NFL Draft News & Analysis

2023 NFL Draft: One player each team should target on Day 3

UT's Roschon Johnson runs the ball at the top of the second quarter during the game against UTSA Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at the Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin. Ut Vs Utsa Football Bsa 25

Chandler Zavala a fit for the Cardinals: Zavala made only five starts prior to 2022 and so wasn't on a ton of radars. He changed that quickly, though, as he allowed only four pressures on 422 pass-blocking snaps this past season.

• The Dallas Cowboys could get their running back: Roschon Johnson was stuck behind the best running back in the country, but when he was called upon, he was nearly as difficult to bring down as Bijan Robinson. He broke 46 tackles on 94 carries in 2022.

Kansas City Chiefs could look to add Kayshon Boutte: Boutte looked like a different player after ankle surgery last offseason. It's worth wondering if he'll ever get back to the player who went for 308 yards against Ole Miss as a freshman in 2020.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

With the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, teams will now turn their attention toward depth and also look to take some fliers on potential steals.

Here we take a look at a potential fit for every team in the league on the final day of the draft.

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JUMP TO A TEAM:

ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Arizona Cardinals: G Chandler Zavala, NC State

Zavala made only five starts prior to 2022 and so wasn't on a ton of radars. He changed that quickly, though, as he allowed only four pressures on 422 pass-blocking snaps this past season.

Atlanta Falcons: WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati

Scott is a former running back who is still learning the receiver position as a third-year player. He offers a gear that will be coveted at the next level. He went for 904 yards on 55 catches in 2022.

Baltimore Ravens: CB Clark Phillips III, Utah

Phillips may not tick the size and speed boxes some want to see, but he ticks the tape box. He earned an 86.3 coverage grade this past fall, tallying six picks and four pass breakups.

Buffalo Bills: CB Jakorian Bennett, Maryland

Bennett has speed for days. He also has production, as he allowed only 24 catches from 54 targets for 309 yards last season.

Carolina Panthers: EDGE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri

McGuire is a long, powerful defensive end who came on strong as a senior in 2022. The 6-foot-4, 275-pounder earned an 81.9 pass-rushing grade on the season.

Chicago Bears: C Luke Wypler, Ohio State

Wypler may be on the small side, but he's as advanced a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman as you'll see. He's likely a center only, but he is a darn good one. He earned overall grades of 82.4 and 79.6 in his two seasons as a starter.

Cincinnati Bengals: TE Will Mallory, Miami (Fl.)

Mallory is coming off his best season as a receiver, producing a 78.0 PFF receiving grade and averaging 1.68 yards per route run. He dropped just 4.5% of the catchable passes thrown his way in 2022.

Cleveland Browns: S Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State

You can't ask for a more encouraging first year switching from corner to safety. Johnson has the traits to be a long-term starter at the position.

Dallas Cowboys: RB Roschon Johnson, Texas

Johnson was stuck behind the best running back in the country, but when he was called upon, he was nearly as difficult to bring down as Bijan Robinson. He broke 46 tackles on 94 carries in 2022.

Denver Broncos: C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan

Oluwatimi was a tone-setter on the Joe Moore Award-winning Michigan line. He earned an 83.0 run-blocking grade this past fall and is a people mover in the middle.

Detroit Lions: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia

Ford-Wheaton posted a 70.3 PFF receiving grade in 2022, the highest mark of his career. He failed to top 700 yards in any season in college but is the type of plus athlete that is worth taking a chance on by the time you reach Day 3.

Green Bay Packers: WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

Perry is a long-limbed deep threat who gives quarterbacks a large margin for error. He went for double-digit scores and more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.

Houston Texans: DI Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Adebawore is one of the single freakiest athletes in NFL combine history. His 4.49-second 40-yard dash is the fastest ever for a player 280-plus pounds by .16 seconds. That kind of explosiveness is worth betting on.

Indianapolis Colts: OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State

Jones is as big a tackle as you'll ever see at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms. At that size, he is one of the more refined pass protectors in the class. He allowed only five pressures on 419 pass-blocking snaps last season.

