The Daily Briefing Tuesday, May 2, 2023

@OzzyNFL

NFL Schedule News:

All five international games are rumoured to be announced this Thursday, May 4th.

As it stands, we’ve heard buzz on Chiefs-Bears, Patriots-Saints, and the Jaguars playing away against the Bills in London.

There have also been some rumours of Jags-Niners though we believe the 49ers will not travel overseas in 2023.

We should have a lot more info in the coming days.

What Ozzy seems to be saying is that the Jaguars will play two games in London – one a home game against either Atlanta, Carolina or San Francisco and the other their scheduled road game at Buffalo.

GREEN BAY

The Packers have a new deal with QB JORDAN LOVE.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Packers won’t be exercising the fifth-year option for quarterback Jordan Love, after all.

They won’t need to.

The team and the player have agreed to a one-year extension, via multiple reports. It reportedly has $13.5 million fully guaranteed, and it’s worth “up to” $22.5 million — which clearly means he has to reach certain playing-time and/or team/individual achievements to get there.

It’s a win-win for the Packers and Love. Green Bay faced the question of whether it would commit to $20.3 million fully guaranteed for 2024. Love faced the prospect of making $2.298 million for 2023 with no security beyond the current season.

If Love meets the various triggers, he’ll make what he would have made under the fifth-year option. He’ll also have significant protection (more than $10 million) against the possibility of playing poorly in 2023, or of getting injured.

It’s a sensible approach for any team with a largely unproven first-round pick entering the fourth year of his rookie deal. In lieu of the option/no-option black-and-white decision, come up with a hybrid approach that gives the player more than he would get in year four, along with the ability to make everything he’d get in year five — if things pan out.

– – –

QB AARON RODGERS implies his house is immunized from receiving the phone calls of Packers GM Brian Gutenkist.  Charean Williams of ESPN.com:

Aaron Rodgers never returned multiple phone messages left by Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst this offseason. Instead, Gutekunst communicated with Rodgers’ agent, David Dunn, as the relationship between the team and the quarterback dissolved.

In his introductory news conference with the Jets, Rodgers wisecracked when asked about not responding to Gutekunst.

“People who know me, I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful house,” Rodgers said. “The only downside is I have very limited cell service. If you want to get ahold of me, I need to see your face. You have to FaceTime me. So, the only response to the communication thing is, there’s records in your phone about who called you, when, FaceTime, and there wasn’t any specific FaceTimes from any of those numbers that I was looking at. That’s neither here nor there because now we’re in this position.

“Obviously, that’s the direction they wanted to go as far as the story they couldn’t get ahold of me, which led for this to be the case. My point was, if there was a change that wanted to be made, why wasn’t that told to me early in the offseason? Now, obviously, my future was undecided at that time. I didn’t know if I wanted to keep playing. I wanted to go into my darkness retreat and sit with it and contemplate. But when I came out, it was evident that it was retire or move on to a new team.”

Rodgers is Rodgers, and he obviously was done with the organization that drafted him after last season. He said on March 15 that it was his “intention” to play for the Jets.

Gutekunst revealed at the owners’ meetings last month that he had not been able to reach Rodgers, and he said earlier this week that Rodgers had never returned his messages.

“Again, it would’ve been nice to have those conversations, but at the same time, over the last few years, I kind of understood that they may not happen. So it’s different,” Gutekunst said before praising Rodgers for what he’s meant to the organization.

Rodgers, whose 18 seasons in Green Bay is a franchise record, threw a team-record 475 career passing touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl and earned four MVP awards.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Matt Miller and Jordan Reid of ESPN.com have different Giants draft picks as the best team-player fits in the draft:

What is your favorite prospect-to-team fit?

Miller: John Michael Schmitz, C, New York Giants (No. 57). The middle of the line needed an upgrade, and Minnesota’s Schmitz is the perfect fit given his mobility and accuracy blocking in space and on the move. He’ll be a plug-and-play upgrade with Creed Humphrey-like early-impact potential.

Reid: Deonte Banks, CB, New York Giants (No. 24). It shouldn’t be surprising to see defensive coordinator Wink Martindale give GM Joe Schoen a big hug during ESPN’s live telecast of this pick; Banks is the perfect cornerback for his man-to-man scheme. He’s big and aggressive but also has the poise to remain hip-to-hip throughout routes with receivers. The Maryland cornerback landed in a scheme that’s tailor-made for his skill set.

ATLANTA

Warren Sharp has been thinking about the Falcons and offers his thoughts on why “run first” offense is not a good plan.  We put his Twitter string together.

wins by more than 1 score since 2021

18 – BUF

17

16

15 – SF

14 – KC, PHI, DAL

13 – CIN

12

11 – GB, NE

10 – LAR, ARI

  9 – TB, NO, SEA

  8 – CLE, MIA, TEN

  7 – LAC, CAR, DEN, IND

  6 – BAL, JAX, DET

  5 – CHI, WAS, LV

  4 – HOU, MIN

  3 – PIT, NYJ

  2 – NYG, ATL

since Arthur Smith came to Atlanta 2 years ago…

the Falcons have won ONLY TWO GAMES by more than 1 score

lowest total in the NFL

one win was week 18 when TB rested starters…

the other was SF playing the 2nd of back-to-back East coast games w/o Nick Bosa & Trent Williams

in the draft Atlanta selected 3 offensive players:

1 RB

2 OL

in free agency Atlanta signed 7 players to contracts paying at least $3M/year

6 of 7 were defense, 1 was a backup QB:

S (Bates)

DT (Onyemata)

2 LBs (Elliss, Dupree)

DE (Campbell)

CB (Hughes)

backup QB (Heinicke)

Warren Sharp

this offseason, through free agency and the draft, Atlanta tripled-down on the notion they will be a run-first, ball control team under Arthur Smith

this strategy almost never leads to easy wins

which means their opponent is never out of a game & it is harder to achieve success

Now in the two previous drafts they invested high first round picks on targets – TE KYLE PITTS and WR DRAKE LONDON.  And RB BIJAN ROBINSON is thought to be so valuable because of his pass catching skills.  So we’re not sure Arthur Smith is as “run first” as Sharp thinks.

– – –

Matt Miller and Jordan Reid of ESPN.com agree that RB BIJON ROBINSON is guaranteed to be great:

Who is the guaranteed future NFL star of the class?

Miller: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons (No. 8). It might be cheating to pick the most NFL-ready player in the class at one position where we see a lot of rookie production, but Robinson is uniquely suited to hit the ground running in Arthur Smith’s offense thanks to his power, vision and receiving ability. He showcased those traits regularly while rushing for 1,580 yards last season at Texas.

Reid: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons (No. 8). I agree, Matt. It’s hard to find a better answer than Robinson, who is a perfect fit with the Falcons. This offense will use him both as a runner and in the passing game, and his impact will be felt right away. We saw what Tyler Allgeier was able to do in that system last year, and Robinson is significantly more talented than the 2022 fifth-round pick.

SEATTLE

It’s funny how when you have a reputation, built over time, as a skilled drafter, you get the benefit of the doubt.  Even as the “expert” world praises Howie Roseman of the Eagles for pouncing on tumbling DT JALEN CARTER at #9, Peter King gives Seahawks GM John Schneider a thumbs up for passing on Carter at #5.

I thought Seattle used its rare position of strength well. This was GM John Schneider’s 14th draft in Seattle, and the fifth pick overall is the highest one he’s ever had. I’m sure he considered Jalen Carter, and I wonder what he’d have done if Anthony Richardson fell to him. No matter. What would you say are the most important position groups in the pro game? Quarterback, for one. Edge rusher, two. Cornerback, three. Tackle, four. Wide receiver, five. We could argue and put the final four in a different order, but those are the five big ones. In this draft, the two positions with the most draftees were cornerback (36 picks) and wide receiver (33). Schneider got the best corner on most boards, Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon, at five, and the best receiver on many boards, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, at 20. That’s a rare feat, particularly getting maybe the top receiver at 20. I like what Seattle did early, a lot. The Niners are still the kings of the NFC West, but the Seahawks closed the gap this weekend.

