2023 NFL Draft-Day Two Hott Reads

I have some thoughts to share about Day Two (aka rounds 2 &3) of the NFL draft. This is generally the day I like the best because you really see what teams are doing to improve their roster. This is where teams can really move the needle for their upcoming season. Round one gets all the hype but it’s tough for one player to really change the fortunes of a team, so here is where they get guys who can contribute early and really affect some change.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers are killing it so far. Somehow they got their new starting LT in round one and then came back in round two and got the CB they needed and wanted. Joey Porter Jr was popular 1st round guy for them and they get him at the top of round two. He starts day one opposite Patrick Peterson and the son of a Steelers great gets to try to become a Steelers great himself. Then they added Keeanu Benton, a big nose tackle from Wisconsin who fills a huge need and then somehow TE Darnell Washington inexplicably falls to round three and the Steelers continue to kill it in this draft. The AFC North is no joke.
• Tennessee stops Will Levis’ slide with the second pick in round two. They trade up and get the QB I thought they would trade up and get in round one. He could allow them to kick Ryan Tannehill to the curb but if his foot is the problem people are talking about, they can keep Tannehill around to let Levis work in slowly. BTW if you have a pack of gum you can trade for Malik Willis, clearly the Titans are over their third-round pick from last year. And now when Tannehill gets hurt they won’t have to start a street free agent they picked up an hour before the game.
• Nate Tice from the Athletic made the joke that Sam LaPorta was everyone’s second favorite TE, everyone had a different favorite TE in this class but everyone loved LaPorta as their second guy. Apparently he was right. LaPorta was the second TE off the board, ahead of Michael Mayer, Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Darnell Washington, to name a few. He goes to Detroit who clearly watched a lot of Iowa film this year and loved some Hawkeyes.
• Michael Mayer being the third TE off the board was surprise. The Raiders taking a TE was maybe a bit surprising after signing Austin Hooper and OJ Howard in the off season and having far bigger needs. Michael Mayer starting in week one and being way better than Hooper and Howard, won’t be surprising at all, he’s really good and Jimmy G is going to love him.
• The Rams first pick was G/C Steve Avila. Matthew Stafford says thank you. That o-line was mess last year.
• I was a little surprised Carolina took Jonathan Mingo with some of the WRs that were still left on the board, however, Mingo is a 6’2 power slot, that means he’s a big WR who plays inside. With DJ Chark and Adam Theilen outside they need a slot and a 6’2 guy will be easier for Bryce Young to see.
• I got two picks in the second round of my mock draft exactly correct, that never happens. At 42 the Packers took TE Luke Musgrave and at 43 the Jets took C Joe Tippmann, I can’t believe that actually happened. Two guys who fill huge needs for those two teams.
• Speaking of Luke Musgrave, he wasn’t the only pass catcher the Packers took on day two. They also took WR Jayden Reed from Michigan St and TE Tucker Kraft from South Dakota St. Reed will complement Watson and Doubs and Kraft was incredible value in round three. Their TE depth chart was pretty ugly, now it’s really good. They gave Jordan Love some real help at the skill positions.
• The Colts took CB Julius Brents from Kansas St. I’m cheering for him, he’s a former Hawkeye who transferred and actually was good somewhere else (that’s rare, usually the guys who transfer out of Iowa don’t do much). Anyway, GM Chris Ballard likes big people and he just got a 6’3 CB who will start for them day one.
• The Lions have a type. They don’t care about measurable or position value, they want high character, tough football players. They took Brian Branch, a guy who is way better than his measurables. He isn’t big, he isn’t fast, but he’s a stud. He’s the only guy who was invited to round one of the draft, didn’t get drafted night one, and came back on night two so he could walk on stage and have his draft moment. He wasn’t embarrassed, he wasn’t mad, he was genuinely appreciative of the moment. He joins a strangely crowded secondary in Detroit but I’m cheering for this kid. It’s weird, I’m going to have to actually like the Lions this year.
