The dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Draft and it is time to look back at every team’s haul to assess how they did. The NFC West has an interesting mix of rebuilders and contenders and that was reflected in their drafts. Here are my grades for all four teams.
Arizona Cardinals
| Pick | Player |
| 1.6 | Paris Johnson – OT, Ohio State |
| 2.41 | BJ Ojulari – EDGE, LSU |
| 3.72 | Garrett Williams – CB, Syracuse |
| 3.94 | Michael Wilson – WR, Stanford |
| 4.122 | Jon Gaines II – IOL, UCLA |
| 5.139 | Clayton Tune – QB, Houston |
| 5.168 | Owen Pappoe – LB, Auburn |
| 6.180 | Kei’Trel Clark – CB, Louisville |
| 6.213 | Dante Stills – IDL, West Virginia |
The Cardinals haven’t always made draft headlines for the right reasons in recent years, but that seems to be changing with a new front office in town. At first glance, this looks like a very good class. Trading down from No. 3 overall was a smart move and whilst trading back up for Paris Johnson may have been a bit far, they nonetheless got Kyler Murray the blindside protector he so clearly needs.
They then managed to make three excellent picks in a row, with both BJ Ojulari and Garrett Williams likely to be immediate contributors on defense. The selection of Michael Wilson in the third round was another masterstroke. Wilson’s tape is borderline first round quality, but injuries limited his effectiveness in college. If he can get healthy this could be a real bargain. They then managed to land a versatile offensive lineman, a quality backup quarterback, and another uber-athletic linebacker in Owen Pappoe. This class sure looks promising.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Rams
| Pick | Player |
| 2.36 | Steve Avila – IOL, TCU |
| 3.77 | Byron Young – EDGE, Tennessee |
| 3.89 | Kobie Turner – IDL, Wake Forest |
| 4.128 | Stetson Bennett – QB, Georgia |
| 5.161 | Nick Hampton – EDGE, Appalachian State |
| 5.174 | Warren McClendon – OT, Georgia |
| 5.175 | Davis Allen – TE, Clemson |
| 5.177 | Puka Nacua – WR, BYU |
| 6.182 | Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson – CB, TCU |
| 6.189 | Ochaun Mathis – EDGE, Nebraska |
| 6.215 | Zach Evans – RB, Ole Miss |
The Rams once again were working without a first round pick, but they will no doubt still come away from the draft pretty pleased with their haul. Getting Steve Avila in the second round was a very smart move and he provides some much-needed talent on an offensive line that was a liability last season. His experience in a diverse TCU rushing attack also bodes well given the Rams’ incorporation of gap scheme runs in 2022.
The picks then seemed to flip between good and bad. Both the selections of Byron Young and Stetson Bennett felt premature – in the case of Bennett very premature. Sandwiched between them was Kobie Turner, who could be one of the surprise packages of the draft by virtue of his quick twitch and excellent natural leverage. What the Rams accomplished in the later rounds deserves a lot of credit too. They may have a starter of the future in Puka Nacua. Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is small but his tape at TCU was exceptional and he could be a nice slot corner in the NFL, whilst Zach Evans gives them some useful depth at running back.
Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers
| Pick | Player |
| 3.87 | Ji’Ayir Brown – S, Penn State |
| 3.99 | Jake Moody – K, Michigan |
| 3.101 | Cameron Latu – TE, Alabama |
| 5.155 | Darrell Luter Jr – CB, South Alabama |
| 5.173 | Robert Beal Jr – EDGE, Georgia |
| 6.216 | Dee Winters – LB, TCU |
| 7.247 | Brayden Willis – TE, Oklahoma |
| 7.253 | Ronnie Bell – WR, Michigan |
| 7.255 | Jalen Graham – LB, Purdue |
You’ve got to accept that with no picks in the first two rounds it was always unlikely that the 49ers were going to make a splash in the draft this year. With that being said, it’s tough to find a lot to get excited about. The first pick was at least solid – Ji’Ayir Brown is a versatile player who can be a good NFL contributor. The next pick was not. Every year the 49ers seem to make one mind-boggling pick in the middle rounds and this year it was even crazier than normal, spending a top 100 selection on a kicker.
Their haul on day three didn’t yield much in the way of exciting picks, but that’s probably to be expected when three of those selections are in the seventh round. Still, their decision not to invest anything in improving a very weak interior offensive line could come back to haunt them. If there is a late round name to keep an eye on I would suggest South Alabama cornerback Darrell Luter. He allowed a passer rating of just 58.8 throughout his college career and could have an opportunity to compete for playing time as a rookie.
Grade: C-
Seattle Seahawks
| Pick | Player |
| 1.5 | Devon Witherspoon – CB, Illinois |
| 1.20 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba – WR, Ohio State |
| 2.37 | Derick Hall – EDGE, Auburn |
| 2.52 | Zach Charbonnet – RB, UCLA |
| 4.108 | Anthony Bradford – IOL, LSU |
| 4.123 | Cameron Young – IDL, Mississippi State |
| 5.151 | Mike Morris – EDGE, Michigan |
| 5.154 | Olu Oluwatimi – IOL, Michigan |
| 6.198 | Jerrick Reed II – S, New Mexico |
| 7.237 | Kenny McIntosh – RB, Georgia |
First rounds don’t get much better than this. The Seahawks surprised plenty of people with their decision to take a cornerback at No. 5 overall but Witherspoon is a fiesty man cover corner with tremendous ball skills. Having him opposite Tariq Woolen gives the Seahawks one of the best tandems in football. They then went and got Jaxon Smith-Njigba to give them the slot receiver they clearly lacked last season and perhaps the best receiving trio in football.
Things carried on going well on day two. They needed to add more talent at edge rusher and in Derick Hall they acquire an explosive player with impressive production in the SEC. The Zach Charbonnet pick came as a surprise with Kenneth Walker already on the roster, but this could give them the most effective one-two punch in football, aided by some nice additions to their offensive line on day three. This is a very easy draft to love.
Grade: A+