But, actually, King sees the inconsistency:

All the draft graders with over-the-top praise for the Jalen Carter pick … please. I like where the Georgia defensive tackle was picked—ninth overall. He would have gone higher, obviously, if not for his involvement in a tragic car accident, and if not for the criticism over his practice and game effort. And I agree with Eagles GM Howie Roseman about so many players in the draft. They’re young. They’re not finished products. “When we got to know Jalen, we just felt like here’s a kid that does love football, and we felt like we have really good people in this building. We have a really good support staff,” Roseman said. Pairing Carter and Jordan Davis in the middle of the Philly line will be a nightmare for offensive coordinators league-wide. If Carter works out. If being the operative word. Teams that need dominating defensive tackles—Seattle, Detroit, Las Vegas—passed on Carter for a reason. Roseman was in a strong position to take him, and good for the Eagles. But it’s hard to be ga-ga over the pick, because no rational person knows how this will work out.

HOUSTON

QB C.J. STROUD says all the right things to Peter King:

Two big stories here when I landed from Vegas:

Drafting a franchise quarterback.

Paying franchise-quarterback draft capital to draft a defensive end.

There’s no other way to put it: After picking C.J. Stroud second overall, the Texans traded up nine slots, from 12 to three in the first round, to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson. Houston GM Nick Caserio traded 12 and 34 this year and first- and third-round picks next year to just barely squeeze the trade into the NFL’s 10-minute window for the third pick. As I explain in the next item about Arizona’s draft, Houston could be picking very early next year—which will put a white hot spotlight of pressure on Anderson.

Caserio told me at NRG Stadium that Stroud was clearly the team’s target at two. He’d had some discussions with Cards GM Monti Ossenfort about possibly moving from 12 to three. “Then,” Caserio said, “it happened pretty quickly when they were on the clock.”

The deal got done and all parties notified, he said, with “close to a minute” left. So the Texans got a player they hope will be their franchise QB, and they got the best defensive player on their board. That is one heck of a night’s work. The price, of course, is denuding the 2024 draft when the Texans might wish they had two first-round picks and four in the first three rounds—instead of now just one first-round pick, one second- and one third- (a pick acquired from the Eagles for a fourth-rounder this year).

But – and there is a big but – you should have been at the Texans’ facility in the basement of NRG Stadium late Friday afternoon, when Stroud and Anderson put on a show of humility and team-firstness that had to make Texans fans so weary of losing (a league-worst 11-38-1 in the last three years) happy for the first time since the Wild Card win over Buffalo three years ago.

Stroud and Anderson came with their families and made it clear they were all-in on going to a losing team after years of nothing but winning in college. Afterward, Stroud told me: “That’s what life is about, working to build something good. That’s what I’m here to help this team do. I’m ready for it.”

The Texans have asked Stroud to let the S-2 Test controversy go, but he got a couple last licks in on it. A player who played the way Stroud did—particularly in putting up 41 points in his superb final college game in the playoff against Georgia—is not a player who can’t process, or can’t ID a defense. I understand using every tool in the bag to analyze players before the draft, and I’d check out why Stroud scored low on the test. But to think it’s a good indicator of future failure—I mean, watch the games he’s played.

We stood in a hallway just off the Texans’ locker room for 12 minutes and I asked him about what he’s learned from the last three months.

“Humility is something I’m not afraid of,” he said. “It’s something I’m accustomed to. This was all probably just a humble moment God wanted me to go through.

“A lot of people haven’t played the sport, and I mean critics are gonna critique. For me I know the film speaks for itself. Everything that I’ve done in college, I’ve been very consistent. I think I’ve been one of the most consistent players in college football for the last two years. If you turn on the tape, you can see, you can answer the questions. But those who don’t understand tape might want to go to other things and analyze other things. They’re more than welcome to do such. But the people who are making the choices and the picks, they knew what I can do. They understood the IQ that I do have.

“I have a great memory when it comes to football. I feel like there’s different ways to be geniuses. You don’t just have to be book smart. You can be analytics smart. You can be numbers smart. You can be football smart. I really think that there’s different types of ways to be smart. That’s something that I pride myself on. And I am book smart. I did have over a 3.0 in college. I had over a 3.0 in high school. I know that I can think. I can process very, very fast. The film, you can see me going from first option to second and then back to one and then to three to four if I have to. I can check down. I can use my feet.

“But, you know, everything happens for a reason. I’m not upset. I’m actually blessed, I’m super blessed to be a Texan. Number two overall pick in the NFL draft, man. A little kid from the [California] Inland Empire. All smiles, man. I ain’t tripping about this.”

Good attitude to have. But at the same time, I could feel it: C.J. Stroud will remember this pre-draft process. And for the Texans, that bit of motivation will be a very good thing.

INDIANAPOLIS

Peter King:

The South’s remodeled. Over the past two years, since the ’21 draft, the AFC South has completely overhauled the most important position in the game—to the point that, sometime this year, there’s a good chance that all of the quarterbacks in the division will be 24 or younger: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville (24 this year), Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis (21), C.J. Stroud, Houston (22) and Will Levis, Tennessee (24). Now, Levis may get a redshirt year if the Titans keep Ryan Tannehill or Malik Willis as starter, but I’d expect him to start sometime this year in Nashville.

Same for the NFC South, Peter, with Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and whoever in Carolina all shuffled.

THIS AND THAT

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2020

Peter King with a nice synopsis of how the 2020 COVID draft is shaking out:

Ready for a cautionary tale? Look at the first round of the 2020 Draft, which is in the news after Washington decided to not exercise the fifth-year option on 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. This draft is not exactly the Land of Misfit Toys, but it is a perfect illustration of how it’s fun to get excited about first-round picks, while the reality is significantly more sobering.

One note of perspective: This was the Covid draft year, with teams doing most of their prospect fact-finding via phone and Zoom. In 2020, for instance, the Eagles wouldn’t have been able to dive as deep into Jalen Carter as they did this year, and wouldn’t have been able to have him visit their facility. So who knows if that would have affected where he got picked.

How the first round from just three years ago looks today, with the overall pick and player in each category:

Big hits

1. QB Joe Burrow. Joey Franchise for the Bengals.

4. T Andrew Thomas. Giant fixture. One of few wins for Dave Gettleman.

6. QB Justin Herbert. Worthy Charger heir to Fouts and Rivers.

7. DT Derrick Brown. Cornerstone player for Panthers.

13. T Tristan Wirfs. Franchise tackle and building block for Bucs.

16. CB AJ Terrell. Dependable, sturdy starter at important position.

17. WR CeeDee Lamb. Average season: 87 catches, 1,132 yards.

22. WR Justin Jefferson. Best non-QB in this draft.

Hits

5. QB Tua Tagovailoa. If he stays healthy, he becomes a big hit.

8. LB Isaiah Simmons. Nice player, not versatile megastar Cards hoped for.

24. OL Cesar Ruiz. Useable right guard starter for Saints.

25. WR Brandon Aiyuk. Slow start, but coming on as major SF factor.

27. LB Jordyn Brooks. Averaged 134 tackles a year for Seahawks.

28. LB Patrick Queen. Has started all 51 Ravens games since being drafted.

Up in the air

2. Edge Chase Young. One very good year, two invisible ones.

9. CB C.J. Henderson. Better on his second team (Panthers) than first (Jags).

10. T Jedrick Wills. 10th overall pick should be better-than-average starter.

14. DT Javon Kinlaw. Done almost nothing to merit mid-first-round status.

15. WR Jerry Jeudy. Averaged 52 receptions, 3 TDs per year.

18. T Austin Jackson. A meh starter due to open at right tackle in Miami in ’23.

23. LB Kenneth Murray. Low-impact inside ‘backer.

Incomplete

26. QB Jordan Love. It’s your time, kid.

Misses

On the field

3. CB Jeff Okudah. Will try to save his career in Atlanta.

11. T Mekhi Becton. Last NY chance for guy who’s played one game since rookie year.

19. CB Damon Arnette. A disaster from the jump.

20. LB K’Lavon Chaisson. Eleven starts, low impact for Jags.

21. WR Jalen Reagor. Will go down as the wideout picked before Justin Jefferson.

29. T Isaiah Wilson. One of the worst first-round picks ever.

30. CB Noah Igbinoghene. Three years, five starts, 603 defensive snaps.

32. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Not egregious, but beaten out by a seventh-rounder in ’22.

Off the field

12. WR Henry Ruggs. Tragic car accident ruined his career.

31. CB Jeff Gladney. Killed in 2022 car wreck.

Thirty-two picks, eight franchise players. And 18 of 32 have been, at best, just average players through three years.

As we saw Thursday night, the first round is really fun. But the 2020 draft shows the first round is not always a transcendent, positive event for many teams.

BROADCAST NEWS

FOX Sports got a recount – and Super Bowl 57 is now the most watched telecast in U.S. history.

