Thor’s 2023 NFL Draft Haul Rankings: Rookie Picks & UDFAs

My NFL Draft Haul Rankings combine each organization’s returns from the NFL Draft and UDFA processes to determine who brought in the most talent, and who got the best return on investment.

I used Rich Hill’s trade chart to determine draft equity spent. A modified version of it was used to estimate player value acquired. ROI was determined by a formula involving overall talent acquired against equity spent. The final rankings below are a weighted ROI that also take into account overall talent acquired.

Below, I give condensed thoughts on each team’s draft classes and UDFA crops. For my full thoughts, check out my NFC and AFC Draft grades and AFC and NFC UDFA rankings.

In this exercise, we’re trying to quantify who bought the most amount of talent with the least amount of draft equity. You can think of it like a Groupon guide to maximizing the NFL Draft process: Whose buck stretched the furthest?

• Dynasty Trade Value Chart
• Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
• Dynasty Rookie Draft Sleepers: QB | RB | WR | TE

1. Cleveland Browns

Talent Acquired: 18 | Draft Equity: 31 | ROI: 1 | Draft Grade: A- | UDFA rank: 12

NFL Draft: Due to the Deshaun Watson and Elijah Moore trades, Cleveland were working with the second-least draft equity in the NFL. They didn’t come on the clock until the No. 74 pick and had only four picks in the top-130. But the Browns still walked away with four prospects I ranked in the top-70 – WR Cedric Tillman, NT Siaki Ika, OT Dawand Jones, and EDGE Isaiah McGuire. All are going to contribute as rookies. By any measure, that was a grand slam within the confines Cleveland was working.

UDFA: The Browns’ UDFA crop was short on quantity, heavy on quality, with two prospects in my top-170, and four in my top-240. EDGE Lonnie Phelps projects as a pass-rushing specialist and special teams ace. It was a surprise to see S Ronnie Hickman go undrafted after last year’s breakthrough, where he allowed a 43.3% reception rate and 39.2 NFL passer rating against. Georgia Tech RB Hassan Hall has good speed, as well as receiving and returning chops. There probably isn’t roster room for both LB Mohamoud Diabate and LB Charlie Thomas on the 53, but there should be a spot for whichever of the two has the better camp.

Bottom Line: The Browns’ efficiency in this process can be seen in spending the second-least draft equity in the NFL while acquiring the 18th-most amateur talent – it was an ROI clinic.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Talent Acquired: 3 | Draft Equity: 10 | ROI: 3 | Draft Grade: A+ | UDFA rank: 31

NFL Draft: The Steelers came into this draft needing a starting offensive tackle, a starting cornerback, and a starting nose tackle. In Round 1, the Steelers got aggressive to grab the last of the consensus top-four offensive linemen, trading No. 17 and No. 120 to the Patriots for No. 14 to take OT Broderick Jones. With the No. 32 pick previously acquired from the Bears in the Chase Claypool trade, the Steelers accepted a gift from the NFL to take CB Joey Porter Jr. Pittsburgh was far from done, stealing TE Darnell Washington in Round 3, LB Nick Herbig in Round 4, and CB Cory Trice in Round 7.

UDFA: This was a good landing spot for Iowa FB Monte Pottebaum. The Steelers’ 2022 starter at fullback, Derek Watt, remains a free agent. Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan also made a good decision, signing with a team that only has QBs Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky on the roster. Morgan is accurate and experienced (9.454 yards and 65 TD), but he lacks athleticism and arm strength, and has a history of concussions. Iowa State OL Trevor Downing was a good collegiate interior lineman who is experienced at both guard and center, but he’s undersized at 6-foot-3, 299 pounds.

Bottom Line: You can nitpick the UDFA effort, but you can’t deny that the Steelers absolutely destroyed the draft.

3. Indianapolis Colts

Talent Acquired: 2 | Draft Equity: 5 | ROI: 5 | Draft Grade: A+ | UDFA rank: 22

NFL Draft: The bold Anthony Richardson pick set the tone for an audacious draft that infused the roster with athleticism. CB Julius Brents is a 6-foot-3 press-man corner with the longest wingspan for a corner (82 5/8 “) ever recorded at the NFL Combine and a 9.99 RAS score. The next three picks were all bonanza values – WR Josh Downs, OT Blake Freeland, and DL Adetomiwa Adebawore. Indy’s chips are now in the center of the table.

UDFA: Indianapolis signed only one prospect inside my pre-draft top-390. But Indy managed to rank No. 22 in my UDFA class rankings because of the quality of the one marquee UDFA they did sign: Alabama OG Emil Ekiyor Jr. He’s an unorthodox sub-6’3 guard who doesn’t have elite athleticism. But Ekiyor was a three-year starter under Nick Saban who has much better length than you’d expect from his height (82 5/8″ wingspan). He’s springy off the snap and always wins the leverage game. I expect him to stick on the active roster.

Bottom Line: If the Colts are contending for a Super Bowl in three years, it will be because of this draft class.

4. Denver Broncos

Talent Acquired: 23 | Draft Equity: 29 | ROI: 2 | Draft Grade: B | UDFA rank: 17

NFL Draft: The Broncos came into Draft Weekend with no first-round pick and very little equity. But they made up for lost time on Friday night, with a slick two-step at Nos. 63 and 67, taking WR Marvin Mims and LB Drew Sanders. Both were top-50 on my board. I expect each to start as rookies. CB Riley Moss was another strong value. Moss is a great athlete who had a sensational career.

