Team Grades for Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is done! It’s been a really fun weekend, but all good things must come to an end. We saw a record number of trades with 43 over 3 nights, and every team had multiple picks. However, some did better than others, and that’s why we’re here. In this post, I’ll be grading each team’s picks made on day 3 of the draft. If you want to see my grades for rounds 1, click here, and if you’re interested in the day 2 team grades, go here.

1. Chicago Bears – RB Roschon Johnson, Texas (4-115^↓); WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati (4-133^*); LB Noah Sewell, Oregon (5-148^*); CB Terrell Smith, Minnesota (5-165^↓); DT Travis Bell, Kennesaw State (7-218); S Kendall Williamson, Stanford (7-258): B+
   The Bears did well to get Justin Fields a pair of underrated weapons in the 4th round. Johnson would have been the starter at most universities, but he was stuck behind Bijan Robinson; he’s a bruiser with soft hands, and he can be a 3-down back. Scott is very undersized, but he’s a dangerously speedy slot receiver. Noah Sewell was a great value. He’s a good run defender, but check out his 2021 tape to see his potential in coverage; his 2022 season wasn’t as good and led to his slide. Smith is an athletic corner who fits Chicago’s man scheme. Bell is a small-school player who might not have the size to handle NFL linemen. Williamson is a thumper who is a safety/LB hybrid; he plays the run well but struggles in coverage..
   
   
2. Houston Texans – EDGE Dylan Horton, TCU (4-109^↓); LB Henry To’o To’o, Alabama (5-167^↑); C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame (6-201^*); WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State (6-205^↑); S Brandon Hill, Houston (7-248^↓): A+
   Horton and To’o To’o are considered a limited prospects from an athletic standpoint. However, all they’ve done is produce. Horton was the Big XII sack leader in 2022 with 10.5, and he’s good against the run. To’o To’o might have better instincts than anyone in this draft; he’s super intelligent and won’t have a learning curve for the NFL. Patterson was a steal who could’ve been gone 2-3 rounds earlier, as he never allowed a sack in college. Hutchinson was an 1100-yard receiver in 2022 despite the fact that he drew #1 corners each week. Hill is a decent player but has low upside. Everything else the Texans did was great.
   
   
3. Arizona Cardinals – G Jon Gaines, UCLA (4-122^↓); QB Clayton Tune, Houston (5-139^↓); LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn (5-168); CB Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville (6-180); DT Dante Stills, West Virginia (6-213): B
   Arizona did some trading back and came away with a few nice players. Gaines is an athletic and versatile lineman who can plug in and upgrade Kyler Murray’s protection. Tune is a good value in the 5th round, but he’s a pure backup to me. Pappoe had a great Combine and is very athletic; he’s competent in coverage but can get overpowered in the run game. Clark is a slot corner only because he’s compact, though he might do very well there due to his tenacity. Stills is a solid pass rusher, but he is small as a run defender. Overall, the Cardinals got good depth here but nothing too flashy.
   
   
4. Indianapolis Colts – OT Blake Freeland, BYU (4-106); DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern (4-110^↓); CB Darius Rush, South Carolina (5-138); S Daniel Scott, California (5-158^↓); TE Will Mallory, Miami (5-162^*); RB Evan Hull, Northwestern (5-176^*); EDGE Titus Leo, Wagner (6-211^↓); CB Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M (7-221); OT Jake Witt, Northern Michigan (7-236^*): A
   The Colts picked a bunch of players, and some have a lot of upside. Freeland is very athletic but isn’t ready to start; he needs some development to harness his physical gifts. Adebawore and Rush are steals who fell for no reason. Adebawore ran a 4.49 40 as a DT, but he needs to improve his technique to become more productive. Rush is a lot like his South Carolina teammate Cam Smith but a little more raw. Scott is also a developmental player with high upside. That was a theme for Indy. Mallory is a good athlete but underwhelmed for Miami; I think leaving Mario Cristobal’s system might give him a boost. Hull looked good whenever I watched Northwestern play; he’ll back up Jonathan Taylor, but his hard running style and good hands will make him an excellent change of pace. Leo is an undersized rusher who hasn’t been tested against good competition. I thought Jones belonged a full 2 rounds earlier, as he’s an instinctive zone corner who has learned well from Jimbo Fisher. Witt needs to get stronger before we can judge him, as he too played at a small school and didn’t need to be as powerful.
   