Super Bowl LVII was the most-watched U.S.-based telecast of all time, according to revised data announced Tuesday by ratings agency Nielson.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 12 drew an average of 115.1 million viewers across all platforms, nearly 2 million more than Nielsen’s previous announcement.

The updated numbers show that this year’s Super Bowl surpassed the previous record set in 2015, when 114.4 million people watched the Patriots beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The next-highest-rated telecast was Super Bowl LI in 2017 between the Patriots and Falcons, which was viewed by nearly 113.7 million.

Nielsen did not start accounting for out-of-home streaming estimates until 2021, so it is unclear whether the Super Bowl telecasts in 2015 or 2017 would have surpassed 115.1 million viewers.

Nielsen had previously announced in February that Kansas City’s comeback victory had an average viewership of 113 million.

Fox Sports said in a statement that the change in ratings data was “the result of a thorough review by Nielsen that revealed irregularities in the encoding that enables Nielsen’s measurement of TV viewing as well as in the measurement of out-of-home viewing.”

Nielsen’s figure includes people who watched the game on the Fox or Fox Deportes TV networks, or streamed the game on Fox digital properties or NFL+.

A Nielsen representative told the Los Angeles Times that a potential data irregularity initially was identified by the NFL, which notified the agency that the league-owned NFL Network could be getting credit for viewers who were actually watching the game on one of Fox’s platforms.

“We appreciate the support and collaboration from our partners at Fox and the NFL to correct previously unknown errors to ultimately provide a more accurate measure for this year’s total audience for the game,” the representative said in a statement published by the Times.

2023 DRAFT

Here are the draft grades from ProFootballFocus.com.  They give out lots of As (we’ve edited their comments on the 3^rd day) and to be honest we’re not sure we see a lot of consistency with the Rams and Colts high grades a puzzle, as well as Houston’s relatively low marks after apparently using the 2^nd and 3^rd picks in the draft wisely:

ARIZONA CARDINALS               A+

R1 (6): T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

R2 (41): EDGE BJ Ojulari, LSU

R3 (72): CB Garrett Williams, Syracuse

R3 (94): WR Michael Wilson, Stanford

R4 (122): G Jon Gaines II, UCLA

R5 (139): QB Clayton Tune, Houston

R5 (168): LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn

R6 (180): CB Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville

R6 (213): DI Dante Stills, West Virginia

Day 1: After moving down from No. 3, the Cardinals move back up and select their left tackle in Paris Johnson Jr. He ticks all the boxes physically, coming in at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, and he allowed just 14 total pressures from 449 pass-blocking snaps last season, the best of his career. The wheeling and dealing by Arizona just makes this that much better.

Day 2: Pass rush was a clear need for the Cardinals entering this draft, and Ojulari was one of the better remaining options. He doesn’t have elite traits, but he wins with a deep collection of pass-rush moves and a high motor off the edge.

If not for the injury he sustained in 2022, Williams would have come off the board much earlier. He boasts really good footwork as a smooth mover on the outside and was a three-year starter at Syracuse. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will love Williams’ ability in off-zone coverage, the bread and butter of his defense as a former secondary coach.

Wilson played only 14 games over the past three seasons, and even when he did play, he didn’t see many targets. But he has the frame to be a more-than-solid player in the NFL. He averaged 2.3 yards per route run and caught 50.0% of the contested targets he saw in his final season at Stanford.

Day 3:Tune earned back-to-back grades above 90.0, and his 79.5% adjusted completion percentage ranked seventh in the country in 2022. Tune is a good athlete to boot, which adds some rushing upside and doesn’t require a complete change of the playbook from what Kyler Murray runs. With Murray on the mend from a torn ACL, the Cardinals were smart to add a young, developmental piece to the room. He just needs to learn the NFL game where not everything is schemed open like it was at Houston.

ATLANTA FALCONS             B+      

R1 (8): RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

R2 (38): T Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse

R3 (75): EDGE Zach Harrison, Ohio State

R4 (113): CB Clark Phillips III, Utah

R7 (224): S DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama

R7 (225): OG Jovaughn Gwyn, South Carolina

Day 1: Teams wouldn’t usually receive an “average” grade for taking a running back in the top 10, but it’s hard to dislike this pick too much, given how good Bijan Robinson was in 2022. An impressive athlete at 220 pounds, he set a PFF college record with 104 missed tackles forced in 2022, producing a 95.3 PFF grade in the process.

Day 2: Bergeron is a nimble tackle with a very in-control play style. He played significant time at both tackle spots for Syracuse but could kick inside to guard for Atlanta. Bergeron needs to have more of a killer mentality and better hand usage, but this is a good fit for the 6-foot-5, 318-pound lineman.

The Falcons addressed some of the holes along their defensive line in free agency, but it’s still a group that could use more young talent. At 6-foot-6 with 36-plus-inch arms, Harrison is now one of the longer edge defenders in the NFL. He’s just not likely to make an immediate impact as a pass-rusher, given the lack of bend and a clear pass-rush plan he showed at Ohio State.

BALTIMORE RAVENS                             B

R1 (22): WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

R3 (86): LB Trenton Simpson, Clemson

R4 (124): EDGE Tavius Robinson, Ole Miss

R5 (157): CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford

R6 (199): OG Sala Aumavae-Laulu, Oregon

R7 (229): OG Andrew Vorhees, USC

Day 1: Flowers is shifty, knows how to separate and complements what the Ravens have at the position well. He can replace the production they lost from Hollywood Brown after trading him away last year, as Flowers racked up 500 receiving yards on throws 20-plus yards downfield.

Day 2: Baltimore gets good value here in Clemson off-ball linebacker Trenton Simpson, a former five-star recruit in the 2020 class. Simpson’s numbers did dip a bit from 2021 to 2022 as he moved from an overhang role to playing more in between the tackles, but the Ravens will surely take advantage of the physically gifted linebacker’s versatility.

Day 3: Robinson has all the tools at 6-foot-6 and 257 pounds. He is a project, though.

Kelly has a ton of football experience as the son of a former NFL corner and a four-year starter at Stanford.

Vorhees made news at the combine after putting up 38 bench press reps (98th percentile) after tearing his ACL in the drills.

BUFFALO BILLS                           A

R1 (25): TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

R2 (59): G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida

R3 (91): LB Dorian Williams, Tulane

R5 (150): WR Justin Shorter, Florida

R7 (230): OG Nick Broeker, Ole Miss

R7 (252): CB Alex Austin, Oregon State

Day 1: The Bills make a small jump but land the premier pass-catching tight end in the draft in Kincaid. The 10th overall player on the PFF big board, this is a huge value pick. Kincaid was the focal point of the Utah offense and led all players at the position with a 91.8 PFF receiving grade.

Day 2: Like the Giants just a few picks ago, (Torrence) this could have easily been the Bills’ first-round pick. A mountain of a man at the position, he can still move better than his size would suggest. After starting his career at Louisiana, he made the move to the SEC with ease, finishing 2022 with an 89.9 PFF run-blocking grade, which was the best in the Power Five last season.

The Bills trade up to secure Williams, a player with legitimate range and a huge wingspan. Those traits helped him morph into one of the most impactful players at the position against the pass throughout his college career. Williams produced a top-10 coverage grade among FBS off-ball linebackers in two of his last three seasons at Tulane.

Day 3: Shorter is one of the bigger wide receivers in this class, coming in at 6-foot-4 and 234 pounds with nearly 34-inch arms.

CAROLINA PANTHERS                          B+

R1 (1): QB Bryce Young, Alabama

R2 (39): WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss

R3 (80): EDGE DJ Johnson, Oregon

R4 (114): G Chandler Zavala, NC State

R5 (145): S Jammie Robinson, Florida State

Day 1: Carolina moved up to No. 1 overall and secured their potential franchise quarterback. Despite concerns about his size, Young was the top QB on the PFF big board, and his 92.9 passing grade led all players at the position over the past two seasons.

Day 2: Mingo was one of the biggest risers in the pre-draft process and finds himself in Carolina to team up with top pick Bryce Young. While his production in college was spotty, he has a good blend of size and athleticism to like his fit here with the Panthers. Not to mention, he flashed often on tape between unbelievable body adjustments and clean wins at the line of scrimmage.

(D.J. Johnson is one of the bigger reaches so far based on the PFF big board, with Johnson coming in at 237th overall. The Panthers are taking a swing on Johnson’s athleticism on the edge (4.49-second 40-yard dash at 261 pounds). He’s a 24-year-old prospect who recorded fewer than 50 career pressures on 786 defensive snaps in college.

