April 29, 2023
I’ll be posting 2023 NFL Draft Grades for every pick. Why not grade all of the trades?
Lions acquire No. 96 (Brodric Martin) from Cardinals for Nos. 122 (4th), 138 (5th), 168 (5th)
I loved all the trades the Lions made – until this one. They did a great job of acquiring extra resources, yet they appear to have squandered them in this deal. I don’t know why they felt as though they had to move up for Brodric Martin. He’s not a prospect who is worth three draft picks prior to the sixth round, and I’m not sure if anyone would have taken him before No. 122. Maybe I’m missing something here, but it seems like Arizona won this trade by a long shot.
Grade for Lions – D
Grade for Cardinals – A
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Chiefs acquire No. 92 (Wanya Morris) from Bengals for Nos. 95 (Jordan Battle), 217 (6th)
I don’t know why the Chiefs had to move up a few spots for Wanya Morris, but it’s hard to dislike this trade for them because they didn’t surrender a significant resource to obtain a potential starting right tackle. In fact, I’d say this deal is even. The Bengals picked up an extra pick, but the 217th-overall selection almost certainly won’t move the needle at all.
Grade for Chiefs – B+
Grade for Bengals – B+
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49ers acquire No. 87 (Ji’Ayir Brown) from Vikings for Nos. 102 (Mekhi Becton), 164 (5th), 222 (7th)
Ji’Ayir Brown was one of my favorite draft sleepers, so I was glad to see that a smart team thought it was worth trading up for him. Giving up a fifth-round pick and a final-round selection for one of the top safeties in the class was well worth it. The Vikings probably should have remained at No. 87 and selected Brown if they had the appropriate draft capital, but with so few resources, Minnesota had to acquire other assets.
Grade for 49ers – A
Grade for Vikings – B+
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Broncos acquire No. 83 (Riley Moss) from Seahawks for Nos. 108 (4th), 2024 3rd-rounder
I’m not sure why the Broncos felt as though they had to surrender a third-round pick next year for a slow cornerback with injury issues. They probably could have secured Riley Moss with their 108th-overall pick, so giving up such a crucial resource was, as my sixth-grade teacher used to say, ilresponsible. The Seahawks won this deal by a mile.
Grade for Broncos – D-
Grade for Seahawks – A+
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Broncos acquire No. 83 (Riley Moss) from Seahawks for Nos. 108 (4th), 2024 3rd-rounder
I’m not sure why the Broncos felt as though they had to surrender a third-round pick next year for a slow cornerback with injury issues. They probably could have secured Riley Moss with their 108th-overall pick, so giving up such a crucial resource was, as my sixth-grade teacher used to say, ilresponsible. The Seahawks won this deal by a mile.
Grade for Broncos – D-
Grade for Seahawks – A+
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Panthers acquire No. 80 (D.J. Johnson) from Steelers for Nos. 93 (Darnell Washington), 132 (4th)
I don’t understand what happened here. Why did the Panthers move up 13 spots and surrender a fourth-round pick when the players the Steelers chose at their original pick is better than the one who went at No. 80? D.J. Johnson was not worth trading up for, as there is a very good chance he would have been available via trading down from No. 93. The Panthers should have remained at 93 and selected Darnell Washington.
Grade for Panthers – D
Grade for Steelers – A+
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Giants acquire No. 73 (Jalin Hyatt) from Rams for Nos. 89 (Kobie Turner), 128 (4th)
As I’ve been saying, it’s very important to trade up for receivers. Just kidding. But seriously, Jalin Hyatt is a tremendous prospect who should have gone a round earlier. I love the Giants trading up for him. Had New York took Hyatt at No. 25, I would have considered it a reach, but I wouldn’t have hated the pick. Getting him at No. 73 is great, even at the cost of a fourth-round pick. I like the Rams picking up that selection, but they probably should have remained at No. 73 and taken Hyatt to replace Allen Robinson.
Grade for Giants – A
Grade for Rams – C
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Texans acquire No. 69 (Tank Dell) from Rams for Nos. 73 (traded to Giants), 161 (5th)
The Texans traded up four spots and surrendered a fifth-round pick to select the worse receiver in this trade (the pick traded to the Giants was used on Jalin Hyatt.) I must sound like a broken record at this point, but with so many talented wideouts available, there was no need to move up for one. But if a trade was to be made, it should have been for Jalin Hyatt, whom Houston could have gotten in its original spot.
Grade for Texans – D
Grade for Rams – A
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Broncos acquire No. 63 (Marvin Mims), 183 (6th) from Lions for Nos. 68 (Hendon Hooker), 138 (4th)
Brad Holmes has established himself as a fantastic draft trader thus far, and this was yet another terrific deal for Detroit. The Lions moved down five spots, picked up a significant draft choice, and still obtained the superior prospect at a more important position. The Broncos, meanwhile, didn’t need to trade up for Marvin Mims with so many talented receivers still on the board. They gave up a fourth-round pick for nothing.
