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The 2023 NFL Draft featured some great picks by several teams across the league. The biggest steal, though, might have been Puka Nacua in the fifth round. The Rams playmaker finished with the most catches and receiving yards by a rookie wideout in NFL history.
Nacua might have been the biggest steal in the draft, but he wasn't the only steal in the 2023 NFL Draft. Many teams had strong drafts, including franchises that found their next quarterback.
So, let's take a look at the best picks each AFC team made during last year's draft.
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AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens: WR Zay Flowers (1st round, 22nd overall)
The Ravens desperately need a WR1 in their offense, a player who can get open and make things easier for quarterback Lamar Jackson. After one season, it's safe to say Zay Flowers is that wide receiver. The speedy playmaker was the third wide receiver off the board in last year's draft -- behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Quentin Johnston. However, Flowers outperformed both players in Year 1.
Which of these second-year WRs will take the next step? 🤔
• Rashee Rice
• Tank Dell
• Jordan Addison
• Zay Flowers pic.twitter.com/vGWMEk5sjO— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 10, 2024
Flowers totaled 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns across 16 games while also running eight times for 56 yards and one touchdown. The 23-year-old wideout quickly established himself as Jackson's go-to option in the passing game, and the two formed a strong connection by the end of the season. The rookie caught a touchdown pass in five of the last seven games, including playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals: S Jordan Battle (3rd round, 95th overall)
Like most rookies, it takes time to earn your spot. That was certainly the case for third-round rookie Jordan Battle. Battle played just 97 total defensive snaps in the Bengals' first nine games. The safety averaged roughly 10 snaps per game, but that quickly changed. From Week 11 onward, the 23-year-old averaged 53.5 snaps per game while seeing more than 83% of the team's defensive snaps. He showed improvements down the stretch, which helped him total 71 tackles, two sacks, and one interception.
Cleveland Browns: OT Dawand Jones (4th round, 111th overall)
Not one Browns rookie really stuck out from the 2023 draft class. Nonetheless, offensive tackle Dawand Jones makes the list after seeing nine starts last year. Jones started the season as the Browns right tackle before suffering a season-ending knee injury before Week 14. In 11 appearances, the 6-foot-8 tackle played 712 snaps, allowed just two penalties, and gave up three sacks. With Cleveland likely back to full strength on its offensive line next year, it'll be interesting to see if the tackle will start.
Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr. (2nd round, 32nd overall)
Joey Porter Jr. was a projected first-round pick in last year's draft, but the cornerback found himself still available on Day 2. Porter used that motivation to fuel a strong rookie campaign. The former Penn State star totaled 43 tackles, 10 passes deflected, and one interception in 17 games for the Steelers. The 23-year-old also finished fifth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting following a season where he allowed just 25 receptions, according to PFF. He has the skills and tools to be a superstar in the league.
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid (1st round, 25th overall)
Both of the Bills' top-two picks (Dalton Kincaid and O'Cyrus Torrence) could have made this list. However, what Kincaid did as a rookie in his first year should not go unnoticed. The former Utah product was the first tight end taken in last year's draft and really produced when given the opportunity in Buffalo's offense. He totaled 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games in 2023. With one full year now under his belt, look for the 24-year-old to take his game to the next level in 2024.
Miami Dolphins: RB De'Von Achane (3rd round, 84th overall)
Injuries limited De'Von Achane's rookie campaign, but when healthy, no defense could stop him. In 11 games, Achane had 130 touches for 997 yards and 11 touchdowns. The explosive back also totaled an absurd 7.8 yards per carry and 7.7 yards per touch. In an offense that already features Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Achane gives Miami another speedy playmaker who is hard to tackle in the open field. He should see a larger workload in his second season.
So @NextGenStats has a sustained top speed metric. It's maintaining a speed for 0.5 seconds or more.
Here's the leaderboard for all NFL running backs in 2023:
Chase Brown - 21.99
Keaton Mitchell - 21.95
Devon Achane - 21.87
Jerome Ford - 21.56
Derrick Henry - 21.52— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) March 12, 2024
New England Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez (1st round, 17th overall)
It's only a small sample size for Christian Gonzalez after his rookie season was cut short. However, that shouldn't take away from the fact that he was New England's best pick in 2023. Gonzalez suffered a torn labrum early in the year and only played in four games. In those four games, though, he had 17 tackles (one tackle for loss), one interception, three passes deflected, and one sack. The rookie finished with a PFF grade of 80.8 while allowing 16 receptions. He will enter 2024 as the Patriots' top cornerback.
New York Jets: C Joe Tippmann (2nd round, 43rd overall)
Joe Tippmann was the Jets' second selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he certainly outplayed first-round pick Will McDonald IV last year. Tippmann didn't start as the team's center but eventually moved into the starting role in Week 3 against the New England Patriots. There were surely some growing pains with the rookie, which included eight penalties and three sacks allowed. Still, he was named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team and improved as the season went on.
