5 best and worst fits from the 2023 NFL Draft

4. Best Fit: Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

Although the Detroit Lions faced flak for drafting Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs on Day 1, they finished the draft with the highest overall grade, according to Next Gen Stats. That can largely be attributed to the fact that they were the team fortunate enough to land Brian Branch, the only safety included among the Top 50 prospects.

Any NFL team with safety needs would have benefitted from Branch, whose high football IQ and leadership traits can improve the secondary as a whole. Through college, Branch exhibited how he could uplift his defense with intuitive reads and good communication. What he needed in the draft was to have his game matched at the NFL level, and under Aaron Glenn’s tutelage, Branch has the opportunity to further his development in Detroit. Glenn was the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 as he oversaw the development of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Vonn Bell.

After having the NFL’s worst defense through their first seven games last year, the Lions have made extensive coaching changes in addition to calculated roster moves. By adding Brian Branch, arguably the best safety in the draft class, the Lions now have someone who can quickly become the quarterback of the defense. Additionally, Branch has the versatility to play in the slot as a nickel cornerback, which can only create more dynamism on a defense in need of it.

4. Worst Fit: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Giving the Ravens a “B” for drafting Zay Flowers is the result of averaging Zay Flowers’ individual grade against how he fits into the Ravens’ offense. Zay Flowers is an A+ prospect, but the Ravens deserve a C for drafting the wrong type of receiver for their scheme.

Even though the Ravens now have former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken designing plays for Lamar Jackson, Jackson has proven to work best targeting tight ends and tall wide receivers. Baltimore has been notorious about neglecting their receivers, and even though they’ve spent several first-round picks on wide receivers in recent years, it’s Mark Andrews who continuously catches the rock. Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi elaborated on this during a podcast review of the draft.

“I think Lamar needs tight ends and big receivers,” Lombardi said. “If I was Baltimore, I would have drafted [Dalton] Kincaid because Lamar succeeds with tight ends. He succeeds with big receivers in the middle of the field, not little guys on the outside.”

Despite the talk about Flowers’ height, there are plenty of teams who could have utilized him in an NFL offense. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Ravens have one of those offenses.