UDFA: Denver signed two UDFA that I had draftable grades on: OT Alex Palczewski and EDGE Thomas Incoom. Palczewski tied the FBS record with 65 career starts and played 4,390 snaps at Illinois. His pass blocking has improved, he has good size and length, and he is a solid athlete (7.78 RAS). Incoom’s combination of size and athleticism (8.54 RAS) are worth betting on, and he’s already a solid run defender. But he racked up his 11.5 sacks last year mostly on athleticism and hustle, and is going to need to diversify his pass-rushing plan of attack at the next level.

Bottom Line: The Broncos added immediate help to its roster despite spending the fourth-least equity in the NFL.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Talent Acquired: 6 | Draft Equity: 6 | ROI: 9 | Draft Grade: A+ | UDFA rank: 8

NFL Draft: Philly hit the jackpot in the first round. DT Jalen Carter fell to No. 9, and GM Howie Roseman chipped in a 2024 fourth-rounder to Chicago to move up one slot to get him. Next, EDGE Nolan Smith, a popular mock-draft selection to the Eagles at Philly’s original No. 10 slot, fell all the way to the Eagles’ slot at No. 30. On Saturday, the Eagles stopped the freefall of CB Kelee Ringo to add to its collection of Georgia defenders. Pick-after-pick, Roseman matched value with need. Then he stole RB D’Andre Swift from the Lions for a 2025 fourth-rounder.

UDFA: CB Mekhi Garner, OT Trevor Reid, and CB Eli Ricks were all ranked inside the top-175 of my board. (And WR Jadon Haselwood, LB Ben VanSumeren, and WR Joseph Ngata were all in the top-325). Garner and Ricks are long boundary corners who cut their teeth at the highest level of college football. On physical tools alone, in a shallow OT class, I was really surprised the 6-foot-4, 311-pound Reid wasn’t picked. He has an insane 7-foot-1 wingspan with a 96th-percentile athletic composite.

Bottom Line: Pick-after-pick, GM Howie Roseman matched value with need, then he picked up RB D’Andre Swift for a song, along with three draftable prospects in the UDFA bin – nifty weekend at the office.

6. Tennessee Titans

Talent Acquired: 8 | Draft Equity: 7 | ROI: 13 | Draft Grade: A | UDFA rank: 15

NFL Draft: There were ample rumors that Tennessee would take QB Will Levis at No. 11 if he was available. The Titans, smartly, did not panic and reach when he was. They instead accepted strong value at a position of need in OL Peter Skoronski, who I ranked as the class’ best offensive lineman. Then, in Round 2, with Levis having plummeted down the board, the Titans got aggressive. Tennessee flipped No. 41, No. 72, and a 2024 third-rounder to Arizona for No. 32 (Levis) and No. 81. RB Tyjae Spears was one of my favorite prospects in the draft. Spears is unfair in the open field.

UDFA: This year’s UDFA crop was headlined by OT John Ojukwu. Ojukwu is a strong athlete (8.72 RAS) with outstanding length (83 5/8″ wingspan). WR Jacob Copeland and WR Kearis Jackson each have a chance to crack the thin receiver room. Jackson isn’t big, and he isn’t a burner (4.55 forty), but his mature approach and special-teams utility give him a shot. Copeland ran a 4.42 forty at 201 pounds with an 8.19 RAS during the pre-draft process. OLB Thomas Rush was a team captain at Minnesota who posted a 90th-percentile size-adjusted athletic composite.

Bottom Line: Between the strong draft and a decent UDFA crop, this was a slick work from Tennessee’s new administration.

7. Buffalo Bills

Talent Acquired: 15 | Draft Equity: 23 | ROI: 6 | Draft Grade: A | UDFA rank: 23

NFL Draft: The Bills came into Draft Weekend with a need for a compliment to WR Stefon Diggs. They addressed that with the best receiver in the class – TE Dalton Kincaid. Don’t let his position designation fool you. In Round 2, the Bills stole OG O’Cyrus Torrence. Torrence is a superb OG prospect who didn’t give up a sack over his four-year college career. I’m a big fan of LB Dorian Williams, an athletic linebacker with long arms who excels in coverage and cleans up messes (131 tackles last year). Williams may start as a rookie.

UDFA: The Bills’ UDFA class wasn’t deep, but it did feature two prospects in my pre-draft top-260 – WR Jalen Wayne and OT Richard Gouraige. Wayne, the nephew of former Colts legend Reggie Wayne, has good size, and he’s a route-running technician like his uncle – he’ll need that to overcome average athleticism. Gouraige, who reunites with 2022 teammate O’Cyrus Torrence in Buffalo, will be aided in his quest for a roster spot by his versatility. In college, he made 25 starts at LT and 17 at LG.

Bottom Line: Superb process for the Bills, who managed to add immediate help to a Super Bowl-caliber roster despite a lack of draft equity.

8. Miami Dolphins

Talent Acquired: 27 | Draft Equity: 30 | ROI: 4 | Draft Grade: B | UDFA rank: 8

NFL Draft: If you’re light on picks – as Miami was after forfeiting their Round 1 selection and trading away a few Day 3 selections – you need to make them count. The Dolphins did just that on Draft Weekend. At No. 51, Miami stopped the fall of CB Cam Smith, who I saw as a first-round talent. RB Devon Achane was a classic Mike McDaniels/Kyle Shanahan pick. Achane possesses world-class speed and is a threat to hit a homer every time he steps to the plate.

UDFA: This year’s UDFA crop was led by three prospects I ranked inside my pre-draft top-300 – DB Keidron Smith, LB Aubrey Miller Jr., and LB Zeke Vandenburgh. Considering the lack of linebacker depth Miami had in its 3-4 base, the post-draft aggression in the linebacker market made sense. Miller and Vandenburgh may be duking it out for a Week 1 roster spot. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Smith earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2022.