AFC South:
Houston Texans: QB C.J. Stroud (1st round, 2nd overall)
Coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, C.J. Stroud was doubted by many around the league. However, it's safe to say he was the best pick of the entire draft. Stroud's campaign will go down as one of the best by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He completed 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The 22-year-old quarterback also led Houston to its first division title since 2019.
“CJ is a phenomenal player. He was the OROY and it wasn’t no fluke.”
Joe Mixon on CJ Stroud.
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) March 14, 2024
Stroud did not look like a rookie in his first year. He was poised in the pocket and always made the right read. The Texans signal-caller was also just the fifth rookie quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season, joining Jameis Winston (4,042), Cam Newton (4,051), Justin Herbert (4,336), and Andrew Luck (4,374). He capped off his first year by winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony Richardson (1st round, 4th overall)
There were question marks about Anthony Richardson's experience and passing accuracy entering the draft. Richardson had completed just 54.7% of his college passes while starting 13 games over three years at Florida. However, his measurables were there for him to succeed, which was on display in his first year.
Richardson only appeared in four games (two full games) in his rookie campaign, so we didn't see him play in many games. In the games we did, though, he showed that he is the quarterback of the future in Indianapolis. He totaled 577 yards and three touchdowns through the air while also running 25 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns. As long as the 21-year-old can stay healthy in his career, he'll look like a home run pick at fourth overall.
Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Anton Harrison (1st round, 27th overall)
The Jaguars emphasized protecting Trevor Lawrence by selecting Anton Harrison in the first round. While Harrison had his struggles at times, he did his job for the most part. The tackle started all 17 games in Jacksonville and played 1,112 total snaps (12th most in the NFL). The 22-year-old had total seven penalties and gave up five sacks (according to PFF), but he allowed zero sacks in the final month of the season. He showed a lot of growth in the second half, and that should continue into 2024.
Tennessee Titans: QB Will Levis (2nd round, 33rd overall)
At points throughout the 2023 offseason, Will Levis was a guaranteed top-10 pick -- sometimes even rumored to be selected first overall by the Panthers. Nonetheless, Levis found himself slipping out of the first round after teams kept passing on him. The Titans eventually took a shot on him early in Round 2, and they should be relatively happy with that decision.
Levis definitely showed his talent throughout the year, which included a four-touchdown performance in his first career start in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn't all great stuff from the 24-year-old, but he did take care of the ball and led Tennessee to three victories in the second half. In total, he finished with 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. All eyes will be on him this upcoming season.
AFC West:
Denver Broncos: WR Marvin Mims Jr. (2nd round, 63rd overall)
All season, everyone was waiting for Marvin Mims Jr. to get more opportunities on offense. That just never happened. In limited snaps, though, he showed he can be a great deep-threat option. In Week 2, he caught two passes for 113 yards and one touchdown.
He was stuck behind both Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton on the depth chart, so it made sense why he didn't see many chances. However, with Jeudy now traded to the Browns, look for Mims to get more snaps in 2024. The 21-year-old wideout is also a great special teams weapon for Denver.
Kansas City Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice (2nd round, 55th overall)
With all the Chiefs' inconsistencies at the wide receiver position, Rashee Rice had to step up in his first season. The rookie wideout did just that by totaling 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
It took Rice a couple of weeks to get fully incorporated into Kansas City's offense. He played less than 50% of the team's snaps in five of the first six games. Nevertheless, the rookie saw his snap share increase every week after that. He became Patrick Mahomes' go-to option in the passing game, which helped them win another Super Bowl in February.
Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson (1st round, 7th overall)
I almost went with Aidan O'Connell in this spot -- whom the Raiders selected in the fourth round -- but Tyree Wilson showed a lot of improvement toward the end of the year. Wilson was always a development project, and elite production in Year 1 was never going to happen. The 23-year-old edge-rusher still totaled 3.5 sacks, 29 tackles (two tackles for loss), eight quarterback hits, and one forced fumble in 2023. He showed a lot of promise over 17 games, and that should help him take a big step forward in 2024.
Tyree Wilson turns speed to power and collapses the pocket#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/pYQ727reMZ
— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) December 11, 2023
Los Angeles Chargers: DL Tuli Tuipulotu (2nd round, 54th overall)
Tuli Tuipulotu quickly made a name for himself in the NFL after being selected in the second round. Tuipulotu saw plenty of action in his first year, which helped him put up solid numbers across the board. He finished with 4.5 sacks, 53 tackles (eight tackles for loss), 12 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflected. Now, entering his second season, he should continue to grow and be a big part of Los Angeles' defense for years to come.
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