2023 NFL draft: Second and third round instant grades for every pick of Day 2

Round 2 picks:

1 (32 overall). Pittsburgh Steelers (from Bears): Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State — We get the family bond here between the Porters and the Steelers get a qualified prospect who could have come off the board in Round 1 without anyone blinking an eye. This is a perfect fit for the Steelers for a variety of reasons. Grade: A+

2 (33). Tennessee Titans (from Cardinals via Texans): Will Levis, QB, Kentucky — Levis was in the mix for the Titans in the first round, but they were still able to grab him at the top of the second. Levis has the upside to be a franchise QB, which is something the Titans have sought for a couple of years now. He's a more legitimate prospect than Malik Willis. This gives the Titans more flexibility to pull off a trade with Ryan Tannehill as well. Grade: A+

3 (34). Detroit Lions (from Cardinals): Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa — LaPorta is a good player, but the Lions passed on a couple of better tight end prospects on the Yahoo board to make this pick. Still, TE was a huge need for the Lions since they traded away T.J. Hockenson. Grade: C+

4 (35). Las Vegas Raiders (from Colts): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame — Mayer was the top tight end prospect in the draft and ends up getting drafted 25 spots later than his spot on the Yahoo big board. The Raiders get an instant impact starter after trading away Darren Waller. Grade: A+

5 (36). Los Angeles Rams: Steve Avila, OG, TCU — The Rams had a massive need on the interior of their offensive line and got a prospect some people had first-round grades on Avila. Sometimes there's no need to overthink it and the Rams did that here. Grade: A

6 (37). Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos): Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn — This is a reach here as there was a chance they could have had Hall later. It's difficult to find edge rushers with his physical profile, but he struggled a bit against some of the better offensive tackles who made it into this draft and recent drafts. Grade: C+

7 (38). Atlanta Falcons (from Colts via Raiders): Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse — The Falcons needed interior offensive line help in a big way and get it here. Trading up is an interesting move at this spot, but Bergeron is athletic and can play all over the line — and potentially left tackle next year when the Falcons can decide what to do with Jake Matthews for the long term. Grade: B-

8 (39). Carolina Panthers: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss — The Panthers get a target for Bryce Young, adding to a thin wide receivers room following their trade of D.J. Moore to the Bears. Mingo is raw, but it's hard to find his blend of blocking, run-after-the-catch ability and overall physicality. He's a lottery ticket type pick for the Panthers. Grade: B

9 (40). New Orleans Saints: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame — Foskey is the bigger, heavy-handed type of edge rusher the Saints love to employ and they needed a bit more depth there after losing Marcus Davenport to free agency. Foskey is a potential 10-sack type of rusher, but at the very least he'll provide stalwart run defense. Grade: B

10 (41). Arizona Cardinals (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU — Pass rush help for a team that doesn't really have any pass rushers. Ojulari is going to need time to adjust to the NFL with his frame and future workload, but he has some juice off the edge and has a nice array of pass rushing moves. Grade: B+

11 (42). Green Bay Packers (from Browns via Jets): Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State — The Packers had a need at tight end and Musgrave may end up being the best TE in the class, but this is a risk considering Musgrave had only 11 catches last year and is coming off a knee injury. Grade: B-

12 (43). New York Jets (from Packers): Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin — Even after bringing back Connor McGovern, the Jets still had a huge need at center and Tippmann will have a chance to start immediately for New York. This may be a young offensive line for the Jets, but it's a talented one. Grade: B+

13 (44). Indianapolis Colts (from Falcons): Julius Brents, CB, TCU — Brents is a powerhouse athlete at cornerback. He's not the fastest guy, but he's big, physical and has tremendous ball skills. The Colts needed to take a dice roll at corner and Brents is perfect for the players they already have at that position. Grade: A

14 (45). Detroit Lions (from Packers): Brian Branch, DB, Alabama — This is the best pick the Lions have made by far in this draft. This pick would have been fine at No. 12 where they took Jahmyr Gibbs. Branch can do just about anything for the Lions' secondary outside of playing outside corner. Great pick. Grade: A+

15 (46). New England Patriots: Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech — White isn't a particularly dynamic defensive lineman, but he's not bad either. He'll be a competent rotation player for the Patriots and can play a ton of spots, which New England always values. Grade: C

16 (47). Washington Commanders: Jartavius Martin, S, Illinois — This feels like a reach with the other corners who were on the board. Martin is an athletic marvel, but he has a lot of work to do to be a full-time NFL starter, especially on the outside. This is an upside swing for the Commanders. Grade: C-

17 (48). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Packers via Lions): Cody Mauch — Mauch is the first FCS player selected in this draft — and for good reason. He's an athletic, versatile offensive lineman who can plug a few holes on the Buccaneers' line. Grade: B

18 (49). Pittsburgh Steelers: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin — Benton was a first-round talent on the Yahoo big board this year. The Steelers got an absolute steal here and Benton can be an impact defensive tackle early against the run and pass. Grade: A+

19 (50). Green Bay Packers (from Buccaneers): Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State —The Packers needed some more juice in their wide receivers room and Reed can fill that void. He's a polished route runner who can push for playing time early in Green Bay. Grade: B

20 (51). Miami Dolphins: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina — This is the right range for Smith. He's a great fit for Vic Fangio's scheme as a do-it-all type of corner. He can also free up Jalen Ramsey to be a playmaker. Grade: B

