The 2023 NFL Draft class is as wide or wider than it is deep, which is to say that while there aren’t a ton of obvious first-round alpha dogs, there are a ton of prosects who are ready to provide potential first-round value in the second day.
Over the last few years, more than a handful of second-round picks have become franchise cornerstones. Deebo Samuel, Shaquille Leonard, Budda Baker, Jonathan Taylor, Trevon Diggs, Nick Chubb, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, and D.J. Metcalf are among those second-rounders who would he first-day guys in any re-do of their drafts.
So, with that in mind, here’s our look from a grades perspective of how this second round went, and which teams might have stolen those types of players just outside of the first round.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State. Grade: A+
The Steelers selected Porter’s father with the 73rd overall pick in the third round of the 1999 draft, so it’s about family here. It’s also a lot about Porter’s attributes in a Pittsburgh defense in need of reinforcement at Porter’s position. He’s a long, angular, defender with an aggressive attitude who can shut people down in press coverage. Off coverage is more of a mystery at this point, but Porter’s improvement in that regard last season bodes well for his NFL future.
33. Tennessee Titans (from Arizona Cardinals): Will Levis, QB, Kentucky. Grade: C
One year after selecting Malik Willis to be Ryan Tannehill’s eventual replacement, the Titans swing once again on a talented quarterback with iffy finishing potential. Levis has all the physical attributes you want, and a lot of the mental intangibles, but he leaves a lot of stuff on the field, and he’ll need everything clearly defined for him early in his NFL career.
34. Detroit Lions (from Arizona Cardinals): Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa. Grade: A
The Lions took T.J. Hockenson out of Iowa with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft, traded him to the Vikings last year, and went right back to that esteemed tight end pipeline with their third pick in 2023. LaPorta would have been talked about a lot more in a more functional offense, but the fact that he was able to do a lot in the Hawkeyes’ “Three-and-Out” stuff indicates that he’ll be a real winner right away in Ben Johnson’s multi-faceted schemes.
35. Las Vegas Raiders (from Indianapolis Colts): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. Grade: A-
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels never really got with the Darren Waller program, which led to Waller’s trade to the New York Giants. Still, McDaniels needs a tight end to feature in his offense, and Mayer is more of a fit for what he wants. Mayer was deemed the “safe” tight end in this class because he doesn’t blow up the tape as a receiver, but he led all tight ends in this class with eight catches on passes of 20 or more air yards, and he’s got the complete skill set his new head coach likes.
36. Los Angeles Rams: Steve Avila, OG, TCU. Grade: A-
With their first pick in the 2023 draft, the “F them picks” Rams do a lot to patch up an offensive line in need with the powerful Avila. His anchor is a thing of beauty — when he gets under your pads and starts pushing you back, there’s not much you’re going to do about it. provides a natural barrier between pass-rusher and quarterback when he fires his hands out and starts to get nasty. There aren’t many offensive linemen in this class with his ability to harness his play strength. He will lose penetration to either side, and he’s more earth-bound than agile, but this is a solid pick.
37. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos): Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn. Grade: B+
For the second straight year, the Seahawks take a “tweener” pass-rusher whose attributes could shine more than some think. In 2022, it was Minnesota’s Boye Mafe, and now it’s Hall, who had eight sacks and 47 total pressures last season, and 10 sacks and 43 pressures in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 254-pound Hall might be a bit sawed-off for some, but he can get after the quarterback, and that’s what the Seahawks need as they rebuild their front seven.
38. Atlanta Falcons (from Indianapolis Colts): Matthew Bergeron, OL, Syracuse. Grade: B-
There are a lot of people who believe that the 6-foot-5, 318-pound Bergeron might benefit from a move to guard in the NFL after playing tackle for the Orange. I think he has the potential to be a tackle if he cleans up some of the issues that caused him to allow five sacks in 2022. Overall, I’m not in love with the value here.
39. Carolina Panthers: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi. Grade: B
Mingo proved to be a receiver in the Deebo Samuel/Golden Tate mold with the Rebels, built as much like a running back as a receiver. He should be a good replacement for D.J. Moore, who the Panthers lost in the trade to move to the first overall pick, and he’ll be an easy target for Bryce Young.
40. New Orleans Saints: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame. Grade: B
There were some evaluators I respect who really weren’t impressed with Foskey’s tape, and I didn’t understand it — his profile showed consistent quarterback pressure, and a desire to play the run. He had 12 sacks and 33 total pressures last season, and 11 sacks and 32 pressures in 2022. That’s consistency, and Foskey will fit the Saints’ paradigm of edge guys who can get to the quarterback despite a lack of bend around the edge. With Foskey here and Bryan Bresee in the first round, the Saints are back in business along their defensive line.
