2023 NFL Draft: Pick-by-pick analysis for Day 3, Rounds 4-5

The Saints jumped up 11 spots before the start of Round 4 to snag a smart, long, positionally diverse blocker. He could have gone in Round 3 easily.

We thought Bennett had a good chance to crack Round 3, as he can run with almost any receiver out there and was overshadowed a bit by teammate Deonte Banks, who went No. 24 overall to the Giants. Bennett will get a chance to start at some point early in his career on the outside.

The Eagles trading a 2024 third-round pick to leap into this spot tells you just how much they wanted yet another UGA defender on their roster. Ringo is a rare athlete whose NFL role could be TBD. His traits are worth a shot here.

Freeland struggled in one-on-one pass-block drills at the Reese's Senior Bowl, but his rare length and athletic traits make him a solid dart throw here. The Colts needed more insurance at tackle.

Like the Juice Scruggs pick late Friday night, this one is higher than we imagined. Andrews is tough, durable and can be a three-position backup inside. But he's also a bit short and not especially powerful.

Several people within the scouting community said Bradford could be a top-100 pick. He has tackle-guard versatility but best operates inside as a steamrolling guard. Perfect Seattle fit.

The thickly built Horton emerged last season and had a big performance vs. Michigan in the College Football Playoffs. He's a power end who will help Houston up front.

Adebawore had first-round testing numbers, fourth-round tape and unusual dimensions. All told, though, this feels like a good spot to take a chance on him. He played an edge role in Evanston, but we see him as more of an inside player.

There were questions about Jones' football character after he bowed out of the Senior Bowl following one good practice. But he emerged as a hulking right tackle last season and has the talent to vastly outplay this landing spot in the draft.

Having seen the 49ers take a kicker late Friday, the Patriots were emboldened to trade up for another one (dealing with the Jets!) in Ryland, who had a few rough patches in college but also made a high percentage of long tries.

Terrific value for a player we thought should go 30-40 picks earlier. Phillips is an elite competitor with subpar size who stood tall amid big expectations entering last season. He might be a slot corner, but Phillips could be a standout in that role.

Zavala's story is terrific, going from undersized unknown at Fairmont State to NFL fourth-rounder in just a few years' time. He absolutely can complete for a starting role at some point if his past health issues don't derail his development. A strong, competent guard who previously started next to Icky Ekwonu in college.

Johnson will walk in the door as an NFL-caliber special-teamer and will be a popular figure in that locker room. Coaches love his work ethic and selfless nature. Had he played at any other school, Johnson would have been featured far more. A really nice player who runs hard.

This might be your Dean Lowry replacement. Wooden is a workmanlike end who can occupy blocks and occasionally strip footballs loose. Solid rotational guy.

My colleague Chad Reuter practically refused to maintain our friendship if I didn't commit serious time to watching Sow. And Chad was right! Sow was a pleasant surprise as a developmental guard. But don't they need a tackle? 

There were guard-tackle questions with Daniels, who is undersized but athletically gifted. Washington could try him at either spot, and he could be a nice fit in Eric Bieniemy's offensive system at either.

The Chiefs have had great success unearthing good secondary fits the past few years, and Conner might be the next in line. At the very least he'll be a strong special-teams performer immediately. 

Joe Douglas has now addressed three of the Jets' biggest needs coming into the draft, just in the opposite order we guessed coming in: pass rusher, then center, then tackle. But Warren feels like a possible theft at this phase. We're not sure why his draft stock wasn't higher. He's a so-so athlete but a very competent blocker on the edge.

Miller is a tough, experienced, passionate and undersized player with a lengthy injury history. Becoming a five-year special-teams ace and fourth LB could be his NFL role.

Another thoughtful, smart pick to build the infrastructure in Arizona. Things have been shaky for this team in recent years, but Gaines -- an athletic riser in this class -- is yet another choice to build out the foundation. 

We thought the Seahawks could use a higher pick on an interior presence, but this is not a bad pick here. Young isn't flashy in any way but will fit well as a two-gap nose tackle -- a need in their front.

The Ravens love a good story, and Robinson's rise from the University of Guelph in Canada to higher-end SEC performer is just that. He's a back-room project now but could pay off eventually, which is often how the Ravens develop talent.

Davis is a lightning-fast returner and slot receiver who could provide some hidden yards in bursts. He has rare speed and is a tough customer neatly packed into a very small frame. Special teams will be his meal ticket, we suspect.

The Browns are a classic value-drafting team, and McGuire is no exception. We thought Round 3 was entirely possible for the long, forceful McGuire, who just lacks great burst off the edge.

The Saints did their homework on the second and third tiers of QB talent in this class and landed our top-rated remaining option. He's similar to Derek Carr in some ways (both are Fresno State guys) and profiles as a backup with spot starter potential with his crafty, smart, tough approach.

