It is safe to say that the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft threw up its fair share of surprises. With the dust settled on those 31 picks, let’s look back and see which teams got the best value out of their first round selections.
Jalen Carter | IDL, Georgia – No. 9 to the Philadelphia Eagles
This pick felt too good to be true. Whilst there have obviously been some off-field concerns with Carter, he is the best defensive tackle in this class and arguably the best player overall if you discount positional value. The fact that the Eagles were able to get him at No. 9 overall is outstanding business.
The trade up with the Bears only cost them a fourth round pick and gives them a perfect replacement for Javon Hargrave who departed in free agency. They will also get to pair Carter with his former college teammate in Jordan Davis, and we all saw what those two are capable of together in Georgia’s 2021 national championship run.
Christian Gonzalez | CB, Oregon – No. 17 to the New England Patriots
Letting the best cornerback in the class fall to Bill Belichick is one thing. Letting him trade down and still get him is another. Gonzalez’ fall seemed to be one of the more surprising of the first round as you saw everything you could want on his tape at Oregon.
He is an electric athlete who looks comfortable from a range of alignments and who is adept in both man and zone coverage. His ball skills improved massively in 2022 and he is already a plus contributor coming downhill against the run. This feels like the kind of pick we look back on in a few years and wonder how the rest of the league let it happen.
Myles Murphy | EDGE, Clemson – No. 28 to the Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ defense has been excellent under Lou Anarumo in recent years and with Murphy they get even stronger. It seemed unlikely that Murphy would make it out of the top 20 so the fact he was the fifth edge rusher off the board and that Cincinnati were able to stay put and have him fall into their lap is great.
Whilst his college production might not have matched his traits, the flashes are astonishing. Murphy has a rare combination of size, power, and athleticism that tends to translate well to the NFL and is in the perfect spot to succeed with Anarumo. If he can play with some more consistency he could easily become the star of that defense.
Bryan Bresee | IDL, Clemson – No. 29 to the New Orleans Saints
Seeing the Saints stay put and wait for the value to come to them was certainly a little different. It seems to have paid off though as they landed an exciting prospect in Bresee. His time at Clemson was plagued by injuries but when he is on the field you can see why he was once the No. 1 overall recruit in the entire country.
Bresee has that blend of power and quick twitch that all quality interior defenders possess. He also fills an obvious need on a defensive line that has seen a lot of talent depart over the offseason. Every year if feels like there is a team that gets an injury-plagued prospect who goes on to vastly outperform their draft stock. That could be Bresee.
Nolan Smith | EDGE, Georgia – No. 30 to the Philadelphia Eagles
I’m honestly struggling to think of a team who had a better first round over the last few seasons. The fact that the Eagles came away with two high-end defensive linemen is outstanding, but doing it at No. 9 and No. 30 is even more impressive. Smith was my second ranked edge in this class so this feels like the steal of the first round.
This is a player who led all draft-eligible Power Five defensive linemen in pass rush win rate last season. He also possesses some of the freakiest testing numbers you will come across in an edge rusher. Smith gives the Eagles some much-needed youth at edge and gets to develop behind a very talented group.
