NFC Draft Haul rankings

My Draft Haul rankings combine each organization’s returns from the NFL Draft and UDFA process to determine who brought in the most talent, and who got the best return on investment (i.e., how much talent was acquired in relation to how much pick equity was spent).

To determine point values, I used Michael Lopez’s “blended draft chart.” This chart values slots based on overall average pick performance and star likelihood at that slot. ROI was determined by a formula involving overall talent acquired and equity spent.

Below, I give condensed thoughts on each team’s draft class and UDFA crop. For my full thoughts, check out my NFL Draft grades, AFC UDFA rankings, and NFC UDFA rankings. 

I’ve also noted each team’s 2023 NFL Draft holdings as of today, and ranked each teams’ projected 2023 draft equity. I used Tankathon for the order. For R1 draft equity, instead of giving the team projected for the first pick (Falcons) the entire trade-chart 1.1 point total, I averaged the slots between 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, and 25-32, and gave each team in those ranges the average total.

Rankings below are out of all 32 NFL teams. Projected comp picks denoted with a star. Scroll right in the tables for comps, RAS scores, height, and weight.

Arizona Cardinals | Draft Equity rank: 29 | Talent acquired: 29 | ROI: 19 

NFL Draft: Arizona got solid value in the slots they picked in. The McBride pick was a bit of a surprise with Zach Ertz on the roster, but Kliff Kingsbury should be able to leverage McBride’s versatility to get him on the field early. EDGE was a huge need and the Cardinals attacked it with a pair of strong selections at the end of Round 3.

UDFA: Baker has a shot to crack the roster and was worth the investment on measurables alone. The rest of this crop is uninspiring. The pair of running backs were the other big investment, but both are extreme long-shots to crack the roster. Ronnie Rivers will enter camp as RB5, and Pledger is likely entering as RB7.

2023 draft equity rank: 17

Projected 2023 picks

Atlanta Falcons | Draft Equity rank: 9 | Talent acquired: 6 | ROI: 6

NFL Draft: Atlanta kicked off the record-setting receiver run we saw in R1 in the 1.8 slot with Drake London, who I agreed was the best prospect at that position in the class. Sorely needed infusion to the league’s worst receiving corps. Liked the value on Ebiketie and Ridder at positions of need. Also appreciated that Atlanta refused to reach throughout.

UDFA: The two names to watch here are Dare Rosenthal and Nate Landman. Rosenthal would have been drafted if not for questions about his maturity from earlier in his career at LSU. He played LT along a very strong UK offensive line, finishing No. 21 in PFF grade last year and No. 20 in run-blocking amongst this OT class. Landman is a fearless gap-plugger who triggers downhill quickly and arrives with a thud. He could turn into an early-down tone-setter against the run if his body doesn’t betray him.

2023 draft equity rank: 4

Projected 2023 picks

Carolina Panthers | Draft Equity rank: 17 | Talent acquired: 12 | ROI: 3

NFL Draft: Who could have guessed that Ikem Ekwonu, a top-5 overall prospect in the class and a local product, would fall to No. 6? I loved the dart throw on Matt Corral in R3 for a team that desperately needed a talent infusion in the QB room. While I don’t think Corral is a viable option to start immediately, I like his odds of turning into a quality starter down the line. I really liked the Day 3 plan. Why not roll the dice on Brandon Smith, Amare Barno, and Kalon Barnes' physical packages (or Mays' pedigree)?

UDFA: Carolina targeted the wide receiver position during the UDFA free-for-all. Rambo surprisingly went undrafted after popping off for a 79-1172-7 last season. Rambo is an adept route-runner blessed with good length and play speed. Parchment has good size and has shown refined skills on the field, but he's a below-average athlete who may not have NFL juice. Opposite story for Henry, a raw prospect with dynamic athleticism. At nearly 6’2, Henry ran a 4.46 with 90th-percentile or better showings in the vertical jump, broad jump, and 3-cone. Henry averaged nearly 20 yards per catch on his 48 grabs at Virginia.

2023 draft equity rank: 10

Projected 2023 picks

Chicago Bears | Draft Equity rank: 20 | Talent acquired: 22 | ROI: 23

NFL Draft: No argument with the first two picks, solid secondary options in the slots they picked. I thought Velus Jones was an enormous reach in Round 3. With such a shoddy offensive line in front of Justin Fields, I was surprised the Bears didn’t pick a prospect at that position until Round 5. That said, Braxton Jones was a strong developmental stab at that point.

