2023 NFL DRAFT GRADES: NFC WEST

BY ADAM GREENE

Well, we’ve done it. We’ve joined forces together, much like the Captain Planet team using fire, earth, water, wind and, especially, heart, to scour every single NFL team’s draft roster and grade them as fairly as we can, since not a single one of these men have played a down of professional football up to this point.

The rules are the same today as they have been all month. To receive an “A” grade of any kind, a team must have and use a first round pick. All players selected in Rounds 1-3 must be potential day one NFL starters, even if they can’t beat out the current starter on the depth chart. The lone exception to that rule is quarterbacks, who might deservedly need to sit a while, if not taken VERY early in the draft.

For years, this was the best division in football, but it took a hit last year. Can it regain that prominence in 2023 and will this draft have anything to do with it? I have my red pen and permanent record out. Let’s grade some drafts.

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Odds to win the Super Bowl: +15000

The Haul: Round 1: Paris Johnson, Jr., OT, Ohio State, Round 2: BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU, Round 3: Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse, Round 3:: Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford, Round 4: Jon Gaines II, OG, UCLA, Round 5: Clayton Tune, QB, Houston, Round 5: Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn, Round 6: Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville, Round 6: Dante Stills, DT, West Virginia

Knowing full well they were about to toss DeAndre Hopkins out the passenger side door, the Cardinals decided against taking a wide receiver high and, rightly, drafted an offensive tackle to try to keep Kyler Murray out of the local urgent care. Paris Johnson, Jr. was my third ranked offensive lineman coming into the draft, but I know he was higher than that on most boards. In the second round, they nabbed BJ Ojulari out of LSU, who I ranked ninth on my edge rushers list. Garrett Williams missed games due to injury, but looks like an iffy third rounder coming out of Syracuse. In seven games he posted 36 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, one sack, two interceptions, three passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on his way to a 71.1 Pro Football Focus Grade. He allowed an 84.1 quarterback rating when targeted last season, down from a ridiculous 113.1 in 2021. Reportedly, Williams will be ready to practice in July.

With Hopkins already out the door, for all intents and purposes, the Cards waited until the fourth round to add a wide receiver to a suddenly very weak WR room. Now, Wilson is 6-2 and 210 pounds and obviously a smart cat, since he went to Stanford and I’m a big fan of adding their players (or was before they tossed David Shaw). But Wilson’s production has been weak for the last three seasons and the dude played for five thanks to the free COVID-19 year. He caught 26 passes for 418 yards and four touchdowns, which is not elite and certainly not a high Day Three selection. Jon Gaines II out of UCLA was a better fourth round pick. He scored a 77.8 from PFF and surrendered just two sacks and two QB hits last season to go with 14 hurries. Clayton Tune was a guy punditry liked to bring up in the quarterback pre-draft process, but he didn’t make my list. He’ll be the No. 3 at best this season and did have a good statistical year for Houston, completing 67.3 percent of his passes for 4,074 yards, 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Owen Pappoe looks like a potential starter down the road in the fifth after recording 91 tackles, three for a loss, two sacks, one interception, three passes defended and two forced fumbles with Auburn. Kei’Trel Clark is, at worst, a special teamer. His Louisville stats were solid a year ago, with 51 tackles, four for a loss, one sack, one interception, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. At 5-10 and 165, he’s got to hit the buffet table before he can hit the NFL field. Dante Stills is an interesting find in the sixth. At West Virginia, in a fifth season, had 26 tackles, nine for a loss, 4.5 sacks, one pass defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Grade: B-

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Odds to win the Super Bowl: +6600

The Haul: Round 2: Steve Avila, OG, TCU, Round 3: Byron Young, Edge, Tennessee, Round 3: Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest, Round 4: Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia, Round 5: Nick Hampton, Edge, Appalachian State, Round 5: Warren McClendon, Jr., OT, Georgia, Round 5: Davis Allen, TE, Clemson, Round 5: Puka Nacua, WR, BYU, Round 6: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU, Round 6: Ochaun Mathis, Edge, Nebraska, Round 6: Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss, Round 7: Ethan Evans, Punter, Wingate, Round 7: Jason Taylor II, Safety, Oklahoma State, Round 7: Desjuan Johnson, DE, Toledo

While plenty of punditry is ready to write off the Los Angeles Rams this season, your humble narrator is not one of those people. The idea that there are seven teams better than the Rams, even minus Jalen Ramsey, with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald all healthy along with an NFL level offensive line (they started 14 different units last season, an NFL record), is ridiculous. You’re telling me that team can’t win nine games?

