With the 2023 NFL Draft behind us, we break down every team’s draft picks over the 3 day event, giving player projections and opinions on team fits as we go division by division through the NFL.
Next up, the wide open AFC South
Houston Texans:
1(2) QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
1(3) LB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
2(62) C Juice Scruggs, Penn State
3(69) WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
4(109) DE Dylan Horton, TCU
5(167) LB Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
6(201) C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
6(205) WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
7(248) S Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh
The Houston Texans gave up a lot, and they might regret it next year, but they’re walking away from the draft with two of the best players at the most important positions in football with C.J. Stroud at quarterback and edge rusher Will Anderson.
While rumours were running rampant of Stroud dropping off of many team’s draft charts after reportedly yielding poor results in some off field testing, one look at his game tape should appease the Texans faithful.
Stroud is a gamer, and is what the team needs at quarterback right now. He was a 2-year starter and a leader on the explosive Ohio state offense. He has excellent ball placement and great anticipation, always delivering the ball to his wide receivers where they have a chance to make a play. If he’s willing to extend plays with his legs as opposed to making a risky throw to get himself out of trouble, his ceiling will rise even further.
The last time the Texans had a defender with double digit sacks was 2018 with JJ Watt, so new head coach Demeco Ryans was certainly looking to revitalize the Texans defense in his first draft. Anderson has the entire package to become an elite level NFL edge rusher. He has ideal size, a ton of skill and pass rushing moves that will translate well at the next level. He did occasionally get shut down in college by big bruising blockers, but with another offseason to work on his strength and under the guidance of Ryans, it will be shocking if Anderson isn’t a multi time Pro Bowl player when all is said and done.
Snagging Juice Scruggs to be Stroud’s new center (if that is where he ends up) at #63 was a decent pick to fill a big need. He’s a dependable and consistent lineman that can easily play all 3 interior offensive line positions. While he doesn’t get much forward pressure after the snap, he’s built like a brick wall and neutralizes interior pass rushers. He was a team captain at Penn State, and plays with solid technique, but his lack of foot speed can be exposed if the Texans decide to switch him to guard.
WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell provides Stroud with an elite level safety valve in the slot, much like Jaxon Smith-Njigba was for Stroud in 2021. Dell has a ton of quickness and will also likely give the team a threat as a punt returner. He runs fast and effective routes, and has the potential to become a touchdown machine as he’s a danger every time the ball is in his hands. He has a slender frame and has been a victim of dropping easy catches due to lack of focus, but he has extremely high upside to step in and become an impact player. Particularly on an offense that is searching for talented wide receivers.
TCU edge rusher Dylan Horton had 10 sacks last year in college, but was a bit of a reach in round 4. His run defense is suspect, as he needs to improve greatly on his hand usage and short area quickness. As a rusher he has an explosive first step and the power to keep blockers honest, but he will be a project if he’s to make it in the NFL.
Henry To’oTo’o is a steady but unspectacular player that should have no problem carving out a backup role with the potential to become a starter. He plays technically sound, but lacks the speed to cut off angles and plays too conservative at times to really make an impact.
Center Jarrett Patterson was a 3 year starter who again is an adequate run blocker but lacks the athleticism to make a difference in pass protection. He’s very scheme dependent. While he works well with his fellow lineman creating double teams, his ceiling is fairly low.
WR Xavier Hutchinson has good size, which worked for him in college as average speed and quickness put him in plenty of contested catch situations. He has the potential to be a late bloomer, as he’s shown significant progress not just year over year, but month to month, a trend he will have to continue if he wants to carve out a role in the NFL.
Houston spent their last pick on uber athletic safety Brandon Hill, a player with above average coverage skills but below average instincts who has shown inconsistency covering the run. His competitiveness and skill set might be enough to earn him a roster spot as a special teamer in his first year, with potential to grow from there.
