Another day of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the book! Just like the first night, it was exciting and had all the twists and turns. In total, there were 15 trades made between the 2nd and 3rd round. That’s the most ever for the second day of the NFL Draft.
Things kicked off quickly with Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll see if he can follow in his father’s footsteps and be Super Bowl champion in Pittsburgh.
- Thor Nystrom’s Best Remaining Day 3 Prospects
- NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers
- Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook
- Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
NFL Draft Day 3: Best Players Available
In addition to Porter Jr. being available, we saw quarterbacks such as Will Levis and Hendon Hooker available. The Titans moved up to the 34th overall pick to select Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions moved back a few different times and were still able to land Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker with the 68th overall pick.
As we saw every single position get selected outside of punters, there were all types of intriguing picks. While I don’t tend to do NFL Draft grades, I always like to look at the talent that’s still available on the third and final day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are some of the best players available for today!
While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Kelee Ringo when I watched him, it’s still surprising to see him available this late in the process. With teams such as the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks picking early in the 4th round, you’d have to think Ringo will be one of the first picks on day three. At 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, Ringo has the desired size and speed to play on the perimeter. He needs to improve his change of direction ability and his overall technique, but there’s potential for him at corner or safety in the NFL.
Luke Wypler (IOL – Ohio State)
One of my top-ranked interior offensive linemen, Luke Wypler tumbled down the draft board. Not sure if it has to do with medicals or the fact that he’s got shorter arms than most players at the position. But at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds with 31 5/8″ arms, there will be times when his core strength gets tested at the next level. It did feel like, with his movement skills and ability to reach block, he’d already be off the board, but that’s not the case. I’d expect the 27-game starter to be targeted by his favorite team, the New York Jets, with the 112th overall pick.
While we knew this wasn’t a great wide receiver class, it’s somewhat surprising to see A.T. Perry still available. At 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, he’s got the desired length and speed (4.47 seconds in the 40) to run vertically down the field and after the catch. Perry had consecutive seasons as a 1,000-yard receiver for Wake Forest. He plays with the suddenness needed to elude defenders, but maybe the 17 career drops from him are concerning teams. Teams such as Houston, Las Vegas and New England would make sense for him during the early portion of the 4th round.
Dawand Jones (OT – Ohio State)
Look, I’ll never tell a player what to do during the pre-draft process, but I think Dawand Jones should have performed more than one day at the Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds, Jones is massive, and he uses his length consistently to ride defenders out of the pocket. His foot speed will get tested, and his hand placement leads to far too many penalties (16 over the last two seasons per PFF). It’s hard to determine what landing spot works for him, but somewhere in the 4th round should be when we hear Jones’ name called.
Israel Abanikada (RB – Pittsburgh)
Late to the party on this player, I can see why so much buzz was generated around him. Abanikada moves incredibly well for a 5-foot-10 and 216-pound running back. He’s got the jump-cutting ability with breakaway speed that’s needed to have a role in the NFL. He’ll get touches early in his career as a 3rd down back, but it’s unclear if he’ll ever become anything more in the NFL. To me, he screams the Philadelphia Eagles type of back, but this is a name worth monitoring on the 3rd day of the draft.
One of my favorite players in this year’s draft, I feel like Eric Gray can instantly be a pass-catching back in the NFL. At 5-foot-9 and 207 pounds, he absorbs contact well and shows good lateral movement skills. I’m not sure if he’ll ever be a starting back in the NFL due to his lack of speed and because of his age (he will be 24 during week 9 of his rookie season). He’s a decisive runner that should be part of some type of committee in the NFL. I think the ideal fits for him would be in Buffalo or Tampa Bay.