UDFA: The Bears should have been in the catbird seat during UDFA discussions – there aren’t many other rosters in the NFL where UDFA could have felt better about potentially cracking the opening-day roster. So how does Chicago leave the UDFA process with only one prospect I had a draftable grade on?

2023 draft equity rank: 8

Projected 2023 picks

Dallas Cowboys | Draft Equity rank: 16 | Talent acquired: 15 | ROI: 12

NFL Draft: If you're going to assume risk in a transaction, you can't extend yourself to do so. More so than anything, that was my issue with this class. I love Smith's ability, but he's a penalty machine who has a lot to work on. I had one of the highest grades on Williams in the industry... and Dallas reached over it on a Greg Hardy-like upside gamble. Clark's career will be delayed -- and it might even be in jeopardy -- due to a spine injury. 

UDFA: I had a R5 grade on C Alec Lindstrom, R6 grades on WR Dontario Drummond and CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart, and R7 grades on LB Aaron Hansford, S Markquese Bell, and S Juanyeh Thomas. Lindstrom is a smart, athletic, undersized interior lineman with NFL bloodlines. Drummond is a 215-pound slot receiver that only runs a 4.65, but he’s a sure-handed, tackle-breaking machine who gets after it blocking. Taylor-Stuart was a top-40 overall recruit who has an ideal blend of length and speed (4.42), but he needs to find a position (corner or free safety?), refine his technique, and improve his instincts. If the light ever turns on, he'll be a player.

2023 draft equity rank: 22

Projected 2023 picks

Detroit Lions | Draft Equity rank: 5 | Talent acquired: 5 | ROI: 13

NFL Draft: The Lions capitalized on Jacksonville’s mistake in the top slot to keep local hero Aidan Hutchinson in the state of Michigan. Then, Detroit made a dramatic trade with a division rival to move up 20 slots to grab Jameson Williams right as receivers started flying off the board... at a price the Jimmy Johnson and Rich Hill charts suggested was a bargain. There weren’t any more fireworks in the class, but Detroit found good value in its slots and didn’t reach.

UDFA: Eze lacks height, but he has freakish length, with a wingspan of 7’2. He gets his hands on you first and they arrive like defibrillators. But Eze will need to improve his lower-body strength for his presumed move to OG in the NFL, and he’s going to need to cut down on the penalties. Outside of that, Detroit made a concerted effort to attack UDFA receivers, bringing in three that I ranked inside the top-377. Expect at least one of them to hang on the active roster, and perhaps even two.

2023 draft equity rank: 3

Projected 2023 picks

Green Bay Packers | Draft Equity rank: 8 | Talent acquired: 10 | ROI: 20 

NFL Draft: I hated the Quay Walker pick. The rest of the class was legitimately slick work from Brian Gutekunst. Swooping in to grab Watson was inspired, via a shocking trade with the archrival Vikings. As was stealing Tom, Enagbare, and Rasheed Walker on Day 3.

UDFA: Tyler “Spin Shady” Goodson is a sweet-footed air back with joystick agility. Goodson is a fabulous receiver. He lacks play strength and goes down on first contact – which was a bad fit behind Iowa’s offensive line last year. Goodson’s down 2021 season is the reason he didn’t get drafted – but his pre-2021 work, athletic profile, and on-field skills all screamed middle-round pick. While Goodson was the only Packers UDFA I had a draftable grade on, the Packers managed to snatch up eight additional prospects on my 500 board.

2023 draft equity: 25

Projected 2023 picks

Los Angeles Rams | Draft Equity rank: 31 | Talent acquired: 32 | ROI: 29 

NFL Draft: The Rams made a show in the lead-up to the NFL Combine that they would not be sending their GM and head coach. During the team’s Super Bowl celebration, GM Les Snead wore a shirt reading “[Expletive] them picks.” The Rams have shown there is more than one way to skin a cat. But their lack of scouting effort stuck out like a sore thumb on Draft Weekend. This is a non-athletic class with almost zero upside – I see a lot of summer cuts.