The Texans still have many holes, but they’re walking away from the draft with 2 key pieces of their rebuild securely in pace.
Indianapolis Colts:
1(4) QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
2(44) CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
3(79) WR Josh Downs, North Carolina
4(106) OT Blake Freeland, BYU
4(110) DE Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
5(138) CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
5(158) S Daniel Scott, California
5(162) TE Will Mallory, Miami (FL)
5(176) RB Evan Hull, Northwestern
6(211) OLB Titus Leo, Wagner
7(221) CB Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M
7(236) OT Jake Witt, Northern Michigan
While every team uses smokescreens and misdirection leading up to the draft, there seems to be something genuine when GM Chris Ballard and new head coach Shane Steichen say that they would have taken QB Anthony Richardson #1 if they had the pick.
Richardson scored off the charts in every athletic test at the combine. If Steichen is looking to recreate the offense he was a part of in Philadelphia, he certainly found the right man to replicate Jalen Hurts’ abilities. With Gardner Minshew on the roster, ho is already familiar with Steichen’s offense, the Colts can ease Richardson into the NFL and have him take over midseason.
Richardson will develop into a true dual threat quarterback, but just simply hasn’t had enough snaps dating back to his senior year in high school where he suffered a season ending injury. He has excellent down field ball placement, is a constant threat to gain yards himself on the ground, and in a few years could be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Colts set their sights on who they wanted to be their next quarterback of the future after seasons of uncertainty at the position and did well to have Richardson available to them with the 4th overall pick.
Ballard has a history of drafting big athletic players, and he continued that trend in the 2nd round with 6’3” cornerback Julius Brents, a physical and talented back who cut opposing quarterbacks rating against him from 101.9 in 2021 to 57.7 this past season. He has all the traits to become a true game changer in the NFL with a nice blend of size, length and leaping ability.
He isn’t afraid to get involved in the run game, and can play some press man but is more suited to work in zone based defenses. He would be able to make a smooth transition to safety if needed as well, but regardless of where the Colts decide to use him, look for him to play significant snaps in his rookie season.
In the third round, Ballard must have let Steichen make the pick, as WR Josh Downs stands only 5’9” tall and weighs just 171 lbs. He’s a highly skilled slot receiver with sure hands that can find ways to get open, and will be a nice fit beside Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce. He will immediately be a fun weapon on the offense, and the Colts would be wise to take advantage of his dynamic footwork and natural instincts to elude opponents.
Day 3 yielded potential starters in OT Blake Freeland and DE Adetomiwa Adebawore, as well as high potential players in CB Darius Rush, S Daniel Scott and TE Will Mallory.
Freelend matches Ballard’s draft profile at 6’8” and was top of the class in athletic testing at the combine. He will need to take advantage of the Colts weight room to get stronger to take on NFL pass rushers, and has to be more consistent focusing on his technique on a play by play basis as his height can be used against him by bull rushers who take advantage of his higher center of gravity. He was a four year starter and team captain, and has the work ethic to put in the time to turn himself into an effective player in the NFL.
Adetomiwa Adebawore might need to eat a few hearty meals to get up to a more ideal weight to be an interior pass rusher, but he displays power in his explosive first step. He has a natural ability to get under opponents pads. While he needs to work on his play recognition, he should factor into the Colts defensive plans as at least a rotational piece this coming season.
Darius Rush was a great value pick in the 5th round as the receiver turned defender has a high ceiling as he continues learns the nuances of playing defense. He’s big, long and physical and his history playing offense gives him ball skills to be a threat any time teams try to attack him.
Daniel Scott has 6 years of college experience and will turn 25 during the 2023 season. He’s a high character locker room leader who was a defensive captain in college. Combine that with his high level athleticism and willingness to be a do it all special teamer, and Scott will carve out a nice role on the Colts.
