Welcome to a special Saturday edition of the With the First Pick newsletter. We are a little over 100 picks into this glorious 2023 NFL Draft and there will be more than 100 selections on Day 3. Music to my ears. Yours too, right? Thought so.
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Join us for live 2023 NFL Draft analysis from CBS Sports and an updating NFL Draft tracker. Also check out Pete Prisco's NFL Draft grades for every first-round pick and subscribe to the "With the First Pick" podcast for nightly recaps, winners and losers and more from Kansas City.
Day 2 picks: Five Ryan Wilson liked, five he didn't like ✍️
Unsurprisingly, Ryan began this piece with Will Levis to the Titans at No. 33 overall as one of his "home run" selections on Day 2. And I completely agree. Awesome value there for Tennessee, even with the trade up to get Levis. Here's what Ryan wrote on the Eagles third-round selection of Illinois safety Sydney Brown, another pick he really liked:
"This was a great pick for the Eagles, getting a potential starter at safety -- a position of need following C.J. Gardner-Johnson's free agency departure to the Lions -- in Round 3. He was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection as an absolute ballhawk in 2022 with six interceptions, the most in the conference and tied for the third most in the nation. Brown is able to change direction quickly, a key skill for any defensive back."
You'll have to read the article to see all of the picks Ryan didn't like, but I will provide this -- there are two Day 2 cornerbacks in that "head-scratchers" category.
Brinson's winners and losers from second and third rounds 🏆
Will Brinson had plenty to say about Levis, too, and I highly encourage you read his thoughts. Spot on. Here, I want to feature Sean Payton, whom Will listed as a clear winner in his first draft with the Broncos. Why? Well, because I loved what Denver did on the second day of the draft after not selecting in Round 1. Here's part of what Brinson wrote:
"Payton started by scooping up Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims to help out Russ (we could still see a Denver wideout trade, although it seems less likely with 2023 premium picks now gone, but there's plenty of time until the seasons starts) before adding "My Dude" in Drew Sanders out of Arkansas. I've got a man crush on Sanders and hope Vance Joseph gets creative with him in terms of rushing the passer next year. The Broncos rounded things out by landing Riley Moss, a cornerback out of Iowa, who doesn't sound great singing "Piano Man," looks like someone who attended a bunch of Jimmy Eat World concerts and apparently, per Charles Davis on NFL Network, isn't getting enough respect as a cornerback because people expect him to move to safety for ... reasons. This was nice work by Payton cleaning up with limited draft capital."
The Mims-Sanders-Moss trio was drafted at awesome value and addressed needs for one of the most active clubs in free agency.
Day 2 biggest surprises 👀
CBS Sports staffer Tyler Sullivan penned -- or typed -- this flagship draft piece and thought it was surprising Tennessee traded up for Levis. But this isn't the Will Levis newsletter, so I'll move past any more mentions of the new Titans quarterback. I want to showcase Sullivan's apt selection of the Seahawks picking Zach Charbonnet in Round 2 after drafting Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up Kenneth Walker III in the second round a year ago:
"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?"
Yes, we know the Seahawks are quirky -- and usually pretty good! -- at this draft thing. But this was a strange selection, no doubt.
Best available prospects 🥇
Updating from Friday, of course. And yes, I know. As you're reading this the draft is happening. It's still a tremendous resource as the draft rumbles along on Saturday. There are still some notable players at the top, with their corresponding ranking on our CBS Sports aggregate Big Board:
38. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern
48. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
51. Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
54. Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
57. JL Skinner, S, Boise State
News & Notes 📝
- Follow along with me in the draft tracker. I'll be handling the real-time grades and in-depth analysis for every single pick until Mr. Irrelevant today. Josh Edwards is chipping in, too. Best second screen for Day 3. Believe me. I swear I'm not biased here.
- Day 2's biggest steals. Cody Benjamin provided his thoughts on the largest steals from the second and third rounds.
2023 NFL Draft rookie jerseys now available
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