Bottom Line: Despite making only four draft picks – a mere two of which came in the top-195 – the Dolphins emerged from the process with six prospects I ranked inside the top-230.

9. Houston Texans

Talent Acquired: 1 | Draft Equity: 1 | ROI: 24 | Draft Grade: C | UDFA rank: 26

NFL Draft: The Texans stunned the draft world by taking QB CJ Stroud – who they had whispered to media sources they weren’t interested in – and then trading up for the No. 3 pick to take Will Anderson. The Stroud decision was correct. And how can you quibble with Anderson as a prospect? My only question was the price the Texans paid to get up from No. 12 to get him, tossing in the No. 33 pick and 2024 first- and third-rounders for No. 3 and No. 105. I disagreed with Houston’s picks after Thursday, with the exceptions of WR Tank Dell and LB Henry To’oTo’o.

UDFA: After spending a metric-ton of equity in this year’s NFL Draft, Houston decided to play things more conservatively in the UDFA market. LSU EDGE Ali Gaye has a built-in-a-lab frame and length, he plays hard, and he flashed promise as a pass-rusher in Baton Rouge. But his instincts are a work-in-progress, and he plays high, an unfortunate habit for an edge defender who lacks play strength as is. But I think both he and RB Xazavian Valladay will make the roster. Valladay is a strong athlete (9.46 RAS) and a skilled receiver.

Bottom Line: Houston added more talent to its roster than any other NFL team during the draft process – but that talent had better help turn around the ship quickly with Houston out its R1 pick next year.

10. Cincinnati Bengals

Talent Acquired: 17 | Draft Equity: 25 | ROI: 8 | Draft Grade: A- | UDFA rank: 27

NFL Draft: EDGE Myles Murphy appears to have gotten caught in a numbers game in a top-heavy edge class in dropping into Cincy’s lap in Round 1. CB DJ Turner isn’t a complete product yet, but he’s got 4.2s wheels and swatted away 20 passes over the last two years. S Jordan Battle played over 3,000 snaps for Nick Saban in college and posted strong 80.0-plus PFF coverage grades each of the last three seasons. Cincy also added a ton of speed to the offense on the cheap on Saturday with RB Chase Brown and WR Andrei Iosivas.

UDFA: OL Jaxson Kirkland was the only prospect in Cincy’s UDFA class that I had a draftable grade on. The 6-foot-7, 321-pound Kirkland is a mediocre athlete and he’s always going to play too high, but he’s a good pass-blocker who plays with strong technique. LB Hayward ran a 4.53 forty and posted a 7.94 RAS at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds. WR Jackson is the nephew of Bo Jackson. His calling cards are 4.3 wheels and explosive acceleration into it. But Jackson only had more than 16 catches in a season once.

Bottom Line: I was surprised that the Bengals didn’t take a tight end in an atypically-good TE class, but you can’t argue with the value the Bengals got in their slots.

11. Carolina Panthers

Talent Acquired: 4 | Draft Equity: 2 | ROI: 16 | Draft Grade: B- | UDFA rank: 10

NFL Draft: The Panthers made the right decision in taking QB Bryce Young at 1.1. Young will present a puzzle to NFL defenses that is utterly unique from what they’ve seen before. WR Jonathan Mingo was a reach in early-R2. The movement Mingo’s exceptional pre-draft testing suggested was not apparent on his film. But I appreciated Carolina’s value-shopping on Saturday, grabbing OG Chandler Zavala and S Jammie Robinson. If Zavala’s body holds up, how fun is it going to see him with OT Ikem Ekwonu again? Those two together were atomic bombs at NC State, cratering out their side of the line of scrimmage.

UDFA: Carolina’s class was filled with good players who got pushed out of the draft because of so-so athleticism. CB Rejzohn Wright is a long boundary corner with cover chops who must overcome movement concerns. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound RB Camerun Peoples is an imposing grinder who gets after it in pass-pro but lacks high-end speed. He could hang on a roster for his willingness to do an NFL backfield’s dirty work. Oklahoma DT Jalen Redmond is a former mega-recruit who was wildly inconsistent in college. Redmond has a shot to stick around as a situational pass-rushing three-tech.

Bottom Line: Carolina got the draft’s best player, had a strong Day 3, and followed that up with top-10 UDFA haul.

12. Seattle Seahawks

Talent Acquired: 5 | Draft Equity: 3 | ROI: 17 | Draft Grade: C+ | UDFA rank: 1

NFL Draft: CB Devon Witherspoon is one of my favorite corners to enter the NFL in my five years evaluating the draft. He is going to be a star. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is exactly what this offense needed – a stud slot to take advantage of the intermediate space that DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett naturally open up. I loved RB Zach Charbonnet as much as anyone – he was my RB2 – but that a confusing pick with Kenneth Walker on the roster. I liked Seattle’s upside shot on athletic freak OG Anthony Bradford in Round 4. But I thought the Seahawks were inefficient with their other picks on Saturday.

UDFA: Seattle’s signing of 17 players on my 500-player big board easily led the NFL. WRs Matt Landers, C.J. Johnson, and Jake Bobo were all top-12 UDFA WRs on my board. Landers is the size/athleticism upside play, Johnson is the big slot with ball skills who lacks athleticism, and Bobo is a big boundary receiver who will need acumen and polish to overcome a lack of quickness and speed. FB Griffin Hebert has a versatile skill set, and he proved to be a souped-up athlete during pre-draft testing. A sneaky candidate to make the Week 1 roster is DE MJ Anderson. The Seahawks only had three active DE on the roster when he signed.