Grade for Broncos – C-
Grade for Lions – A
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Texans acquire No. 62 (Juice Scruggs) from Eagles for Nos. 65 (Tyler Steen), 188 (6th), 230 (7th)
I was confused about why the Texans traded up for Juice Scruggs. I don’t think anyone ahead of them would have drafted him. Then again, they only surrendered a pair of late-round picks, so this won’t set them back at all. I’d say it’s a neutral trade for them. The Eagles win by default, especially when considering that they didn’t have many picks beyond the third round in the first place.
Grade for Texans – B
Grade for Eagles – B+
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Texans acquire No. 62 (Juice Scruggs) from Eagles for Nos. 65 (Tyler Steen), 188 (6th), 230 (7th)
I was confused about why the Texans traded up for Juice Scruggs. I don’t think anyone ahead of them would have drafted him. Then again, they only surrendered a pair of late-round picks, so this won’t set them back at all. I’d say it’s a neutral trade for them. The Eagles win by default, especially when considering that they didn’t have many picks beyond the third round in the first place.
Grade for Texans – B
Grade for Eagles – B+
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Bears acquire No. 56 (Tyrique Stevenson) from Jaguars for Nos. 61 (Brenton Strange), 136 (5th)
This trade made sense for both teams. Lots of talented cornerbacks were already off the board, so Tyrique Stevenson may have been the last viable player at the position for the Bears, who really needed an upgrade at corner. As for the Jaguars, they were set to select a prospect totally off the board, so it made sense to trade down and pick up a fifth-round selection.
Grade for Bears – A-
Grade for Jaguars – B+
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Chiefs acquire No. 55 (Rashee Rice), 194 (6th) from Lions for Nos. 63 (traded to Broncos), 122 (4th), 249 (7th)
If you want to count Rashee Rice and Marvin Mims, there were so many talented receivers still available at the end of the second round. With Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman and Josh Downs available, there was no need for the Chiefs to move up and surrender a fourth-round pick, which is a significant resource. The Lions definitely won this trade, as they acquired an asset for free.
Grade for Chiefs – C-
Grade for Lions – A
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Buccaneers acquire No. 48 (Cody Mauch) from Packers for Nos. 50 (Jayden Reed), 179 (6th)
The Packers traded back once again after dealing with the Lions, which was a smart strategy, given that they were set on drafting a receiver in Jayden Reed who wasn’t rated in the second round by many other teams. A sixth-round pick won’t move the needle, but it’s better than nothing. As for the Buccaneers, they surrendered a fairly insignificant resource to acquire a much-needed upgrade on the offensive line. I think this is a fair trade for both sides.
Grade for Buccaneers – B+
Grade for Packers – B+
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Lions acquire No. 45 (Brian Branch) from Packers for Nos. 48 (traded to Buccaneers), 159 (5th)
It’s odd that the Lions and Packers engaged in a trade together, but then again, Detroit made a deal with the Vikings a year ago. The Lions won that trade, and they prevailed in this one as well. They had to leap the Patriots to land Brian Branch, who easily could have been drafted in the 20s. Detroit landed a steal in Branch and only gave up a fifth-round pick to do so. The Packers can be praised for picking up an extra fifth-round selection, but they allowed their toughest competition in the division to acquire a talented player – one who will be intercepting No Cookie Jordan Love, no doubt. This is why I’m grading the Packers poorly.
Grade for Lions – A+
Grade for Packers – D
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Falcons acquire No. 38 (Matthew Bergeron) from Colts for Nos. 44 (Julius Brents), 110 (4th)
Matthew Bergeron is someone who could have gone at the end of the first round, so I can understand why the Falcons would relinquish a fourth-round pick to get him, especially given their offensive line woes. It’s not a great trade by any means, but it’s a fine move. I think the Colts made out better to pick up an early selection on the third day in order to move down only six spots.
Grade for Falcons – B
Grade for Colts – A-
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Raiders acquire No. 35 (Michael Mayer) from Colts for Nos. 38 (traded to Falcons), 141 (5th)
The Raiders really needed a tight end after losing Darren Waller and Foster Moreau this offseason. Once Sam LaPorta went off the board to the Lions, the Raiders felt like they had to make a move. They surrendered just a fifth-round pick for a prospect who has been deemed the best safety in this class by some. I think that’s well worth it. I’m giving the Raiders the nod in this trade, though the Colts did well to pick up a fifth-rounder to add to their depth. I do wonder, however, if the Colts could have used Mayer instead.
