shoulder injury while Josh Downs picked up a knee injury halfway through the season that clearly limited his play during the second half.

It was a tough break to see so many rookies deal with injuries, especially given how vital it is for Day 3 picks to get their careers off to hot starts.

Regardless, it will be an important season for the majority of the class in Year 2 as they all look to prove these injuries won’t hinder their development.

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Commanders’ rookie class ranked 31st by NFL.com

The early returns for Washington’s draft class aren’t good.

The Washington Commanders finished 4-13 in 2023, with head coach Ron Rivera losing his job last month. With new ownership and three consecutive non-winning seasons, Rivera entered his fourth season in Washington on the hot seat. He didn’t help himself with a miserable 2023 offseason.

The Commanders’ most significant move in free agency was re-signing defensive tackle Daron Payne to a new four-year deal. That was the right move. However, to fix Washington’s beleaguered offensive line, Rivera chose to sign Nick Gates to a three-year as the new center and Andrew Wylie to a two-year contract to play right tackle.

In the 2023 NFL draft, Rivera gambled on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with his first-round pick and doubled down on defensive back Quan Martin in the second round.

The remainder of Washington’s draft was spent on developmental players.

While it’s impossible to fully evaluate a draft class after one season, Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter of NFL.com ranked all 32 2023 NFL draft classes, giving each class a letter grade.

As expected, the Commanders faired poorly, coming in at 31st with a D+ grade.

The Commanders used their first two picks on DBs, and both had their share of struggles as rookies. Forbes was a playmaking artist in college, but that skill didn’t translate readily in Year 1, as he was repeatedly picked on early in the season (miscast in a zone-heavy defense) and stripped of his starting role. His best moments — and Forbes had a few — tended to come against lesser offenses. It seems clear he’ll face a big offseason with Dan Quinn and the next coaching staff.

Martin earned the nickel role down the stretch, and he spent some time at safety, too, much like he did in college. Finding the right spot for him in a new defense will be interesting. Martin also could project to be a jack of all trades capable of playing multiple roles.

Henry got his chance following the trades of Chase Young and Montez Sweat, logging some eye-opening snaps along the way. The body of work as an every-down player remains incomplete, but Henry could make it as a rotational rusher next season. Jones also saw a late-season uptick in playing time, albeit with fewer flash plays.

Washington could have used OL help but received almost nada from Stromberg and Daniels as rookies. Stromberg played 26 snaps of mop-up time, and Daniels landed on IR after struggling in camp and preseason. Their futures seemingly remain very much up in the air, especially with the new Quinn regime in town.

If there was a rookie bright spot, it was Rodriguez, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry and established himself as an angry, forceful runner in spite of being overlooked much of the season. He logged a long carry of at least 11 yards in each of his final five games and could be a first- and second-down tone-setter if he can avoid injuries.

One of new head coach Dan Quinn’s top priorities will be restoring the confidence of Forbes. The good news is Quinn has hired a talented and experienced coaching staff on both sides of the ball.

How many ‘hits’ did the Commanders have in their 2023 NFL draft class?

How many “hits” did Washington have in last year’s draft? The new coaching staff could change the fortunes of several players.

There were questions when the Washington Commanders selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes over Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez at No. 16 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

It’s not as if teams didn’t like Forbes. Several teams and draft analysts raved about Forbes, specifically his ball skills. Forbes set an FBS record with six interceptions returned for touchdowns in his three-year college career. And, playing in the SEC, Forbes routinely played against college football’s top wide receivers.

However, teams were concerned about Forbes’ slight frame.

With their second-round pick, the Commanders doubled down in the secondary, selecting the versatile Quan Martin of Illinois. Martin could play everywhere in the secondary and was seen as a valuable second-round pick, but Washington was criticized for not focusing on other need areas, such as the offensive line.

After one NFL season, there are many questions about Forbes, not so much about Martin. Forbes showed signs of flashes, but in a Week 4 loss to the Eagles, Washington’s coaches kept him in a one-on-one matchup against Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown. Brown continuously beat Forbes. The following week, D.J. Moore of the Chicago Bears did the same thing to the rookie.

Forbes was benched. He returned, was benched again and returned again. The former coaching staff did nothing for Forbes. Washington’s former defensive coordinator (Jack Del Rio) and defensive backs coach (Brent Vieselmeyer) were fired after a Thanksgiving blowout loss at Dallas.