CHICAGO BEARS                                 B+

R1 (10): T Darnell Wright, Tennessee

R2 (53): DI Gervon Dexter Sr., Florida

R2 (56): CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL)

R3 (64): DI Zacch Pickens, South Carolina

R4 (115): RB Roschon Johnson, Texas

R4 (133): WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati

R5 (148): LB Noah Sewell, Oregon

R5 (165): CB Terell Smith, Minnesota

R7 (218): DI Travis Bell, Kennesaw State

R7 (258): S Kendall Williamson, Stanford

Day 1: Wright fills a need for the Bears, but he is just the 22nd-ranked player on the PFF draft board. He produced a PFF grade of just 71.4 in 2022 but has some really good reps on tape where he just overpowers people. He allowed just eight total pressures in 2022.

Day 2: Dexter’s 4.88-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds ranked in the 83rd percentile among interior defenders in PFF’s database, but he needs to turn that athleticism into more production at the next level. Dexter is young at just over 21 years of age. He offered very little as a pass-rusher in 2022 with just a 55.2 grade, but his explosiveness is evident.

(Stevenson) is not an elite athlete at the position, which is likely why he’s a mid-second-round player, but he does have the size and production to make this an intriguing pick. After starting his career at Georgia, Stevenson really came into his own at Miami.

After taking Florida interior defender Gervon Dexter Sr. late in the second round, the Bears add more beef to the interior of their defense with a player with more pass-rush juice. Pickens put up an 11.5% pass-rush win rate last season, with his 91st-percentile broad jump showing up on tape.

Day 3: Johnson was overshadowed by Bijan Robinson in the Texas backfield but brings plenty to the table for a team that should run more than just about any team in the NFL next season. Johnson earned 80.0-plus PFF rushing grades in four consecutive seasons with the Longhorns.

CINCINNATI BENGALS                               A

R1 (28): EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson

R2 (60): CB DJ Turner, Michigan

R3 (95): S Jordan Battle, Alabama

R4 (131): WR Charlie Jones, Purdue

R5 (163): RB Chase Brown, Illinois

R6 (206): WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton

R6 (217): P Brad Robbins, Michigan

R7 (246): CB DJ Ivey, Miami (FL)

Day 1: Murphy looked like a future top-five pick after a freshman season that saw him produce an 85.2 PFF grade, but we never really saw him progress beyond that. However, he has produced a PFF grade of at least 79.0 in each of the past three seasons and racked up 76 pressures over the past two years.

Day 2: Turner can flat-out fly, clocking a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. He did get picked on a little at Michigan, and there’s still a fair amount of development needed, but he allowed just 46.5% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be caught in 2022 and forced 14 incompletions in the process.

The Bengals lost both starting safeties in free agency, so Battle could be a long-term replacement for Vonn Bell. He was one of the most consistent defensive backs in college football, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons while playing more than 800 snaps in each.

Day 3: If the Bengals are looking to find a long-term replacement for Tyler Boyd in the slot, Jones could be just what they are looking for.

CLEVELAND BROWNS                                   A-

R3 (74): WR Cedric Tillman, Tennessee

R3 (98): DI Siaki Ika, Baylor

R4 (111): T Dawand Jones, Ohio State

R4 (126): EDGE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri

R5 (140): QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson

R5 (142): CB Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern

R6 (190): C Luke Wypler, Ohio State

Day 2: In a draft class of undersized wide receivers, Tillman was among the few top prospects with prototypical X measurables. He has good size, he is physical and he attacks the football in the air. With the additions of Tillman and the trade for Elijah Moore, Deshaun Watson will have more options in the passing game entering his second season with the team.

The Browns have made it a priority to improve the interior of their defensive line this offseason, and they continue that with the addition of Ika here. A mountain of a man at 358 pounds, he isn’t just a run defender, registering a 76.4 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2022.

Day 3: There were questions about Jones’ conditioning/commitment that likely contributed to his slide down boards, but there’s a lot of reason to bet on Jones’ talent at this stage of the draft.

(In McGuire) Cleveland adds a good power rusher to complement Myles Garrett. He has NFL size and power with the potential to be a plus run defender. Despite average burst off the edge, he put up an 84.5 true pass-rush grade in 2022.

Thompson-Robinson is the definition of a “gamer,” a classic football cliche, with the desire to make something out of nothing on seemingly every snap. This can work against him, of course, with a lot of turnover-worthy plays as a result. However, his 77.4% adjusted completion percentage ranked 15th in college football and he offers great rushing ability.

DALLAS COWBOYS                            C+

R1 (26): DI Mazi Smith, Michigan

R2 (58): TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan

R3 (90): EDGE DeMarvion Overshown, Texas

R4 (129): EDGE Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State

R5 (169): OT Asim Richards, North Carolina

R6 (178): CB Eric Scott Jr., Southern Mississippi

R6 (212): RB Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

R7 (244): WR Jalen Brooks, South Carolina

Day 1: It might not be an exciting pick, but for a team that have struggled to stop the run consistently recently, it makes a lot of sense. An impressive athlete for someone his size, Smith posted PFF grades of 75.0 or better in each of the past two seasons.

Day 2: Schoonmaker is an in-line tight end, so the fit is obvious here for the Cowboys, but it’s just that it’s a bit of a reach at 58th overall. He averaged 2.15 yards per route run in 2022 but caught just 28.6% of the contested targets he saw. There’s some projection here, but he does have the athletic profile where the reach could work out for the Cowboys.

Overshown is an explosive off-ball linebacker who grew into the player many had expected him to become in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 229-pound Longhorn boosted his run-defense grade by more than 40 points from 2021 to 2022.

DENVER BRONCOS                          B+

R2 (63): WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma

R3 (67): LB Drew Sanders

R3 (83): CB Riley Moss, Iowa

R6 (183): S JL Skinner, Boise State

R7 (257): C Alex Forsyth, Oregon

Day 2: An analytics darling, Mims averaged 19.5 yards per catch over the course of his career in college. Despite not being the biggest player, he still managed to win 54.5% of the contested targets he saw

Sanders was the consensus No. 37 overall player and can play all over. He has the ability to drop in coverage and come forward as a pass-rusher, as evidenced by his 75.0-plus pass-rush and coverage grades.

Moss brings plenty of experience, playing more than 2,500 career defensive snaps at Iowa, much of which came in zone coverage. He’s an above-average athlete who earned coverage grades above 81.0 in each of the past two seasons for the Hawkeyes, joining Patrick Surtain II, Damarri Mathis and K’Waun Williams in the Broncos’ secondary.

DETROIT LIONS                            B+

R1 (12): RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

R1 (18): LB Jack Campbell, Iowa

R2 (34): TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa

R2 (45): S Brian Branch, Alabama

R3 (68): QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

R3 (96): DI Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky

R5 (152): OT Colby Sorsdal, William & Mary

R6 (219): WR Antoine Green, North Carolina

Day 1: Gibbs is the second-ranked running back on the PFF big board, but he is also just the 34th-ranked prospect. Viewed as a potential late first-round pick, this is a big reach with the 12th overall pick. He can make an impact in the passing game, though, as he hauled in 103 passes for 1,215 receiving yards over the past three seasons.

Campbell is the top linebacker on the PFF big board but was just 39th overall. It’s not a good value pick, but he produced a 91.9 PFF grade, which led all linebackers. At 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, he has impressive size and NFL-caliber range.

Day 2: Detroit shocks the football world once again by taking tight end Sam LaPorta over Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer at Pick 34. The Iowa product plays an incredibly physical game, something head coach Dan Campbell covets at every position. LaPorta is a high-quality athlete and an after-the-catch weapon. His 368 yards after the catch and 20 missed tackles forced were both top-three marks among FBS tight ends in 2022.

The Lions have made several big “reaches” already in this draft based on PFF and consensus big boards, but they get one of the better values here with Branch. He’s the best nickel prospect in this draft class and one of the best tackling defensive backs since PFF began tracking college football in 2014 (2% missed tackle rate).

Lions QB Jared Goff has two years remaining on his contract, so the Lions are wise to draft a potential successor behind him. Hooker fell in the draft after an unfortunate ACL tear at the end of the 2022 season that took him out of a Heisman race, but he earned a 93.4 passing grade on deep throws and is great in a clean pocket. If he can improve under pressure once healthy, he could prove to be a great pick.