Bottom Line: In my “talent added” metric, the Seahawks finished No. 5 in the NFL, but they spent the third-most equity to get there – still, Round 1 was a bonanza, and Seattle lapped the field in the UDFA process.

13. Las Vegas Raiders

Talent Acquired: 9 | Draft Equity: 7 | ROI: 14 | Draft Grade: B- | UDFA rank: 20

NFL Draft: Dreams of getting one of the draft’s top-three quarterbacks didn’t materialize, but EDGE Tyree Wilson, picked at No. 7, was an inspired consolation prize. In Round 2, the Raiders seized the moment to stop TE Michael Mayer‘s fall, swapping No. 38 and No. 141 to the Colts for No. 35. He’s a true dual-threat inline tight end who blocks his tail off and moves the chains as a receiver in the intermediate area. The two third-rounders – DT Byron Young and WR Tre Tucker – were both massive reaches.

UDFA: Las Vegas did well to sign a trio of UDFA prospects in my pre-draft top-275. I graded Chatanooga OL McClendon Curtis as a fifth-rounder. He has experience starting at both guard and tackle, and his strong combination of frame, length, and athleticism are a fit at either spot. OT Dalton Wagner is an enormous presence at 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds with an 83-inch plus wingspan. He surrendered a mere 31 pressures over 669 pass-pro snaps the past two seasons.

Bottom Line: I loved what the Raiders did early in the draft, but they were docked for the Round 3 reaches and for the mediocre UDFA haul.

14. Detroit Lions

Talent Acquired: 7 | Draft Equity: 4 | ROI: 21 | Draft Grade: C | UDFA rank: 4

NFL Draft: The Lions made one of the most shocking selections of the past several drafts when they took RB Jahmyr Gibbs at 1.12. Six picks after Gibbs, the Lions threw another curveball, taking LB Jack Campbell. Campbell was one of my favorite players in this entire class – but man, that was aggressive. But Detroit had a stellar Friday with TE Sam LaPorta and S Brian Branch. LaPorta caught 30.2% of Iowa’s market share last season. Branch at No. 45 was one of the draft’s biggest steals. I railed against the absurd idea of Hendon Hooker as a first-rounder all spring, but he was a fine value in Round 3.

UDFA: The Lions were very active on Saturday night, signing five prospects in my pre-draft top-300. UAB CB Starling Thomas V is a polished three-year starter with 4.38 wheels who slipped through the cracks due to size and level-of-competition concerns. He finished No. 4 among FBS CBs last year in forced incompletion rate. S Brandon Joseph was a 2020 first-team All-American at Northwestern, but he didn’t wow during his final campaign at Notre Dame, and his pre-testing underwhelmed. RB Mo Ibrahim will produce as a meat-and-potatoes early-down back at the next level if he ever gets the shot.

Bottom Line: The “we-don’t-give-a-f***-what-you-think” draft class brought in several instant-contributors, and Detroit followed that up with a stellar UDFA crop.

15. New England Patriots

Talent Acquired: 12 | Draft Equity: 14 | ROI: 13 | Draft Grade: B+ | UDFA rank: 32

NFL Draft: On Thursday night, the Patriots added No. 120 from the Steelers to move down three slots to take the guy they would have taken anyway, CB Christian Gonzalez (while depriving the rival Jets of OT Broderick Jones, who was taken by Pittsburgh). EDGE Keion White was an awesome value in mid-R2. The Pats’ defensive staff will have great fun making use of White’s versatility. Sidy Sow was my favorite OL sleeper in this class. Polish him off in pass-pro and you’ve got an athletic road grader who starts for years. New England apparently has thoughts of thoughts of experimenting with him at tackle.

UDFA: The Patriots aren’t an organization that sustainably invests in the UDFA process. This year, more of the same. With one notable exception. The Patriots gave Louisville QB Malik Cunningham $200,000 in total guarantees. Cunningham needs a lot of work in the pocket to become an NFL-viable passer. But he’s a tremendous athlete who posted a 97th-percentile 10-yard split and 95th-percentile 40-yard-dash. Talking to the press after his signing, Cunningham suggested he’s open to trying another position if asked.

Bottom Line: Just like every year, roughly half of New England’s picks I saw as steals, while the other half made me scratch my dome – but the Patriots’ overall efficiency this process can be seen in their No. 13 ROI finish.

16. New York Giants

Talent Acquired: 19 | Draft Equity: 20 | ROI: 10 | Draft Grade: B+ | UDFA rank: 19

NFL Draft: The Giants stole CB Deonte Banks at 1.25. In Round 2, New York opened another present the NFL had gift-wrapped for them – C John Michael Schmidt. It was not a well-kept secret that the center-desperate Giants loved Schmidt during this process. In Round 3, the Giants finally needed to scratch their receiver itch, taking WR Jalin Hyatt. Day 3 wasn’t as much of a bonanza, but I did like New York’s pick of RB Eric Gray. Gray is small and isn’t an elite athlete, but he’s got a versatile skill set that stresses defenses.

UDFA: The most intriguing signing was WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton. New York clearly wanted to address its WR corps during Draft Weekend, but circumstances – including a four-WR run in front of them in Round 1 – dictated that the only receiver the Giants selected was Jalin Hyatt in Round 3. Ford-Wheaton was inconsistent throughout his collegiate career, but you can’t teach his athleticism in a 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame – including a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 41-inch vertical. There might be an LB spot on the 53 for whichever UDFA looks best in camp amongst Habakkuk Baldonado, Troy Brown and Dyontae Johnson.

Bottom Line: Making Round 2 of the playoffs meant New York was working with far less draft equity this year than they’re used to – the Giants did well to maximize the resources they had, ranking top-10 in the NFL in ROI this process.

