2023 NFL Draft Regrade: Seahawks and Rams Earn Top Marks, Cowboys Disappoint

Regrading 2023 NFL Draft: Seahawks, Rams rise to perfection, Cowboys' haul fails in a big way

Pete Prisco revisits his draft grades from three years back

By Pete Prisco

May 19, 2026 at 8:09 am ET • 28 min read

- - -

The defending  Super Bowl  champion  Seattle Seahawks  will once again push to win it all this year, while their division rival  Los Angeles Rams  are right there with them in terms of being considered Super Bowl contenders.

The 2023  NFL Draft  is a big reason why.

It always takes three years to truly grade a draft, so I always go back and do a regrade of the teams and myself based on my initial draft grades.

Sometimes the teams look bad. Sometimes I do. Sometimes we both do in terms of the same evaluations and, yes, there are times when we both even get it right.

As it relates to the 2023 drafts for the Rams and Seahawks, they both look great right now. In fact, after giving them solid grades immediately after the draft, the new grade for both is A+.

The Seahawks had two first-round picks and hit on cornerback  Devon Witherspoon  and receiver  Jaxon Smith-Njigba , two of the best in the game at their positions. But they also got three other players in that draft who have started or will start this year. That's great drafting.

The Rams landed five starters in that draft, including the steal of the draft by taking receiver  Puka Nacua  in the fifth round. He is now considered one of the top offensive players in the league.

There was a lot more, too. The Rams landed four other starters in defensive linemen  Byron Young  (third) and  Kobie Turner  (third) and offensive linemen  Steve Avila  (second) and  Warren McClendon  (fifth). That's how you build a winner.

They are the only teams to get the A+ grades, but five other teams got A grades. They are the  Chicago Bears ,  Detroit Lions ,  Houston Texans ,  Jacksonville Jaguars  and  Philadelphia Eagles . All five are playoff contenders and maybe more this season.

Looking back three years after a draft really does show the value in it. So dive in and see how your team did and how I did, with the latter not being great for some of my original evaluations. But at least I can say I am wrong, which many other analysts out there won't do. Of course, they invented the game. Just ask them.

Arizona Cardinals

2023 grade:  B+

The skinny:  They traded down in the first round with the  Texans  and still landed starting left tackle  Paris Johnson Jr. , although they could have taken star edge  Will Anderson Jr. . They got another first-round pick in 2024 in that trade and used it on edge  Darius Robinson , who started 12 games last season but had just one sack. In this draft, they had nine picks and eight are still on the roster, and three are good starters in Johnson, third-round corner  Garrett Williams  and third-round receiver  Michael Wilson .

How I did:  I liked the pick of edge  BJ Ojulari  in the second round, but after flashing as a rookie he suffered a devastating knee injury during the 2024 training camp. He played just eight games last season with one sack. I didn't love the Williams pick because he was coming off a knee injury, but he has been a good player. I did like the overall draft and the move to trade down.

New grade:  B+

Atlanta Falcons

2023 grade:  C-

The skinny:  They took running back  Bijan Robinson  with the ninth pick, which has worked out well for them. He is a star back. They took starting guard  Matthew Bergeron  in the second and third-round edge  Zach Harrison  started seven games last year, but missed time with a knee injury.

How I did:  I didn't love the Robinson pick, even though I thought he'd be a good player. I just don't like taking backs that high. I liked fourth-round corner  Clark Phillips III , who started every game in 2024, but played just one last season after suffering a triceps injury. This was a solid draft.

New grade:  B

Baltimore Ravens

2023 grade:   C+

The skinny:  They had six picks and just two -- first-round receiver  Zay Flowers  and fourth-round edge  Tavius Robinson  -- go into this season as a starter. That is not a great haul for a team that traditionally drafts well. Third-round linebacker  Trenton Simpson  and seventh-round guard  Andrew Vorhees  have started in the past.

How I did:  I liked the pick of Flowers in the first and he has proven to be a good player. I didn't like the pick of Simpson in the third. He just hasn't been what they expected. I didn't really like the overall draft then and don't love it now.

New grade:  C-

Buffalo Bills

2023 grade:  B-

The skinny:  They took tight end  Dalton Kincaid  in the first and he has flashed at times, but injuries have slowed him some. This is a big year for him coming up. They also got starting guard  O'Cyrus Torrence  in the second and third-round linebacker  Dorian Williams  is a starter. Seventh-round tackle  Nick Broeker  is a backup.

How I did:  I loved the pick of Torrence, who has proven to be a big part of their offensive line. I didn't love the pick of Williams, saying there were better options on the board, but he has proven to be a solid pick.

New grade:  B-

Carolina Panthers

2023 grade:  B+

The skinny:  They made the bold move to trade up with Chicago to land quarterback  Bryce Young . While he flashed last year, the verdict on the trade is still tilted to the  Bears  in a big way. If he continues to develop, it could be worth it. If not, it will be a disaster. They missed big on second-round receiver  Jonathan Mingo  and third-round edge  DJ Johnson , who are both with other teams now. This draft is now all about Young, which it was anyway.

How I did:  Not good. Why in the hell did I give this grade a B+? I didn't love the Young pick, but did say he was a good passer. I was worried about his size and was never really in on the hype. I liked Mingo, so that's a big miss. But I said Johnson was their worst pick, so that's a hit. This draft is not good, but Young can save it.

