NFL Mock Draft 2023, Botch Job: Every team screws up its first-round pick
NFL Mock Draft 2023: Every team screws up its first-round pick
EDGE. 52. Scouting Report. Will McDonald IV. 24. player. Pick Analysis. Iowa State
Over the past few years, it’s been abundantly clear that the Jaguars as a front office — even with some moving parts — value pass rushers at an extremely high level. That’s why they’ve used three first-round picks on pass rushers since 2019, including taking Travon Walker first overall a year ago.
The problem, of course, has been that they haven’t seen the results of the capital spent there yet. It’s still an area of the defense that needs some help — it’s just not the area of the roster that needs the most help.
So taking an edge rusher at all could be an issue, but that’s even more so the case if it were Will McDonald IV. I just don’t see a first-round prospect on the tape, even with his obvious explosiveness and potential. That feels like a pick that would just continue this tiresome loop of trying to get the pass rush in Duval right.
WR. Boston College. 31. Pick Analysis. Zay Flowers. 25. player. Scouting Report
Particularly after ponying up to Daniel Jones this offseason, it’s a pretty simple edict I would have for the New York Giants in this year’s draft: If you leave Kansas City with fewer than two new pass-catchers on the roster, something has gone awry.
The dirty secret about the wide receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft, though, is that the top of the class just isn’t that far separated from the next tier of players. There is immensely more value in taking pass-catchers, specifically at receiver, on Day 2 and early Day 3 then there is reaching for someone like Zay Flowers with the 25th overall pick.
While Flowers is a good player, he is not an offense-changing talent by my estimation. The Giants would be much smarter to address other needs in the secondary or at guard with this pick and dipping into the receiver pool later in their draft.