17. Tampa Bay Bucs

Talent Acquired: 16 | Draft Equity: 17 | ROI: 12 | Draft Grade: B- | UDFA rank: 2

NFL Draft: DT Calijah Kancey is a havoc-wreaker with souped-up athleticism. It is impossible to keep him out of the backfield. Speaking of athleticism, OL Cody Mauch moves as well as any offensive lineman in this class. Due to Mauch’s lack of length and inconsistent technique in pass-pro on the outside, I think his best fit in the NFL is at guard. With the rest of the picks, Tampa Bay did well to blend high-floor cost certainty and high-upside dart throws in appropriate slots.

UDFA: The Bucs signed four UDFA prospects who were in my pre-draft top-206: S Kaevon Merriweather, WR Rakim Jarrett, RB Sean Tucker, and LB Jeremy Banks. Jarrett is a former five-star recruit who could surprise if he can correct his drop issues. I was surprised Merriweather went undrafted. He has a strong chance to crack the 53: Tampa Bay only three safeties on the active roster prior to his signing. Tucker, similarly, made a good landing-spot decision. Tampa Bay was expected to select an RB in the draft but didn’t. If Tucker can stay on the field, he could be a UDFA gem – he’s one of the most explosive backs in this class.

Bottom Line: The draft class wasn’t sexy, but it has the potential to move the needle for a franchise that desperately needed a talent infusion – Tampa kept that ethos into Saturday night, with a strong showing in the UDFA carousel that’ll improve the bottom of the roster.

18. Baltimore Ravens

Talent Acquired: 24 | Draft Equity: 27 | ROI: 11 | Draft Grade: B | UDFA rank: 11

NFL Draft: I didn’t expect the Ravens to go receiver after signing WRs Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham. But I didn’t have any problem with Zay Flowers at 23. Flowers may start out in the slot, but he can absolutely play on the outside in the NFL. After years of cobbling together a procession of poor receiving corps, the Ravens now have four starting-caliber NFL receivers. I was lower on LB Trenton Simpson than almost anyone in the media, ranking him LB4. Still, objectively, getting the athletic freak at No. 86 was good value (he was No. 62 on my board). I also liked what Baltimore did on Day 3.

UDFA: The Ravens won a frenzied post-draft bidding war for RB Keaton Mitchell, whose father, Anthony Mitchell, is a former Raven who earned a Super Bowl ring after originally signing as a UDFA. If everything clicks, Mitchell is another Raheem Mostert. He is a homerun hitter who boasts 4.37 wheels. WR Dontay Demus Jr. boasts good size and a strong athletic profile. He has good feet for his size, and his hands are reliable, with a career single-digit drop-rate. Demus went undrafted because he regressed in 2022. But the door is open to steal Baltimore’s WR6 gig with a strong camp. The 6-foot-4, 335-pound Manning is a north-south phone booth scrapper who fits what Baltimore typically looks for in a guard.

Bottom Line: Working with the sixth-least draft equity in the NFL, the Ravens maximized their selections and carried the efficiency into the UDFA process, where they reeled in a strong crop featuring multiple prospects who could crack the Week 1 roster.

19. Atlanta Falcons

Talent Acquired: 11 | Draft Equity: 11 | ROI: 18 | Draft Grade: C+ | UDFA rank: 29

NFL Draft: I wouldn’t use a top-10 pick on a running back. But RB Bijan Robinson is a stud. Per PFF charting dating back to 2014, Robinson is tied with Javonte Williams for the highest career missed tackle rate (39%). OT Matthew Bergeron was a slight reach at No. 38, but I’m not going to quibble too much about that one – the tackle class dropped off significantly shortly after that. The pick I loved of Atlanta’s class was CB ​​Clark Phillips in Round 4. Phillips is relegated to the slot in the NFL, but he’s gonna be a good one.

UDFA: EDGE Ikenna Enechukwu has an NFL frame, NFL length, and NFL speed and burst. But Enechukwu’s stiffness at his size makes him a bit of a tweener – can he add weight during a practice squad year to kick inside? WR Justin Marshall is a strapping 6’2/205 with long speed (4.48). On 172 career targets over 14.1 aDOT, Marshall had strong showings of an 8.3% career drop rate and a 51.0% career contested catch rate. I’m calling my shot: Marshall makes this team and sees the field as a rookie.

Bottom Line: The Falcons had a decent draft, but they got nicked for eschewing positional value and then for sleeping through the UDFA free-for-all.

20. Arizona Cardinals

Talent Acquired: 13 | Draft Equity: 12 | ROI: 19 | Draft Grade: D+ | UDFA rank: 24

NFL Draft: I like OT Paris Johnson Jr. But is there a big enough qualitative gap between him and OT Broderick Jones to justify giving up No. 34 and No. 168 (while getting back No. 81) to move up to get him? The only pick in this class I really liked was WR Michael Wilson. Wilson has an extremely unique ability to slam on the breaks into route breaks and accelerate quickly out of them for a big receiver. That’ll play at the next level – with the standard Wilson caveat “if he can stay on the field.”

UDFA: The Cardinals didn’t get any UDFA that I had a draftable grade on, but they did bring in five on my top-500 board. My favorite of that group is TE Blake Whiteheart, who has some receiving chops. One of Whiteheart and fellow UDFA TE Joel Honigford has a chance to crack the 53 – the team’s depth behind TEs Zack Ertz and Trey McBride is poor. Local ASU LB Kyle Soelle has always been an intriguing size/athleticism proposition, and the light started to flicker on until last season. He has a shot to crack the thin LB room, while RB Emari Demercado could do the same in the weak RB room.