• For the first time in a long time I’m actually loving the Patriots draft. The Christian Gonzalez pick in round one was truly awesome. Then in round two DE Keion White from Georgia Tech fell to the Patriots. I wasn’t a fan of White as a first round guy but as a second round pick, he’s a steal. He can play the edge, kick inside if needed, and gives the Pats the the youth and versatility up front they need. Then in round three they took a flyer on a guy coming off an injury, LB/S Marte Mapu. They announced him as a LB and I hope they play him there. He’s undersized but he’s fast and can cover, the Patriots need faster LBs who can cover, I’m glad to see Belichick realize that.
• Everyone came into the draft thinking the Commanders needed help in the secondary, they drafted CB Emmanuel Forbes in round one and S Jartavius “Quan” Martin in round two, clearly they agreed. C Ricky Stromberg in round three is a good pickup too, they need help at interior o-line.
• Cody Mauch should start at RG immediately in Tampa Bay. Mauch and Ryan Jenson starting next to each other would be awesome, they have to be long-lost brothers.
• Dolphins took CB Cam Smith, is Xavien Howard headed for the exit? Vic Fangio and Jalen Ramsey need to teach Cam Smith how to cover without holding and Ramsey should convince him that tackling is fun, then Smith will be an excellent player. And of course Miami got Devon Achane. The dude with Olympic-level speed goes to the team with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert.
• The Seahawks took a big RB, Zach Charbonnet, I can’t believe I didn’t have that in my mock draft. That’s like a four inch putt and I missed it.
• The Bears drafted three defenders on day two. In round two they took a big swing on DT Gervon Dexter, then grabbed CB Tyrique Stevenson. In round three they went back to DT and took Zacch Pickens. Dexter is big dude and has flash plays that make you think he’s Jalen Carter, then he disappears for half the game. He needs to give consistent effort or he’ll be playing in the XFL in three years. Pickens is the guy who does give consistent effort, he just lacks Dexter’s physical gifts. The Bears needed bodies inside, they took one guy they can count on and one guy they hope is a superstar. I’m not a Stevenson fan and I’m really not a Stevenson in round two fan. He has lapses in coverage and misses too many tackles. There are CBs still on the board I like better than him. He has great physical tools but he doesn’t use them to do the things you need him to do. Not a fan of round two for the Bears.
• I’ll generally give the Chiefs the benefit of the doubt but Rashee Rice at WR in round two? I like a lot of guys who went after him a lot more. Marvin Mims, Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, Josh Downs, and some guys still on the board. He’ll be fine with Mahomes throwing to him but give me Tillman or Hyatt, that would be fun. Also, a little surprised on Wayna Morris being their OT pick in round three. Dawand Jones and Jaelyn Duncan both available and Morris is injured. Not sure he’s helping anytime soon.
• The Giants took C John Michael Schmitz in round two. I had him going there in round one, I missed it by a round but he’s starting at center immediately. Really good pick. They also took Jalin Hyatt in round three. He gives them the deep threat they have wanted to complement all of their underneath guys. Hyatt is basically the upgraded version of Darius Slayton, a guy they have wanted to be better than he is.
• The Cowboys took a TE, not the one anyone thought but Luke Schoonmaker is basically Dalton Schultz 2.0.
• Houston picked 2nd and 3rd and then had to wait until pick 62. They got a new starting center, Juice Scruggs, I did not make up that name. He’s a perfect fit for their new offense and he starts day one. Then they drafted WR Tank Dell at 69. “Tank” is a funny nickname for a guy 5’8 165 lbs. He’s really small but he’s fast and he can make plays. CJ Stroud will love these guys.