Martin showed flashes throughout the second half of the season and looks to have a bright future under Washington’s new coaching staff.

New defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. mentioned Forbes and Martin as players he liked coming out of last year’s draft.

Outside of Forbes and Martin, the Commanders had five other draft picks. Only two gave them much of anything last season: Fifth-round DE K.J. Henry and sixth-round RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

CBS Sports NFL draft expert Chris Trapasso recently analyzed each 2023 draft class by the number of “hits” each team had after one season.

Washington had one: Rodriguez.

It clearly wasn’t a high-volume role for Rodriguez as a rookie, but he nearly averaged five yards per tote and forced an impressive 12 missed tackles on his 51 carries. Other than Rodriguez, the Washington 2023 draft class was essentially non-existent, and first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes was a liability in coverage.

He’s not wrong. Rodriguez routinely displayed his ability in limited opportunities. As for Martin, we’d call him a “hit,” but we can also understand the jury remains out.

This draft class will always be remembered for Forbes. As other rookie cornerbacks saw more immediate success than Forbes, his selection will be criticized. However, no one should write him off. He had one bad season with an underperforming, lame-duck coaching staff.

New head coach Dan Quinn, Whitt, defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and veteran assistant John Pagano bring plenty of NFL experience to Washington’s staff in 2024. Forbes, Martin and others should benefit from a much better coaching staff next season.

CBS Sports ranks Giants’ 2023 rookie class in bottom half of NFL

The New York Giants’ 2023 NFL draft class was ranked in the bottom half of the league by CBS Sports, but they were credited with two hits.

The New York Giants made seven picks in the 2023 NFL draft and most felt confident that general manager Joe Schoen had made the right calls.

In need of talent at multiple positions, the Giants fared well with their limited stock, adding cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael Schmitz, and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with their first three selections.

They rounded things out with running back Eric Gray, cornerback Tre Hawkins III, defensive lineman Jordon Riley, and safety Gervarrius Owens.

All seven of those players saw time on the field this past season but the results weren’t quite what the Giants had hoped. Injuries derailed the development of several rookies while others were stunted due to misuse (see: Gray as a punt returner).

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently ranked all 32 draft classes from 2023 and the Giants landed in the bottom half of the league. However, he did credit them with two hits: Banks and Hyatt.

Hyatt didn’t exactly rekindle all of the magic he had at Tennessee winning down the field on a regular basis. But averaging over 16 yards per snag as a rookie demonstrated there’s a bright future for him if the development as a route runner continues. Sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins was respectable as a rotational cornerback. Second-round pick John Michael Schmitz really struggled with power before his injury. Banks had some hiccups in coverage but mostly dealt with No. 1 receivers in man coverage and snagged two picks while knocking away 11 passes.

Banks has the makings of a solid, long-term CB1 and although he struggled at times, Schmitz still has plenty of upside. Hyatt also performed better than his stats would indicate. He suffered due to poor offensive line and quarterback play.

The Giants remain hopeful that Hawkins can develop into a starter and that Riley eventually becomes a dominant interior defender.

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Let’s get it right this time: Re-drafting the 1st round of the 2023 NFL draft

Here’s how the 1st round of the 2023 NFL draft would have gone after the season.

Now that the 2023 NFL season is in the books, we can look back and see which teams got it right and which ones got it wrong with their first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft. We decided to use the 2023 draft order, removing all trades for his re-draft. Now let’s get to fixing all the mistakes the NFL made last spring.

Panthers’ 2023 rookie class ranked amongst worst in NFL

The Panthers didn’t get much of a return on their rookie class this past season.

Even with the No. 1 pick heading the pack, the Carolina Panthers’ rookie class fell far behind.

NFL.com analysts Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter recently ran back to the 2023 draft board and ranked last spring’s hauls. Down all the way at No. 28 are the Panthers, who received a ‘D+’ grade.

Edholm writes of first overall pick Bryce Young:

The prime disappointment was Young’s rookie season. The No. 1 overall pick started 16 games, and it was tough sledding for most of it. The environment seemed extremely unfavorable for learning on the fly, with the Panthers lacking elite weapons and cohesion on the offensive line. Carolina also fired head coach Frank Reich midseason, and it’s fair to wonder if turmoil on the coaching staff stunted Young’s growth. Tight end Hayden Hurst said after the season he thought Young had “too many voices in his head” during the trying season.