UDFA: The Rams signed the best UDFA kicker – Dicker the Kicker – and didn’t do much of note outside of that. But Dicker will be given a fair shot to compete with Matt Gay, who bounced around a bit before, among other things, eliminating his former team the Buccaneers from the 2021 playoffs with a game-winning kick.

2023 draft equity rank: 31

Projected 2023 picks

Minnesota Vikings | Draft Equity rank: 13 | Talent acquired: 16 | ROI: 22 

NFL Draft: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first two picks were strong. Both targeted a leaking secondary crying out for help. Cine joins Harrison Smith in what will become the hardest-hitting safety duo in the NFL. After that, it was hit-and-miss. I’m confused by the Ingram pick. It felt like the Vikings reached for a prospect with a serious off-field concern in his past by at least a round, a prospect who doesn’t have the ceiling to justify the reach. The Asamoah pick was similarly odd. If you wanted to take an undersized linebacker, by all means. But why Asamoah over Nakobe Dean? Minnesota could have traded down half a round and still picked the latter.

UDFA: Koback is a big-play runner with plenty of athleticism. He ran for more than 4,000 yards over four years in school while displaying soft hands as a receiver (54 catches the past two years). Koback isn’t likely to beat out either Kene Nwangwu or Ty Chandler for a roster spot, but is worth stashing on the practice squad. Brkic will have a real chance to unseat Greg Joseph this summer. Vilain drew rave reviews out of rookie camp. The Vikings have a ton of bodies to compete for backup OLB spots in the new 3-4 defense, but Vilain has a path to work his way up the depth chart to the Week 1 active roster as the Vikes transition to a new scheme.

2023 draft equity rank: 16

Projected 2023 picks

New Orleans Saints | Draft Equity rank: 11 | Talent acquired: 13 | ROI: 18

NFL Draft: I really liked what the Saints did in Round 1. I was surprised Olave didn’t get more love during the pre-draft process, but the Saints saw what I saw. Penning in New Orleans is one of the coolest fits in the draft – he’s Kyle Turley 2.0 but in a bigger package. I have to ding the grade, though, because I didn’t think the Saints did much with their final three selections in comparison to what they could have.

UDFA: The Saints signed four players I had draftable grades on, and 12 total prospects on my 500 board. That group had an average size-adjusted RAS athletic composite slightly above the 75th-percentile. Smith is a profit-taking runner that's rarely finished behind the line. He exhibits good patience and tempo, along with crisp cuts into the hole in Baylor’s wide-zone system. In this RB class, Smith finished top-10 last year in both overall PFF grade and yards after contact per attempt. Monday is long and athletic, and a proven playmaker in the SEC (three-straight years with a pick-6). Monday will be able to contribute on special teams immediately. But he’s a risk-taker who can leave himself susceptible to getting burned in coverage.

2023 draft equity rank: 29

Projected 2023 picks

New York Giants | Draft Equity rank: 1 | Talent acquired: 3 | ROI: 28 

NFL Draft: What an incredible turn of events in the first round to walk away with both Thibodeaux and Neal. Both are former five-stars who more than lived up to the billing in college. To boot, they happened to plug the Giants’ two-biggest needs coming in. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the rest of the class. But it’s hard to argue too much with bringing in two guys that I believe will be NFL stars, both of whom address critical needs.

UDFA: I love the fearlessness Corker plays with. He flies downhill like a bat out of hell looking to de-cleat runners. The biggest question will be if he has the agility to trust in coverage at the next level. Gilbert has the height, long speed, and athleticism for any task, but will need to work on his technique to hang. Allen nearly measured in at 6’8. Not only is he massive and long, but Allen is a very strong athlete for his size. He doesn’t run great routes – struggling to separate – but he knows how to use body to pin defenders to his back, and he spears balls outside his frame and holds on through contact.

2023 draft equity rank: 12

Projected 2023 picks

Philadelphia Eagles | Draft Equity rank: 18 | Talent acquired: 14 | ROI: 8

NFL Draft: Multiple teams in front of Philadelphia at least gave passing thoughts to taking Jordan Davis, and Baltimore almost assuredly would have taken him had the Eagles not pounced first. Nakobe Dean was one of the draft’s biggest steals. The Eagles only had a pair of R6 picks on Day 3, taking a pair of tweeners with interesting athletic profiles, both of whom have displayed on-field skill on tape.