   
5. Denver Broncos – S JL Skinner, Boise State (6-183^↑); C Alex Forsyth, Oregon (7-257^*): B+
   Various trades left Denver with just 2 picks on day 3, which was tied for the lowest among all teams. Skinner is another player who fell for reasons unknown. Perhaps teams felt like he’s a tweener, but he covers the whole field, tackles well, and has good instincts. Forsyth fell like several other centers, and it doesn’t make sense. He’s powerful in the running game but quick-footed enough to pass protect. I like both values for Denver, but I wish they could’ve obtained more of it.
   
   
6. Los Angeles Rams – QB Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia (4-128^↓); LB Nick Hampton, Appalachian State (5-161^↓); OT/G Warren McLendon, Georgia (5-174^↓); TE Davis Allen, Clemson (5-175^↓); WR Puka Nacua, BYU (5-177); CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU (6-182); DE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska (6-189^*); RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss (6-215^↑); P Ethan Evans, Wingate (7-223); S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State (7-234^*); DT Desjuan Johnson, Toledo (7-259^↓): A-
   Nobody had more picks than LA’s 11 on day 3, and that’s great. As much as I love quality over quantity, the Rams have been starved for depth due to a top-heavy roster and GM Les Snead’s, umm, dismissive attitude toward draft picks. These players will help to varying degrees. I don’t get taking Bennett that early as he’s clearly a limited QB. Hampton is an explosive LB who is fast but needs to add strength. McLendon could be this year’s Jamaree Salyer, a Georgia tackle who was slated to move inside but performed better than expected on the edge. Allen has limited speed, but he has good hands and blocking skills, so he’ll be a nice partner for Tyler Higbee. Nacua isn’t particularly athletic, so his peak is probably as a WR3 or WR4. I LOVE Hodges-Tomlinson; the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner is very short at 5’7″ and change, but he’s a sticky coverage man who battles for everything. He’ll be relegated to the slot, but I think he can surprise people. Mathis has physical talent but he can’t seem to figure out how to use it; Raheem Morris has work to do. Evans is a quality receiving back who pass protects well; he shouldn’t handle a full workload though. Evans is a punter. Not much to say about that, especially one from Wingate. Taylor had a great combine but he doesn’t play as fast as he tested; there is upside with him at least. Johnson is another athletic player who can rush the passer, but he’s not polished yet. At least he gets the Mr. Irrelevant celebration! Overall, I love the trade downs to acquire more picks, and most of them were used pretty well.
   
   
7. Las Vegas Raiders – CB Jakorian Bennett, Maryland (4-104^↑), QB Aidan O’Connell, Purdue (4-135^↑); S Christopher Smith, Georgia (5-170^↑); LB Amari Burney, Florida (6-203^↑); DT Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State (7-231^*): C
   Dave Ziegler was very aggressive, with 4 of his 5 picks coming through trade ups. Those picks have different levels of upside. Bennett may be a slot corner only, but the team will try him on the outside due to his outstanding coverage ability. O’Connell is purely a backup prospect, with a decent but not great arm and accuracy issues. Smith is a difficult evaluation because he produced well at Georgia, showing ball skills, instincts, and playmaking. He just tested poorly and ran slowly, suggesting a lack of athleticism and potential. His floor is very high though. Burney is a good coverage LB, but he’s not as strong against the run, so he might only play in subpackages. Silvera is similar, as he’s too small to effectively stop the run. This team had too many holes to trade up this often, and they didn’t get enough impact players to make it worthwhile.
   
   
8. Atlanta Falcons – CB Clark Phillips III, Utah (4-113); S Demarco Hellams, Alabama (7-224^*); G Jovaughn Gwynn, South Carolina (7-225): C-
   Atlanta had a quiet day, with just 1 pick before round 7. That pick was a good one, as Phillips is an exceptional slot CB. His size caused him to fall, but he’s simply a good football player and excellent value at this juncture. Hellams has limited athleticism but brings a championship pedigree; Atlanta should keep him in the box because he doesn’t have great coverage speed. Gwynn is probably too small to ever start, but he’ll be good depth due to his competitiveness. Atlanta only got 1 surefire contributor here.
   
