Monday Morning Draft is back! This is a column that delves into the past weekend’s action from an NFL Draft perspective. As the season goes on, the draft picture and slotting will become more clear, but every Sunday will provide a few hints for next April.
By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
Race for the No. 1 Pick:
Houston Texans: Thanks to losing to the Giants, and with the Lions beating the Bears, the Texans strengthened their hold on the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. A few weeks ago, they got their first win of the year when their defense had their way with Trevor Lawrence. Due to Houston’s Week 1 tie against the Colts, the franchise would fall behind two-win teams if ot notches another win. Unless Davis Mills finishes the year well, Houston will need a true franchise quarterback to replace Deshaun Watson. It would make sense for the Texans to target Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders lost at home to the Colts in a close game, but once again, Las Vegas folded in a close contest to fall to 2-7 on the season. After getting shutout by the Saints, Las Vegas was shutout in the second half at Jacksonville and blew lead. Raiders owner Mark Davis made a regrettable decision to let go of Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia after last season. If Las Vegas lands the top pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the team can either start a rebuild and look to trade away veterans in their early 30s like Derek Carr and Davante Adams.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh got its third win of the season by cruising over the Saints 20-10. The Steelers have struggled this year and are clearly in rebuilding mode. If they land a top-two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers should look to trade down with a quarterback-needy team. Pittsburgh has a lot of needs and could use the extra draft picks.
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers improved to 3-7 on the season by beating the Falcons. Carolina is paying the price for having Matt Rhule run the franchise for the past few years. Owner David Tepper does not know football, and his hiring of Rhule out of Baylor was misguided from the start. Hopefully for Panthers fans, Tepper stays out of future football decisions, such the next head coach and draft picks. General manager Scott Fitterer should be trusted to make those decisions over Tepper.
Detroit Lions: Detroit is on pace to have two high first-round picks because the Rams fell to 3-6, as the franchise holds Los Angeles’ first-round pick from the Matthew Stafford trade. The Lions notched a road win in Chicago to improve to 3-6 on the season and earn their second straight win. A week earlier, Detroit shut down Aaron Rodgers, with rookie safety Kerby Joseph intercepting Aaron Rodgers twice and Aidan Hutchinson getting an interception of his own. The drawback of these wins is that the Lions no longer hold the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Detroit wisely traded away T.J. Hockenson, who he is overrated and not worthy of a big second contract. That has the team loaded up with two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
If Lions land the top pick or a high first-rounder, they could look to upgrade over Jared Goff by taking Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. They can hold onto Goff and let the rookie sit behind him for a year, or they can let Goff go without a salary cap penalty. They could also look to trade Goff as Goff could be worth a day two pick as he is a better player than other quarterbacks like Carson Wentz or Matt Ryan who were just traded for day two picks. Aside from quarterback, Detroit badly needs some cornerback upgrades to go with Jeff Okudah.
Top General Manager Candidates:
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Let’s Play Matchmaker:
This section will look at some of the top talent in college football and match those prospects up with teams that have a dire need at the position.
New York Giants: Jordan Addison, WR, USC 
The Giants stacked another win by beating the Texans, the worst team in the NFL. Saquon Barkley took 35 carries, and New York’s receivers struggled aside from Darius Slayton. The Giants clearly need to find more receiving talent in the offseason, and taking a playmaker late in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft would make a lot of sense for New York.
Addison has been a plug-and-play point producer for USC in 2022, recording 40 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns. While playing for Pittsburgh in 2021, Addison benefited from quarterback Kenny Pickett having a phenomenal year to produce a massive sophomore season himself. Addison caught 100 passes in 2021 for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 6-foot, 175-pounder displayed the speed to get vertical and threaten defenses downfield. For the NFL, he could stand to get stronger and fill out his frame, but he could be a playmaker who hits the ground running as a pro. Late in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Addison could be a solid value for the Giants.
Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa 
The Detroit defense was without impressive rookie Malcolm Rodriguez against the Bears. Chicago quarterback Justin Fields tore the Lions up, running for two touchdowns and making some big throws after dodging sacks. Detroit has had issues in the middle of its defense all season and could use another linebacker to pair with Rodriguez. With two second-round picks and their third-round pick, the Lions should look to add some linebacker help.