A Round 4 QB run! This is why we hang on every pick, folks. Bennett was off some teams' draft boards for character and size reasons, but other clubs were quietly intrigued by his athletic traits, winning pedigree and edgy style. This is a really interesting fit with Sean McVay in L.A.

A bull in a China shop, Fehoko is a bit short with a thick build, but he'll rumble his way into a backfield for you. He was more disruptive and productive with each passing season in college, yet he might have limited upside.

I'm not sure there's much difference between Lacy's early-career tape and what he did his final season, but he was a pretty solid performer for the Cowboys over four seasons. He's likely a rotational/depth guy inside in Jacksonville.

Jones was highly productive after leaving Iowa for Purdue and could be an upgrade for the WR4/slot role in Cincinnati. He won't see as many passes in Cincy but could be a quality punt returner, too.

The Steelers keep cranking out extra-base hits in this draft. Herbig's role might be pretty streamlined as a third-down pressure source, but that was another item that needed checking off. This is a smart, quality pick here.

I mentioned to an ex-Bears scout a few months ago that I thought Scott fit what the Bears might target in this draft. But we assumed it would be a round earlier. He's a really good speed option to keep opening up the pass game for Justin Fields.

A safety-slot combo who can hit with ferocity, Ward is yet another addition for Brian Flores' rebuilt secondary. He's made some game-changing plays in college with multiple blocked kicks and pick-sixes.

O'Connell had a solid week at the East-West Shrine Game and will get to know that facility well again. The Raiders wanted insurance behind injury-prone Jimmy Garoppolo, and O'Connell's game has some real Jimmy-esque qualities to it.

More linebacker help for the Jags, who have carpet bombed that position the last two drafts now. Abdullah, however, projects best, we think, as a stand-up rusher, so his usage could be a bit different from the other ones they've taken.

Henry never quite reached the peak expected as an elite high-school recruit but is a high-energy, high-character rusher who could carve out a role up front and give Washington's talented ends a breather a few series per game.

How nice has the Colts' haul been? They've focused on adding elite athletes at need positions, and the trend continues with the Rush pick. He looked like an interesting CB project at the Reese's Senior Bowl and tested well at the combine.

Projecting as a quality backup with solid athletic traits and excellent experience, Tune can raise the performance level in Arizona's QB room. He might never be a regular starter but could prove valuable in time.

The QBs are coming off in pairs, it seems. DTR played a lot of football at UCLA and really showed some promise over his five seasons. He profiles similarly -- athletically and style-wise -- to starter Deshaun Watson, so there was some thought behind this pick.

The highly touted Roy never quite unlocked his potential in college, but he has the strength to give him a chance as a plugger up front. Roy just doesn't appear to be that quick or agile.

There was a little top-100 talk for Mitchell, a well-rounded CB prospect. This is also a cool reunion with his former teammate and childhood buddy Greg Newsome II in Cleveland's secondary.

It's a crowded backfield in New York, but we won't at all rule out Abanikanda's chances to make an impact. He's a fascinating speedball with the ability to find daylight from tight quarters. Keep an eye on Izzy, who could be a preseason star.

The cousin of former Bruin and Patriot Devin Asiasi, Mafi is a converted D-lineman whom the Patriots got to know at the East-West Shrine Game. But ... another interior OL pick?

The Panthers made a nice pick here, we think. Robinson is a feisty playmaker with corner-safety versatility and projects to help on special-teams units extensively. This is a player who could have reasonably gone off the board a round earlier.

Howden played a lot of football in college and tested better athletically than some expected, but we view him as a quality depth option.

Whyle was a bit lost amid a deep TE crop, but his length and athleticism stand out. Can he block at the next level? We'll see, but he could project to a jump-ball role in Nashville.

Who is ready for a Noah Sewell vs. Penei Sewell collision when the Bears and Lions meet? (Perhaps on a David Montgomery run.) The younger Sewell is a thickly built, two-down linebacker who lacks twitchy athleticism but can bring some thump to his hits.

Clifford is a nearly 25-year-old, non-combine QB whose decision-making in college resulted in some lost hair clumps among PSU fans. But he's athletic, very tough and will do whatever is asked of him.

Once Sean Clifford's target at Penn State, Shorter got more opportunities in Gainesville but never quite maximized his strong, physical tools. At this phase of the draft, though, he's well worth the risk for Buffalo, which needed more WR depth.

Some teams seem to have a type, and the Seahawks are one. They likely were drawn to Morris' power and tenacity, and he can win a job as a rotational contributor up front.

This is the first player picked in the 2023 NFL Draft I didn't at least watch one game's worth of tape on. NFL Network colleague Lance Zierlein likes Sorsdal's fit as a guard after playing mostly tackle for the Tribe, although he's not massive or powerful.