   
9. Carolina Panthers – G Chandler Zavala, NC State (4-114); S Jammie Robinson, Florida State (5-145): C-
   Carolina’s trade up to #1 cost them much of their draft capital, and they only had a pair of day 3 picks. Zavala was a good choice because protecting that #1 pick in Bryce Young is key. You can often get a starting guard in rounds 2-4, and the Panthers seem to have done that here. Robinson is a strong safety who is a hard-hitter for his size; he needs to stay close to the line of scrimmage to shield his lack of speed. Carolina didn’t do much here, but none of this really matters if they hit on their QB pick.
   
   
10. New Orleans Saints – OT/G Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion (4-103^↑); QB Jake Haener, Fresno State (4-127^↑); S Jordan Howden, Minnesota (5-146); WR AT Perry, Wake Forest (6-195^*): B
    The Saints got back to their trading ways, moving up twice in round 4. Saldiveri is a versatile guard with nice length, but this was an expensive trade up and I don’t think it was worth it. Haener is one of my higher-rated QBs in this class, and he’ll be a good backup who happened to go to the same school as Derek Carr. Howden is a good tackler and can cover well, but there are occasional lapses; he just has good speed to make up for them. Perry is a flat-out steal. He’s a tall WR who makes contested catches, and he’s coming off consecutive 1000-yard seasons. Aside from the misguided trades, I like what New Orleans did.
    
    
11. Tennessee Titans – TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati (4-147); OT Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland (6-186^*); WR Colton Dowell, UT-Martin (7-228): B+
    Trading up for Will Levis cost Tennessee some picks, but they made the most of the ones they retained. Whyle was the best remaining TE; he’s not fast, but he uses his big body well and blocks with effort. Duncan is one of the biggest steals of the entire draft. I had him as a fringe 1st-round prospect, and most scouts expected him to by round 3 at the latest. Inconsistency in pass protection as a senior hurt him, but this type of fall is ridiculous. He has LT potential with his athleticism, and he has shown the ability before. Coaching can make this pick a gem. Dowell isn’t nearly as impressive; he has good size but limited speed, and he might not be able to cope with the NFL coming from such poor competition.
    
    
12. Cleveland Browns – RT Dawand Jones, Ohio State (4-111); DE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri (4-126^*); QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (5-140^*); CB Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern (5-142); C Luke Wypler, Ohio State (6-190): A-
    The Browns started their day with an incredible value. Jones belonged in round 2 because he’s a serious starting RT. Teams were afraid of his large size, but he uses it well. Unlike some of the other players in this class, McGuire is a power rusher and not a speed rusher, which I think they’ll like. Thompson-Robinson was a throwaway pick. He won’t start, and his mobility won’t be as effective at the next level; he isn’t a good QB from the pocket. Mitchell was another good value, as he comes with position versatility, good athleticism, and strong coverage ability. Wypler was one last value pick, as he’s yet another center who inexplicably fell far; he’ll start at some point.
    
    
13. New York Jets – OT Carter Warren, Pittsburgh (4-120^↓); RB Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh (5-143); LB Zaire Barnes, Western Michigan (6-184^↓); CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU (6-204^↓); TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion (7-220^↓): A
    Suddenly in win-now mode, the Jets picked players who could fill in the spots on their roster that lacked depth. An injury in 2022 caused Warren to fall, but he’s a tackle who won’t have to shift inside at the next level. Abanikanda is a homerun hitter at RB who will be a good change of pace for Breece Hall. I find Barnes to be a very milquetoast LB; he doesn’t do any one thing particularly well, and he’s pretty easily blocked. Bernard-Converse has starting-level athleticism, and he has immense growth potential. If you read this blog, you know how much I love LSU DBs. Kuntz was the last of the draftable TEs; he’s basically a large glorified WR. He won’t block, but he’s a receiving monster.
    