UDFA: The Eagles invested heavily in UDFA talent, giving Nevada QB Carson Strong a UDFA-record $320k in guarantees, between $217k-$240k to three other prospects (RB Kennedy Brooks, DT Noah Elliss and CB ​​Mario Goodrich), and four-more six-figure guarantees (OG Josh Sills, OG William Dunkle, CB Josh Jobe, and CB Josh Blackwell). Strong was a Day 2 talent if not for questions about the health of his knee – but he’s got a big-league arm and pocket game. Brooks only posted a 4.59 forty, but he runs with exemplary patience, tempo and vision. Goodrich is another guy that outplays his measurables. Jobe played through a turf toe injury last year and didn’t acquit himself well, but has shine if he can return to his 2020 form.

2023 draft equity rank: 9

Projected 2023 picks

Seattle Seahawks | Draft Equity rank: 7 | Talent acquired: 11 | ROI: 26

NFL Draft: I wasn’t the biggest Cross fan in the industry, and Seattle took him top-10. Regardless, I loved this class. The value Seattle squeezed out of its picks on Friday and Saturday is going to infuse a roster that needed a talent upgrade with exactly that. I was a little confused that the Seahawks didn’t take a QB, but I can’t argue with the players they brought to town.

UDFA: If Seattle doesn’t add another quarterback, Kaleb Eleby is going to have a shot to crack the Week 1 roster behind Drew Lock and Geno Smith. Eleby is short and non-athletic, but he’s got a live arm and uses it to attack the intermediate and deep sectors. He posted a 45/11 TD/INT in college. Eleby is going to have to overcome a tendency to stare-down his primary target if he’s going to hang in the NFL – his margins are too thin to overcome that bugaboo otherwise.

2023 draft equity rank: 1

Projected 2023 picks

San Francisco 49ers | Draft Equity rank: 28 | Talent acquired: 28 | ROI: 17

NFL Draft: The 49ers did little of note in their slots. I was confused by the strategy, and by the picks themselves.

UDFA: West moves well but lacks bulk and play strength. He’s a perfect-fit for a zone-blocking team, and he found a match in signing with the 49ers. The 49ers have Alex Mack as a one-year plan at center. After that, it wouldn’t surprise me if West impressed enough to put himself in serious contention for the 2023 starting lineup. Expect at least one of the 49ers’ three UDFA receiver signings to make the Week 1 roster. Turner was moved all over the place by Hawaii – backfield, slot, out wide, and as a Wildcat QB – and also has extensive special-teams experience.

2023 draft equity: 28

Projected 2023 picks

Tampa Bay Bucs | Draft Equity rank: 22 | Talent acquired: 24 | ROI: 27

NFL Draft: I liked the values the Bucs got on Otton and McCollum on Day 3. And I understand why the Bucs paid a small premium for White, one of the two elite receiving backs in this class (the other one, James Cook, went off the board late-R2). Didn’t like the strategy in the other slots.

UDFA: The Bucs have Russell Gage starting in the slot, backed up by Tyler Johnson, Jaelon Darden and Scotty Miller – yet three of Tampa Bay's six consequential UDFA signings are slot receivers. That said, I’m a fan of Jerreth Sterns, who led the NCAA in receiving last season before shockingly getting spurned by the NFL Combine. Sterns is small and lacks athleticism, but he’s an awesome route-runner with ball skills.

2023 draft equity rank: 27

Projected 2023 picks

Washington Commanders | Draft Equity: 14 | Talent acquired: 20 | ROI: 30

NFL Draft: I didn’t understand why the Commanders traded out of 1.11, bypassing the chance to take Chris Olave or Jameson Williams, to take Dotson at 1.16. You picked up two extra picks... and did what with them? The only pick of the entire bunch that I saw as a value was Howell… and I was one of the industry’s lowest on him.

UDFA: Kelley is coming off a pair of incredible seasons in the FCS. He’s jumbo-sized short-yardage battering-ram near the goal line. And while he doesn’t have a big arm, Kelley is accurate short and intermediate. Kelley wouldn’t seem to have a great shot of cracking this roster – he enters camp behind Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, and Sam Howell – but may latch on elsewhere if he shows something in the preseason. If not, Washington is assuredly earmarking one of its practice squad slots for his development.

2023 draft equity rank: 15

Projected 2023 picks

Check back Friday for AFC Draft Haul rankings