Team sources like Campbell and think he will go in the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. They call him a taller version of Chad Muma. The 6-foot-5, 243-pound Campbell has good size, strength, and enough athleticism to be a three-down starter. In 2022, he has 97 tackles with one pass batted and a superb interception of C.J. Stroud. In 2021, Campbell amassed 140 tackles, a sack, forced fumble, two interceptions and five passes defended. Campbell could be a good pickup for the Lions with their latter second-round pick or their third-round pick.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama 
The Panthers win on Thursday night over Atlanta could cost them a shot at the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Carolina might miss out on the top quarterback prospect, or even the top two, but the franchise should be in position to land one of the top three, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis. The Panthers have a good defense and some skill position talent, but they need their quarterback of the future. Young could be the franchise quarterback who Carolina has been searching for since Cam Newton aged out.
In 2022, Young has completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,443 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has picked up three touchdowns on the ground as well. Young (5-11, 194) took over as Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2021, and there was a lot of hype about him in the scouting community. Some sources with college teams say they think he could end up being a better college quarterback than Tua Tagovailoa or Mac Jones. Some NFL sources believe Young’s skill set and style of play are similar to those of Kyler Murray. In 2021, Young completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Young could be a good first-round pick for Carolina in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Titans: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida 
The Tennessee defense shut down the Broncos offense holding them to 10 points. The Titans struggled to run the ball on Denver, however, with Derrick Henry being held to 53 yards on 19 carries. Over this offseason, Tennessee could stand to find more offensive line talent to help open holes for Henry.
Torrence has blocked well for the Gators in 2022 and has especially been a beast in the ground game. The 6-foot-5, 335-pounder is a load who generates movement as run blocker with surprising athleticism and quickness in pass protection. Torrence was a 3-year starter at La.-Lafayette, but after the 2021, he transferred to Florida to continue his playing career under the same head coach, Billy Napier. Torrence could be an excellent second-round pick for Tennessee who would be an asset to blast open holes for Henry.
Miami Dolphins: Amari Burney, LB, Florida The Dolphins cruised over the Browns, but Miami’s defense was fortunate that Cleveland had to abandon the ground game after falling far behind. Nick Chubb was running well on the Miami defense, and it has been clear this season that the Dolphins could use help at linebacker. Here’s a run-and-chase linebacker who will help Miami with its divisonal opponents.
Burney has shown impressive pass-coverage skills this year, including covering Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in man, snatching two interceptions, and displaying blitzing ability. In 2022, Burney has 55 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and two passes defended. He shows the speed to fly around the field and make clutch tackles in space. Burney could be a nice upgrade at linebacker for the Dolphins on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia 
The Chiefs have used a rotation at the running back position, but they could use a more steady presence in the backfield. Perhaps Isiah Pacheco will prove to be that this season, but if he doesn’t, Kansas City could target a back in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. McIntosh is a power runner and a skilled receiver, sp he would be a great fit for Andy Reid’s offense.
McIntosh has averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2022 for 425 yards and six touchdowns. He has shown nice receiving ability as well, making 31 catches for 322 yards and a touchdown. McIntosh (6-1, 220) has never received a big workload in the crowded Georgia backfield, but he flashed has serious ability on his limited carries. The big back averaged 5.7 yards per carry over 58 attempts in 2021 for 328 yards and three touchdowns. He was impressive as a receiver too, taking 22 catches for 242 yards. In 2020 and 2019, McIntosh averaged 5.3 and 7.0 yards per carry. McIntosh could be a nice value pick for the Chiefs in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts: Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford 
The Colts grabbed a road win in Las Vegas, with Jonathan Taylor ripping off a long touchdown run and Matt Ryan playing more mistake-free football than prior to his benching. Indianapolis has a good roster of talent, but the team needs stability at the quarterback position. It panned out pretty well for the Colts the last time they took a quarterback from Stanford, so perhaps that same pipeline will fix the quarterback odyssey the franchise has been on since Andrew Luck retired.
While Stanford has struggled this season, McKee has impressed some NFL evaluators. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder has excellent size to go along with a strong arm capable of firing the ball downfield. In 2022, McKee has completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,363 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 2021, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven picks. Some pro team sources believe McKee could be a late first-round or early second-round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. He could be riser over the draft process with good interviews, visits, and showing off his arm in workouts. McKee could be in contention for the Colts’ first-round pick, or they could consider moving up for McKee from their second-round pick.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals : One of the mistakes of the 2022 offseason was Cardinals ownership giving contract extensions to general manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona has repeatedly fallen short, and there have been a number of questionable moves and draft picks made by Keim. The Cardinals could be stuck with this regime, so they need to hit on draft picks immediately because they have a lot of needs to fill.