New grade:  D

Chicago Bears

2023 grade:  B+

The skinny:  They traded down with Carolina from the top spot and landed a nice haul in return, which has led to them drafting the foundation of this team. One of those players is right tackle  Darnell Wright , who they took in the first round. He's a good player. They had nine other picks in the draft. Of those nine, five are still on the roster and two are starters. They are second-round defensive tackle  Gervon Dexter Sr . and second-round corner  Tyrique Stevenson . But they also took quarterback  Caleb Williams  with the 2024 first overall pick they got in the Young trade. They won that trade big time.

How I did:  I didn't like them trading down for a second time from No. 9 to No. 10 to take Wright. I said they should have taken  Jalen Carter . I didn't love the Dexter pick because of inconsistency questions. I liked the pick of back  Roschon Johnson  in the fourth, but after flashing as a rookie he had just two carries last season and would seem to be in jeopardy of being cut. While the draft itself was just OK, the trade saved it.

New grade:  A

Cincinnati Bengals

2023 grade:  A

The skinny:  They had eight picks in this draft and four are solid starters. First-round edge  Myles Murphy  finally lived up to the expectations in the second half of last season. Second-round corner  DJ Turner  is a good player and third-round safety  Jordan Battle  is a quality starter. They hit big on fifth-round running back  Chase Brown . They also got backups in receivers  Charlie Jones  (fourth) and  Andrei Iosivas  (sixth) and corner  DJ Ivey  (seventh).

How I did:  My favorite pick was Turner and my only question was with their draft was them not taking offensive lineman. I liked that they focused on improving a defense and landed three staters.

New grade:  B+

Cleveland Browns

2023 grade:  B+

The skinny:  They didn't have a first- or second-round pick, having traded them to land  Deshaun Watson  in that now infamous deal. In the third, they took receiver  Cedric Tillman  and defensive tackle  Siaki Ika . Tillman is a solid player, who has started 19 games, including 10 last year, while Ika was cut after one season and is now in the UFL. Fourth-round tackle  Dawand Jones  has started games and could win a job this year. Fourth-round edge  Isaiah McGuire  is a solid backup. Sixth-round center  Luke Wypler  is also a backup.

How I did:  I was as bad as the  Browns  were in trading for Watson. I loved Ika, although I did say he needed to keep his weight in check. I also liked Tillman in the third. The worst pick in my eyes was Jones, but I did write he could become the best pick if he kept his weight in check. This draft, coupled with the Watson trade, wasn't good.

New grade:  D-

Dallas Cowboys

2023 grade:  A

The skinny:  They took defensive tackle  Mazi Smith  with their first-round pick and he busted and was traded to the  Jets . Second-round tight end  Luke Schoonmaker  is a backup. Third-round linebacker  DeMarvion Overshown  was a big hit before he tore up his knee in 2024. He was back last year, but wasn't quite the same. He is still a starter. None of their remaining five picks is still on the roster.

How I did:  Let's just say I was terrible. I loved the pick of Smith, who never worked out. I said he would be a force in the run game. My favorite pick was fourth-round edge  Viliami Fehoko , who was a big-time bust. He was the captain of my Better-Than team that year. Bad.

New grade:  F

Denver Broncos

2023 grade:  B-

The skinny:  The  Broncos  traded their first-round and second-round picks in the trade to get  Russell Wilson . Oh, was that bad. They had five picks in the draft and all five are still with the team. The best pick was corner  Riley Moss  in the third. They also got receiver  Marvin Mims  in the second, trading up to take him. If only they hadn't made the trade for Wilson.

How I did:  I had Mims as their best pick, but that goes to Moss. Mims is still a nice part of their offense and return game. I made the trade for Wilson the worst part of this draft and it was -- even before he was let go by the Broncos. I thought third-round linebacker  Drew Sanders  could be a starter, but he's been limited to 21 games because of injury.

New grade:  C

Detroit Lions

2023 grade:  A

The skinny:  The  Lions  killed this draft. It started by taking running back  Jahmyr Gibbs  in the first and he has proven to be a star in this league. They followed that up by taking linebacker  Jack Campbell  in the first, tight end  Sam LaPorta  in the second and safety  Brian Branch  in the second. All four have been outstanding when on the field, but injuries have limited Branch and LaPorta some. The only other player still on the roster is sixth-round offensive lineman  Colby Sorsdal . They missed on third-round quarterback  Hendon Hooker  and third-round defensive tackle  Brodric Martin .

How I did:  My favorite pick was LaPorta in the second. I liked Gibbs as a true air back, but questioned taking him so high. That has proven to be a wrong assessment on my part. I liked the pick of Martin in the third, which didn't play out. He never developed.

New grade:  A

Green Bay Packers

2023 grade:  B+

The skinny:  They had 13 picks in this draft and five head into the season as starters, although some will be challenged. First-round pick  Lukas Van Ness  starts, but hasn't come close to living up to the billing. Second-round tight end  Luke Musgrave  was passed on the depth chart by third-round tight end  Tucker Kraft , who is coming off a knee injury. Both will play, but Kraft is the top guy. Second-round receiver  Jayden Reed  starts and seventh-round corner  Carrington Valentine  has been a starter, but will be challenged this season for his job. Sixth-round defensive end  Karl Brooks  is also a starter.

How I did:  I liked the pick of Musgrave, who has flashed at times but isn't as good

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/regrading-2023-nfl-draft/)._