The 2023 NFL Draft hurtles on unabated and so does our content here at CBS Sports. I'm actually kind of amazed at what a draft machine we've cooked up here. Ten years ago Pete Prisco was begging me to let him sign draft grade cards (he gave EJ Manuel an "F" and inked it for me, good call Pete!) and there was like one article from some not-quite-middle-aged bearded dad and now we have an outrageous amount of content available to soak in in order to have the best grasp on the draft.
We've got:
- Our 2023 NFL Draft Tracker, best in the biz like 20 years running.
- Constantly updating 2023 NFL Draft Live Blog with rumors, buzz, etc
- Second-round NFL Draft Grades and analysis!
- Third-round NFL Draft Grades galore!
- All the best remaining 2023 NFL Draft prospects
- And much much more at our 2023 NFL Draft hub!
Winner: Will Levis
If we're going to put the face of Big Mayo as a loser after he fell out of the first round, we absolutely have to make him a winner for going early in a trade-up spot to the Titans on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. The cannon-armed Levis bounced out of Kansas City (wisely, imo) to avoid being laser tagged by every ESPN and NFL Network camera within five miles. It didn't change anything -- he was still the story of the draft, but his poor mother could finally relax. The reality is the Titans are a great spot for Levis. He's very similar to Ryan Tannehill athletically and if he improves his accuracy on short and intermediate throws, he has massive upside.
Tannehill's presence will (likely) give Levis a year to sit and learn and develop at the NFL level. Derrick Henry is in the final year of his deal, so that stings for the rookie if the King bounces out of Nashville but there's some good news with Tennessee scooping up intriguing tackle/guard prospect Peter Skoronski on Thursday, which is a big help for Levis' long-term prospects. Levis was the biggest story of the first night of the draft and you can bet he'll have a chip on his shoulder coming into the NFL. Easy to see him meshing well with Mike Vrabel. Love this landing spot.
Loser: Spite doubters
There was NEVER going to be a question about the Green Bay Packers using either the No. 13 or the No. 42 pick -- both acquired in the Aaron Rodgers trade with the Jets -- on some kind of pass catcher. People downplayed the Spite Store factor in play but come on. This has been a quite but quietly ugly beef between Rodgers and the Packers. Maybe it didn't feel like the public back-and-forth was as vitriolic as back in Brett Favre's exit but that's probably only because of how quickly we bounce from story to story these days. Rodgers and the Packers were playing a Cold War, Rodgers got the trade he wanted and the Packers extracted a heavy toll.
They followed it up by spending all three picks on Friday to help out Jordan Love. Now we would always argue adding weapons for a young (Love is young right???) quarterback is a good thing for an organization to do. And the Packers have consistently attacked pass catchers in the second round of the draft and done very well with them. So, yes, Brian Gutekunst can stand up at the podium and proclaim this is just how their board was set and any blitzkrieg on pass catchers Friday was simply part of the plan and the natural progression of things. If you tell yourself a lie long enough you can start to believe, Gutey. Rapid firing on tight ends and a wide receiver -- Green Bay came away with Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft -- even if they're good players -- and they are! -- is SPITE MY FRIEND.
Winner: Sean Payton
It's going to be fun watching how the Saints and Broncos do in the draft the next few years and see whether it was Payton or Mickey Loomis (or Jeff Ireland ...?) who helped bolster the Saints recent drafts. It's possible they're all good at their job. Anywho, the larger point is I've always sort of leaned toward crediting Payton and Friday didn't do much to change my mind. The Broncos didn't have a first-round pick courtesy of the Russell Wilson deal, done before Payton got there, obviously. They did have a trio of second-day picks and I liked what they did.
Payton started by scooping up Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims to help out Russ (we could still see a Denver wideout trade, although it seems less likely with 2023 premium picks now gone, but there's plenty of time until the seasons starts) before adding "My Dude" in Drew Sanders out of Arkansas. I've got a man crush on. Sanders and hope Vance Joseph gets creative with him in terms of rushing the passer next year. The Broncos rounded things out by landing Riley Moss, a cornerback out of Iowa, who doesn't sound great singing "Piano Man," looks like someone who attended a bunch of Jimmy Eat World concerts and apparently, per Charles Davis on NFL Network, isn't getting enough respect as a cornerback because people expect him to move to safety for ... reasons. This was nice work by Payton cleaning up with limited draft capital. Starting to get a little bullish on the Broncos...
Loser: San Francisco 49ers
Not only did the 49ers not have a first-round pick on Thursday, they used a top-100 pick on a freaking kicker. Making matters worse, it wasn't even the NC State guy! SHAME, JOHN LYNCH, SHAME. Jake Moody out of Michigan was their choice, and he's a stud kicking but using the No. 99 overall pick to grab a kicker was so unexpected we actually got John Breech on the Pick Six Pod predicting we wouldn't see a SINGLE KICKER DRAFTED. And we got a top 100 dude from a team without a first-round pick?? Wild stuff. Don't love it. Breech agrees, telling me that he "love[s] a kicker being taken early but that's a risky pick."
Cameron Latu will be interesting to see develop -- it's fair to wonder if Kyle Shanahan is thinking about grooming (not replacing, GROOMING) his next George Kittle. That offense needs him as the focal point to truly thrive and Kittle -- a top-five NFL player in terms of watchability imo -- will turn 30 in October. The Niners also added Ji'Ayir Brown out of Penn State to bolster the secondary. Obviously everything could change if he explodes in a breakout year (assuming he starts!) but the Trey Lance gambit isn't looking great so far. Drafting a kicker doesn't help.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
Darnell Washington took a hefty tumble down the board for where he's ranked (and in no way am I reporting or even speculating anything here, but oftentimes guys who slide an outlier amount could have any number of situations the public isn't privy to) but the Steelers benefited in a big way by landing the sizable UGA TE who has apparently referred to himself as a "sixth offensive lineman." Joey Porter Jr. to Pittsburgh is just a freaking awesome story and a bonus that it's nice value. Keanu Benton out of Wisconsin as the Steelers other Day 2 pick really rounded a very nice second day for Omar Khan.