GREEN BAY PACKERS                           B+

R1 (13): EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

R2 (42): TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State

R2 (50): WR Jayden Reed, Michigan State

R3 (78): TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State

R4 (116): EDGE Colby Wooden, Auburn

R5 (149): QB Sean Clifford, Penn State

R5 (159): WR Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia Tech

R6 (179): DI Karl Brooks, Bowling Green

R6 (207): K Anders Carlson, Auburn

R7 (232): CB Carrington Valentine, Kentucky

R7 (235): RB Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan

R7 (242): S Anthony Johnson, Iowa State

R7 (256): WR Grant DuBose, Charlotte

Day 1: Many thought this was the spot for a playmaker for quarterback Jordan Love, but the Packers instead opt for an edge defender in Van Ness. A power rusher, he can push through opposing offensive linemen and likely comes with the versatility of being able to kick inside at times.

Day 2: The Packers address their receiving corps on Day 2 after (once again) passing on several receiving options in the first round. Musgrave adds a different element to their tight end room with the size and speed to challenge defenses down the seam. He looked to be on his way to a very strong 2022 season for Oregon State before a knee injury cut his campaign short after just two games, making this a projection play for Green Bay.

Reed was a “late-riser” after a strong Senior Bowl showing, where he displayed an extensive package of releases at the line and sharp route running, but was No. 86 on the consensus big board and comes off at No. 50 here. Reed struggled a bit with drops, doing so on 8.3% of catchable targets in 2022, and is just an OK athlete with his vertical jump, broad jump and short shuttle all ranking inside the 50th percentile or lower.

HOUSTON TEXANS                                  B-

R1 (2): QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

R1 (3): EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

R2 (62): C Juice Scruggs, Penn State

R3 (69): WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston

R4 (109): EDGE Dylan Horton, TCU

R5 (167): Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama

R6 (201): C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame

R6 (205): WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State

R7 (248): S Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh

Day 1: After a lot of speculation that they would pass on a signal-caller, the Texans ultimately select the second-ranked quarterback on the PFF big board. Stroud earned a 92.2 PFF grade in 2021, tying with Bryce Young, and he was the seventh-highest-graded player at the position this past season.

The Texans shock everyone and move up to No. 3 to select the top edge defender on the PFF big board. Anderson produced a PFF grade of 89.8 in 2021 and 83.6 in 2022 and racked up 207 total pressures in three years at Alabama. Houston lands a top player, but they pay a steep price.

Day 2: Scruggs comes off the board before Ohio State’s Luke Wypler after producing 67.5 and 71.5 PFF grades in each of the past two seasons. The 138th-ranked player on the PFF big board, there’s still plenty of development needed, and he is likely scheme dependent. He produced a 72.6 PFF run-blocking grade on zone plays and a 62.9 PFF grade on gap plays.

Dell recorded 928 receiving yards out of the slot in 2022, 10th in the nation, with his 19 missed tackles forced a top-25 mark. While he’s undersized, he creates separation with ease and is extremely difficult to mirror in coverage. Houston adds another dynamic weapon for new quarterback C.J. Stroud.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS                           A+

R1 (4): QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

R2 (44): CB Julius Brents, Kansas State

R3 (79): WR Josh Downs, North Carolina

R4 (106): T Blake Freeland, BYU

R4 (110): EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

R5 (138): CB Darius Rush,  South Carolina

R5 (158): S Daniel Scott, Cal

R5 (162): TE Will Mallory, Miami (FL)

R5 (176): RB Evan Hull, Northwestern

R6 (211): EDGE Titus Leo, Wagner

R6 (221): CB Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M

R7 (236): OT Jake Witt, Northern Michigan

Day 1: The Colts stay at Pick 4 and swing for the high ceiling of Anthony Richardson. While Richardson was inconsistent as a passer, he is arguably the most incredible athlete at the quarterback position we have ever seen. He forced 39 missed tackles in 2022.

Day 2: Brents is in the group of long, athletic prospects that the Colts have gravitated to on defense over the past several years. There aren’t too many cornerbacks out there at 6-foot-3 with 34-inch arms and a 42-inch vertical. Brents’ production and grading profile don’t overly impress, but he has traits worth betting on here for Indianapolis.

Downs was WR5 on both the PFF Big Board and the consensus big board but comes off the board here to Indianapolis as WR12. He is undersized, even for the slot, but he is one of the better underneath separators in this class and wins in contested situations over the middle of the field. Downs hauled in 13-of-18 contested targets for UNC in 2022.

Day 3: The Colts need reinforcements along the offensive line and land the 6-foot-8 Freeland, who tested off the charts with 95th percentile or better scores in the vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle and three-cone.

One of the more puzzling fallers of the draft after a ton of buzz following a ridiculous combine performance that was truly one of the best we’ve seen, Adebawore needs refinement at the NFL level and can now develop behind a crop of good defensive linemen with the Colts

Rush, a former high school quarterback and college wide receiver at the start, is an incredible athlete still learning the nuances of the cornerback position.

Scott graded better in 2021 (81.8) than in 2022 (66.8) but finished strong in his last three games. He’s a versatile and intelligent safety who is capable enough in the slot as well. He’ll add depth to the Colts’ secondary as well as a surefire contributor on special teams.

Mallory offers legitimate receiving ability and not much as a blocker.

Jones is big, strong and young — a good combination of adjectives for a late-round cornerback.

Witt is one of the rare prospects who PFF doesn’t have data or grades on, but he came in at 211th overall on our final big board. He’s an athletic tackle — shocking, given Indianapolis’ strategy in this draft — who will be another developmental project for the Colts.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS                    B

R1 (27): T Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

R2 (61): TE Brenton Strange, Penn State

R3 (88): RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn

R4 (121): LB Ventrell Miller, Florida

R4 (130): EDGE Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State

R5 (136): EDGE Yasir Abdullah, Louisville

R5 (160): S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M

R6 (185): WR Parker Washington, Penn State

R6 (202): CB Christian Braswell, Rutgers

R6 (208): S Erick Hallett II, Pittsburgh

R7 (226): OT Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State

R7 (227): DI Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina

R7 (240): FB Derek Parish, Houston

Day 1: (Harrison) makes a lot of sense given the reported suspension for Cam Robinson. The 24th ranked player on the PFF big board, the Jaguars get Harrison at about the right spot but pick up three additional picks by moving down. He allowed just nine total pressures from 447 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.

Day 2: This could very well be a long-term replacement for Evan Engram because Strange projects far better as a receiver than he does as a run blocker. He caught 62.5% of the contested targets he saw in 2022 and had a drop rate of just 3.0%. His 60.5 run-blocking grade confirms that you probably don’t want him taking on defensive ends as an in-line blocker.

Jacksonville adds a complementary weapon to Travis Etienne by taking Auburn running back Tank Bigsby. The Jags employ inside-zone runs at a high rate, and Bigsby turned in the second-best rushing grade on such plays among Power Five running backs since 2020.

Day 3: Miller brings a hard-hitting presence to Jacksonville’s run defense.

At this point, Lacy is a better run defender than a pass-rusher and figures to be more of a special teams player than anything else early in his career

Johnson came into 2022 with first-round hype. While he took a step back this year, he still finished with an 81.6 overall grade.

Washington is a smooth mover and great hands catcher who knows how to find the soft spots in zones.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS            B-

R1 (31): EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah

R2 (55): WR Rashee Rice, SMU

R3 (92): T Wanya Morris, Oklahoma

R4 (119): S Chamarri Conner, Virginia Tech

R5 (166): EDGE BJ Thompson, Stephen F. Austin

R6 (194): DI Keondre Coburn, Texas

R7 (250): CB Nic Jones, Ball State

Day 1: Anudike-Uzomah produced PFF grades of 74.0 or better in each of the past two seasons and is one of the best edge benders in this draft class. He was one of the most successful players in college football at converting pressures into sacks, with 21 of his 89 pressures over the past two seasons resulting in a sack.

Day 2: The Chiefs add another wide receiver to their committee with a target magnet in Rice, who was asked to do everything at SMU. Rice was top 10 in the country in both deep catches and screen catches in 2022, earning an 85.9 receiving grade on the season with his 16 contested catches, another top-10 mark in the nation. Rice’s 41-inch vertical was 97th percentile and his 10-foot-8 broad jump was 89th.

This may be a bit early to draft Morris, who has a concerning track record due to injuries and a lack of starting experience (never played more than 643 snaps in a season), but the Chiefs are betting on his tools. The former five-star recruit has long arms and uses that length to his advantage.

Day 3: Connor is a strong safety/slot hybrid who was a four-year starter at Virginia Tech.