Bottom Line: The best thing the Cardinals did this process was stock up on picks for next years’s draft – as for the 2023 rookie crop, Arizona could have done a better job maximizing its efficiency.

21. Los Angeles Chargers

Talent Acquired: 20 | Draft Equity: 19 | ROI: 15 | Draft Grade: C+ | UDFA rank: 14

NFL Draft: In the first 85 picks, the Chargers took two prospects I am extremely bullish on – WR Quentin Johnston and LB Daiyan Henley. Johnston is the only receiver in this class who has a clear path to becoming a star boundary receiver in the NFL. Henley is still learning the linebacker position, but the upside is clear. He’s a natural pass-rusher, he has a knack for zone coverage, and he’s a reliable tackler. I wasn’t as big a fan of the Chargers’ other picks.

UDFA: Coastal Carolina NT Jerrod Clark, my No. 1 overall UDFA, is a converted TE. He weighs over 330 pounds with an 82-inch wingspan and moves like a smaller DT. CB Brown was converted from WR to CB as a freshman. He needed a big pre-draft process and he didn’t get it, posting a 3.48 RAS. Still, Brown has good size, he’s a willing run defender, and his ball skills will play up if he can start snapping his head around to contest at the catch point, a work-in-progress area right now. The Chargers’ lack of secondary depth gives both Brown and Ole Miss S AJ Finley a fighting chance to make the 53.

Bottom Line: Classic hit-it-down-the-fairway process – the Chargers did well to augment the roster, but its 2023 crop isn’t likely to move the team up or down the NFL’s hierarchy.

22. Green Bay Packers

Talent Acquired: 10 | Draft Equity: 9 | ROI: 23 | Draft Grade: C- | UDFA rank: 25

NFL Draft: EDGE Lukas Van Ness’ speed-to-power machinations are going to give NFC North offensive tackles headaches. After that, things got weird. I thought the reaches for WR Jayden Reed and TE Luke Musgrave in Round 2 were egregious. But I loved the value on TE Tucker Kraft 36 selections after Musgrave. I didn’t agree with many picks that came after that, but I liked Green Bay’s shots on WR Dontayvion Wicks and DT Karl Brooks. Both are unorthodox players whose utility wasn’t fully appreciated by the NFL for explicitly that reason.

UDFA: Traditionally, the Packers avoid UDFA bidding wars and don’t pay out much money. Same story this year. My favorite of the Packers’ signings was UAB OT Kadeem Telfort. Telfort is coming up from the G5, and he’s not a good athlete. But he’s blessed with an ideal NFL frame at 6’7 1/2 and a ludicrous 86-inch wingspan. Telfort played 800-or-more snaps each of the past two seasons and posted PFF grades of 71.8 and 75.2. Don’t be surprised if he hangs around.

Bottom Line: This was far from a disastrous process, but the Packers could have done better with the NFL’s ninth-highest amount of draft equity.

23. New Orleans Saints

Talent Acquired: 21 | Draft Equity: 18 | ROI: 20 | Draft Grade: C | UDFA rank: 13

NFL Draft: I had Clemson DT Bryan Bresee, the No. 29 pick, exactly No. 29 on my board. I didn’t love New Orleans’ Friday night. With the depth of the running back class what it was, I’m not sure it was wise to use a top-75 pick on RB Kendre Miller. However, the Saints bounced back with a very strong Saturday, between OL Nick Saldiveri, QB Jake Haener, and WR AT Perry. Saldiveri could start at multiple spots in the NFL, Haener’s leaked S2 score was in the Purdy football-Mensa range, and Perry presents problems down the field with his 6-foot-10 wingspan and ball skills.

UDFA: For the first time in the five years I’ve ranked UDFA classes, the Saints did not finish in the top-10. It wasn’t for a lack of spending. The Saints gave more than $200,000 guaranteed to both WR Shaq Davis and LB Anfernee Orji. The Saints love UDFA WRs like Davis: Long, stretched-out prospects with athletic traits. David has a ridiculous 82 3/8″ wingspan that is more like an edge rusher than a wide receiver. LB Orji has the athletic traits to surprise at the next level. But he’ll need to be polished. CB Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder with good size, length, and ball production, but mediocre athleticism and a tendency to get grabby when beat.

Bottom Line: The Saints were dinged for questionable decisions on Day 2, but I can’t argue with the rest of their work over Draft Weekend.

24. Chicago Bears

Talent Acquired: 14 | Draft Equity: 8 | ROI: 28 | Draft Grade: D | UDFA rank: 21

NFL Draft: I couldn’t have taken OT Darnell Wright in the top-10, because I don’t think he can be a standout NFL left tackle. And I hated the DT Gervon Dexter Sr. and CB Tyrique Stevenson picks. But the Bears’ draft class was redeemed with slick value shopping on Day 3. I loved the value they got at positions of need with RB Roschon Johnson and CB Terell Smith in particular. I believe Johnson will start as a rookie and have a Dameon Pierce-like impact. Smith is an intriguing sleeper. The light flipped on last season, and then Smith tested like the freak Gophers coaches had forwarded him as.

UDFA: QB Tyson Bagent was a prolific high school and college quarterback. I thought Bagent had done enough during his pre-draft process to hear his name called on Day 3. Chicago’s lack of depth along the offensive line and in the linebacking corps offer LB Micah Baskerville, OG Lorenz Metz and OTs Chris Toth and Gabe Houy the real hope of making the 53. WR Aron Cruickshank needs to make the team on the back of his return ability. Keep an eye on RB Andrew Clair and FB Robert Burns. Chicago’s backfield situation is more crowded today than it was pre-draft, but Clair and Burns were overlooked talents who can hang in the NFL.