41. Arizona Cardinals (from Tennessee Titans): BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU. Grade: B
When Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, he ran a ton of five-man fronts with speed end Haason Reddick as the star outside. Ojulari isn’t quite at Reddick’s level just yet, but he’s very quick around the edge, with impressive turn and bend, and he’ll make his presence known outside those five-man fronts in Arizona sooner than later.
42. Green Bay Packers (from New York Jets): Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State. Grade: A
Speaking of Darren Waller, Musgrave — who missed most of his 2022 season due to injury — reminds me more of Waller than any tight end in this class. He’s not the blocker you’d want if that’s what you want in a tight end, but there may be no player at Musgrave’s position in this class with more pure explosive potential downfield. Green Bay had little at the position after losing Robert Tonyan in free agency, and this is an excellent recovery.
43. New York Jets: Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin. Grade: C
The Jets needed all kinds of offensive line help coming into this draft, and perhaps it’s Aaron Rodgers’ familiarity with agile centers that led to this pick. Tippman was my third-ranked center in this class, behind Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz and Ohio State’s Luke Wypler (both of whom were still on the board), so I’m a bit mystified by this selection. Tape shows that Tippman has a real problem picking up stunts and dealing with defenders who cross his face, and that will be an interesting NFL transition.
44. Indianapolis Colts (from Atlanta Falcons): Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State. Grade: A
Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley loves big cornerbacks who he can deploy on islands in his single-high concepts, and Brents certainly qualifies at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, with measurables unlike most cornerbacks in recent years. Brents isn’t the most agile guy against smaller recievers, but you don’t take a guy like this in the second round to dance — you want him to press and dominate receivers at the line of scrimmage, and Brents can do that all day long.
45. Detroit Lions (from Green Bay Packers): Brian Branch, DB, Alabama. Grade: A+
I have absolutely no clue how Branch lasted this long. But the Lions benefited from the drop suffered by Nick Saban’s latest multi-position defensive back, and Branch reminds me a lot of Minkah Fitzpatrick, his predecessor in Saban’s defense in that he can play well all over your secondary, but he might be at his best in the deep third. He’ll be worked with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Kerby Joseph in Aaron Glenn’s defense, and that should restore the roar in that safety room.
46. New England Patriots: Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech. Grade: A
The Patriots came into this draft with a need for edge pressure, and they get it with White, the former Old Dominion tight end who became an estimable multi-position disruptor over time. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound White can wreck things from all kinds of gaps, and who knows? With his tight end background, Bill Belichick might have a few Mike Vrabel-esque touchdown catches ready for him.
47. Washington Commanders: Jartavius Martin, DB, Illinois. Grade: B
Martin wasn’t my favorite safety on the Fighting Illini’s 2022 roster — that would go to Sydney Brown. But it’s easily understandable why the Commanders, or any other NFL team, would value Martin’s versatility and production. He’s transitioned from cornerback to slot to safety over time, and in an NFL where positional versatility is Job One for defensive backs, that’s important. In 2022, he allowed 24 catches on 51 targets for 366 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 45.1 when in single-high coverage (Cover-1 and Cover-3).
48. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Green Bay Packers): Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State. Grade: B
Everybody’s favorite gap-toothed Senior Bowl star comes to a Buccaneers offensive line still trying to figure itself out. Mauch might be able to make the move to tackle at the NFL level, but I think that over time, with his movement skills, intelligence, and relative lack of power, he might eventually be a really great center. The Bucs will likely move him around to see where he best fits.
49. Pittsburgh Steelers: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin. Grade: A-
The Steelers have been trying to figure out the interior of their defensive line outside of Cam Heyward for quite a while, which has led Heyward, who should be a Hall of Famer someday, to play Superman more often than he should. That thought experiment might finally be fulfilled with Benton. People tend to talk about Benton more as a run defender than as a pass disruptor, but there’s enough tape of him getting to the quarterback from multiple gaps to make me think that his part of his game is undersold. Benton has nice quickness off the snap, and the upper-body strength needed to displace blockers on a regular basis. Last season, he had six sacks, and 28 total pressures.
50. Green Bay Packers: Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State. Grade: B-
Well, the Packers are atypical with their receiver picks, and this selection is no exception. Green Bay gets the 5-foot-11, 187-pound Michigan State star, who in 2022 caught 55 passes on 84 targets for 636 yards, and five touchdowns. He also dropped five passes, so… there’s that. The value here could be as a deep receiver — last season, Reed caught 11 of 24 passes of 20 or more air yards for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
51. Miami Dolphins: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina. Grade: A+
The Dolphins already added Jalen Ramsey to their secondary in the offseason, and I like this pick even more than that acquisition. Smith isn’t the same kind of big name as some other cornerbacks in this class, but he just does everything well. In man coverage last season, Smith allowed just seven catches on 23 targets for 53 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 21.8. But he’s also excellent in zone and off coverage, and projects to be a starter sooner than later.
52. Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA. Grade: A
For the second straight year, the Seahawks selected a running back in the second round, which should surprise nobody who knows anything about Pete Carroll. In 2022, it was Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker, who brought a quick, slashing style to the NFL quite successfully. This time around, it’s Charbonnet, who reminds me a bit of Marshawn Lynch in his ability to move with power and lateral agility. 806 of Charbonnet’s 1,358 rushing yards came after contact last season, and he averaged 4.15 yards after contact per rushing attempt.
53. Chicago Bears (from Baltimore Ravens): Gervon Dexter Sr., DL, Florida. Grade: B
Dexter was my IDL8 in this class, and he fits well for a Bears team that needs a lot on both sides of the line. His one obvious liability — a tendency to come off the snap late — can be coached up, and his athleticism and persistence to get to the quarterback make for some compelling tape when he does get rolling. Dexter has two sacks and 25 pressures last season, and he could at least match those numbers for the Bears with a bit more suddenness.
54. Los Angeles Chargers Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC. Grade: A
Tuipulotu isn’t your traditional lanky speed edge-rusher — at 6-foot-3 and 266 pounds, he has as much power as he does juice to the quarterback. But there’s a lot of juice there — last season, he had 13 sacks and 56 pressures, and the fact that he had 29 stops and looked good against the run should be a balm for a Chargers defense that has struggled above all against opposing ground games.
55. Kansas City Chiefs (from Detroit Lions): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU. Grade: A+
Andy Reid is always looking for more speed-burners to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, and Rice fits the profile. Last season, among receivers in this class, nobody had more targets (40) or catches (18) of 20 or more air yards than did Rice, who brought those catches in for 566 yards and four touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, Rice ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the combine, but he doesn’t have 4.53 speed on the field. Rice shows a great ability to get and stay open straight up the field, and with his size, he’s unafraid to make the catch with bodies around him.
56. Chicago Bears (from Jacksonville Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami. Grade: A
This is a nice get for a Bears secondary that — like most of this team’s position groups — could use some help. Last season, Stevenson just 17 catches on 40 targets for 353 yards, 164 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 78.4.
57. New York Giants: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota. Grade: A-
Center isn’t a sexy position, but if you don’t have a good one, it’ll show up on just about every play in your offense. Brian Daboll and his offensive coaches just put any worries to rest with the addition of Schmitz, who blocks with power and efficiency in the run game, and he allowed two sacks and just eight total pressures last season. Schmutz might have issues at times against stunts and games in the short term, but everything else checks out.
58. Dallas Cowboys: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan. Grade: B
It was only a matter of time before the Cowboys took a tight end in this draft, and they got a pretty good one in the Michigan alum. His injury history, not to mention his one season of real production over five seasons with the Wolverines, will give NFL teams a bit of pause. But in a vacuum, and based on his 2022 tape, he projects well as a Y tight end who can make big plays in space.
59. Buffalo Bills: O'Cyrus Torrence, OG. Florida. Grade: A
The Bills got my best true guard in this class in the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Torrence, who absolutely demolished people in the run game for the Gators, and managed to provide good pass protection in short spaces. Torrence allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and eight quarterback hurries last season, and his Blown Block Rate of 1% was the lowest for any collegiate guard in this class. Torrence is used to blocking for Anthony Richardson, so doing the same for Josh Allen should be like falling out of bed.
60. Cincinnati Bengals: DJ Turner II, CB, Michigan. Grade: A+
Speed, speed, speed. Turner ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, and every bit of that speed shows up on the field. He’ll be a valuable asset in a Bengals secondary in transition. Last season, he allowed just 33 catches on 71 targets for 408 yards, 123 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 68.3. In 2021, Turner gave up an opponent passer rating of 54.8. He is absolutely plug-and-play, and I’m quite surprised he lasted this long.
61. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Chicago Bears): Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State. Grade: B
The Jaguars gave the franchise tag to Evan Engram, who proved to be a revelation in Doug Pederson’s offense last season. Pederson knows how to get the most out of tight ends, and he now has Strange on board for some interesting packages. At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Strange projects well as an H-back and aligned to the formation, with quality blocking reps. He’s not an explosive deep weapon, but his overall skill set will get and keep him on the field.
62. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia Eagles): Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State. Grade: B-
The Texans needed center help, and Scruggs also provides guard versatility. He’s not the most powerful center at 6-foot-3 and 301 pounds, and there are technique issues to clean up that led to pressures allowed (14 in 2022), but he’s agile enough, as long as he’s not allowing pressure to either side. He’ll also have to take a NFL-level primer in dealing with stunts and double-teams.
63. Denver Broncos (from Kansas City Chiefs): Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma. Grade: A
The Broncos traded up for this pick, and given that Sean Payton will need all the help he can get in resuscitating Russell Wilson’s career, Mims is an excellent addition. In 2022, all six of Mims’ receiving touchdowns came on passes of 20 or more air yards. He caught 13 of 33 such passes for 602 yards, and he’s more than just a great deep target — he’ll also work the contested catch point with authority.