Adetomiwa Adebawore (DL – Northwestern)
This one is really a head-scratcher. Signs were pointing to Adebawore being a potential first-round pick. Teams such as the Buccaneers and Seahawks did work on him, but maybe they held off due to medical concerns. Whatever the case may be, there’s plenty to be intrigued with when watching Adebawore. He’s an explosive interior defender that can align as a 3-technique or as a 4i-technique. He’ll defeat reach blocks at ease, and he should find a role as a rotational player to start his career. With his impressive athletic profile, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him outplay the round he gets drafted.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (CB – TCU)
I don’t care about size, I care about heart. Hodges-Tomlinson is an outlier due to his 5-foot-8 and 178-pound frame. However, if you put on the tape, he has that alpha mentality. He reminds me of Quandre Diggs but with better ball skills. He’ll need to become a better tackler in the NFL (22 missed tackles, per PFF), but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chargers selected him with the 125th overall pick. Keep in mind, his uncle is LaDainian Tomlinson.
Jordan McFadden (OL – Clemson)
Didn’t get to the tape of Jordan McFadden until the week before the draft. I’m sorry I waited so long because he’s an impressive left tackle despite only being 6-foot-2 and 303 pounds. McFadden is an intriguing guard/tackle for an NFL team due to his grip strength and ability to torque defenders. His lack of size could be the reason why he’s still available, but I could see him being a solid depth piece for a team. The Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots are two teams that are intriguing for his potential landing spot.
Everyone I spoke with prior to the NFL Draft mentioned how Cory Trice was going to go much sooner than expected. There must be concerns about the knee injury he sustained in the 2021 season. But when you put on the tape, you’ll see a patient and instinctive cornerback that stands 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds with sub 4.5 speed. It wouldn’t surprise me if Trice outplays his draft position.
Carter Warren (OT – Pittsburgh)
If it weren’t for the knee injury sustained by Warren earlier this season, he would have been off the board. Truly, I believe that. He’s consistent in both pass protection and as a run blocker. Add in his athletic ability as a 6-foot-5 and 311-pound tackle, and he becomes super intriguing. There’s swing tackle ability with him, and it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up being one of the better players from day three of the 2023 NFL Draft. Health will be the biggest concern for him.
Clark Phillips III (CB – Utah)
I liked Phillips as a round-three selection for the 2023 NFL Draft. Much of that was due to his lack of size (5-foot-9 and 184 pounds), and it felt like he was disinterested in tackling during this past season. However, if a team is able to get the player we saw from the 2021 season, then he can become a heck of a football player for a team. His ball skills (9 interceptions and 24 pass breakups) will be hard to pass in the 4th round for a team.
After an impressive week at the 2023 Senior Bowl, I thought we were going to see Kyu Blu Kelly get drafted sooner than expected. However, he’s still available as we enter the 4th round. On tape, he had average ball skills, but again, he showed patience and the ability to jump routes consistently in Mobile. With 32″ arms and 4.5 speed, there’s potential for Kelly to outplay his draft position. His father, Brian, played 11 years in the NFL and was teammates with Dan Campbell in Detroit during the 2008 season.
The potential is certainly there for Boutte. He’s a player that can run after the catch and has the size desired to play on the outside. However, he struggles with drops and has some concerning character concerns off-the-field. My assumption is that his shaky exit from the LSU football team is a major concern for NFL teams. I don’t think Boutte will go undrafted, but his performance at the Scouting Combine was less than ideal. If I had to guess on a potential team to take a swing on Boutte, I’d say the Chiefs or the 49ers.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB – UCLA)
My favorite day-three quarterback to be selected is DTR from UCLA. He took massive steps forward during the 2022 season. Much of that is due to the velocity he throws with and how he improved on his progressions. He’ll need to throw with more touch and won’t be able to take as many shots in the open field, but there’s much to be desired with DTR as a backup for an NFL team. I’d have to think teams such as the Eagles, 49ers and Patriots would be intrigued to take him in the 4th round.
Going with one of my favorite interior offensive linemen from two years ago, I’ll stick with him as he enters the NFL. Emil Ekiyor Jr. follows his father’s footsteps into the NFL. His father, Emil, spent six seasons in the NFL with the Bucs, Raiders and Falcons. On tape, I love the aggressiveness that is displayed by Ekiyor, and I think with how he operates in space, he should fit in a zone-blocking scheme nicely. With only two career sacks given up on 2,700 snaps, an NFL team is going to get an experienced guard that has the potential to start. I could see a team such as Detroit and Seattle having an interest in selecting him.
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles 
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