Thompson is a former Baylor recruit who was dominant at Stephen F. Austin this past season

The 336-pound Coburn joins a group that will compete for snaps in the run-stuffing DT role alongside Chris Jones in Kansas City’s defensive line.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS                 B-

R1 (7): EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

R2 (35): TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

R3 (70): DI Byron Young, Alabama

R3 (100): WR Tre Tucker, Cincinnati

R4 (104): CB Jakorian Bennett, Maryland

R4 (135): QB Aidan O’Connell, Purdue

R5 (170): S Christopher Smith, Georgia

R6 (203): LB Amari Burney, Florida

R7 (231): DI Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State

Day 1: Wilson looks like he was built in a pass-rushing lab, so it’s not a shock to see him go in the top 10. That said, he ranked just 28th on the PFF big board because the consistency just wasn’t there in college. His 75.1 PFF grade last season was the highest of his career.

Day 2: The Golden Domer’s wait is over, as the Raiders trade up to Pick 35 for one of the most polished prospects in the class. Mayer isn’t a gifted athlete by any means, but he checks every other box as a receiver and a blocker. He has a high-level football IQ and was the engine of the Notre Dame offense in 2022. Mayer was targeted more than any other tight end in the country this past season and earned an FBS-best 92.5 PFF grade in the process.

Young is a bit of a limited athlete, but he is stout up the middle. He earned an 85.7 run-defense grade over the last two seasons, the seventh-best mark among interior defenders. He also showed improved pass-rush juice in 2022, setting career highs with 15 hurries, nine quarterback hits and four sacks.

Day 3: Tucker produced PFF grades of 70.0 or better in all four of his seasons in college, but this is a lot earlier than he was expected to go off the board.

The Raiders desperately need improvements at outside cornerback, so they land one of the top remaining players at the position in Bennett

O’Connell was much better in 2021 than 2022, as his 90.6 grade dropped to a 67.2 mark despite his being set to turn 25 years old before Week 1. The particular concern is O’Connell’s ability under pressure — where he earned a 48.0 grade — and his inconsistencies, but the highlight throws are really enticing.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS                               A-

R1 (21): WR Quentin Johnston, TCU

R2 (54): EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

R3 (85): LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State

R4 (125): WR Derius Davis, TCU

R5 (156): T Jordan McFadden, Clemson

R6 (200): DI Scott Matlock, Boise State

R7 (239): QB Max Duggan, TCU

Day 1: The Chargers land the third-ranked wide receiver on the PFF big board, and a player who can make people miss in space in TCU’s Quentin Johnston. He forced 19 missed tackles on just 60 receptions and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. He did drop 11.8% of the catchable passes thrown his way this past season, though.

Day 2: Tuipulotu is one of the youngest players in the class at 20 years old and earned an 81.0 pass-rush grade in 2022 with a 19.1% pass-rush win rate. The Chargers are very smart to add a third edge beyond Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. They can move him around as well, as the USC product has the size to play as a three-technique defensive tackle or on the edge.

Henley is as explosive as can be with a big tackle radius and elite tackling numbers. He missed a mere five tackles on 97 attempts in 2022, his first year at the Power Five level after transferring from Nevada. Henley’s coverage skills are very much a work in progress, but he has the traits to develop into a quality off-ball linebacker for the Chargers.

Day 3: Davis ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and can be explosive with the ball in his hands.

McFadden started at tackle in each of the past three seasons for Clemson (right tackle in 2020 and left tackle in 2021-22), but he’ll likely kick inside in the NFL at 6-foot-2

A rugged run-stopper out of Boise State, Matlock has little pass-rush ability.

Duggan joins the Chargers as a developmental prospect who can comfortably sit behind Justin Herbert. He has tremendous intangibles and a solid ability to improvise. He needs to clean up his throwing mechanics and processing from the pocket.

LOS ANGELES RAMS                            A-

R2 (36): G Steve Avila, TCU

R3 (77): EDGE Byron Young, Tennessee

R3 (89): DI Kobie Turner, Wake Forest

R4 (128): QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia

R5 (174): OT Warren McClendon, Georgia

R5 (175): TE Davis Allen, Clemson

R5 (177): WR Puka Nacua, BYU

R5 (161): EDGE Nick Hampton, App State

R6 (182): CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU

R6 (189): EDGE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska

R6 (215): RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss

R7 (223): P Ethan Evans, Wingate

R7 (234): S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma

7 (259): DI Desjuan Johnson, Toledo

Day 2: Avila was the model of consistency in pass protection during TCU’s Cinderella run in 2022. He averaged less than one pressure allowed per game last season and surrendered just one pressure to a vaunted Georgia defensive line in a blowout national championship loss.

The Rams have quickly become really thin along the defensive front around Aaron Donald. Young projects as a good fit in Los Angeles’ defense, and he’s one of the most explosive edge prospects in this class off the edge. He is by no means a finished product, as he falls into the 25th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade over the last two seasons, but he has traits worth betting on at this stage of the draft.

The Rams grab one of the most underrated players in the class. After producing at an elite level in the FCS for Richmond, Turner transferred to the Demon Deacons and earned a 92.2 PFF grade in 2022 — the second-best mark in the Power Five, behind only Georgia’s Jalen Carter. Turner plays with excellent leverage and possesses strong hands and quicks.

Day 3: Stetson Bennett comes off the board in the fourth round after helping Georgia win back-to-back national championships in college. He put up an elite 90.9 passing grade when he was kept clean from pressure, and he now lands in a situation where he can develop. This gives him one of the best chances to succeed in the NFL, whether as a future starter or backup.

The Rams needed reinforcements in their secondary, and they’ve done well to get the most out of smaller defensive backs like Darious Williams over the years, and Tomlinson can hopefully be the next in line, falling because of his 5-foot-8 stature

Mathis is an experienced prospect with four seasons with at least 500 defensive snaps in his college career — three at TCU and one after transferring to Nebraska.

A former five-star recruit, Evans never quite lived up to that billing in college

Evans is a Division II punter, although he was the top punter on PFF’s big board.

Mr. Irrelevant of the 2023 NFL Draft! Johnson was on the field for 726 snaps in 2022 and produced PFF pass-rushing and run-defense grades above 85.0. A little undersized, he won 17.6% of his pass-rushing attempts and registered a tackle resulting in a defensive stop on 8.7% of his snaps in run defense.

MIAMI DOLPHINS                               B-

R2 (51): CB Cam Smith, South Carolina

R3 (84): RB Devon Achane, Texas A&M

R6 (197): TE Elijah Higgins, Stanford

R7 (238): OT Ryan Hayes, Michigan

Day 2: Smith is always around the football, has a propensity for pass breakups and tested faster than he played on tape, which could be a sign of continued growth. No one’s big board ranking dropped more precipitously over the last month of the pre-draft cycle, but he could end up being a value. Smith makes a lot of sense starting in the slot with Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard out wide in Vic Fangio’s loaded defense.

Miami gets another legitimate track star for their offense by taking Texas A&M running back Devon Achane at 84th overall. Achane clocked a 4.32-second 40-yard time and was a star member of the Aggies’ track squad. He racked up a whopping 36 breakaway runs of 15-plus yards over the past two seasons.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS                     B-

R1 (23): WR Jordan Addison, USC

R3 (102): CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC

R4 (134): CB Jay Ward, LSU

R5 (141): DI Jaquelin Roy, LSU

R5 (164): QB Jaren Hall, BYU

R7 (222): RB DeWayne McBride, UAB

Day 1: The Vikings stick at No. 23 overall and come away with a talented wide receiver to pair with Justin Jefferson. Addison was the Biletnikoff Award winner with Pittsburgh in 2021 before transferring to USC. He finished the past two seasons with 25 touchdowns from 159 receptions.

Day 2: One of PFF analyst Sam Monson’s favorite players in the draft, Blackmon is coming off by far the best season of his college career. On the field for 907 snaps, he produced a 90.6 PFF grade and allowed just 47.6% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be caught. He missed only two tackles in 2022.