Bottom Line: The Bears are better today than they were pre-draft, but Chicago’s No. 28 ROI ranking indicates that this process was a missed opportunity.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars

Talent Acquired: 25 | Draft Equity: 21 | ROI: 24 | Draft Grade: C- | UDFA rank: 28

NFL Draft: The Jaguars reached a bit for OT Anton Harrison, but you can forgive them for that. The offensive tackle class fell off a cliff after him. My bigger issue was the reach on TE Brenton Strange in Round 2. I thought Strange was an underrated player in a very deep tight end class – versatile game and a strong blocker. But the depth of the tight end class is why there was no reason to panic-pick him at No. 61. The Jags salvaged their grade with nice value buys on RB Tank Bigsby, LB Yasir Abdullah, and, especially, nickel defender Antonio Johnson.

UDFA: On Saturday of the NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected three late-round defensive backs. Once the draft concluded, they made BYU CB Kaleb Hayes the centerpiece of a meager UDFA haul. The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder blazed a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine along with a 40-inch vertical en route to a sparkling 9.75 RAS. TE Leonard Taylor was never featured in the Cincinnati passing offense, but he’s got plenty of field experience along with an NFL frame. There’s also a spot available for whoever performs better in camp between UDFA WRs Jaray Jenkins and Elijah Cooks due to Jacksonville’s thin receiving room.

Bottom Line: Jacksonville’s process was defined by too much reaching during the NFL Draft, and not enough effort during the UDFA free-for-all.

26. New York Jets

Talent Acquired: 22 | Draft Equity: 16 | ROI: 27 | Draft Grade: D+ | UDFA rank: 9

NFL Draft: EDGE Will McDonald is a fun prospect. Undersized but long-levered and souped-up, he was a disruptive force in the Big 12. I just question the value at No. 15 when guys like Myles Murphy and Nolan Smith didn’t go until No. 28 and No. 30, respectively. New York’s best pick of the weekend was TE Zack Kuntz at No. 220. Kuntz is a historically-freaky athlete who was only available where he was because of context – he got stuck behind Pat Freiermuth out of high school, and was an unfair assignment for G5 defenders in 2021 before a season-ending season-ending knee injury last October.

UDFA: Southern Miss WR Jason Brownlee should have been drafted. But circumstances conspired against him – his three years of FBS football were all mired with horrific quarterback play. Brownlee has NFL size at 6’2/198 with an 80 3/8″ wingspan. His 4.59 forty isn’t impressive, but he’s a strong overall athlete whose jumps were both 94th-percentile-or-higher with a 79th-percentile 10-yard split. He’s a proven downfield winner who can make the contested catch. EDGE Deslin Alexandre, reuniting with former Pitt teammates OL Carter Warren and RB Israel Abanikanda, Alexandre is a well-rounded player with NFL-caliber measurables.

Bottom Line: The Jets gave up too much in the Aaron Rodgers trade (not included in grade), then had an uninspiring draft afterwards – the top-10 UDFA haul was unable to salvage the bottom-6 ROI ranking.

27. Minnesota Vikings

Talent Acquired: 30 | Draft Equity: 28 | ROI: 22 | Draft Grade: D+ | UDFA rank: 7

NFL Draft: The Vikings made the correct three-dimensional-chess call the first two days of the draft, using 1.23 on WR Jordan Addison – the last of the class’ consensus-four top WR – and then picking up two extra picks in a trade-down with the 49ers to select the CB they wanted anyway, his USC teammate Mekhi Blackmon. Minnesota’s lack of equity and cap problems boxed them into a corner that they needed to continue to punch out of on Saturday. With one exception – RB DeWayne McBride, who will see the field as a rookie – I just didn’t see that.

UDFA: Minnesota gave Army EDGE Andre Carter II, who had 15.5 sacks in 2021, a UDFA-record $340,000 in guaranteed money. Carter II has intriguing pass-rushing upside, but he’ll be unplayable against the run until he hits the weights and substantially improves his play strength. He’s making the 2023 roster. Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. was my No. 2 overall UDFA. He was PFF’s top-graded FBS linebacker (including No. 3 in run defense and No. 1 in pass-rushing grade). A muscle-hamster type, Pace plays with plugged-into-a-reactor energy and a take-no-prisoners bent for violence.

Bottom Line: Entering Draft Weekend capped-out and holding little pick equity, the Vikings were hamstrung – still, a better job could have been done maximizing the value of the picks that were made.

28. Los Angeles Rams

Talent Acquired: 28 | Draft Equity: 26 | ROI: 26 | Draft Grade: C- | UDFA rank: 16

NFL Draft: The Rams’ strategy of eschewing upside for cost-certainty with their 14 picks is likely to convert the lion’s share of this haul into roster cogs and multiple into immediate starters, most prominently TCU’s Steve Avila. The Stetson Bennett pick at No. 128 was ludicrous, but the Rams got serious late with strong value pulls on OT Warren McClendon, WR Puka Nacua, and CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. This is the perfect situation for Nacua – an underrated prospect with a diverse skillset and the ability to play both inside and outside. Sean McVay knows how to use guys like this.

UDFA: The Rams did solid work signing eight guys on my pre-draft 500-board. Unless LS Alex Ward has a disastrous camp, he’s making the team as the Rams’ new long snapper. It would also appear that UDFA K Christopher Dunn has a strong shot to win the team’s kicker job, giving Los Angeles a rookie-heavy special teams core in addition to R7 P Ethan Evans (both returner jobs will also likely be occupied by rookies). I compared S Quindell Johnson to Reed Blankenship – now, Johnson is looking to copy Blankenship’s path to early NFL success from the UDFA ranks.

