With the opening night of the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, there were plenty of surprises from the first round. I’ll save myself the time on talking about the Detroit Lions picks and surprises and instead, I’ll go over some of my favorite team fits from round one of the 2023 NFL Draft!
- Thor Nystrom’s Best Remaining Day 2 Prospects
- NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers
- Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook
- Dynasty Rookies: Best Remaining Day 2 Picks & Predictions
- Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
Calijah Kancey (DT – TB)
On a few of my radio spots prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, I talked in detail about how I think Calijah Kancey would fit well in Tampa Bay. Much of that is because he would be paired with Vita Vea on the interior of their defensive line. With Vea being a natural fit to plug the A-gap on a consistent basis, he’ll eat up double teams. We’ve seen that, but next to him, there’s been very little juice. By adding Kancey at the 19th overall pick, the Buccaneers get plenty of juice. With Kancey, he’s a bit of an outlier with his 281-pound frame but he’s consistently got a plan of attack. I’d look for him to move around the Bucs’ defensive front and provide an impact early in his career.
Broderick Jones (OT – PIT)
My top-ranked tackle landed right where I thought he would on opening night. Jones wasn’t the first tackle selected due to his inexperience (only 19 career starts), but he’s going to catch on quickly in the NFL. He moves well in space and has some of the more dominant run blocks on tape. With Jones, he should be able to play left or right tackle for the Steelers. At 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds and almost 35-inch arms, I’d expect him to protect the blindside of quarterback Kenny Pickett for some time.
Christian Gonzalez (CB – NE)
I’m still confused as to why my top-ranked cornerback fell down to the 17th overall pick. Christian Gonzalez was the best pure cover corner in the draft and should excel quickly in New England. With Gonzalez, he’s got fluid hips and excels at playing through the catch point on a consistent basis. At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, there’s much to be desired from his length and athleticism for New England. Gonzalez will come in and compete, but he’s got high-end traits to become one of the best, if not the best, cornerback from this year’s draft class.
Deonte Banks (CB – NYG)
It shouldn’t be surprising that the New York Giants gave defensive coordinator Wink Martindale a physical, press-man cornerback. After every single game watched, Deonte Banks consistently moved up my draft board. He was my third-ranked corner and ended up 12th overall on my board. With Banks, he plays physical and shows the fluidity needed when speed-turning towards a receiver. He’ll have to watch how much cloth he grabs at the next level, but with the 4.35 speed that he possesses at 197 pounds, he has the potential to be a shutdown corner for the Giants. He’ll need to improve his ball skills (11 career pass deflections and two interceptions) at the next level, but I like his chances to succeed in New York.
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
The one pick that got completely overlooked on the opening night of the draft was Bijan Robinson to the Atlanta Falcons. Much of that is due to the fact that the Lions passed on Bijan to move back and select Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick. With that, Bijan is a great fit in Atlanta for multiple reasons. For starters, he’s got the desired pass-catching ability and desired versatility to play in the slot as a pass-catcher or catch passes out of the backfield. He’s got the desired contact balance and change of direction ability to make defenders miss at ease. Last year, I was a huge fan of Tyler Allegier from BYU, but he’s no Bijan Robinson. This pick is about building up Desmond Ridder and getting him some weapons to take the next step. Robinson should be a 300+ touch back for the Falcons as a rookie and for many years to come.
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles
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