2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value

2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value

30. With the 30th overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select…

It’s odd that Nolan Smith fell to No. 30, but ignoring any possible issues that would lead to that, it seems like most teams simply picked the wrong edge rusher.

Smith is on the smaller side, which may have caused teams to be hesitant in drafting him, but he was able to wreak havoc at Georgia as he won two championships. Smith has been better at run blocking than rushing the passer, yet he’s been able to work on his speed throughout college and improve the weaker aspects of his game.

The encouraging thing about Smith is that he’s already begun the journey of addressing his weaknesses, which makes it seem like he’d be a ready addition to any roster.

The fact that the Eagles drafted him after taking Jalen Carter and upgraded their defense even more makes the Eagles seem like first-round magicians. Like the Texans and Seahawks, the Eagles seemed to steal the first round with two phenomenal selections.

31. With the 31st overall pick, the Kansas City Chiefs select…

As the last selection in the first round, the reigning Super Bowl champions weren’t left with many options. Most of the edge rushers were taken by this point, but BJ Ojulari was still available.

Ojulari was graded higher in the Top 50, but teams evaluate according to their specific needs, meaning they may go for a less-developed player who fits better on their roster. Anudike-Uzomah is an explosive player, but he still needs to refine his fundamentals a bit before he can be a leading edge rusher in the NFL.

Even with that taken into account, the Chiefs could have drafted Jalin Hyatt or Joey Porter Jr. here instead. There may have not been as many options at No. 31, but there were still a few options that create enough doubt that this was the best selection here.