    
14. New England Patriots – K Chad Ryland, Maryland (4-112^↑); G Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan (4-117); G Atonio Mafi, UCLA (5-144^↓); WR Kayshon Boutte, LSU (6-187^*); P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State (6-192); WR Demario Douglas, Liberty (6-210); CB Ameer Speed, Michigan State (6-214^↓); CB/KR Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State (7-245^*): D-
    Bill Belichick was back to his recent ways. I gave him praise for his 1st- and 2nd-round picks, but things have devolved since then. In this case, he traded UP for a nonelite kicker in the 4th round but then ALSO drafted a punter and a pure kick returner in the 6th and 7th rounds, respectively. These positions can be targeted as UDFAs except for the returner, which was pointless with Marcus Jones on the roster. The two guards are both solid players, with Sow more likely to become a starter than Mafi. I really like the Boutte pick; his 2022 season was terrible, as was his Combine, but he was excellent as a freshman. It’s worth seeing if he can rediscover that talent. Douglas is a decent slot WR, but Speed doesn’t offer much of…well, speed. The specialist selections wrecked this grade despite the otherwise reasonable picks.
    
    
15. Green Bay Packers – DL Colby Wooden, Auburn (4-116); QB Sean Clifford, Penn State (5-149); WR Dontayvion Wicks, West Virginia (5-159^↓); DT Karl Brooks, Bowling Green (6-179^↓); K Anders Carlson, Auburn (6-207^*); CB Carrington Valentine, Kentucky (7-232); RB Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan (7-235^*); S Anthony Johnson Jr, Iowa State (7-242^*); WR Grant DuBose, Charlotte (7-256): C+
    Green Bay had lots of volume, but not all of these picks are useful. Wooden is a solid interior rusher, which the Packers badly need. Clifford is one of the worst picks made in any round; he’s not an NFL QB. Brooks is redundant as another interior pass rusher, but at least the position was a need. Wicks isn’t very fast but is otherwise athletic; I don’t see both him and DuBose making the roster, where the latter is a much bigger-bodied wideout. Carlson is a less accurate version of his brother Daniel, and I’m not sure he’s an upgrade over Mason Crosby. Valentine fell quite a bit due to inconsistency but he has great ability. Nichols is mostly a bruiser back who might replace AJ Dillon down the line. Johnson is a physical but undisciplined safety who can contribute if he gets coached up. The Packers smartly didn’t trade up at all, but they could’ve done more with their picks.
    
    
16. Washington Commanders – OT/G Braeden Daniels, Utah (4-118); EDGE KJ Henry, Clemson (5-137^↑); RB Chris Rodriguez Jr, Kentucky (6-193); DE Andre Jones, Louisiana (7-233): B-
    Daniels was a bit of a reach, as he’s a tackle who has to bulk up and move inside. Once that’s done, he could start for this poor offensive line. Henry is a powerful run-stuffing DE or OLB who doesn’t have refined technique as a rusher. He’s good insurance in case the team trades Chase Young or Montez Sweat. Keeping with the power theme, Rodriguez is a 2-down bruiser who seems a bit too much like Brian Robinson for my taste. Jones played well for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but he has to get stronger; hopefully he can retain his speed at a higher weight.
    
    
17. Pittsburgh Steelers – LB Nick Herbig, Wisconsin (4-132^↓); CB Cory Trice, Purdue (7-241^*); OL Spencer Anderson, Maryland (7-251^*): C+
    Herbig is an explosive player but is very small for his position. He won’t be an asset in the run game and will mostly play on obvious passing downs. Trice has great skills and traits, but a knee injury dropped him from boards. Pittsburgh is taking a very smart chance here, as they did with Darnell Washington. Anderson comes with versatility and a high floor, but I’m not sure he’s athletic enough to be more than a backup. This is a pretty middling group.
    
    
18. Detroit Lions – OT Colby Sorsdal, William and Mary (5-152); WR Antoine Green, North Carolina (7-219^*): D
    The Lions have had a very odd draft, and that continued on day 3. Sorsdal was a major reach; I would not have batted an eye if he went undrafted. He’s a backup for the next level. Green has talent, but he didn’t use it consistently at UNC. Sometimes, he made great catches and took over, but at other times he disappeared. There’s upside, but he’d have to be a much better pro player than he was in college. I’m not impressed by Detroit’s work this weekend.
    
    
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LB SirVocea Dennis (5-153); TE Payne Durham, Purdue (5-171^↑); CB Josh Hayes, Kansas State (6-181^*); WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska (6-191^↑); DE Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan (6-196): C-
    Dennis can’t cover at all, but he plays the run well. Payne is a blocking tight end who has a bit of receiving potential, particularly in the red zone. Hayes wasn’t a draftable prospect. He’s too small and isn’t a good enough athlete to even play in the slot; he’ll probably be relegated to special teams. Palmer seemed to finally figure things out in 2022, and he has some good size and speed to work with. As with many of the rushers in this draft, Ramirez is a smaller guy who doesn’t play the run well. That’s why these players are available in round 6. Tampa did a mediocre job here, with Palmer being the standout.
    