• Sean Payton traded up into the end of round two to take WR Marvin Mims. Hey Patriots, call Sean and see what he wants for Jerry Jeudy, it can’t be that much, he just replaced him. Then Payton got a steal in round three with LB Drew Sanders. At one point Sanders looked like a top 15 pick, he went 67th overall. He’s a good player but they really have to take advantage of his pass rush ability to make the most of him. They finish off their day two with Iowa CB Riley Moss, what a great situation to walk into. Patrick Surtain II is one of the best CBs in the NFL already but the Broncos don’t have much on the outside opposite him. Damarri Mathis was a fourth round pick last year (not a Sean Payton pick). Moss is going to have a shot to play and maybe start in Denver, it’s trial by fire if you start opposite Surtain, no one throws his way. Moss won’t back down from the challenge.
• At 68 the Lions moved up to take Hendon Hooker. This is where Hooker needed to go, not just to Detroit but in the third round. He’s 25, coming off an ACL tear and he will need time to adjust to an NFL offense. Jared Goff has this job locked down this year. Hooker doesn’t have to rush back from his knee injury, he can get great coaching from Ben Johnson to understand an NFL offense and then they can see where he is. Also, it’s not like they can’t pivot from him if they don’t think he’s the guy, it’s a third round pick, the Titans just did it with Malik Willis after a year.
• The Browns took WR Cedric Tillman in round three. This is a steal and if Deshaun Watson can get his career back on track, he has the weapons around him. Tillman is a true X WR and that means Amari Cooper can play the Z where he can move all over the place like he should. It also means Donovan Peoples-Jones can move down the depth chart because Tillman is a legit downfield threat, not a pretend one. If Elijah Moore becomes the slot receiver he should be, wow is this WR so much better. Peoples-Jones and David Bell as the 4th and 5th guys? Really good.
• The Colts got WR Josh Downs, the perfect inside complement to Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce outside. Sorry Isaiah McKenzie, you may have been replaced before you even get started in Indy.
• San Francisco with a confounding draft. Penn St. DB Ji’Ayir Brown was a solid choice for team that lost Jimmy Ward and Emmanuel Moseley in the secondary, he adds nice depth and playmaking, then it goes off the rails. K Jake Moody might be the best kicker in the draft but with pick 99? Really? Then they took Alabama TE Cameron Latu, there were better TEs on the board. Strange draft for them.
• The Jaguars second day was a little off. TE Brenton Strange wasn’t my favorite TE on the board when they took him but I can see the fit with Evan Engram a little. RB Tank Bigsby in round three, yikes, I’m not a fan. There are plenty of RBs I like better and I would have actually taken someone who could make more of a difference for you. The Jaguars can compete in the AFC with a little help, OT Anton Harrison in round one was a good choice. but they could have had some more help with better players on day two. They could have had a big WR like Cedric Tillman in round two or taken a CB like Riley Moss or Kelee Ringo in round three. RB could wait.
• There are some guys I’m truly surprised made it to day three. Northwestern DL Adetomiwu Adebawore isn’t my favorite guy but he’s really athletic and productive, someone is getting a good player on day three. Kelee Ringo needs discipline on the field but he’s a freaky athlete who could be a top CB or move to safety, I would gladly take that risk early on day three. OT Blake Freeland, OT Jaelyn Duncan, OG Nick Saldiveri are big guys who need some time but I would be glad to have them as third day developmental offensive linemen. RT Dawand Jones isn’t even a guy you have to develop all that much, he may not have any positional flexibility but he can start at RT right away. S Antonio Johnson, CB Clark Phillips III, and CB Darius Rush are all guys who have starting potential early in their NFL careers. Phillips is a slot corner only but he’ll be great at it.
• I have my fingers crossed for S Kaevon Merriweather from Iowa, I think he gets drafted late but he’s going to make a team as backup safety and special teams guy and eventually he’ll start for someone. Iowa defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Phil Parker is the best in the business and his guys are smart and well coached. Merriweather is just the latest in a long line of solid defensive backs from Iowa who stick around the NFL for quite a long time.