In my latest mock 2023 NFL Draft, I have the Cardinals taking Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy because he would make a lot of sense for them. Chandler Jones left in free agency, while J.J. Watt will be a free agent next spring. Arizona needs a lead edge rusher for its front seven. Murphy has a big-time skill set that includes size, speed, strength, and freaky athleticism. He fits in with other recent Keim draft picks like Zaven Collins, Kyler Murray, Isaiah Simmons, Robert Nkemdiches and D.J. Humphries. Arizona has other edge-rusher options to consider in the first round as well, like Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey, Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Florida State’s Jared Verse.
The Cardinals also could use help on the interior of their defensive line, so they could consider a tackle like Georgia’s Jalen Carter. If they were to trade down, they could target tackle options like Florida’s Gervon Dexter Sr. or Texas’s T’Vondre Sweat.
Offensively, Arizona could use help on the offensive line, but the team could target line help on the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Some good interior offensive linemen who could be good values for Arizona in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft include Notre Dame’s Jarrett Patterson, TCU’s Steve Avila and Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence. The Cardinals also could consider tackle help with the likes of Washington’s Jaxon Kirkland, or either from the Oklahoma duo of Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris.
Arizona is in a difficult division as the 49ers have a tough and talented team, the Rams could easily bounce back in 2023, and Seattle is vastly improved. Keim has to hit on some picks to rebuild the Cardinals defensive line to get his team back in playoff contention.
Atlanta Falcons: When Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, many respected evaluators from around the NFL interviewed for the job. The other general manager positions open in the same general timeframe included the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Washington Football Team. Of all those openings and the other anticipated ones like the Chicago Bears, the Falcons were considered around the league to be the toughest rebuild. Atlanta had many years of bad drafting from Dimitroff that depleted the roster of young talent to build around. The franchise had aging and declining stars in Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, who were being paid massive contracts. The Falcons were poised to be in bad salary cap shape for years. Hence, Atlanta is enduring the growing pains of a rebuild that would be difficult for any general manager and head coach.
Blank made some good choices in Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith, but the Falcons need multiple more seasons of good drafts to put the team back in playoff contention. The selections of Kyle Pitts and Drake London were very good, and they both have star potential. The critical issue for the franchise is figuring out the quarterback position. It would make sense to bench Marcus Mariota to see what the Falcons have in Desmond Ridder going into the offseason. Perhaps Ridder will play well enough to be the future starter – he certainly has the physical talent to be a pro starter -, but at least that would give them an answer on Ridder and whether they need to select a quarterback early in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Depending on where they are picking, the Falcons could have first-round options like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young and Kentucky’s Will Levis. If Atlanta misses out on those three, which the team easily could, the organization could target second-day options like Florida’s Anthony Richardson, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Arkansas’ K.J. Jefferson, Louisville’s Malik Cunningham, BYU’s Jaren Hall and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke.
In my latest mock 2023 NFL Draft, I have the first-round quarterbacks not getting to Atlanta’s pick, so I have the franchise taking Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. There could be some good edge-rush options in Round 1, and the Falcons need to improve their pass rush. Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy would be a great option as well. Murphy has a huge skill set and could be a dominant force for Atlanta combining with Arnold Ebiketie to give the team some long-term ends. Aside from those ends, the Falcons could consider Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey or Florida State’s Jared Verse.
The interior of Atlanta’s defensive line could get consideration as well. Grady Jarrett is aging and won’t play forever. An interior disruptor to go with him in the short term and then take over from him would make sense. The Falcons will probably be picking too low for Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, but other quality tackle prospects could be available to them, such as Florida’s Gervon Dexter Sr. and Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat.
Aside from quarterback, if the Falcons wanted to add another playmaker, they could look to the backfield. Cordarrelle Patterson is not a long-term starter, and Tyler Allgeier might be more of a backup as a pro. In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, there are two stud backs in Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson is a bigger, tougher runner, but Gibbs is extremely explosive and slippery. Both of them are tremendous receivers as well. In the second round, there will be good options like Ole Miss’ Zach Evans, Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh and UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet.
This is a huge and critical offseason for this regime in Atlanta. Before long, the franchise is going to have to make a move for a quarterback, unless Ridder is the answer. If the Falcons get a good trigger man, they could quickly improve into a legit contender in the NFC thanks to possessing elite playmakers in London and Pitts. Everything rides on getting the quarterback decision correct. If that happens, the Falcons will rise up once again into being a top Super Bowl contender.
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