These five players selected on day three of the 2023 NFL draft could prove to be steals for their respective teams.
The 2023 NFL draft is now in the books. Let the grades commence as everyone is ready to offer opinions on how the 32 NFL teams did over the three-day extravaganza.
Of course, the only problem with that is that nobody really knows who won or lost the 2023 NFL draft and it’s foolish to suggest otherwise. Players can bust for a number of different reasons and they can also emerge when they aren’t expected to.
Obviously, NFL teams are hoping to find those success stories on day three of the NFL draft and that’s where the best teams and general managers make their headway.
So who did well on day three of the 2023 NFL draft? We aren’t going to look at times, but here are five picks I really like and guys that have a chance to outplay their draft value.
Aidan O’Connell (Raiders, 4th round)
Of all the quarterbacks taken on the third day of the 2023 NFL draft, Aidan O’Connell is my favorite and the one that could have a legit shot to be a starting quarterback one day.
The former walk-on will be coached by Josh McDaniels and there will be plenty of Tom Brady comparisons. O’Connell was a former walk-on but guided Purdue to the Big Ten title game and is a really accurate, intelligent quarterback.
He’ll have time to develop in Las Vegas and his floor is probably quality NFL backup, while his ceiling is potentially an NFL starter. O’Connell is 6-foot-3 and completed 66 percent of his pass with the Boilermakers to go along with 65 touchdown passes (also 30 interceptions).
Las Vegas traded up to get him and it’s possible that the Raiders view him as a guy that can develop into their quarterback of the future. That might be a stretch, but at the very least, he has the look of a dependable backup, which is valuable in its own right.
Kelee Ringo (Eagles, 4th round)
Sometimes, I just don’t get the NFL draft process and I simply don’t understand how Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo could last until the fourth round where he was snatched up by the Eagles.
Ringo was the third Georgia defender drafted in the 2023 NFL draft and that followed two in the 2022 NFL draft. Ringo is a big, physical cornerback, but he’s also fast.
At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, the former five-star recruit runs the 40-yard dash in 4.37. He was a sprinting champion in high school and has proven to be a really good cornerback for the Bulldogs with four interceptions over the past two seasons as well as double-digit passes defended.
Ringo was projected by NFL.com as a second-round pick and I’m stunned he lasted until day three. Philly was smart to pounce and the rest of the league is going to look silly when the Eagles are trotting out Ringo as a starting cornerback.
Mike Morris (Seahawks, 4th round)
Another guy that I was surprised was still on the board in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft was Michigan EDGE/defensive lineman Mike Morris.
Morris is a beast of a man at 6-foot-6, around 280 pounds. His biggest issue was that the latter part of his season was hindered due to injury.
Morris wasn’t healthy for the Ohio State game or even really for the Fiesta Bowl. He just didn’t look right. When he was healthy in 2022, he was one of the best pass rushers in college football as he notched 7.5 sacks for the Wolverines, to go along with 11 tackles for loss.
Over the past two years, Morris was one of the best at setting the edge too. He’s an elite run defender, and also a guy that can pressure the quarterback from the edge and the interior.
To me, that’s incredibly valuable. He’s also got the ability to start as a five-technique, or as a base defensive end in a 4-3. Simply put, Morris can play in any scheme. He can play multiple spots along the defensive line and he can play on any down.
I believe if he had been healthy all season, Morris would have easily been a day-two pick, and Seattle got a tremendous value at a key position.
Eric Gray (Giants, 5th round)
The New York Giants already have their bell-cow in Saquon Barkley, but you always need quality depth at running back in the NFL and the Giants did really well to get Eric Gray in the fourth round.
The former top-100 recruit didn’t run the 40 but he’s plenty fast and rushed for over 1,300 yards last season for Oklahoma while averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. It was also the first time Gray has carried the ball over 200 times in a season, so he doesn’t have a ton of tread on the tires.
Gray did rush for over 3,000 yards with Oklahoma and Tennessee. He also averaged 5.6 yards per rush in the process and scored 21 touchdowns. Beyond that, he’s a talented receiver with 99 career receptions including 63 over the last two seasons.
The 5-foot-9, 205-pounder could be a future starter for the Giants down the road and was projected in the fourth round by NFL.com. But I thought New York got a steal and a great complement to Barkley.
Trey Palmer (Bucs, 6th round)
Another guy that I thought was a steal was former Nebraska/LSU wide receiver Trey Palmer who was selected in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Palmer is an intriguing guy. He’s not really big at 6-foot, 180 pounds but he can play all over the field. Some view him as a slot, but he’s really more than that as he showed last season with the Cornhuskers when he caught 71 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.
The QB play was inconsistent but Palmer was one of the best deep threats in college football. He caught a number of 70-yard touchdowns (three total) and another of more than 60. He also had a 60-yard run against Purdue, giving him five plays of 60 yards or more last season.
Beyond his ability as a receiver, Palmer can help in the return game. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 at the combine, so he is one of the best deep threats in this class. His hands are somewhat unreliable at times, but he’s got NFL draft steal written all over him.