TE Mike Mallory, who’s father has over 30 years of coaching experience in both college and the NFL, was probably expected to have had a better college career given his skill set and athleticism. He’ll need to play more aggressively and build up his strength if he hopes to hang onto a roster spot, but the pedigree and natural ability is absolutely worth a flier in the 5th round.
Evan Hull is a pure downhill runner that needs a decent offensive line ahead of him to succeed. His lack of foot speed makes him fairly easy to track down. He’s a solid route runner and pass catcher giving the Colts some value there, but has yet to show much in his ability to pass block. Putting him on the field for passing scenarios might be tricky. He won’t be fighting with Jonathon Taylor for snaps, but can be used in a pinch to gain meaningful yards.
Titus Leo has the look of a practice squad body, but his length and first punch are solid building blocks for NFL coaches to work with.
CB Jaylon Jones was a nice pickup in the 7th round. If he can get properly motivated he has the natural skillset to be a strong cover 2 or 3 defender. His biggest issues in college were his lack of proper footwork and lackadaisical technique, both things that can be coached up.
OT Jake Witt is a former basketball player/tight end that has only been playing offensive line for one season. He has a lot to learn from a technique and instinct standpoint, but with their final pick of the draft, snagging the 6’7” 307 lbs project is a nice little pickup to see what they can get from him.
The Colts had a ton of selections and used them wisely to improve the competition entering training camp. Ballard has his type, and he went after it again in the draft. Their draft classes oozes with raw potential, so the staff will be tasked with getting to work and begin molding these players into true NFL talents.
A full season of Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson 🍿 pic.twitter.com/lTuahOdsur
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) May 11, 2023
Jacksonville Jaguars:
1(27) OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
2(61) TE Brenton Strange, Penn State
3(88) RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn
4(121) ILB Ventrell Miller, Florida
4(130) DE Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State
5(136) OLB Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
5(160) S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
6(185) WR Parker Washington, Penn State
6(202) CB Christian Braswell, Rutgers
6(208) S Erick Hallett, Pittsburgh
7(226) OT Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State
7(227) DT Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina
7(240) FB Derek Parish, Houston
For a team that seems to be on the cusp of finally taking the next step, the Jaguars opted not to draft for team needs, and that may come back to bite them. With plenty of holes on the defensive side of the ball, taking an interior linebacker as their 1st defensive player in round 4 is a questionable strategy at best.
They traded down twice in the first round and selected OT Anton Harrison when there were far better players available to them. But with the pending suspension to tackle Cam Robinson and the departure of Jawaan Taylor via free agency, the club felt the need to plug that hole early in the draft. Harrison will be a versatile tackle who will carve out a nice career in the NFL as a swing tackle, but the Jags should have made a more high value pick in that position.
In the 2nd round, they reached for TE Brenton Strange despite there being better tight ends available and in spite of giving Evan Engram the franchise tag this offseason. Strange is durable and has solid hands, but he won’t move the needle much for this offense. Look for him to play behind Engram and hope to become a more full time player in year 2.
Tank Bigsby can develop into a solid NFLer, but with Travis Etienne taking control of the offense in 2022 and the team signing D’Ernest Johnson to be his backup, again it feels like that pick could have been used better. He does have a nice blend of elusiveness and power, but has a history of fumbles which may limit his snaps early in his career. He has the potential to be a 1B in a tandem backfield, and the Jags might end up with a solid player. But you have to question their asset management with this pick.
When Jacksonville finally got around to drafting defensive players, they made 3 consecutive selections that will likely play significant snaps in 2023. But that may be more to do with the lack of depth than the actual potential.
ILB Ventrell Miller will cap out as a 2 down linebacker, as he has good physicality but lacks any standout athletic traits. He has the strength to play inside the box and help shut down the run, but loses pursuit easily due to his lack of high end speed. At 24, Miller is a mature rookie and can carve out a nice role on special teams in his first season, but he isn’t the impact player the Jags are looking for.
