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MIAMI, May 1 (UPI) -- The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are among the teams who received my best grades from the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers were among my lowest-graded teams.
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Decision-makers from the NFL's 32 teams balanced their research with prospect talent level, positional needs, selection slot value, personal character, scheme fit and more to determine the 259 picks at the draft, which was held Thursday through Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.
The Seahawks, Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders received my best grades.
Some NFL teams held a depleted stock of draft picks because of previous trades, while others picked more than a dozen new players from Thursday through Saturday.
The Los Angeles Rams selected an NFL Draft-high 14 players. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Green Bay Packers, who recently received four draft picks from the Aaron Rodgers trade, picked 13 players apiece.
The Miami Dolphins, who sent away future assets in several trades over the past few seasons, picked just four players. The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos added five players apiece.
Eagles A+
I liked the Eagles draft best, based on value, talent level, fit and their ability to fill needs. The Eagles started the draft by trading up for the No. 9 overall pick, which they used to select former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter, who had legal trouble this off-season, was initially considered a potential No. 1 overall pick.
The Carter pick started a run of former Georgia players drafted by the Eagles. The NFC East franchise went on to add former Bulldogs edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo. The Eagles also selected former Bulldogs defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean in last year's draft.
The Eagles entered the draft with holes in their secondary, defensive line and at running back. Carter should fit in nicely inside a defense that was average against the run last season. Smith, who was projected as a mid-first-round pick, dropped to the Eagles at No. 30. The star pass rusher will be a luxury for the Eagles, who led the NFL in sacks in 2022.
The Eagles added to their offensive line by picking former Alabama tackle Tyler Steen in the second round. They snagged former Illinois cornerback/safety Sydney Brown and Ringo in the third round. Brown and Ringo were great values at that slot and also addressed the Eagles' secondary needs.
The Eagles snagged former Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee in the sixth round. They spent their last pick on former Texas defensive tackle Moro Ojomo.
Rest of the best
The Texans were among the most aggressive teams at the draft. They started by selecting former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall. The Texans then traded with the Cardinals to acquire the No. 3 pick. They added former Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., one of the top defenders in college football, with that pick.
The Texans addressed several team needs with their next seven picks. They added offensive linemen Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson with the Nos. 62 and 201 picks, respectively. The Texans picked up wide receivers Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson with the Nos. 69 and 205 picks. They also drafted TCU edge rusher Dylan Horton at No. 109.
The Seahawks left the draft with several great values, while addressing team needs. They spent the No. 5 overall pick on Devon Witherspoon, one of the top cornerback prospects. They went on to add wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Ngiba at No. 20. They spent the Nos. 108 and 154 picks on offensive linemen Anthony Bradford and Olu Oluwatimi and snagged defensive tackle Cameron Young at No. 123.
The Patriots used their first three picks to address their defense, which rated well against the run, but struggled to defend the pass in 2022. They took cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17 overall. They went on to get great value by selecting Keion White in the second round.
The Patriots picked up additional cornerbacks with Michigan State's Ameer Speed and Jackson State's Isaiah Bolden at Nos. 214 and 245, respectively. They also drafted three offensive linemen and two wide receivers.
I also gave the Steelers an A. The Steelers took former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones at No. 14 overall. They took cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the second round, getting great value and addressing another team need. The Steelers got great value again when they snagged former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington at No. 93.
The Titans selected former Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski at No. 11, securing arguably the best lineman in the draft. They picked up Will Levis at No. 33, after the former Kentucky quarterback slipped out of the first round.
They went on to address additional offensive line and pass-catching needs later in the draft. The Titans also picked up former Tulane running back Tyjae Spears at No. 81, adding depth behind star rusher Derrick Henry.
The Raiders made nine picks in the draft. They started that run with former Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick. They then picked up former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, a projected first-round pick, in the second round.
The Raiders did not address their interior offensive line issues, but picked up defensive line help with former Alabama defensive tackle Byron Young at No. 70. They also added two defensive backs, attempting to aid a defense that allowed the fourth-most passing yards in 2022.
Draft grades
NFC East
Eagles -- A+
Cowboys -- B-
Commanders -- C
Giants -- B+
NFC North
Packers -- B+
Lions -- B
Bears -- C+
Vikings -- B
NFC South
Saints -- B-
Buccaneers -- B
Falcons -- B+
Panthers -- C+
NFC West
Seahawks -- A
Rams -- B+
49ers -- C
Cardinals -- B
AFC
North
Bengals -- B+
Steelers -- A
Ravens -- B
Browns -- C
South
Colts -- B+
Jaguars -- B
Texans -- A
Titans -- A
West
Chiefs -- B-
Chargers -- C
Raiders -- A
Broncos -- B
East
Dolphins -- B+
Bills -- B-
Jets -- C
Patriots -- A-
