NFL: **** Official 2023 NFL Draft Thread ****

I would have been fine with a defensive pick, but the NFL is an offensive league, and there's no denying it. You have to score. I'd much rather be a team with a great offense and crappy defense than the other way around. Minnesota lost Thielen and while Osborn did fine, he didn't really show that he can be a dependable number 2. Many experts had the Vikings considering a WR at 23. They brought in Byron Murphy at CB in free agency, and both Cine and Booth, their top 2 picks from last year, should be healthy for next year. So I get that they want to let Flores cook with some of the ingredients that are already in the kitchen.

Levis is the one that could sting, if he goes on to be a franchise guy. Hopefully he's a dud, tho.
I wouldn't sweat it. I never understood the Levis hype.
 
Felix Anudike-Uzomah is gonna need a nickname. Felix the Cat!

What do you guys think of the pickup?
 
Make sense and it's good for Montgomery:


I still don't understand the Lions drafting Gibbs. Especially that high. Swift and Montgomery are both solid backs and taking Gibbs at 12 seemed like a huge reach. The lions defense was terrible the first half of the season and their were plenty of decent defensive players and a few lineman that would have filled their needs better.
 
I didn't think there were too many winners in this draft from a team standpoint. Lots of reaches and questionable picks.

In my opinion, the team that did the best was the Cardinals. They got a haul for the Texans to move up for Will Anderson and they still got a decent pick in Paris Johnson.
 
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I still don't understand the Lions drafting Gibbs. Especially that high. Swift and Montgomery are both solid backs and taking Gibbs at 12 seemed like a huge reach. The lions defense was terrible the first half of the season and their were plenty of decent defensive players and a few lineman that would have filled their needs better.

I don't think anyone understands what Detroit is doing right now. Being there everyone around us was like "WTF are they doing?". It didn't seem like a position of glaring need, they reached for the position, and they reached on the specific player. Just a horrendous use of draft capital and position. Then to follow it up by selecting Jack Campbell at 18, a guy some had going in the third round, is laughable. If they REALLY wanted those to guys they could have probably landed a ton of picks and moved down (several times) in the process.

"We don't know anything, we are just fans" can be the response by some. But when every fan, every pundit, and probably every team says the same thing it's likely true. Even if they end up being great players for them, it still doesn't mean they didn't bungle their draft. This was some Al Davis era stupidity by them.
 
I still don't understand the Lions drafting Gibbs. Especially that high. Swift and Montgomery are both solid backs and taking Gibbs at 12 seemed like a huge reach. The lions defense was terrible the first half of the season and their were plenty of decent defensive players and a few lineman that would have filled their needs better.

The clear winner is the Eagles. To have they season they had, make it to the SB, and get Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith level talent on Day 1? Given the specific team and scenario, I don't think anyone is even close to what Philly did. I'm guessing their front office is still in disbelief with what they were able to get with those picks. Outstanding value.
 
Felix Anudike-Uzomah is gonna need a nickname. Felix the Cat!

What do you guys think of the pickup?

I think that's a moniker Cats fans were already using.

I think it's a solid pickup, but I'm guessing the Chiefs were really hoping and praying one of the Johnston, Flowers, or JSN trio were there at their pick. I also think they would have taken McD (regardless of what was said here) if he were still on the board and would have considered a TE if the right one were available (Kelce can't play forever).
 
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The clear winner is the Eagles. To have they season they had, make it to the SB, and get Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith level talent on Day 1? Given the specific team and scenario, I don't think anyone is even close to what Philly did. I'm guessing their front office is still in disbelief with what they were able to get with those picks. Outstanding value.
The one slot trade up felt so weird though. The Bears needed o-line help bad, so they might have taken Wright anyway. And it was only for a 4th rounder next year, so I can't imagine they really outbid anyone trying to jump to that spot.
 
I still don't understand the Lions drafting Gibbs. Especially that high. Swift and Montgomery are both solid backs and taking Gibbs at 12 seemed like a huge reach. The lions defense was terrible the first half of the season and their were plenty of decent defensive players and a few lineman that would have filled their needs better.

Some people think Gibbs might be the best Slot WR in the draft. If the Lions think of him that way, it might make sense.
 
I didn't think there were too many winners in this draft from a team standpoint. Lots of reaches and questionable picks.

In my opinion, the team that did the best was the Cardinals. They got a haul for the Texans to move up for Will Anderson and they still got a decent pick in Paris Johnson.