    
20. Seattle Seahawks – OT/G Anthony Bradford, LSU (4-108^↓); DT Cameron Young, Mississippi State (4-123); DE Mike Morris, Michigan (5-151^*); C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan (5-154); S Jerrick Reed, New Mexico (6-198); RB Kenny McIntosh, Georgia (7-237): B+
    Another team that has confused me is Seattle. After wasting a 2nd-round pick on an RB yesterday, they doubled down on the position in the 7th round. That’s not a huge deal, but it’s weird. Reed is a size-limited safety who struggles against bigger and stronger offnsive players. On the positive side, Bradford is a future guard who has played tackle, and he can be a mauler. He’ll start on day 1. Young is exclusively a nose tackle, but Seattle was awful against the run last year and needed a player like this. Morris is a very similar player but on the edge. Oluwatimi was named the best center and interior lineman overall last season, so him dropping to the 5th round makes no sense to me. He’ll be a plug-and-play starter; Seattle strikes in the 5th once again. I like how they meshed need and value with the majority of these picks.
    
    
21. Miami Dolphins – WR/TE Elijah Higgins, Stanford (6-197); OT/G Ryan Hayes, Michigan (7-238): C
    Operating as a win-now team, Miami has mortgaged picks in trades for veterans like Jalen Ramsey, so they only had 4 selections in the entire draft for the 2nd straight year. On day 3, the team found a potential replacement for Mike Gesicki in the big-bodied Higgins, who provides good value late in round 6. Hayes can line up at several positions, but the Dolphins waited too long in my opinion to get Tua Tagovailoa any protection. I don’t have a lot to say here because so little was done, but the selections they made aren’t bad. There just aren’t enough of them.
    
    
22. Los Angeles Chargers – WR Derius Davis, TCU (4-125); OT/G Jordan McFadden, Clemson (5-156); DT Scott Matlock, Boise State (6-200); QB Max Duggan, TCU (7-239): B
    Tom Telesco must have adored the TCU WR room because he drafted most of it. After taking Quentin Johnston in the first round, he grabbed another in the 4th. Davis is a slot receiver who suffers from occasional drops, but he’s dynamic in space. Again though, this was not a WR-needy team. McFadden is a college tackle that will likely play guard. He’ll either be a high-end backup or a solid starter. Matlock is a decent pass-rushing DT, but the team needed a run defender. Duggan is a great value in the 7th round. Another TCU player, he was the Heisman runner-up for the team that made it to the National Championship game. I can easily see him displacing Easton Stick as Justin Herbert’s backup.
    
    
23. Baltimore Ravens – DE Tavius Robinson, Ole Miss (4-124); CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford (5-157); OT/G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (6-199); G Andrew Vorhees, USC (7-229^↑): A
    Robinson is a long, bendy rusher who broke out in 2022 with 6 sacks and 7 TFLs; perhaps he finally figured out how to harness his athleticism. Kelly is an athletic corner who doesn’t have good instincts. He bites on double moves and plays with poor technique, but that’s coachable. Aumavae-Laulu is a tackle who will be converted to guard; he’s extremely raw, but he’s a powerful run defender. At the end of day 7, Baltimore re-entered the draft by trading next year’s 6th-round pick to select Vorhees, a 3rd-round guard prospect who fell after tearing his ACL at the Combine. He’s not expected to play in 2023, but if he returns to form, he’ll end up being a great pick for 2024. Baltimore understands the point of day 3: grabbing players with traits that can be developed into future starters. Well done.
    
    
24. Minnesota Vikings – DB Jay Ward, LSU (4-134^↓); DT Jaquelin Roy, LSU (5-141^↑); QB Jaren Hall, BYU (5-164^↓); RB DeWayne McBride, UAB (7-222^↓): B+
    The Vikings double-dipped in the LSU pool to start day 3. I like that they grabbed a DB from the school; Ward is a probable slot CB, which Minnesota needs. Actually, they need him wherever he lines up. Roy is a monster DT who is equally effective in the run and pass games, but there was no need to trade up. I don’t mind the selection of Hall, as he has very good traits. His biggest issue is injuries; though he runs well, he seems to get hurt every time he does, limiting his upside. I think he’ll be a fine backup though. McBride is a good sleeper pick. His running ability should have made him a 3rd-round pick, but fumbling issues caused him to slide. If he can clean that up, he’ll be a great replacement for Dalvin Cook next year.
    