Jacksonville Jaguars: OG Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan

Sow produced a 75.0-plus run-blocking grade in each of his final three seasons in college, and he posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of 67.0 or better in all five seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Kayshon Boutte, LSU

Boutte looked like a different player after ankle surgery last offseason. It's worth wondering if he'll ever get back to the player who went for 308 yards against Ole Miss as a freshman in 2020.

Las Vegas Raiders: S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M

Johnson is part of the new age of slot cornerbacks in the NFL. At 6-foot-3, he can shut down windows underneath and then easily close down ball carriers in the run game with a wide tackle radius. He earned overall grades of 81.6 and 87.4 in his two seasons as a starter.

Los Angeles Chargers: CB Darius Rush, South Carolina

Rush has the combination of length and speed that teams look for at the cornerback position. He also has the ball production — 18 combined picks and pass breakups on 72 career targets.

Los Angeles Rams: CB Cory Trice Jr., Purdue

Trice is built like a linebacker who got kicked out to cornerback. He beats up opposing receivers in press coverage, allowing only one catch on 88 press snaps this past season.

Miami Dolphins: TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati

Whyle never had a season at Cincinnati in which he produced more than 360 yards as a receiver, but he did show a safe pair of hands, dropping just 6.4% of the catchable passes thrown his way across five years.

Minnesota Vikings: DI Moro Ojomo, Texas

Ojomo took his game to another level as a redshirt senior in 2022. After earning a 74.9 overall grade in 2021, he improved it to 90.6 this past fall. He's a long interior rusher who is a force against the run. Interestingly enough, despite being a redshirt senior, Ojomo is still only 21 years old.

New England Patriots: EDGE Nick Herbig, Wisconsin

Herbig was an edge rusher at Wisconsin but may be more of a hybrid NFL player at 240 pounds. Either way, he knows how to rush the passer after earning 91.1 and 91.4 such grades the past two seasons. He also looks very smooth when dropping into coverage.

New Orleans Saints: CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia

Ringo is a mammoth cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. He's built to play in a press-heavy defense on the outside. He's just a touch inconsistent on his breaks and allowed 552 yards this past fall.

New York Giants: TE Payne Durham, Purdue

Durham increased his receiving yards every season he was in college and showcased a pair of safe hands throughout his time at Purdue. He dropped just 6.0% of the 132 catchable passes thrown his way.

New York Jets: OT Blake Freeland, BYU

Freeland is a high-end athlete at tackle who has a unique skill set to develop. That showed in the run game, where he earned an 87.9 grade in 2022. He, unfortunately, has serious play-strength concerns that showed up in a big way at the Senior Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles: WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan

Bell was a solid deep threat in his final season in college, pulling in eight receptions for 284 yards and a pair of scores on throws 20-plus yards downfield.

Pittsburgh Steelers: LB Noah Sewell, Oregon

Sewell flashed big plays but not consistency in his time at Oregon. His ability as a pass-rusher makes him an intriguing option on Day 3, though. From 94 pass-rushing snaps this past season, he racked up two sacks, two hits and 14 hurries.

San Francisco 49ers: CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU

Tomlinson is one of the shortest cornerbacks you'll ever see, measuring in at 5-foot-7 6/8 and 178 pounds. You wouldn't know it by the way he plays football, though. He broke up 28 passes the past three seasons and picked off five more.

Seattle Seahawks: QB Tanner McKee, Stanford

McKee is already well-equipped to operate an NFL offense given what he was asked to do at Stanford. He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the class, and he pairs that ability with lightning-quick processing. McKee's career time to throw at Stanford was a swift 2.49 seconds.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Jake Haener, Fresno State

Haener handled more than 1,200 dropbacks in his college career and is coming off a season during which he posted a career-high 87.9 PFF grade. Showing his growth as a player, he had a turnover-worthy play rate of just 2.2%, the best mark of his career.

Tennessee Titans: WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper

Moreno-Cropper is one of the craftier route runners in the draft class. He just doesn't quite have the size to feel good about how he'll translate to the NFL at 172 pounds.

Washington Commanders: LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati

Pace is one of the smallest-framed linebackers you'll see, with only a 6-foot wingspan. Still, he is a gamer and has a nose for the football.

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