Young finished the campaign averaging 179.8 passing yards per contest with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. So, no, that’s not a lot of bang for Carolina’s big-time buck.

The Panthers didn’t get much of a return on the rest of the kids they drafted either. Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo amassed just 418 yards and no touchdowns, outside linebacker DJ Johnson had as many quarterback hits as your grandmother did, guard Chandler Zavala finished with the worst Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade (7.1) amongst all linemen with at least seven appearances and safety Jammie Robinson played in just 64 defensive snaps.

To add insult to insult, the Houston Texans—who picked behind the Panthers to start the festivities—ranked atop the list.

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Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. is a big fan of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

The new defensive coordinator is a fan of Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a disastrous rookie season in 2023. The No. 16 overall pick was embarrassed early in the season, lost his confidence and was benched.

Forbes returned and played well. Until he struggled again. And instead of allowing Forbes to play through his struggles, Washington’s previous staff — that had to have Forbes over other higher-rated cornerbacks — kept him on the bench.

The changes began after Thanksgiving when the Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer. Last month, Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera.

Now, one month later, the Commanders look completely different under new head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Quinn and Whitt came from Dallas, where two different cornerbacks led the NFL in interceptions in two of the past three seasons.

So, for those of you ready to give up on Forbes — just wait.

In his introductory press conference on Thursday, Whitt was asked about Forbes specifically.

“I really liked Forbes when he came out, and not only Forbes, I like Quan (Martin),” Whitt said. Martin was Washington’s second-round pick who improved throughout last season and has a bright future.

“And you know, they have a number of guys on that backend that are really intriguing. And the thing that we have to do, that’s why we brought (defensive pass game coordinator) Jason Simmons in and (defensive backs coach) Tommy Donatell, to get those guys in and to believe in the techniques that we’re going to teach ’em and the scheme that we’re going to put them in. But we have quality young players here. We are just ready to get to work with them.”

Forbes should be excited. Whitt has developed some outstanding players over the last 15 seasons with Green Bay, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Dallas. Simmons is a 10-year NFL veteran who worked with Whitt when he first began his coaching career in Green Bay and has also had stops in Carolina and Las Vegas.

Donatell is a young coach who can relate to younger players. In recent years, he has worked with Chargers’ All-Pro safety Derwin James. The Commanders also hired veteran defensive assistant John Pagano, who has a history of leading successful defenses and is known for his work with defensive backs.

Quinn has committed to not only bringing in better players but also improving the talent Washington has on the current roster. The different voices will be a positive change for Forbes and others after a tumultuous 2023 season.

Quinn, Whitt and general manager Adam Peters knew they couldn’t replace every player on the roster. The goal was to hire a strong staff built on teaching the fundamentals and leadership that would change the fortunes of some young players, specifically Forbes.

Forbes shared his excitement on Twitter when Quinn was announced as the head coach. If he was listening to Whitt’s opening press conference, he should be elated. If Forbes buys in — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t — he could be in store for a massive turnaround in 2024.

 

Giants land a Saquon Barkley replacement in CBS Sports’ 2023 re-draft

In a 2023 NFL re-draft courtesy of CBS Sports, the New York Giants pass on CB Deonte Banks and select a Saquon Barkley replacement instead.

The New York Giants traded up one spot to select cornerback Deonte Banks with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. However, if they had to do it all over again, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports believes they’d take a different route.

That’s not a knock on Banks, who had a solid rookie season, but more a reflection of lingering issues elsewhere on the roster.

In his 2023 NFL re-draft, Trapasso has the Giants staying put at No. 25 overall and selecting running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

With the future of Saquon Barkley uncertain, the Giants add a rocket to the backfield in Gibbs, who was sensational as a rookie.

Gibbs was selected 14th overall by the Detroit Lions, who took wide receiver Rashee Rice at No. 6 overall in this re-draft. Banks was not selected in the first round.

As a rookie, Gibbs rushed for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He added 316 yards and one additional score through the air en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

With uncertainty surrounding Saquon Barkley and his future, the selection of Gibbs would have provided a solid replacement. However, it would have also left the Giants hurting at cornerback, where they’re already thin.

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