Anyway, the Rams are doing a soft reboot, they’re calling it this season, eating some salary cap damage to open up all the possibilities for next season. They still needed help and while this is the last draft (for now) under the tandem of head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead where LA doesn’t hold a first round selection, they still had a ton of picks to work with. Steve Avila didn’t make my offensive line list simply because I limited it to eight players. He’s a danger to start immediately at right guard. He posted a 71.0 PFF Grade last season and gave up zero sacks, which is what you love to see. Outside of that, he surrendered just two QB hits and nine hurries. Byron Young was just outside my edge rushers list. The two year starter from Tennessee had 37 tackles, 12 for a loss and seven sacks a season ago against SEC competition, showing up big in the biggest games. He too is already listed as a starter at ESPN, along with his fellow third rounder, Kobie Turner out of Wake Forest. Turner just had the one year at the FBS level and it helped him become a Day Two selection, since he’d spent the previous three seasons at the University of Richmond. Turner picked up 38 tackles, 10 for a loss, two sacks, two passes defended, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery and will be given the gift of facing only single blockers as he plays alongside All-Universe defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

By trading down in the third and still landing Young, the Rams were able to add Stetson Bennett, the two time national championship quarterback out of Georgia in the fourth round. Bennett was my No. 5 ranked quarterback coming into the draft and, at worse, is going to be Ryan Fitzpatrick or Case Keenum for the next 15 seasons. I’m not convinced he’s the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford when he hangs up his spurs. I feel like that’ll probably be another Stafford-like trade four seasons from now with a disgruntled good quarterback stuck with a losing franchise. I figured Trevor Lawrence had that future trade all sewn up, but then the Jacksonville Jaguars messed up that plan by hiring Doug Pederson and fixing their entire franchise. But somewhere out there, an older vet needing a change of scenery like Dak Prescott or a young guy fed up with his situation like CJ Stroud or Bryce Young, can look forward to getting a solid trade package from the Rams offered for their services sometime around the 2027 season or so.

Much like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with interior defensive lineman, the Rams loaded up on edge rushers, adding Nick Hampton out of Appalachian State in the fifth. He put up solid numbers, albeit against Sun Belt competition, with 39 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, seven sacks, one pass defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in nine games due to injuries. In a full season the year before, he had 68 tackles, 17.5 for a loss and 11 sacks to go with two passes defended. Like Avila, Warren McClendon, Jr., taken out of Georgia, also taken in the fifth, did not surrender a single sack in the Bulldog’s national title run against SEC and College Football Playoff opponents. He gave up just one quarterback hit and seven hurries all season long and earned a PFF grade of 71.2. That fifth round was a busy one for the Rams as they also added Davis Allen out of Clemson. He caught 39 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns last season and is a massive target at tight end at 6-6 and 250 pounds. Puka Nacua, out of BYU, is a very interesting pick because that kid lit it up for the Cougars, with the only question being, how much does that mean against BYU’s schedule? He looks the part (very much so, as in he literally looks a lot like Robert Woods and even wears his old number, 17). In nine game last season he caught 48 passes for 625 yards and five touchdowns, adding 25 rushes for 209 yards and five touchdowns. And if that doesn’t sound like a Sean McVay wideout, then you’ve not watched the Rams play.

Under Snead, the Rams have had a knack of finding defensive backs later in the draft that work their way into the starting lineup. The contender for that this season is Tre’Vius Tomlinson out of TCU, taken in the sixth. He had 50 tackles, two for a loss and three interceptions to go with a forced fumble for the College Football Playoff runners up. Ochaun Mathis in the sixth and Mr. Irrelevant, Desjaun Johnson in the seventh are the third and fourth edge rushers the Rams added to their defense. They picked Division II’s best punter, whatever that means, in Ethan Evans from Wingate. For the record, the last time Snead dipped in to NCAA DII, he landed Greg Zeurlein out of Missouri Western State, who has kicked in the NFL from 2012 to now and literally kicked the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. Jason Taylor II put up huge numbers as a two year starter for Oklahoma State. Last year he posted 99 tackles, 3.5 for a loss and six interceptions to go with seven passes defended and a fumble recovery against a Big 12 schedule. Zach Evans, taken in the sixth out of Ole Miss, is already third on the Rams’ running back depth chart. He comes from a well coached professional offense run by Lane Kiffen and rushed for 936 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns for the Rebels in the SEC. He added 12 receptions for 119 yards and a score.

Grade: B+

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Odds to win the Super Bowl: +1000

The Haul: Round 3: Ji’Ayir Brown, Safety, Penn State, Round 3: Jake Moody, Kicker, Michigan, Round 3: Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama, Round 5: Darrell Luter, Jr., CB, South Alabama, Round 5: Robert Beal, Jr., Edge, Georgia, Round 6: Dee Winters, LB, TCU, Round 7: Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma, Round 7: Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan, Round 7: Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue

The 49ers had to sit on their hands for a long time over draft weekend like the Rams did the season before, not picking before the third round. The big difference being that San Francisco didn’t have a Super Bowl title to show for it. The good thing for the Niners is that their roster is loaded everywhere but quarterback. I’m not sold on Brock Purdy just yet and, even if I was, he probably won’t be ready to start until October. I’m also a non-believer in Trey Lance and always have been. There’s a real chance that Sam Darnold is the best QB on San Fran’s roster and my odds-on favorite to start Week 1. But, hey, we’re not here to talk about the 49ers’ futures. That’s a whole other article. We’re talking about the draft.