Bottom Line: There’s nothing about what the Rams did, but the meat-and-potatoes approach will plug holes on the swiss-cheese 2023 roster, something that was desperately needed.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

Talent Acquired: 29 | Draft Equity: 24 | ROI: 29 | Draft Grade: D- | UDFA rank: 4

NFL Draft: I would have taken Keion White in Round 1, but it’s hard to quibble too much with Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The organization certainly had boots-on-the-ground exposure to him, with Anudike-Uzomah playing nearby in Manhattan. I thought it was interesting that the Chiefs popped WR Rashee Rice in Round 2. When Rice is on, he’s very difficult to deal with down the field – and he’s proven he can win at all three sectors of the field. When he’s off, he’s a non-factor. Will the light turn on playing with the best quarterback in football? My favorite value pick of KC’s draft was OT Wanya Morris, a late third-rounder. I was confused by Kansas City’s work on Saturday.

UDFA: My favorite of KC’s signings was Indiana LB Cam Jones. Jones was a super-productive collegiate linebacker who lacks measureables – last year, he was averaging 10.8 tackles per game prior to suffering a season-ending foot injury in October. If nothing else, he’s going to be a strong special-teamer. To make the roster, he must out-perform LB Isaiah Moore in camp. I thought Tulsa RB Deneric Prince was getting drafted following the pre-draft-testing show he put on, which included a 4.41 forty and 9.58 RAS at 220 pounds. CB Kahlef Hailassie was present but helmet-less for the Chiefs’ first few rookie minicamp practices. A potential pre-existing injury may have been flagged during Hailassie’s physical with the Jets, scuttling the handshake agreement and giving KC access to him.

Bottom Line: The Chiefs had a typically strong showing in the UDFA process, but this was an atypically poor draft class for an organization used to cleaning up with their picks.

30. Washington Commanders

Talent Acquired: 26 | Draft Equity: 15 | ROI: 31 | Draft Grade: D- | UDFA rank: 29

NFL Draft: I like CB Emmanuel Forbes fine. But in one of the deepest corner classes in years, what need was there to take him at No. 16? Washington apparently wasn’t concerned about his sub-170-pound frame. And that’s fine. But what trump-card trait were they seeing that incited the urgency Forbes’ “ball skills”? Four of Forbes’ six picks last year were gift-wrapped on reps he had already lost. Later, in a draft where safeties were falling, Washington watched Detroit steal the best of the entire bunch, Brian Branch, two spots before they ultimately reached for Jartavius Martin.

UDFA: The Commanders took no receivers during Draft Weekend. That was the one position they decided to splurge on in the UDFA free-for-all. The biggest addition was Penn State WR Mitchell Tinsley. He and WR Kazmeir Allen will both be given a shot to crack the 53. Allen underwhelmed in athletic testing, but he has a versatile skillset to experiment with if he can overcome that. The rest of the group isn’t much to write home about.

Bottom Line: Poor process soup-to-nuts from an organization that badly needed a talent infusion.

31. Dallas Cowboys

Talent Acquired: 31 | Draft Equity: 22 | ROI: 30 | Draft Grade: F | UDFA rank: 3

NFL Draft: At the end of Round 1, the Cowboys had a shot to plug their gaping tight end hole with either Sam LaPorta or Michael Mayer. Instead, they reached for DT Mazi Smith, a supposed freak athlete who curiously passed on the agility drills in pre-draft testing. Then, the next round, Dallas reached for his teammate, TE Luke Schoonmaker, who is raw as a receiver with medical questions. The rest of the picks were more of the same, reaching for prospects in slots that didn’t fit.

UDFA: The Cowboys walked away from the Saturday night UDFA melee with eight signings inside my pre-draft top-351, led by OT Earl Bostick Jr., FB Hunter Luepke, LB Isaiah Land, and WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper. Bostick is a superb athlete (94th-percentile) in an NFL frame who allowed only one sack as KU’s left tackle in 2022. Luepke was this class’ premier FB/H-Back prospect. Land is the reigning Buck Buchanan winner (FCS Defensive PoTY) after piling up a ridiculous 19 sacks and 25.5 TFL last year. He’s a rail-thin edge who Dallas will attempt to bulk-up as they teach him off-ball duties.

Bottom Line: I have no earthly idea what Dallas was doing in the draft – the top-3 UDFA haul couldn’t dig the Cowboys out of the hole of their own creation.

32. San Francisco 49ers

Talent Acquired: 32 | Draft Equity: 32 | ROI: 32 | Draft Grade: F | UDFA rank: 18

NFL Draft: The 49ers failed this draft because they did poorly in the nine non-premium slots they were selecting in. With two exceptions: LB Dee Winters and WR Ronnie Bell. But outside of those two picks, San Francisco could have done a better job identifying values in the slots they were picking in.

UDFA: OL Joey Fisher is jumping up from the D-II level, but he’s got the athleticism (4.90 forty) and play strength (40 bench reps) to do it. Fisher needs to add weight (292 pounds), but he’s a strong fit in San Francisco’s zone-blocking scheme and should be a developmental priority. RB Khalan Laborn is a sawed-off, muscled-up bowling ball with athletic traits who is coming off a dynamite season for Marshall (1,513 yards and 16 TD). The all-purpose Jack Coletto played a career 452 snaps on offense, 201 snaps on defense, and 568 snaps on special teams. If his special teams work justifies a roster spot, he’s got the perfect mentor in Kyle Juszczyk.

Bottom Line: This felt like a myopic process, where every pick is a luxury pick and nothing is at stake.

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