2023 NFL Draft Best & Worst Picks: Joey Porter, Jordan Addison, More!
The 2023 NFL Draft concluded this weekend with a ton of great and not-so-great picks made. We are going to take a look at the best and worst picks on each side of the ball.
2023 NFL Draft Best Picks
Offense
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
This pick won't send chills through the NFL yet, but it should. Patrick Mahomes acquired another excellent weapon in Rice. We had Rice ranked as the WR3 in this draft class. Assuming they don't make a move for a free agent like DeAndre Hopkins, Rice will be this team's WR1 sooner rather than later. He will be the best wide receiver Mahomes as has ever played with not named Tyreek Hill. The fact that they just won a Super Bowl and added Rice on a rookie contract for the next four years is scary. That's how you sustain success in the NFL with a quarterback who has a massive contract. We loved this pick, this player, and the fit in Kansas City. He's a better prospect than Skyy Moore ever was and should be viewed as the better fantasy asset. Dynasty owners need to be all over this kid and not just because he's linked to Mahomes and Andy Reid. He is a really good football player.
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Defense
Joey Porter Jr, Pittsburgh Steelers
Porter dropping to the second round is ludicrous. The Steelers were obviously thrilled that he fell in their lap being that their phone was ringing off the hook with trade offers for that pick. The knock on Porter was his lack of interceptions while at Penn State. That is not really a predictive stat and his ability to lock receivers down is far more valuable. He's a long, physical cornerback whose game will translate well to the next level. There were a handful of guys who could have picked here. We want to give Jalen Carter and Christian Gonzalez an honorable mention, but the value here gave Porter the edge. We also loved Cam Smith going to Miami, but he wasn't a need and we expect him to be a backup for a year or two. Porter will be starting as a rookie.
2023 NFL Draft Worst Picks
Offense
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
We have not been a fan of Addison throughout this entire draft process. He is not a first-round talent and at best he's a guy who will take advantage of playing opposite Justin Jefferson in Minnesota. At worst, he is a bust and can't even do that. You could get a player of equal talent late in Day 2. Had they drafted Addison in Round 3, we would be okay with the pick. Drafting him 23rd overall is a disaster pick. He's a slight wide receiver with mediocre speed, small hands, and short arms. His floor is low and his upside is limited. Addison did not grade out as a top-five pick at his own position in a very weak wide receiver draft. This was a reach for a position of need and there should not have been a wideout selected here. if there was, it shouldn't have been Addison. Fantasy owners will make the obvious connection and link Addison to Adam Theilen. We do not believe he will ever come close to those expectations. While there could be times that defenses leave him alone to double or triple-team Jefferson, we aren't sure he even earns the WR2 job in camp. We saw Theilen do some special things in Minnesota and while he is on his last legs now, Addison will not measure up to what he did in his prime when it comes to his hands or ability to separate quickly.
Defense
Lukas Van Ness, Green Bay Packers
Van Ness is another guy who was drafted way too early. He went 13th and we graded him out as an early Day 2 pick. We knew he'd go in the first, but still don't agree with it. He just doesn't have the elite talent of other players going around him and long after him. If you believe in going best player available then this was a horrific pick. Even if the Packers were determined to take an edge rusher no matter what there were better guys on the board. Myles Murphy out of Clemson who was drafted 28th and Nolan Smith out of Georgia who was drafted 30th would have been much better options. At the very least they should have traded back before taking him. He had no business inside the top 20.
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