The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. The crew here at CBSSports.com has you covered with all the news and analysis you could ever want, but we know what you're here for: winners and losers.
We previously chronicled which teams won and lost Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft, and in the space below, you'll find out who had the best and worst go of things on Day 3. Don't forget to visit our Draft Hub for analysis of every pick in every round, and much more news and notes on the draft.
Winner: Eagles, again
It's time for the Jesse Pinkman .gif, folks.
Howie Roseman was at it again on Day 3, adding a couple more Georgia Bulldogs to his roster and acquiring picks in future years. First, Roseman traded up to No. 105 to draft Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo, adding to his haul of Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith from Day 1. Then, Roseman sent the No. 219 pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder to the Detroit Lions for No. 249 and running back D'Andre Swift, adding another explosive playmaker for his offense. Roseman then turned two seventh-round picks into a sixth-rounder, then spun that sixth off to the Buccaneers for a 2024 fifth-round pick. Not bad for a (third) day's work.
Loser: Patriots
We can all acknowledge that special teams are important. But no matter what your high school coach tells you, they are not actually one-third of the game and just as important as offense and defense. Just don't tell the Patriots, who traded up for a kicker, then used a later selection on a punter. In so doing, they became the first team since the 2000 Oakland Raiders to select a kicker and punter in the same draft. It worked out fairly well for the Raiders because they landed Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler. The odds are against it working out nearly that well for the Pats, considering the league's track record of identifying good players in the kicking game, and the relative year-to-year inconsistency for kickers in particular.
Winner: Bears
The Bears did pretty well for themselves on the first couple days of the draft, but I really like what they did on Day 3. First of all, they moved down from No. 103 and added an extra selection, which for a team with so many holes on the roster is quite important. And with one of those picks they landed in that deal, the Bears selected Texas running back Roschon Johnson, who should form a very nice tandem with Khalil Herbert and help lighten the rushing load for Justin Fields. Chicago later added Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Scott, who many thought could have been selected on Day 2, and also grabbed Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell, who should fit well on the second level of Matt Eberflus' defense.
Loser: Packers
In the early portion of Day 3, there was a bit of a run on quarterbacks. Three of them were selected in the final nine picks of the fourth round, then two more were selected in the first five picks of the fifth round. A few picks later, the Green Bay Packers (?) got in on the quarterback action, selecting Penn State's Sean Clifford, who famously held off Will Levis, which resulted in Levis transferring to Kentucky. But Clifford was not all that successful as a passer at Penn State (he was listed No. 435 in our prospect rankings here at CBS), and the Packers had significantly more pressing needs than at quarterback. It was a selection that did not make much sense.
Winner: Colts
The Colts absolutely love drafting high-level athletes, and they added a few more on Saturday. Blake Freeland, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Darius Rush, Daniel Scott, Will Mallory and Evan Hull all scored 9.00 or better in Relative Athletic Score, making them among the best athletes at their respective positions. Adebawore wasn't ultra-productive at Northwestern but his combine performance put him on the radar in a big way. Still, he fell into the fourth round and Indy snapped him up. Mallory's production suffered through injuries and a disjointed Miami offense last season, but he has seam-stretching athleticism and enough strength to help as a blocker. Rush has great length and speed. This is a good group of picks.
Loser: Raiders
This is less about the players they landed than the fact that the Raiders traded up TWICE in the fourth round, and then again in the fifth round. They ended up sending out the Nos. 109, 174, 144, 214, 204, and 220 picks and receiving Nos. 104, 135, 170, 203. They used those picks on Jakorian Bennett, Aidan O'Connell, Christopher Smith and Amari Burney. They may well turn out to be good players, but a team with as many holes as the Raiders really has no business trading up three times on Day 3. They sacrificed two additional bites at the apple baking on the idea that they know the value of specific prospects better than everybody else does, and that's just not great process for a team in their situation.
Winner: Falcons
I'm just shouting out Atlanta here for landing one of the best cover corners in the draft in Clark Phillips III, who only slipped into the fourth round because he's tiny (5-9, 184 pounds).
Loser: Max Duggan
Despite eight quarterbacks being selected in Rounds 4 through 6, the signal-caller for the national title runner-up TCU Horned Frogs was not one of them. Each of Jake Haener, Stetson Bennett, Aidan O'Connell, Clayton Tune, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Sean Clifford, Jaren Hall, and Tanner McKee heard their names called before Duggan, who had to wait until midway through Round 7 to come off the board, and landed in a situation where he has very little chance of ever becoming a starter. (He's behind Justin Herbert with the Chargers.) One consolation, however, is he will have former TCU teammates Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis to hang out with.