DE Tyler Lacy was an excellent pick for the Jags in the 4th round. He already has an NFL-ready frame and the athleticism required to be successful at his position. His biggest knock is his lack of strength and power, which is something a full offseason or two with NFL strength and conditioning coaches can certainly help with. He has good hands, and a few different pass rushing moves in his toolbelt, so there is potential he could even step into a rotational role in his first year. Great value in the 4th round here for the Jags.
While Yasir Abdullah’s size probably turned off teams looking for a 3-4 rushing linebacker, his tape tells a different story. He utilizes his leverage as well as any rusher in the class, and his nose for the football keeps him involved in the run game. He may have trouble translating his skills to the next level, but he’s a fierce competitor and is fluid enough to at least carve out a role on special teams, with the potential to become a nice rotational piece.
Antonio Johnson can become a key starter for the Jags at safety going forward. He’s a big athletic player with the versatility to cover the slot but loves to be in the box as downhill run support. He sometimes gets a little overzealous and takes the wrong angle, and needs to become a more consistent tackler, but that can be fixed with some proper coaching. He might get burned by receivers with top end speed if forced to cover a long developing route, but he has the size and coverage skills to stay with most tight ends in the league if asked.
6th round wide receiver Parker Washington could end up being the steal of the draft for the Jags. He missed most of the draft process due to a late season injury causing teams to take him off of their draft boards. However, his game tape shows a well rounded wide receiver that isn’t afraid to make tough catches. He isn’t the most athletically gifted, but has clearly worked on every aspect of his game and has well-developed ball skills that can make him a possession monster if he continues showing his high end work ethic at the next level. He could struggle with creating separation, but with a quarterback as talented as Lawrence able to throw him open, as well as Washington’s ability to win the 50-50 balls, he can develop into a dangerous threat to rack up run after the catch yardage.
CB Christian Braswell has a lot to like in his game, but he’s also undersized and missed the entire 2021 season with a knee injury. He’s strong and has good burst and quickness to make him sticky in coverage, but will probably max out as a scheme dependent nickel corner who will be best utilized in zone coverages in a rotational role.
Safety Erick Hallett is another aggressive player that lacks length to make plays downfield. He’s an experienced special teamer, and has good short area quickness, but has shown inconsistent tackling ability and struggles with his angles.
OT Cooper Hodges is the type of player you take in the 7th round. He wasn’t highly scouted and probably wasn’t on many team’s draft boards, but he’s reportedly incredibly coachable and comes with the ideal frame, weight and physique that you want in a tackle. He’s more of a finesse blocker and will have to work on his hand usage, as well as his core strength as he can be bullied by a strong bull rush, but the 6’4” 311 lb junior has the basis of what the Jags are looking for along the offensive line.
DT Raymond Vohasek’s college career was littered with injuries, which has likely hampered his development to this point. He has average size, but great upper body strength and powerful hands at the point of attack. He works efficiently around his blockers, but simply needs more snaps to help speed up his play recognition. He’ll be interesting to watch if he can stay healthy and as he begins working with NFL coaches, there’s potential for strong addition to the defensive line there.
Derek Parish is a gym monster who started on both sides of the ball in the 2020 New Mexico bowl. His 2022 campaign was off to an incredibly impressive start, racking up 20 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks in just 4 games, before a torn bicep ended his season. He doesn’t have the size to be an impact defender in the NFL, but has the compact frame and willingness in the blocking department to make the transition to become a full time full-back and special teamer.
The Jags may have filled their defensive holes with their later round picks, but it will take a lot of work to get these talented but flawed players up to speed to make an impact in year 1. Overall, this wasn’t a terrible draft by the Jags, and with 13 picks they at least created more internal competition. But fans in Duval county must have been hoping to add a high impact player or 2 with their team on the cusp of being true Super Bowl contenders.
