With the 2023 NFL draft concluded, there were some teams that showed off the talent in their front office and rose above the rest. There were three teams in particular that won the draft this year.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The clear winner of the draft potentially for the second year in a row was the Philadelphia Eagles. They stole defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the 9th overall pick in the draft. Had it not been for off-the-field issues and a sloppy performance at Georgia’s Pro Day, Carter likely would have been a top-five pick. However, Howie Roseman once again pulled a rabbit out of his hat and traded up from the 10th overall pick to the 9th overall pick to get the potential superstar to further bulk up the already elite Philadelphia defensive front.
Many believed that running back Bijon Robinson would slide to the Eagles with the 10th pick, however, he was selected 8th overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Despite missing out on who many thought would be their guy, the Eagles did not miss a beat and made a trade with the Detroit Lions for D’Andre Swift.
The final obvious home run pick for the Eagles also came in the first round with Nolan Smith. Smith turned heads at the combine with his incredible 4.39 40-yard dash. He is a freak athlete and just like Carter, has the potential to have an immediate impact on Philadelphia’s defense.
If the Eagles can stay healthy and their new additions perform up to their expectations, there is no reason why they should not finish the season in the Super Bowl again, and this time they very well may come out as the champions.
2. Houston Texans
Depending on how the Houston Texans perform next season, they could easily go from being one of the biggest winners of the draft to arguably the biggest loser. After selecting C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick, they immediately made a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to select Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick. This was one of the biggest trades in NFL draft history.
The deal landed the Texans the third overall pick, and in return, they gave up the 12th overall pick, the 33rd overall pick, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. If the Texans are once again one of the worst teams in the league, this deal could end up blowing up in their face. However, for the time being, they landed one of the top quarterbacks in the class along with the top edge rusher.
3. Arizona Cardinals
Despite trading down from the third pick, the Arizona Cardinals still ended up having one of the top drafts this season. As previously mentioned, if the Houston Texans are once again one of the worst-performing teams next season, the Cardinals could end up having multiple elite prospects joining the team in the 2024 draft.
They currently are projected to have the first and second overall pick in the 2024 draft, as many are still very low on the Texans despite all of the additions they have made to their roster. After trading down from the 3rd overall pick to the 12th overall pick, they would quickly trade back up to the 6th overall pick to land Paris Johnson Jr.
With Kyler Murray currently sidelined and set to miss the beginning of the season, it is clear that they needed to do a better job of protecting their franchise quarterback. They went out and did that and snagged the best offensive tackle in the draft. While they still will likely be one of the worst teams in football next season, they picked up some very valuable pieces in the draft, and are set to have another incredible year in the 2024 draft.
