By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
Published: May 4, 2023.
Third-Day Winners
Indianapolis ColtsThe Colts had a phenomenal draft, and they finished it off with a superb showing on Day 3. In Round 4, they landed a swing tackle backup in BYU’s Blake Freeland and a backup three-technique with Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore. They both could have gone a round or two earlier.
In the fifth round, Indianapolis made four astute selections with cornerback Darius Rush, safety Daniel Scott, tight end Will Mallory, and running back Evan Hull. Rush and Scott are both nice mid-rounders with upside to become potential starters. Mallory is a good pass blocker and is a fast receiver. He could turn out to be a sleeper steal who ends up as a starting F – movement – tight end. Hull was another nice pick as a backup physicla runner who could spell Jonathan Taylor to keep him fresh.
The Colts made another wise move in the seventh round with Texas A&M cornerback Jaylon Jones, who has an early-round skill set. Indianapolis did a superb job throughout the 2023 NFL Draft, landing excellent talent who were superb values for where they were selected.
Cincinnati BengalsThe Bengals came away with some very good values on the last day of the 2023 NFL Draft, starting with Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones in the fourth round. Jones is a shifty receiver with good route-running and run-after-the-catch skills. He could be an excellent understudy to Tyler Boyd while giving Cincinnati some nice depth for a slot receiver.
Sixth-round pick Andre Iosivas out of Princeton also should provide quality depth at the wideout position. In the fifth round, Illinois running back Chase Brown was a steal. Brown is a tough runner with speed, size, and physicality. Sixth-round punter Brad Robbins and seventh-round cornerback D.J. Ivey were just okay choices, but in the final rounds, they could be picks who aren’t throwaways.
Cincinnati already had a talented roster already in place, but the team added good depth on the final day of the draft.
Seattle SeahawksThe Seahawks had a strong 2023 draft class, with Day 3 providing some superb values for them. In the fourth round, Seattle landed a nice backup guard in Anthony Bardford, as he has the upside to become a starter. Ditto for Mississippi State defensive tackle Cameron Young, who could have gone a round earlier. During Round 5, the Seahawks landed two huge steals in Michigan teammates defensive end Mike Morris and center Olu Oluwatimi. Both have starting skill sets, with Morris being very talented and possessing size, speed and strength. He could be a huge steal.
To cap things off, spending a seventh-round pick on Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh was excellent. McIntosh has a second-day skill set, and he could be a great No. 3 back behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet.
The Seahawks really helped their roster with backup to starter talent on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Third-Day Losers
New York JetsThe Jets did not impress in the final day of the draft, instead taking a lot of players who could struggle to make their roster. The Jets selected Pittsburgh running back Isreal Abanikanda even though there were other backs available who had better skill sets. Some of the franchise’s other picks looked like throwaways, including offensive tackle Carter Warren and linebacker Zaire Barnes. Cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse and tight end Zack Kuntz could be better selections than the Jets picks who were taken earlier on Day 3. Overall, the Jets’ 2023 draft class was disappointing.
Go to Winners and Losers – Day 1
Go to Winners and Losers – Day 2
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 16
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