Dennis is a tone-setter with his play style and hustle, but he might not be big enough to handle run-down duties. He's got the temperament to be a quality backup and special-teams contributor.

The Seahawks have had some undersized centers before, so he sort of fits their type. Oluwatimi isn't big and likely is a one-position player, but his character and smarts are off the charts. He will battle to the final snap.

The 49ers have had some success unearthing some long, lean corners in recent years and could strike oil again with Luter. He held up pretty well at the Reese's Senior Bowl.

The Chargers are listing him as a tackle, which was his college position, even though some teams wondered if he had the length to play there. After having success in their system with the similarly built Rashawn Slater and Jamaree Salyer, it's hard to doubt the Chargers here.

The Ravens waited to find a corner, a position we thought they might address on Day 1. But here, they find really nice value with the son of former Bucs DB Brian Kelly. The younger Kelly, who had a solid career for the Cardinal, had a positive showing at the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Scott is on the older side, but his athletic traits are in the elite range. This has been the model for Indianapolis' entire draft, taking chances on the top 1 percent athletically. Scott will be a quality backup at the very least but could crack the rotation as a deep-halves defender.

Those who took the time to rewind Wicks' tape to the 2021 season saw an emerging star. Those stuck on 2022 might be hung up on frustrating drops and a precipitous drop in production. The Packers look for this mold of wideout, so the risk is well worth it here.

Terrific value here by the Jaguars and one of our favorite picks of theirs in this draft. Johnson is similar, size-wise, to Rayshawn Jenkins and can compete for a top-three safety role.

The Rams love their undersized pass rushers and keep taking chances on them. Hampton blasts off the line and had a pattern of disruption in college but must win with speed and isn't a complete defender right now.

Mallory was expected to be better than he was in college, and he had a quieter Reese's Senior Bowl than we hoped for. But his athletic traits are worthy of a flier at this part of the draft, and he could be a good TE3 option.

Brown's final two years at Illinois showed how well he sees holes before they open, often leading to consistent gains. Plus, there's a decent chance he'll be thrust into a role in Cincy given the backfield uncertainty.

Hall is a 25-year-old, deep-ball chucker and sort of a poor man's Russell Wilson if you squint at him in the right light. There might not be tremendous upside here, but Hall can give them a developmental placeholder at QB.

We got in on Smith back in January and liked what we saw. He runs well with respectable length and even came on as a "cat" blitzer in 2022. Injuries have followed him for years, though, and he's a bit older at 24.

Thompson is a long-limbed rusher who can't hold up well enough against the run but has the kind of developmental promise that often comes with prospects taken in this range.

To'oTo'o possesses some terrific intangibles in a smaller-framed linebacker. If he was two inches taller and 25 pounds heavier, he might have been a top-100 pick.

Pappoe is pound-for-pound one of the better all-around athletes in this class with surprising strength. He didn't produce monster numbers in college and always seemed to be battling some injury, but he's better than the 168th pick in this class.

You don't always find 37-game starters at left tackle in this part of the draft, and Richards seemed like a better player in 2022 than he was before that. There's limited upside, but Richards is a nice selection here.

Undersized for the safety position, Smith nonetheless is an elite alley runner who times up his meetings at the ball very well. He's smart and dependable and could have a decent career if he can hold up physically.

Durham arrived at the Reese's Senior Bowl and announced his presence with some wild catches and great effort as a blocker. He reminds me a lot of Jack Doyle, the former Colts tight end who carved out a career with grit and good hands.

I've always had a soft spot for Gray, even after his tough first season at OU after transferring from Tennessee. He rebounded in a big way last season with his excellent vision and profiles as a possible third-down option with some underrated receiving chops.

Beal had an up-and-down career at Georgia, but he was an eye-catcher with some flashes here and there. You're more than willing to gamble on this combination of length and quickness.

McClendon was almost exclusively a right tackle in college but could be tried at either guard or tackle in the pros. He had some injuries and was a passenger in the car crash that killed his teammate, Devin Willock, and Georgia recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy in January.

Others were more bullish on Allen than I was, but he has good length and gives nice effort as a blocker. Allen just isn't that special an athlete for the position and had pedestrian production as a receiver.

A fan and draft-analyst favorite, Hull endeared himself to even more folks at the Reese's Senior Bowl after two good years of production on a shorthanded Wildcats offense. He's likely a change-of-pace player but easily could carve out a role in Indy.

For a team that has cut back its travel for scouts and executives in recent years, the Rams sure do seem to like Reese's Senior Bowl prospects -- that's their third such prospect in a four-pick span. Nacua had some Cooper Kupp-like moments in the first practice in Mobile, Alabama, before shutting it down. Injuries have followed him every year, but Nacua has a big-play track record over four years.