DeKALB – This year’s 2023 NFL Draft caught fans off guard with three quarterback selections in the top five, along with an exponential amount of defensive players being drafted in the first round. There were a few teams that fans could say won the draft, then there were some teams that had a disappointing draft day. Here are winners and losers of the 2023 NFL Draft.

WINNER: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The first team that won the draft was the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles drafted two players in the first round, headlined by University of Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. 

The Eagles traded up one draft pick with the Chicago Bears to take Carter at the No. 9 pick. Carter’s draft stock originally dropped after he put on a poor performance at UGA’s pro day just nine days after the NFL Combine. 

Even though he struggled at his pro day, Carter has a ton of potential. He has a comparable play style to Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald. If Carter reaches his ceiling, he will pair up well with Eagles veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox on the Eagles’ stacked defensive line. 

The Eagles also drafted UGA Graduate Nolan Smith at the No. 30 pick. This was a great pick for the Eagles pairing up another UGA Bulldog with the Eagles D-line. 

WINNER: HOUSTON TEXANS

The second team that won the draft were the Houston Texans. The Texans took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at the No. 2 pick. 

This pick was questioned by fans after Stroud had the lowest cognitive test score out of all the top rated quarterbacks in the draft. Stroud was by far one of the best quarterbacks in college football over the past two years and, despite the low cognitive test score, he is a stud. 

The Texans then took University of Alabama Edge Will Anderson Jr. after trading up with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 pick. Anderson was the consensus best defensive player in the draft this year, recording 10 sacks, 51 tackles as a defensive end. Anderson has playoff experience in college and he has the potential to be a franchise player for the Texans alongside Stroud. 

With these two picks, the Texans brought in their franchise QB and their franchise edge rusher.

LOSER: ATLANTA FALCONS

The first team that lost in the draft was the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons made a risky decision in drafting University of Texas running back Bijan Robinson at the No. 8 pick. The NFL has leaned more toward the passing game over the last few years, so, taking a running back at eight is very risky. The Falcons could have taken Carter to build up their D-line, who would pair well with Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarret. 

LOSER: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Another loser of the draft was the New Orleans Saints. The Saints had a late first round draft pick and took Clemson University edge Bryan Bresee with the No. 29 pick. Bresee will be a good edge at the next level but has dealt with injuries in the past, making this a poor pick. The Saints also took Notre Dame edge Isaiah Foskey. This was a very questionable pick, as the Saints already have edge Cameron Jordan. The Saints wasted a pick on another edge when they could have taken an offensive lineman like North Dakota State Tackle Cody Mauch, to build up their O-Line. They also could have taken a skill player to pair up with current QB Jameis Winston.