The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and there is plenty to break down. The Philadelphia Eagles selected every University of Georgia defender available, the New England Patriots became the first team in 23 years to draft both a kicker and a punter and a record-breaking amount of quarterbacks were selected in the first 150 picks. It was truly a wild weekend.
There are 259 total picks to break down, but let’s try to identify the best, worst and most interesting picks for all 32 NFL teams. The best and worst picks will be decided by the best and worst grades assigned to those selections by our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts: Pete Prisco, Chris Trapasso and Josh Edwards. (For the CBS Sports draft tracker, click here.)
Here are the rules of the game:
The “best” player in a class may not be the “best” pick, because of the value at the selection number. Not every team made a “bad” pick per se, and some of the picks that are declared the “worst” for a class have grades as high as a “B.” If there are multiple picks with the same grade, Jordan Dajani stepped in and determined the verdict. Dajani also decided which pick was the most interesting for each team. Ready? Let’s go.
AFC East
Best pick (A): OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida (Round 2, Pick 59)
Enormous human being who actually plays with more foot quickness than his size would indicate. Masher in one-on-one scenarios. Must utilize his length better at next level but already very good anchoring skill. More help for Josh Allen is smart for Buffalo. (Chris Trapasso)
Worst pick (C): CB Alex Austin, Oregon State (Round 7, Pick 252)
Good size at CB but not lengthy. Tackling issues appear often on film. Not a burner down the field or high-caliber athlete overall. Found the football often on the perimeter. Natural in that regard. (Chris Trapasso)
Most interesting pick (C): TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah (Round 1, Pick 25)
Trading up for this…
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