POWER RANKING 2023 NFL DRAFT DO-OVERS

We all make mistakes, but at least “we” didn’t let Jalen Carter fall to the Eagles.

While we’re only about 1/3 of the way through the NFL season, there are certain takeaways from the most recent NFL Draft that already feel set in stone. Now, I’m not dumb (don’t comment). I’m aware it’s comically early, and players develop. But with the information we have so far, I feel pretty confident in five NFL Draft do-overs that, if offered, teams would take now in a heartbeat.

Somehow, Jalen Carter doesn’t top the list.

1. At #1 Overall, the Carolina Panthers take Bryce Young CJ Stroud

I like Bryce! I will continue to defend Bryce! I think Bryce has an absolutely shit bag of lemons that he’s being asked to make lemonade out of. That all said, CJ is that guy, man. You saw it in the very first game he played against the Ravens. Everyone knows that CJ was interception free heading into the Saints game, but something I’ve noticed that has WILDLY impressed me is how quickly he’s adapted to the speed of the game. He took 11 sacks in his first two games, and almost immediately you can see he’s sped himself up to adjust. He went three straight games with 0 sacks before taking 2 in the Saints game. His offensive line is fine, definitely in the bottom half of the league though. Seeing a rookie make such a major adjustment like that so quickly I think is just one anectode that speaks to how impressive Stroud has been.

To make matters worse for the Panthers, it’s not a well kept secret that the staff loved CJ. And while there isn’t clear reporting on whether the owner, David Tepper, mandated the Bryce pick, it’s certainly not helping their cause that the guy they loved is balling out for someone else. Oopsie.

2. At #7 Overall, the Las Vegas Raiders take Tyree Wilson Jalen Carter

To be clear, I think the Jalen Carter do overs can start as early as pick three. That said, I think the Texans, Colts, Seahawks, and Cardinals are all happy enough with their picks. This Raiders pick in the moment felt bad, and has somehow aged worse.

Now, there are the caveats. Tyree Wilson was always going to be a long term prospect. He’s coming off an injury. He’s still raw. I get all that. But it’s been bad. He’s barely generating any pressure at all, and he’s yet to record a sack. To make matters worse, he’s getting the easy matchups! Teams are so focused on stopping Maxx Crosby, and even with that extra attention, Wilson hasn’t been able to capitalize.

And maybe this would all be fine, because you could fall back on the long-term approach with the pick, if it weren’t for Jalen Carter being the BEST INTERIOR DEFENDER IN THE NFL TO START THE SEASON. Him falling felt weird on draft day. I get why he did, but still. Anyone that watched his tape knew how special of a player he was, and to watch him fall as far as he did felt surreal in the moment. He’s somehow been better than expected? Not only is he the top graded defensive rookie on PFF, but he’s literally the top graded interior defender in the entire NFL. If you’re the Raiders, this is an absolute no brainer.

3. At #16 Overall, the Washington Commanders take Emmanuel Forbes Christian Gonzalez

Forbes actually started the season alright. He even played a pretty major role in the Week 2 win against Denver. Ever since, though, it’s been really bad. I’ll throw out the Buffalo game because of weather (and also Sam Howell throwing 18 interceptions, keeping the defense on field all game), but there’s no excuse for the Philly and Chicago games. Forbes got absolutely torched in both games, with AJ Brown and DJ Moore specifically pointing out the holes in his game that skeptics worried about coming into the draft. AJ dominated with size and strength, completely overpowering the extremely thin and light Forbes. Moore was able to take advantage of Forbes ball-hawking nature and create big plays out of his overaggressiveness.

Those back-to-back weeks led to a benching, where Forbes played zero snaps against Atlanta. Not great, Bob. I still think he’s a talented player, but the size is going to be a real problem moving forward. Now, when you compare that to his contemporary taken one pick past him, it looks even worse. Gonzalez was the single bright spot in an otherwise extremely bleak Patriots season, holding his own against AJ Brown and Tyreek Hill in back-to-back weeks. His size and athletic ability looked as advertised before he went down with an injury, and while Devon Witherspoon has been fun to watch, I’d say most people would have Gonzalez as the early favorite for CB1 long term in this (pretty good) corner class.

4. At #22 Overall, the Los Angeles Chargers take Quentin Johnston A Different Pass Catcher

It’s been tough sledding for the Chargers rookie WR. To make matters worse, he’s failed to step up in Mike Williams’ absolutely shocking absence due to injury. I do think the Chargers aren’t necessarily helping their own cause. I’ve been surprised to see how few schemed touches they’ve looked to create for a guy that’s whole thing is supposed to be making plays with the ball in his hands. Regardless of who’s to blame for his lack of pop thus far, it’s impossible not to compare him to his peers.

QJ was taken during the run on wideouts, where JSN, QJ, Zay Flowers, and Jordan Addison all went in straight succession. That doesn’t account for the run of tight ends as well, who all somehow look fucking awesome. With the Chargers now relying on 10+ Keenan Allen targets to move the ball, it’s hard to imagine Sam LaPorta or Michael Mayer not making an enormous difference for this offense. And when you compare QJ to the two guys taken right after him, both Zay and Addison have proved in a short time they can be difference makers at the NFL level. It sucks to say, but it feels like literally any other option at the top of the board here would’ve been a better call. Are we surprised, though? It’s the Chargers.

5. At #12 Overall, the Detroit Lions take Jahmyr Gibbs Literally Anyone Else

There’s just so many layers to this pick. It’s the fact they could’ve just taken Carter at 6, but instead traded back to draft a running back in the first round (big no-no), and that running back was the SECOND BEST prospect at his position because somehow another RB went before him (luv u Bijan). That, coupled with the fact they already signed David Montgomery in the offseason prior to the pick, had a lot of people scratching their heads. But hey, they told us we were dumb! They said just you wait, we’re gonna “use him in a lot of unexpected ways.” Turns out that unexpected use was the bench! David Montgomery has been fucking awesome, which isn’t shocking because that Detroit O-line is a top 5 unit in the NFL. You could put just about anyone back there and they would look pretty damn good.

Of course, I still think Gibbs will be a good player. In two years he might be one of the top backs in the league (you never know). But that’s the kind of pick you make if you’re the Chiefs, or another team with the luxury of drafting guys who don’t need to contribute immediately. The Lions NEED contributors. This is a team that is on the verge of pushing for serious contention. Ironically, if their second round picks (LaPorta and Brian Branch) were just their first round picks, I think people would like their draft a lot more. That said, they got those guys in the second round! Imagine a Lions draft that looked like Carter at 6, Flowers at 18, LaPorta at 34, and Branch at 45. We’d be cooking with gasssssssss.