    
25. Jacksonville Jaguars – LB Ventrell Miller, Florida (4-121^*); DE Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State (4-130^↓); EDGE Yasir Abdullah, Louisville (5-136^↓); S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M (5-160^↓); WR Parker Washington, Penn State (6-185^*); CB Christian Braswell, Rutgers (6-202); S Erick Hallett, Pittsburgh (6-208^*); OT/G Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State (7-226^*); DT Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina (7-227^↓); FB/DL Derek Parish, Houston (7-240^↓): A
    Second in the league with 10 picks on day 3, the Jags were quite busy. Miller is strictly a 2-down run-stuffing LB, but that’s a fine type of player to take on day 3. Lacy was a marginally productive edge rusher in college, but he plays the run well so he has a high floor. Abdullah was the opposite: a crazy productive edge rusher who had 19.5 sacks and 31 TFLs over the past 2 seasons in the ACC. His size is a concern, but he’s a baller. I think Johnson got picked a round or two too late; he can play in the slot but primarily will line up as a safety, and he did well in the tough SEC. Washington is a savvy slot receiver who profiles to be better in the pros than in college, where he was already pretty good. Braswell is probably a UDFA prospect; he competes, but he doesn’t have NFL talent. Hallett is also undersized, but he’s instinctive. Hodges is a likely guard who isn’t ready to play yet; he needs to add strength. Vohasek is a powerful interior rusher but doesn’t have any special traits. Parish is an interesting two-way player. He could become Jacksonville’s version of Patrick Ricard, whose primary position is FB, but he can provide some decent snaps as an edge rusher. I love that the team exclusively traded down so that they could acquire as many depth pieces as possible to supplement a suddenly competitive roster.
    
    
26. New York Giants – RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma (5-172); CB Tre Hawkins, Old Dominion (6-209^*); DT Jordon Riley, Oregon (7-243); S Gervarrius Owens, Houston (7-254): B+
    Gray broke out with over 1300 yards in his first season as a feature back, but he’s only 5’9″ and 206 lbs. His hands are good, so he’ll make a nice change-of-pace back behind Saquon Barkley. Hawkins has NFL-caliber athleticism, but his technique needs work. He struggles whenever he has to cross the field, so he’s a project with upside at this point. Riley is a massive run-stuffing DT; he’s a fine value at this stage, but Dexter Lawrence has that role covered. Owens is an explosive FS with decent ball skills; I’m actually surprised he fell this far because there are no real holes in his athletic profile. Solid work by NYG for the most part.
    
    
27. Dallas Cowboys – DE Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State (4-129^↓); OT Asim Richards, North Carolina (5-169); CB Eric Scott, Southern Mississippi (6-178^↑); RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (6-212); WR Jalen Brooks, South Carolina (7-244): B
    The man known as “Junior” Fehoko was a great pick; I think he has plenty of size, and he increased his sack total each season in college, finishing 2022 with 9. Richards has the hand technique to play well in pass protection, but he gets overpowered in the run game. Scott is a stiff CB who has the length to play outside, but his athleticism suggests a future in the slot; there was no point trading up here. I love Vaughn; he’s Darren Sproles 2.0 and not just because they both played at Kansas State. He has excellent contact balance and burst, good hands, and elusiveness. His size will keep him from handling a full workload, but he’ll complement Tony Pollard really well. Brooks fills a need, but he’s a WR who struggles to catch the ball. He’s also not very fast. I question whether he’ll even make the practice squad. Only two of these picks really impress me, but they were stellar.
    
    
28. Buffalo Bills – WR Justin Shorter, Florida (5-150^↓); OT/G Nick Broeker, Ole Miss (7-230^↓); CB Alex Austin, Oregon State (7-252^↓): C-
    Shorter is a large, immobile WR that may as well be a tight end. He’s redundant with the Dalton Kincaid pick. Broeker profiles as a guard with his strength, but he can also be a reserve RT. Austin is a poor tackler who needs to develop, as he’s very raw. He does possess some natural ability, so it’s fine to take a shot on a player like this in the final 10 picks. Buffalo’s day 3 was pretty short, and I don’t think they got much from it.
    