Grade for Raiders – A
Grade for Colts – B-
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Titans acquire No. 33 (Will Levis), 81 (Tyjae Spears) from Cardinals for Nos. 41 (B.J. Ojulari), 72 (Garrett Williams), 2024 3rd-rounder
I don’t think trading up for Will Levis was a very good decision, especially considering how far Hendon Hooker fell on Day 2. Many teams didn’t like Levis, so I think the Titans were bidding against themselves. The Cardinals won’t complain because they were able to pick up a free third-round pick next year in what should be a superior draft class.
Grade for Titans – D
Grade for Cardinals – A
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Bills acquire No. 25 (Dalton Kincaid) from Jaguars for Nos. 27 (Anton Harrison), 130 (4th)
While the Giants trading up for Deonte Banks didn’t make much sense, this trade was far more logical for the Bills. Buffalo felt as though it had to leap the Cowboys to obtain the best tight end in this class. Dalton Kincaid is going to be a great weapon for Josh Allen, especially in the red zone. I’m fine with the Bills giving up a fourth-round pick for him because Kincaid could help put Buffalo over the top.
The Jaguars did well yet again. It seemed as though drafting Anton Harrison was the plan the entire time, so they did a great job of acquiring extra assets to help add depth to their roster.
Grade for Bills – A
Grade for Jaguars – A
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Giants acquire No. 24 (Deonte Banks) from Jaguars for Nos. 25 (Deonte Banks), 160 (5th), 240 (7th)
This wasn’t a very good trade for the Giants. They didn’t give up much, but I don’t think a fifth-round pick was worth one spot, especially when the Eagles only gave up a fourth-rounder a year in advance to go from No. 10 to 9 to obtain a top-three prospect in this class. The Giants, instead, securing a raw cornerback when they could have remained at No. 25 and drafted Nolan Smith or Brian Branch had Deonte Banks gone off the board.
The Jaguars definitely won this trade. An extra fifth and seventh aren’t anything to write home about, but it won’t hurt to have the extra depth.
Grade for Giants – C
Grade for Jaguars – A
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Steelers acquire No. 14 (Broderick Jones) from Patriots for Nos. 17 (Christian Gonzalez), 120 (4th)
The Steelers had to leap over the Jets to obtain the fourth of the top four offensive linemen in this class. They gave up a fourth-round pick to do so, which doesn’t seem like a big price to pay to ensure that their franchise quarterback has improved pass protection.
As for the Patriots, they did very well to pick up a free fourth-round pick, all while snagging the prospect they would have taken at No. 14. Christian Gonzalez fell because he’s soft and some teams soured on him as a result, but Bill Belichick can turn a very talented cornerback like him into a Pro Bowler. I loved this trade for both teams.
Grade for Steelers – A
Grade for Patriots – A
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Eagles acquire No. 9 (Jalen Carter) from Bears for Nos. 10 (Darnell Wright), 2024 4th-round pick
Charlie Campbell reported that the Eagles would want to trade up for Jalen Carter if the Georgia product got past the Seahawks, and he was right, as usual. They didn’t have to give up much of anything, surrendering a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. You may wonder why they felt as though they had to move up one spot, but there may have been another team calling the Bears about Carter. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
For the Bears, they did well to obtain a free fourth-round pick. They still secured the prospect they wanted, so this was a great deal for them.
Grade for Eagles – A-
Grade for Bears – A
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Cardinals acquire No. 6 (Paris Johnson), No. 81 (3rd) from Cardinals for Nos. 12 (Jahmyr Gibbs), 34 (2nd), 168 (5th)
The Cardinals received so many resources from the Will Anderson trade that they were able to trade up from No. 12 to 6 without a sweat. And by looking at the picks involved in this deal, they really didn’t give up much! They surrendered a second-round pick, but they received a third-rounder in exchange. That’s a small price to pay for a franchise left tackle!
Detroit was eager to move out of the No. 6 pick once the Seahawks snagged Devon Witherspoon off the board. They didn’t get as much as they could have hoped for, but they were desperate to trade down, so I don’t fault them for not being compensated for as much as they should have been.
Grade for Cardinals – A+
Grade for Lions – B
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Texans acquire No. 3 (Will Anderson), No. 105 (4th) from Cardinals for Nos. 33 (2nd), 2024 1st-rounder, 2024 3rd-rounder
I love this trade for both teams. The Cardinals obtained an amazing haul to move down nine spots despite being so desperate to trade out of the pick. Netting a 2024 first-round pick from a team that isn’t very good is huge, and it’ll help them in their rebuilding process.
While the Cardinals won this trade, the Texans did very well, too. They had extra resources from other trades, so they were able to afford to move up for arguably the best defensive player in this class. Plus, if you think about it, if Houston went with Will Anderson at No. 2 and then traded up for C.J. Stroud, everyone would have loved it more despite the same thing happening.
Grade for Texans – A-
Grade for Cardinals – A+
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