Tennessee Titans:
1(11) OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
2(33) QB Will Levis, Kentucky
3(81) RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
5(147) TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati
6(186) OT Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
7(228) WR Colton Dowell, UT Martin
The Tennessee Titans feel like a team that’s ready for a rebuild, but are ever so slightly too high above average to fully commit to it. QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry are both entering their final year of their respective contracts, and have both reportedly been made available. While no trades took place over the draft weekend, the Titans spent valuable draft capital on their offense as they look set to move on from their core that had plenty of regular season success, but couldn’t translate that into a long postseason run.
Taking OT Peter Skoronski with their 1st round pick probably didn’t raise the heart rate of many Titans fans, but he should be a lock-it-in day 1 starter for as long as the Titans keep him in Tennessee. The Titans had a major need along the offensive line, and while questions remain about whether he has the arm length to stay at tackle, his skill level is that of a future Pro Bowler. His technique is amongst the best in the draft class, and with his natural power a move to the interior of the line would mitigate any concerns of his ability to reach outside pass rushers. The Titans are at their best when they’re running the ball, and a player like Skoronski will make a major impact on the offense even if he starts his career as a Guard.
Will Levis had the uncomfortable pleasure of being “that guy” in the 2023 draft – the prospect that believes he will be taken in the 1st round, but has to sit awkwardly as team by team pass him by. While he didn’t have long to wait on day 2, going 33rd overall to the Tennessee Titans, he will start his career presumably behind Ryan Tannenhill, and may even have to compete for the backup job with Malik Willis (even though it does seem like the team has given up on him after taking him 86th in the 2022 draft).
Levis to the Titans seemed like a sure bet, and some prognosticators even had him heading there in the 1st round, so taking him in the 2nd was a surprise gift for the team. Levis is a pocket passer with good size and decent movement, and after 4 years in college is probably mature enough to take on the starting role in an offense in his rookie year. However, theoretically having one season to learn behind a consummate professional in Tannehill will probably be beneficial to Levis’ overall career arc.
The Titans then went and got protection for their other future free agent star, selecting RB Tyjae Spears in round 3 to back up Henry. Spears, who was also a member of the Tulane’s track team, has elite level speed, and was active in the pass game throughout his college career. His skill set is actually perfect to compliment Henry, but there are valid questions about his ability to be a lead back going forward if the Titans move on from Henry after the season. He utilizes good patience to set up his blockers, but needs to play with more consistent explosiveness, and his history of knee injuries will always make a team leery about his long term usage in the NFL.
Josh Whyle has the natural ability to turn himself into a productive NFL tight end as he is a smooth athletic pass catcher with a high compete level. He’s an average route runner that tends to allow press coverage to take him off of his routes, so adding more strength will serve him well. For now he probably won’t contribute too much in the passing game. At 6’6”, Whyle has shown a knack for taking advantage of mismatches his size provides, and should at the very least serve as a red zone threat and an underneath security blanket for Tannehill.
OT Jaelyn Duncan didn’t begin playing football until he turned 14, so the ceiling on the 6’6” 306 lbs tackle is sky high as he works with NFL level coaches to refine his technique. He’s athletic, and has shown a strong ability in a zone-scheme blocking offense, but his game as a whole needs a lot of work. He will need to up his power and grit if he wants to stick in the league. The raw potential and athletic traits make this a risk worth taking, especially in the 6th round of the draft.
Colton Dowell will likely spend the first few seasons as a practice squad player, but his blend of speed and ball skills will help him create an opportunity to be more than that. He runs a limited route tree, but has shown an ability to get past press coverage and has above-average ball tracking ability. He gives the offense a legitimate deep threat possibility, with a nice path to earning a role on special teams as a gunner.
It’s hard to get overly excited about the Titans draft, but this very well has the potential to be a draft that we look back at in a few years and realize that this is where Tennessee set the table for a quicker than anticipated rebuild, if they can put it all together in the next few seasons. Pretty good work by head coach Mike Vrabel and co.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: Chipermc. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.