2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value
By Kinnu Singh
2023 NFL Draft Grades: Rating every first-round pick by value
8. With the eight overall pick, the Atlanta Falcons select…
Positional Ranking: 1. RB. Bijan Robinson. A+. player. No. 3 in Top 50. Texas. 44
At No. 8, the Falcons likely landed the best player to come out of the NFL Draft this season.
Robinson may have come in at No. 3 on the on Top 50 list, but it’s not for a lack of talent. Young and Anderson are slated to be transformative, but Robinson also has the potential to carry a team on his back.
As previously described, Robinson is a “genuine plug-and-play running back who can enhance any NFL offense.” It’s still up for debate whether or not the Falcons organization will be able to support Robinson with a complimentary system or turn him into Atlanta’s Barry Sanders, but taking him at No. 8 without a trade immediately electrifies their offense.
9. With the ninth overall pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select…
player. No. 6 in Top 50. Jalen Carter. A. 54. Positional Ranking: 1. DT. Georgia
Jalen Carter and his representation bet that they wouldn’t fall out of the Top 10 in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they just made the cut at No. 9. Carter could have fallen based on how his year is going so far, or because teams prioritized other needs instead. Whatever the reasons are, the fact that the Eagles drafted him at No. 9 bodes well for Carter and Philadelphia.
When Carter starts, he’ll line up beside Fletcher Cox, a veteran tackle who can only add to Carter’s already explosive game. Carter’s a projected Pro Bowler joining an Eagles defense that broke records last season and went all the way to the Super Bowl. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made valuable acquisitions in order to set up the Eagles for success, and this is another.