I'm going through all the NFL team's drafts one team at a time, while working on the draft's impact to the Dynasty Rookie Draft and Dynasty/Best Ball projections, etc. It will take me a few days to really focus on and deliberate how things went, in general, for each specific team…for all 32 teams.
This year, I'm going through division-by-division for an opening 'gut reaction' to things…and publishing them a division at a time. This is my 'first reaction' to each team's overall draft. I'm still going to circle back around and re-study and re-debate things all offseason, and scout more of these players deeper -- but this is my initial reaction.
*Our annual computer model grading of the NFL Draft will be out in 1-2 weeks when we have processed all the data and UDFAs, etc.
In order of best-to-worst grades, using my 'Gut' grading system for this first reaction…our computer model grading will be better/more detailed on comparing all the drafts.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (Gut Grade: B-/C+)
Green Bay's first four picks were useful…Lukas Van Ness is not my favorite edge prospect, but I see the hope/promise. I like Luke Musgrave as a legit all-around TE. Jayden Reed is a handy WR. Tucker Kraft is a nice 2nd TE. They'll all help the cause but maybe not radically so in 2023, more 2024+.
The day three draft picks were hit and miss, but some interesting grabs…6th-round DT Karl Brooks was one of our top 5 DT prospects for 2023. And 7th-round CB Carrington Valentine is legit, one of our top 10 CB prospects for 2023. I really like WR Grant Dubose as the #256 pick, but he'll likely be buried here. They needed a new kicker, and they might have gotten one with Daniel Carlson's 'little' (he's 6'5”) brother, Anders.
No UDFAs of note, but the main draft was very solid…a B/C grade that could easily be a strong 'B' in the end…but also could be a forgettable low 'C'. I think it's solid with upside.
DETROIT LIONS (Gut Grade: C-)
There was absolutely no need to pay that high a price for D'Andre Swift 2.0 (Jahmyr Gibbs), so this draft started out nuts to begin with. Then Detroit swerved things back onto the tracks getting the best ILB prospect out there, Jack Campbell, so I understand paying up a little for it. Sam LaPorta is fine. Brian Branch is forgettable. I look back and see a classic bad GM mistake draft here…with four top 50 picks, they took all low positional value players. You cannot leave the top 50 of the draft with an RB, a LB, a smaller TE, and a useless SAF/CB depth body.
If that wasn't bad enough, they took a QB who can't play for a year (Hooker) then a DT so far off the grid, I didn't have him worthy of my top 800 overall (Brodric Martin)…and then I went and looked at a few minutes of his tape, I can see why the computer models wouldn't let him in to it's top 800.
Detroit added two of our key deep sleeper prospects, Keytaon Thompson and QB Adrian Martinez…but they are already buried on this roster, I'm sure.
Instead of drafting homerun talent, Detroit saw things about its roster it didn't like and chased filling holes instead of accumulating talent. The Lions coulda pulled away from the NFC North pack with this draft, but they didn't.
CHICAGO BEARS (Gut Grade: D+)
I like the Bears taking Darnell Wright 1st-round…a good solid pick. DT Gervon Dexter in the 2nd…good solid pick. The rest of the draft…ehhh…not that exciting.
When I step back and think about it -- the Bears lucked into the #1 pick in this draft, and then ended up walking away with Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, and Chase Claypool (who they traded their 2nd-round pick away for last season). Would you be thrilled with that collection if your team had the #1 pick in the 1st-round, and in the 2nd-round…but you traded the picks away and took good but bland players? Feels like a lost opportunity. And, yeah, they picked up some future picks in all the exchanges -- but what does it matter if they wind up butchering them (if they do)?
A so-so-to-weak draft and no real UDFA excitement. Not a big step forward for the Bears in 2023. Chicago under 7.5 wins at -104 is looking a little interesting.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (Gut Grade: F-)
I think Jordan Addison is the least interesting/least talented, but is fine/good, of all those highly thought of small, speedy WRs like Mims-Downs-Dell-Flowers, etc. I would never have wasted a 1st-round pick on him with all the other guys (except Flowers) available 2nd or 3rd-round. It's terrible business -- but the Vikings committed the sin.
…and that was their best pick in this draft.
It's like the Vikings went -- who are all the worst players in the draft according to R.C. Fischer…let's draft them, we'll show him! It's your funeral. This is one of the worst drafts I have ever seen. And to top it off…more awful signings in the UDFA ranks. Maybe Ivan Pace can play a role or start someday. Other than that, the Vikings drafted not only 'bad' players -- but like BUST level bad players. Addison better be the next Antonio Brown to make this draft memorable at all. This is the kind of draft that gets people fired down the line. This was beyond bad…it's so bad it's shocking to me how any group of people would have agreed with the scouting of it.