Day 3: Hall performed very well in a cozy situation at BYU the past two years. He is an excellent athlete who is undersized with mediocre arm strength. He has the luxury of sitting behind Kirk Cousins, who wins with smarts and moxie. Hall will need to show the same traits against NFL pass rushes if he hopes to succeed long-term.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS                        A-

R1 (17): CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

R2 (46): EDGE Keion White, Georgia Tech

R3 (76): S Marte Mapu, Sacramento State

R4 (107): C Jake Andrews, Troy

R4 (112): K Chad Ryland, Maryland

R4 (117): OG Sidy Sow, Eastern Washington

R5 (144): Atonio Mafi, UCLA

R6 (187): WR Kayshon Boutte, LSU

R6 (192): P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State

R6 (210) WR Demario Douglas, Liberty

R6 (214): CB Ameer Speed, Michigan State

R7 (245): CB Isaiah Bolden, Jacksonville State

Day 1: The Patriots move down to 17th overall, add a fourth-round pick and still land the second-best cornerback on the PFF big board. He has the size and speed you look for at the position and had the best season of his career after transferring to Oregon in 2022, racking up four interceptions and six pass breakups.

Day 2: White fits the mold of the defensive linemen that New England tends to look for up front — a powerful 6-foot-5, 285-pounder. White earned a 75.8 PFF pass-rush grade in his lone season as a starter for Wake Forest in 2022 after transferring from Old Dominion.

The Patriots continue to add different skill sets and body types at safety, a position they’ve had good depth at in recent years. At 221 pounds, Mapu came in at the 96th percentile among safeties in weight, and he paired that with an 85.9 PFF run-defense grade in his final season at Sacramento. He’ll likely have a role in the box with New England.

Day 3: For the second year in a row, the Patriots reach on a center, as Andrews ranked No. 237 on the consensus big board.

Ryland was the No. 3 kicker on the PFF big board, earning 89.0-plus kicking grades in each of the last two seasons. The below-average grade here is less of an indictment of Ryland as it is the process of trading up for a kicker in the fourth round.

The Patriots take their second specialist of the draft here with Baringer after trading up for Chad Ryland in the fourth round. Baringer’s 76.4 PFF punting grade over the last two seasons ranks 26th out of 62 Power 5 punters with at least 50 punts.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS                                  B-

R1 (29): DI Bryan Bresee, Clemson

R2 (40): EDGE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

R3 (71): RB Kendre Miller, TCU

R4 (103): OT Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion

R4 (127): QB Jake Haener, Fresno State

R5 (146): S Jordan Howden, Minnesota

R6 (195): WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

Day 1: A talented player on the defensive interior, Bresee is coming off a season where he posted a career-high 82.0 PFF pass-rushing grade. He can play across multiple spots on the interior and even has some experience playing outside the tackles.

Day 2: Foskey has the size and athletic profile that New Orleans tends to covet on the edge. He uses his 34-plus-inch arms well to keep himself clean but never dominated as a pass-rusher at Notre Dame like his sack numbers might indicate, posting a 42nd-percentile pass-rush grade at the position over the past two seasons.

Miller was remarkably productive at TCU, averaging over 6.5 yards per carry over the last two seasons. He earned an 88.5 rushing grade and forced 70 missed tackles in 2022, the latter a top-25 mark. Miller can bounce runs outside and make one sharp cut to get upfield in a hurry, and his 816 yards after contact ranked sixth in the Power Five.

Day 3:  The Saints give up a 2024 fourth-round pick to move all the way up from Pick 227 and select the Fresno State quarterback. Haener excelled on throws between 10 and 19 yards downfield, producing a 92.1 PFF grade on those plays, but he earned just a 45.7 PFF grade under pressure.

NEW YORK GIANTS                        A+

R1 (24): CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

R2 (57): C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota

R3 (73): WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

R5 (172): RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma

R6 (209): CB Tre Hawkins III, Old Dominion

R7 (243): DT Jordan Riley, Oregon

R7 (254): S Gervarrius Owens, Houston

Day 1: The third-best cornerback on the PFF big board, Banks can fly and clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. An elite athlete, he has proven that he can mirror wide receivers in college and has the size teams look for at the position. He produced a 72.0 PFF grade in his final season at Maryland, the best of his college career.

Day 2: If the Giants had made this pick in the first round, nobody would have really batted an eye. He led all centers with a 92.3 PFF grade in 2022 and had graded well both on zone and gap plays. He’s a big guy but can really move and was a four-year starter at Minnesota. Simply put, he is one of the best run blockers at the position to enter the draft in recent years.

Hyatt won the Biletnikoff Award as the top wide receiver in college football, averaging 18.9 yards per reception and scoring 15 touchdowns. He is a burner on the outside that needs some refinement but has all the athletic ability necessary to excel at the next level. Hyatt’s 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump were all above the 85th percentile. The Giants add a much-needed outside weapon for QB Daniel Jones.

Day 3: Gray was really impressive in his final season of college, producing an elite 90.6 PFF grade in 2022. He graded well on both zone and gap plays, and while he’s a little on the small size, he moves really well, posting a 96.2 elusive rating that was one of the best marks in this running back class.

NEW YORK JETS                                B-

R1 (15): EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

R2 (43): C Joe Tippmann, Wisconsin

R4 (120): OT Carter Warren, Pittsburgh

R5 (143): RB Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh

R6 (184): LB Zaire Barnes,  Western Michigan

R6 (204): CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, LSU

R6 (220): TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion

Day 1: McDonald had the best season of his college career in 2022 and flashed incredible lateral quickness. PFF’s Sam Monson views him as the second-best pass-rusher in this draft class, but the Iowa State product was just the 29th-ranked player on the PFF big board. He finished his college career with 127 total pressures across 862 pass-rushing snaps.

Day 2: The Jets eliminated their need to take center by bringing back Connor McGovern on a cheap, one-year deal, but Tippmann gives them another long-term option at the position. He brings a unique combination of size and athleticism to the middle of New York’s offensive line, along with an 84th-percentile run-blocking grade at center on zone runs since 2021.

Day 3: With reports the Jets were considering drafting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at 15th overall, they add a speedy depth piece to their backfield in Abanikanda, who earned a 90.6 rushing grade in 2022 and is a threat to break off a big gain on any given carry. Abanikanda’s 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump all placed him in the 95th percentile or better. His hip flexibility and bend are not great, but if he can plant his foot in the ground and get upfield he will rip off chunks as a rotational piece.

Kuntz is a freakish athlete at 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds, as he put together one of the best combine performances we’ve ever seen. His 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle and three-cone all ranked above the 90th percentile. At this point in the draft, you bet on these traits.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES                      A+

R1 (9): DI Jalen Carter, Georgia

R1 (30): EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia

R3 (65): OT Tyler Steen, Alabama

R3 (66): S Sydney Brown, Illinois

R4 (105): CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia

R6 (188): QB Tanner McKee, Stanford

R7 (249): DI Moro Ojomo, Texas

Day 1: Landing the No. 2 overall player on the  PFF big board at Pick 9 is a huge win for the Eagles. Carter played 392 snaps in 2022 and earned a 92.3 PFF grade that led all Power Five interior defenders. He registered 32 total pressures from 273 pass-rushing snaps. The Eagles had to give up just a 2024 fourth-round pick to make this happen.

The Eagles land the 13th overall player on the PFF big board with the 30th pick in the draft as Philadelphia retools its defensive line once again with elite talent. Smith might be undersized at 238 pounds, but he earned a 90.0 PFF run defense grade over the past two seasons and is an incredible athlete.

Day 2: Steen transferred from Vanderbilt to Alabama to finish his college career protecting No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young‘s blindside, and he earned a 74.4 pass-blocking grade over the year. Steen’s arms are under 33 inches, a common NFL threshold required to play tackle, so he may move inside at the outset. Steen was a steady riser throughout the process and is the newest student at Stoutland University in Philadelphia.

Brown is the first true safety off the board — Alabama’s Brian Branch is more of a tweener — and Philadelphia gets him right around his consensus ranking. Better yet, Brown fills a position of need, as Eagles starters Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps left the team in free agency. Brown earned a stellar 89.4 coverage grade in 2022 as a rangy deep safety who can cover a ton of ground, and his testing was off the charts. His 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump were all above the 90th percentile among safeties.

Day 3: The Eagles continue in their quest to recreate the back-to-back National Champion Georgia Bulldogs defense, trading up for a straight-line athlete in a very young cornerback that showed inconsistency after a breakout 2021 season.

The rich get richer in Philly. Ojomo is ranked 93rd on the PFF big board. He is an excellent run defender (91.4 in 2022) who can fill two gaps up front. An improvement to his pass-rush arsenal could make him a seventh-round gem.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS                           A+

R1 (14): OT Broderick Jones, Georgia

R2 (32): CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

R2 (49): DI Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

R3 (93): TE Darnell Washington, Georgia

R4 (132): EDGE Nick Herbig, Wisconsin

R7 (241): CB Cory Trice Jr., Purdue

R7 (251): OG Spencer Anderson, Maryland

Day 1: The Steelers jump up three spots, giving up a fourth-round pick to make sure they land the offensive tackle they wanted. Jones impressed as a pass-blocker in 2022, earning a 84.1 PFF pass-blocking grade and allowing just nine total pressures from 470 pass-blocking snaps.

