Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. Throughout the pre-draft process, this class has been billed as a deep one, which made the second and third rounds that much more fascinating to watch unfold. As is the case with any day of the draft, there are naturally some moves by teams that catch the NFL by surprise, which is what we'll be diving into here.
Below, we'll be looking at five of the more surprising moves that transpired on Day 2, two of which include teams trading up for what could be their quarterbacks of the future. We'll also be looking at one of the more notable players who saw his stock plummet dramatically and deep into the third round.
1. Titans trade up for Will Levis
Will Levis' road into the NFL took a few unexpected detours, but he didn't have to wait long to hear his name called on Day 2. The Titans elected to trade up to the No. 33 overall pick (second selection of the round) to take the Kentucky quarterback. Tennessee does need a quarterback to develop as an heir apparent to Ryan Tannehill -- who is entering the final year of his contract -- so the club targeting Levis isn't that surprising. That said, it is surprising that the club didn't push for him on Thursday night during the first round to have the ability to use the fifth-year option on him down the road, which would've made more sense. If you're going to give up assets and trade up for Levis at No. 33, why not trade up to No. 31 and get another year of team control? Also, the mere fact that Levis did fall as far as he did is one of the bigger surprises of this draft even if his stock was faltering in the days leading up to Day 1.
2. Seahawks draft RB in the second
Seattle loves itself some running backs. The Seahawks used one of their two second-round picks to select UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet at No. 52 overall on Friday, which was a rather head-scratching move. While no one is questioning Charbonnet's ability and worthiness of being a second-round pick, the fit with Seattle specifically is what has folks tilting their heads considering that the team used a second-rounder on Kenneth Walker III just last year. One would think that there were some more pressing needs on the roster than doubling down on the backfield, right?
3. Darnell Washington's stock plummets
Outside of some of the quarterbacks, the fall of Darnell Washington is one of the bigger stories of the draft. The Georgia tight end is CBS Sports' No. 3 tight end prospect and the No. 35 overall player in this class. Coming into draft week, he was pegged as a high-end second-round pick or possibly even a back-end Day 1 pick. However, Washington not only fell, but multiple tight end prospects were going off the board before him. In all, seven tight ends heard their names before Washington. Finally, the Pittsburgh Steeler stopped the bleeding as they came in to take him at No. 93 overall. So, what happened? Washington may have had some medical red flags pop up, which scared teams away. Specifically, the 6-foot-7, 264-pounder may be dealing with a knee injury. While that may have been the culprit leading to Washington's fall, he finds himself on an NFL roster with the dust settling on Day 2. And if he can get over those reported concerns and get a clean bill of health, it's a fascinating fit for him in Pittsburgh with the Steelers.
4. Broncos use first pick on a WR
The Denver Broncos sat out of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft as the Seattle Seahawks owned their top selection as part of the Russell Wilson trade (which was fully completed on Friday). The club entered the draft fray on Day 2, however, by trading up into the last selection of the second round at No. 63 overall. With that pick, Sean Payton's first selection was Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims. On the surface, it's a pretty standard pick. However, when you consider Denver's roster and specifically the wide receiver position, it'll bring more questions than answers. Both Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, so the addition of another wide receiver does pour some fuel into those flames. Does this open the door for the Broncos to ship one of those wideouts somewhere in the NFL? That will be something worth watching as the offseason moves forward.
5. Lions trade up for Hendon Hooker
If you told a Lions fan a week ago that they'd be coming out of the NFL Draft with a quarterback, they probably wouldn't even bat an eye. However, if you said that they'd be able to get Tennessee's Hendon Hooker not just on Day 2, but at the beginning of the third round, they'd probably have some questions. Hooker was garnering some first-round buzz heading into the draft, but, similar to Will Levis, saw his stock drop out of Day 1 and deep into Day 2. The SEC Offensive Player of the Year fell out of the second round and that's when the Lions decided to strike, selecting him with the No. 68 overall pick. Detroit doesn't necessarily need a quarterback with Jared Goff at the helm, but Hooker, who is recovering from a torn ACL, could be a developmental piece behind him that could be an heir apparent in the years to come and it only came at the cost of a third-round pick.