The Niners did have three picks in the third, selecting Ji’Ayir Brown out of Penn State with their opening salvo. Brown posted a 78.7 grade at PFF for the Nittany Lions and finishes his final season with 74 tackles, seven for a loss, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, three passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. The third seems like an early spot to take a kicker, but the Niners needed one and since they have no open starting spots on the roster outside of there, might as well grab your favorite early. Jake Moody did not miss an extra point in his college career and was 29 of 35 on field goals last season for Michigan. With George Kittle on the roster, tight end wasn’t a huge need for San Francisco and Cameron Latu is a mystery pick. He’s 6-5 and 250 pounds, but posted a 58.0 PFF grade to go with just 30 receptions for 377 yards and four touchdowns. Not that he’ll play a lot, but that doesn’t look like a starting caliber player to me.

In the fifth, Darrell Luter, Jr. looks like a lifetime special teamer. He had 42 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, one interception and seven passes defended for South Alabama in the Sun Belt. Robert Beal, Jr. might have suited up for Georgia for four of the last five seasons, but didn’t do a lot as an edge rusher. Last season he recorded 25 tackles in nine games with 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He had a better season in 2021 with 24 tackles, 7.5 for a loss and 6.5 sacks. Dee Winters was very productive for TCU last season, finishing with 79 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks to go with a pick, a defensive touchdown, two passes defended and a fumble recovery. In the sixth round, that’s a solid selection. The Niners went tight end again in the seventh, nabbing Brayden Willis out of Oklahoma. He caught 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns last season and seems, in every way, as superior selection than Latu in the third. Ronnie Bell was a big play threat for Michigan, averaging 14.3 yards per reception on his way to an 889 yard, four touchdown season. He could definitely find his way into the rotation on some plays, especially late in the season. Jalen Graham looks like purely a special teamer. Officially listed as a linebacker, he also played safety at Purdue. Last year, he posted 52 tackles, five for a loss, a sack, an interception, five passes defended and a forced fumble.

Grade: C-

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Odds to win the Super Bowl: +2800

The Haul: Round 1: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois, Round 1: Jaxon Smith-Njiba, WR, Ohio State, Round 2: Derick Hall, Edge, Auburn, Round 2: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA, Round 4: Anthony Bradford, OG, LSU, Round 4: Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State, Round 5: Mike Morris, DE, Michigan, Round 5: Olu Oluwatimi, Center, Michigan, Round 6: Jerrick Reed II, Safety, New Mexico, Round 7: Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

Devin Witherspoon was my No. 3 rated corner headed into the draft, so grabbing him high in the first isn’t a problem for me at all. Adding Jaxon Smtih-Njiba to a wide receiver room with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett seems almost unfair. JSN was my fourth favorite wideout coming out of the college ranks and was as easy a first round selection as Pete Carroll has ever made. Seattle wasn’t finished selecting some of my favorite players, adding Derrick Hall out of Auburn in the second, my sixth ranked edge rusher. Just in case you accidentally forgot Carroll still runs this team, they added a running back with their bonus second rounder in Zach Charbonnet from UCLA. Charbonnet averaged a ridiculous 7.0 yards per carry last year, gaining 1,359 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns. He added 37 receptions for 321 yards and was good for an elite 91.5 PFF grade.

Seattle took the third round off, but added Anthony Bradford at guard from LSU in the fourth. He had a 65.1 PFF Grade and gave up four sacks, three QB hits and five hurries last season. Cameron Young’s stats don’t jump off the page for Mississippi State. He had 37 tackles, three for a loss, a sack and a pass defense last season. Mike Morris, out of Michigan, looks like a much better pick. He had just 23 tackles, but 11 of them were for a loss to go with 7.5 sacks, three pass defenses and a forced fumble against a Big Ten Schedule for a Final Four College Football Playoff school. Olu Oluwatimi was stellar at center for that same Michigan team, posting an 80.4 PFF grade and did not give up a sack all year. He surrendered just five QB hits and four hurries. Jerrick Reed II is, at worst, a special teamer after a 94 tackle, 4.5 for a loss, one pick, 11 pass defense, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery season at New Mexico. Carroll wasn’t done with his running backs, using his final selection to take Kenny McIntosh from Georgia. McIntosh averaged 5.6 yards per carry for the national champions, piling up 829 yards and 10 touchdowns to go with 43 receptions, 505 receiving yards and two receiving TDs. I cannot believe he lasted that deep into the draft. It’s ridiculous and we all deserve for Pete Carroll to add him to a backfield with Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet just because of that.

Grade: A-

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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