Day 2: Pittsburgh takes PFF’s CB4 and 21st-ranked prospect to open up Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Porter wins with his length. The former Nittany Lion’s 34-inch arms make it easy to disrupt his opponent at the catch point and line of scrimmage. Porter’s 40% forced incompletion rate in 2022 led all Power Five cornerbacks.

The Steelers take a top interior defender that can line up in the A and B gaps, with the Steelers able to move Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Benton across the interior. Benton will help a Steelers run defense that struggled in 2022 up the middle, with a strong 10.5% run-stop win rate in 2022.

The freaky Georgia tight end’s slide is over. Pittsburgh grabs the 6-foot-8, 272-pound Darnell Washington to continue their strong 2023 NFL Draft. He has a strong resume in the ground game, as his top-five finish among Power Five tight ends in run-blocking grade in 2022 proves, and is a mismatch weapon as a receiver.

Day 3: The Steelers’ incredible draft continues. Herbig played on the edge at Wisconsin but figures to be more of a tweener in the NFL, and that’s likely why he wasn’t a higher pick.

Ranked 77th on PFF’s big board. Price is a physically imposing corner at 6-foot-3 who is extremely aggressive at the line of scrimmage and tackles well.

Anderson is the only pick by the Steelers where the player has been outside the top 80 of the PFF big board. Anderson produced a 79.8 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2022 but struggled as a run blocker.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS                        C-

R3 (87): S Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State

R3 (99): K Jake Moody, Michigan

R3 (101): TE Cameron Latu, Alabama

R5 (155): CB Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama

R5 (173): EDGE Robert Beal Jr., Georgia

R6 (216): LB Dee Winters, TCU

R7 (247): TE Brayden Willis, Oklahoma

R7 (253): WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan

R7 (255): LB Jalen Graham, Purdue

Day 2: Brown was a do-it-all safety for the Nittany Lions. He seamlessly went from deep safety to the box to the slot to outside linebacker to mugging the A-gap, and he executed each role at a high level. Brown’s ball skills, in particular, jump off the screen. He secured 10 interceptions across the past two seasons.

Moody produced PFF field goal grades of 90.2 and 91.7 in each of the past two seasons, so the idea that he’s the first kicker drafted makes sense. But the third round is rich for any kicker in this class.

Latu is coming off a season in which he produced a 60.6 PFF receiving grade, a 50.0 run-blocking grade and a low 1.03 yards per route run. He has the size that teams look for at the position, but the production just wasn’t there in 2022.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS                        A

R1 (5): CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

R1 (20): WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

R2 (37): EDGE Derick Hall, Auburn

R2 (52): RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

R4 (108): G Anthony Bradford, LSU

R4 (123): DI Cameron Young, Mississippi State

R5 (151): EDGE Mike Morris, Michigan

R5 (154): C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan

R6 (198): S Jerrick Reed II, New Mexico

R7 (237): RB Kenny McIntosh, Georgia

Day 1: The Seahawks surprise everyone and take Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5. Witherspoon was the highest-graded cornerback in the Power Five last season. In press coverage for 107 snaps, he allowed just one yard in coverage on those plays.

The Seahawks finish Round 1 with two top-10 players on the PFF big board. With a 91.7 PFF grade in 2021, Smith-Njigba outproduced 2021 first-round draft picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson that year at Ohio State on a per-snap basis.

Day 2: Hall was one of the SEC’s most productive pass-rushers throughout his time at Auburn, earning a pass-rush grade above 80.0 in each of the past three seasons. While his run defense is a bit of a concern at the next level, he works speed to power exceptionally well. He has the quickness, bend and length to sustain his pass-rush production in Seattle.

The grade is not for the player here, but for Seattle using the No. 52 overall pick on a running back after selecting Kenneth Walker III early in the second round previously. Charbonnet earned elite rushing grades in back-to-back seasons, racking up over 4 yards after contact per attempt and 24 carries of 15-plus yards, which ranked ninth in college football.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS                              A-

R1 (19): DI Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

R2 (48): OT Cody Mauch, North Dakota State

R3 (82): EDGE YaYa Diaby, Louisville

R5 (153): LB SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh

R6 (181): CB Josh Hayes, Kansas State

R5 (171): TE Payne Durham, Purdue

R6 (191): WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska

R6 (196): EDGE Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan

R7 (232): CB Carrington Valentine, Kentucky

Day 1: He might be undersized, but Kancey is a phenomenal pass-rusher on the interior of the defensive line. His first step is elite, and he’s coming off a season where he led all players at the position with a 92.4 PFF pass-rushing grade and should make an immediate impact as a pass-rusher.

Day 2: The Buccaneers trade up with the Packers for Mauch after trading 2022 starting right guard Shaq Mason to the Houston Texans this offseason. Mauch played tackle in college and offers inside/outside versatility at 6-foot-5 and was dominant at North Dakota State in a gap rushing scheme with a 91.1 grade. He’ll need to improve as a pass protector, especially if he does stay at tackle, which may not be likely at the outset.

The Buccaneers continue to add to the trenches. Like their first-round pick, Calijah Kancey, Diaby is a tremendous athlete (97th percentile 40-yard dash), but he also adds more size to the edge at 263 pounds. Diaby graded out well against the run at Louisville, finishing in the 75th percentile among qualifying edge defenders since 2020.

TENNESSEE TITANS                          A

R1 (11): OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

R2 (33): QB Will Levis, Kentucky

R3 (81): RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane

R5 (147): TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati

R6 (186): OT Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland

R7 (228): WR Colton Dowell, Tennessee-Martin

Day 1: The big question is whether Skoronski will play tackle or guard at the next level. He played tackle in 2022, though, and had a tremendous season. As Northwestern’s starting left tackle this past season, he allowed just six total pressures on 474 pass-blocking snaps.

Day 2: Will Levis’ slide ends early on Day 2, with the Titans trading up to Pick 33 to grab the signal-caller. Levis has supreme arm talent and an ultra-quick release, but the big knock on him is how little he put that into action. He lacked high-quality throws at Kentucky last season, which played a part in his middling 65.8 passing grade on the year. The good news is that Levis lands in an offense that will help open up some downfield opportunities.

Spears profiles as a nice complement to Derrick Henry in Tennessee’s backfield. He is dangerous in the open field and is coming off an elite final season at Tulane during which he forced 63 missed tackles on the ground. Spears averaged at least 4.5 yards after contact per attempt in each of the past two seasons.

Day 3: After letting Austin Hooper walk in free agency, Tennessee adds another option at tight end to complement Chigoziem Okonkwo. Whyle has a big frame at 6-foot-7 and will find space over the middle of the field as a receiver, but he isn’t likely going to be a physical, in-line blocker at 248 pounds.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS                             B

R1 (16): CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State

R2 (47): CB Jartavius Martin, Illinois

R3 (97): C Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas

R4 (118): T Braeden Daniels, Utah

R5 (137): EDGE K.J. Henry, Clemson

R6 (193): RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky

R7 (233): LB Andre Jones, Louisiana

Day 1: The 26th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, Forbes was elite when it came to playing the ball in college. He produced an 87.2 PFF grade in 2022 and finished his three-year career at Mississippi State with 14 interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

Day 2: Martin comes off the board 47th overall to Washington after slotting in at 94th on the PFF big board. He can fill a versatile role in the secondary for the Commanders, who clearly placed an emphasis on improving that group in this draft. He’s played everywhere from outside corner to slot corner to safety in his five-year career at Illinois.

Stromberg could wind up as a starter anywhere on the interior in the NFL, but this is one of the biggest reaches of the day. He ranks 228th on the PFF big board. He did grade well in college, though, producing an 83.4 PFF run-blocking grade and a 77.1 PFF pass-blocking grade.

Day 3: Daniels started at left guard in 2019, right tackle in 2021 and left tackle in 2022. He’ll likely fit in best on the interior in the NFL, but he offers athleticism and versatile depth for a Washington offensive line that finished last season as the 24th-ranked unit in PFF pass-blocking grade.

After news came out right before the draft that the Commanders are not planning on exercising the fifth-year option for 2020 No. 2 overall pick Chase Young, they trade up to add K.J Henry off the edge.