I think Arizona did great. Eagles did great. If the Texans think Stroud is a franchise QB and Will Anderson is a star, then I think they did well.

I'd say the Bears are a winner, just because they got the guy they wanted and got another pick. Patriots were a Winner for the same reason. Jacksonville as well. I love getting the guy you want and adding picks, so I always consider that a win.
 
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The one slot trade up felt so weird though. The Bears needed o-line help bad, so they might have taken Wright anyway. And it was only for a 4th rounder next year, so I can't imagine they really outbid anyone trying to jump to that spot.

One slot trade ups are always because other teams are interested. If the Eagles knew with 100% certainty, then trading up makes no sense. But what if thet Eagles stood pat and Titans traded with the Bears to get Jalen Carter?
 
I don't think anyone understands what Detroit is doing right now. Being there everyone around us was like "WTF are they doing?". It didn't seem like a position of glaring need, they reached for the position, and they reached on the specific player. Just a horrendous use of draft capital and position. Then to follow it up by selecting Jack Campbell at 18, a guy some had going in the third round, is laughable. If they REALLY wanted those to guys they could have probably landed a ton of picks and moved down (several times) in the process.

"We don't know anything, we are just fans" can be the response by some. But when every fan, every pundit, and probably every team says the same thing it's likely true. Even if they end up being great players for them, it still doesn't mean they didn't bungle their draft. This was some Al Davis era stupidity by them.
When you know the guy/guys you want and feel strongly about it, that's the guy/guys you take. They may have been able to trade down but then they'd have run the risk of losing out on a guy/guys they really, really wanted. Apparently the Lions coaches were kind of blown away by Campbell during the combine interviews, he was one of the guys they really wanted. Not dumb at all to snag him.
 
When you know the guy/guys you want and feel strongly about it, that's the guy/guys you take. They may have been able to trade down but then they'd have run the risk of losing out on a guy/guys they really, really wanted. Apparently the Lions coaches were kind of blown away by Campbell during the combine interviews, he was one of the guys they really wanted. Not dumb at all to snag him.
It kinda is when they have the 3rd and 17th pick in the second round. It was probably the biggest reach of the night. In doing so, they've passed up on some potential impact players. Detroit's WRs are pretty weak outside of St. Brown, and all of the top WR's were sitting right there. Plus the DT Tampa took right after that would have been good for them. I'd rather get one of those guys and gamble that Campbell would still be there by the third pick of the second round, which by all accounts, he most likely would have been.
 
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It kinda is when they have the 3rd and 17th pick in the second round. It was probably the biggest reach of the night. In doing so, they've passed up on some potential impact players. Detroit's WRs are pretty weak outside of St. Brown, and all of the top WR's were sitting right there. Plus the DT Tampa took right after that would have been good for them. I'd rather get one of those guys and gamble that Campbell would still be there by the third pick of the second round, which by all accounts, he most likely would have been.
Campbell was the highest rated guy on their board at #18. Why take a player you've rated lower at that pick and run the risk of your higher rated guy not being there the next time you're up? Weird things happen in drafts. Just because Mel Kiper thinks JC would've been there at a later pick doesn't mean he would have.
 
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When you know the guy/guys you want and feel strongly about it, that's the guy/guys you take. They may have been able to trade down but then they'd have run the risk of losing out on a guy/guys they really, really wanted. Apparently the Lions coaches were kind of blown away by Campbell during the combine interviews, he was one of the guys they really wanted. Not dumb at all to snag him.

This isn't exactly true.

While I don't disagree with the premise of "taking the guy you want", a team has to understand positional value (where should a player of that position go in the draft...you aren't going to draft a center with the number 1 overall pick), player value (how good that player is in his positional field), and the general read on that player by other organizations in league (where you can get or lose said player). I haven't seen anything to suggest a team was serious in selecting Campbell earlier than mid-2nd round and that was likely a reach. So by failing on the first, arguably failing on the 2nd (debatable) and unquestionably failing on the 3rd the Lions, at the very least, screwed themselves out of valuable draft capital by not trading down.

That's a terrible job by their front office and there really isn't a way one can positively spin that.
 
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Campbell was the highest rated guy on their board at #18. Why take a player you've rated lower at that pick and run the risk of your higher rated guy not being there the next time you're up? Weird things happen in drafts. Just because Mel Kiper thinks JC would've been there at a later pick doesn't mean he would have.

Maybe it’s not necessarily a bad pick, but it’s bad value. And I would say the same thing about Will too.

Hawkeye fans are never able to admit when a team reaches for a Hawkeye player.
 
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