    
29. Cincinnati Bengals – WR Charlie Jones, Purdue (4-131); RB Chase Brown, Illinois (5-163); WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton (6-206); P Brad Robbins, Michigan (6-217^↓); CB DJ Ivey, Miami (7-246): A
    I’m surprised Cincy went with 2 WRs given their loaded receiver room, but they could lose Tee Higgins or Tyler Boyd in the coming year or two. You can’t argue with who they got. Jones had 1361 yards and 12 TDs in his lone year at Purdue, and he’s a great route runner with decent size. We’ll have to see if he was a one-year wonder or a legitimate WR2. Iosivas was a luxury pick, but he’s got a ton of untapped athleticism as a track athlete. He owned the Ivy League, but he’ll need some development to produce in the NFL. Brown will be a nice replacement for the departed Samaje Perine. They’re actually similar players in that Brown too has decent power to go with good receiving ability and pass protection. Robbins has great touch and hang time on his punts but doesn’t have a big leg. I think he’s a decent pick, as the team needed a punter. Ivey reminds me of Kelee Ringo in that he has good size and speed but lacks fluidity. Taking him in the 7th round is smart. I really like what the Bengals did throughout the draft, and day 3 is no exception.
    
    
30. San Francisco 49ers – CB Darrell Luter, South Alabama (5-155^*); DE Robert Beal, Georgia (5-173); LB Dee Winters, TCU (6-216); TE Brayden Willis, Oklahoma (7-247); WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan (7-253); LB Jalen Graham, Purdue (7-254): A+
    Luter will provide good CB depth, as he has starter traits and picked off 5 passes in college. Beal played better in 2021 than 2022, but he tested well and can develop as a reserve on a talented defensive line. Winters is a small LB who plays a bit like a strong safety; he’s good in run support and gives effort, but he struggles to keep up in coverage. Willis didn’t do much as a pass catcher until his senior year, when he had over 500 yards and 7 TDs. It makes you wonder why he didn’t get opportunities before given that he was already an excellent blocker. Bell bounced back in 2022 after a bad injury the prior year; he has size but limited athleticism, so he’ll probably peak as a WR3. Graham is exclusively a coverage LB, but that’s valuable in today’s league. I think the 49ers had the best mix of players with potential and high floors among all teams. All of these players have starter potential down the line, but they can provide depth immediately. Great work.
    
    
31. Philadelphia Bulldogs- CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia (4-105^↑); QB Tanner McKee, Stanford (6-188^↓); DT Moro Ojomo, Texas (7-249^*): A-
    The team formerly known as the Eagles didn’t have many picks, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t make a splash. They traded a pick from next year to draft another Georgia player. Ringo fell due to concerns about his fluidity, instincts, and change of direction, but he’s a top-tier athlete who should’ve been gone at the top of round 2. Philly also traded a 4th-round pick and swapped 7th-rounders with Detroit to acquire yet ANOTHER Bulldog in RB D’Andre Swift (see my grades for that trade here). The McKee pick was a complete waste, as he has no mobility and couldn’t win in college. Ojomo has some potential; he’s a smaller interior rusher with quickness, and he moves past the line with ease. I like everything the Eagles did except for the horrid QB pick, which keeps this grade from being a flat A.
    
    
32. Kansas City Chiefs – DB Chamarri Conner (4-119^↑); DE BJ Thompson, Stephen F. Austin (5-166); DT Keondre Coburn, Texas (6-194^↑); CB Nic Jones, Ball State (7-250): C
    Conner is a decent safety/nickel hybrid, but this trade up wasn’t at all necessary. Thompson had a great career at an FCS school, but like many players from the FCS, he needs to add strength to compete at the next level. He’s a project, not a finished product. I really like Coburn; having a large nose tackle really helps KC against teams like Philly and Cincy. Khalen Saunders’ departure left a large hole (no pun intended) in the middle of the defensive line, and Coburn can fill it. Jones doesn’t appear to have much upside, but KC has hit on 7th-round DBs before. Patching any weak spots was the goal of the defending Super Bowl champs, and I think they did a reasonable job.
    
    

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