The selection of a slower and slightly more conscientious version of Kyler Murray first overall was, itself, potentially contentious. But the 2023 NFL Draft was most notable for the Carolina Panthers’ very bizarre trade for the first overall pick (giving up four picks and one of your best players is extreme), as well as some puzzling selections. While some studs landed in great spots (Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr.) let’s talk about odd 2023 draft picks.
The Odd Squad: The Strangest 2023 Draft Picks
Arizona Cardinals – Paris Johnson Jr., OT
The Arizona Cardinals‘ biggest loss was JJ Watt so they could have taken Tyree Wilson or Carter (they are desperate so they might as well gamble on a questionable character).
There is also a big question mark over who the starting quarterback will be in Week 1. Kyler Murray is recovering from a knee reconstruction, and nobody knows how serious Colt McCoy’s concussion issue is. They could be reduced to starting David Blough or Jeff Driskell in 2023. That does not fill anyone with confidence.
Obviously, the massive contract Steve Keim gave Murray limits how they can invest in quarterbacks going forward, but carrying three veteran losers (just 12 wins between them) severely hampers the Cardinals. However, they could (and should) have selected a quarterback to actually compete with Murray. Although Murray has proved hard to defend at times, he only has a 25-35-1 record.
Arizona added offensive linemen Jackson Barton and Dennis Daley in free agency along with re-signing Kelvin Beachum. The only tackle that left Arizona in the off-season was Joshua Miles. Miles played the grand total of zero games for the Cardinals in 2022.
They now have 13 offensive linemen to evaluate and sort through in the off-season. Tackle Beachum was the only member of the Cardinals offensive line to play every game in 2022. He actually played 98% of their offensive snaps. Right guard, Will Hernandez, was second on that list and he only played 70.1% of those snaps.
Even if offensive tackle was the Cardinals’ most desperate need, Peter Skoronski was the best tackle in the draft. Arizona looked over him, allowing him to fall to the Tennessee Titans at 11. The problem the Cardinals offensive line had in 2022 was they were never healthy. Drafting someone who plays the same position as the only guy who was healthy seems suboptimal.
Green Bay Packers – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE
Lukas Van Ness is a fine player, but the Packers lost Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Robert Tonyan in free agency. New starting quarterback Jordan Love needs help or the Packers’ 2023 season will be the Packers’ 2022 season all over again. Green Bay’s offense was hardly a bright spot last season and while that may have been partly down to play calling and Aaron Rodgers’ broken thumb, only two receivers caught four touchdown passes or more. Rookie Christian Watson led the way, and he certainly wouldn’t mind some help on that front.
Van Ness doesn’t appear to fill an obvious need for Joe Barry’s defensive scheme either. Dean Lowry (6”6’, 296lbs) and Jarran Reed both left (6”3’ 313 lbs.) while Justin Hollins (6”5’ 248 lbs.) and Eric Wilson (6”1’ 230 lbs.) stayed. Van Ness is 6”5 244lbs so he is a bit lightweight for a DE in their scheme. Presumably they will play him as an outside linebacker? But Green Bay had seven outside linebackers before the draft, and they drafted Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks. Wooden is 6”4’ and 273lbs and Brooks is 6”3’ and 296lbs so it will be fascinating to see how they all fit in.
Detroit Lions – Brian Branch, S/CB
The Detroit Lions lost DeShon Elliott, Mike Hughes, Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye in free agency. Elliott was a mainstay of the Lions defense in 2022, playing 76% of the defensive snaps and Okudah played 69.8%. But Hughes and Oruwariye played fewer than half of the Lions defensive snaps in 2022. They replaced Elliott in free agency, signing C.J Gardner-Johnson.
Detroit also added Cameron Sutton on a three-year contract worth $33 million. They signed another cornerback Emmanuel Moseley to a one-year deal too and re-signed safety C.J Moore. So, the Lions were not short of depth in the defensive backfield. However, as they demonstrated when they drafted Jahmyr Gibbs, they based picks on talent over need.
Brian Branch is a star in the making and an absolute bargain as the 48th overall pick. He was rated as one of the best tackling defensive backs that PFF have evaluated. However, according to Ourlads he currently only stands to feature as the team’s backup strong safety. Unless Aaron Glenn adjusts his scheme in 2023, or the Lions play Branch as a dime back, he might be riding the pine a lot in 2023.
49ers – Jake Moody, PK
Questioning John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers’ ability to use their draft picks effectively is a gamble. Taking a kicker in the draft is also a gamble. Picking one in the third round is, at the very least, a bold statement. Even a college kicker with a record like Jake Moody’s. As such, it is no surprise that Moody makes this list as an odd 2023 draft pick.
Moody was a consensus all-American in 2021 and won the Lou Groza award for the most outstanding kicker that season too. In his last two seasons he scored 272 points for Michigan. His longest competitive kick is a 59 yarder but there’s a video of him kicking a 69 yarder whilst he was in high school. But the rookie pay scale means San Francisco are obliged to pay Moody $5.4 million. That, in itself, is not a prohibitive number, but the second kicker did not go off the board until the Patriots traded up to 112th pick. That contract will be worth $4.6 million. If history tells us anything, it is that the 49ers rarely draft players who do not contribute. However, this pick still seems an unnecessary stretch.
Patriots – Bryce Baringer, P
The New England Patriots used two different punters last season. One of whom, Jake Bailey signed a contract extension worth $13.5 million through the 2025 season back in August 2022. Bailey was put on injured reserve in November, moved to the reserve/suspended list on the 31st of December and cut in March this year. Bailey and his agent have filed a grievance against the Patriots. The Miami Dolphins signed 25-year-old Bailey seven days after the Patriots cut him.
While Bailey was on IR with a back injury (which he blames on the Patriots conditioning staff), Michael Palardy replaced him. The Patriots were Palardy’s 11th different NFL or CFL team, so it was an odd pick up.
New England’s punters were ranked 33rd and 35th respectively in terms of net yards per punt, so there was definitely plenty of room for improvement. Drafting a punter is just odd though. And taking one with the 192nd pick when the next one didn’t go until the 217th pick seems, at best, a misjudgment. They could have used that pick to add an extra receiver to compete for a spot to help the new combination of Bill O’Brien and Mac Jones.
The Patriots did not really have to spend a draft pick on a punter at all. That is what makes Bryce Baringer an odd 2023 draft pick. There are experienced free agent punters available, and they have cap space. If Bailey was struggling with his Patriots conditioning plan it’s going to be a major culture shock for someone straight out of Michigan State.
Main Image: Kirthmon F. Dozier – USA TODAY NETWORK