21 (52). Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA — Huh? The Seahawks didn't need a running back and they got one who is less dynamic than their entrenched starter Kenneth Walker III. It's hard to get behind this pick. Grade: D

22 (53). Chicago Bears (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter Sr., DT, Florida — I love taking this dice roll at this point in the draft. There aren't many people on the planet as athletic as Dexter, running a 4.8 at 300 pounds. He's pretty raw, but defensive line is one of those positions where it's OK to gamble on traits. Grade: A

23 (54). Los Angeles Chargers: Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC — Tuipulotu is young and raw, but he's got tons of upside to become an impact player down the line. He's a bit of a project and the Chargers could've used someone who's more ready to make an impact today. Grade: C+

24 (55). Kansas City Chiefs (from Lions via Vikings): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU — This is the exact player the Chiefs needed to add to their wide receivers room. Rice can do a little bit of everything. K.C. adds a bigger, skilled WR to a group that was mainly relying on speed. Grade: A

25 (56). Chicago Bears (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami — Stevenson is raw, but has the upside to develop into an outside cornerback for the Bears. It's not a terrible dart throw at this point, but Kelee Ringo was ranked higher on the Yahoo board. Grade: C+

26 (57). New York Giants: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota — Schmitz was a first-round talent on the Yahoo big board, so this is great value here. He can start right away for this team and center is a massive position of need for the Giants. Grade: A+

27 (58). Dallas Cowboys: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan — Schoonmaker is a solid prospect, but the Cowboys might have been able to get him later in the draft. Tight end is a big need for the Cowboys, so the pick makes sense. Grade: C+

28 (59). Buffalo Bills: O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida — Incredible value here for the Bills. Torrence could have been taken with their first-round pick and it would have been a fine selection. The Bills needed to get better at guard and they definitely did with this pick. Grade: A+

29 (60). Cincinnati Bengals: DJ Turner II, CB, Michigan — Turner was the fastest player at the NFL scouting combine and has great man coverage skills to go with that speed. He has the potential to be a long-term starter for the Bengals with his athleticism. Grade: B+

30 (61). Jacksonville Jaguars (from 49ers via Panthers): Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State — Strange is a quality prospect, but no one had him going this high. The Jags could have had this guy on the third day of the draft. They're in the process of working out a contract with Evan Engram as well, so he might not have too many opportunities for targets as a rookie. Grade: D

31 (62). Houston Texans (from Eagles): Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State — Man, what a reach. Not one person had Scruggs going this high in the draft and he struggled against Shrine Bowl competition. Major overpay for someone who projects to be a depth player. Grade: F

32 (63). Denver Broncos (from Chiefs via Lions): Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Oklahoma — Mims is an explosive wide receiver and adds big-play ability to the Broncos' group of wide receivers, but trading up for him might not have been necessary. Still, a solid prospect who can fill a specific role. Grade: C

Round 3 picks:

1 (64). Chicago Bears: Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina — Pickens is another uber-athletic defensive tackle who needs some developing. He feels a bit redundant with Gervon Dexter, but he's a quality dice roll. Grade: C+

2 (65). Philadelphia Eagles (from Texans): Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama — Steen is a versatile offensive lineman who can compete for a starting spot at guard depending on how training camp goes. Grade: B-

3 (66). Philadelphia Eagles (from Cardinals): Sydney Brown, S, Illinois — The Eagles take the do-it-all safety in Brown, adding depth and a potential starter to their secondary. Safety was an area of need for Philly. Grade: B

4 (67). Denver Broncos (from Colts): Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas — This pick is incredible value for the Broncos. There weren't too many starting-caliber type linebacker prospects in this draft, but the Broncos nabbed one of them. Grade: A

5 (68). Detroit Lions (from Broncos): Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee — The Lions got a quarterback prospect, but Hooker faces a massive adjustment coming from Tennessee's wide-open passing game to an NFL passing game. He's an older prospect at 25 and is still recovering from an ACL injury. This pick feels like a long shot to work out, but the Lions needed to add a QB prospect in this draft, which helps the grade a little bit. Grade: C-

6 (69). Houston Texans (from Rams): Tank Dell, WR, Houston — Dell is on the small side, but at this point in the draft he's a quality addition to the Texans and helps their mission of giving CJ Stroud more targets to throw to. Grade: B+

7 (70). Las Vegas Raiders: Byron Young, DT, Alabama — The Raiders needed quality depth along the defensive line and Young has the potential to develop into a pass rusher off the bench. Grade: B-

8 (71). New Orleans Saints: Kendre Miller, RB, TCU — Miller is the perfect back for this Saints offense. He can effectively spell Alvin Kamara and potentially be the lead back in the future. Grade: B+

9 (72). Arizona Cardinals (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse — This is a nice spot for Williams, who is recovering from an ACL tear. He would have gone higher if he was healthy. This could be a nice stash pick for the Cardinals. Grade: B

10 (73). New York Giants (from Rams via Broncos): Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee — This is the right range for Hyatt, who is a deep threat. Hyatt can help stretch the Giants' passing game in Year 2 under head coach Brian Daboll. He's limited, but that's fine in this range. Grade: B

11 (74). Cleveland Browns (from Jets): Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee — Tillman can become an X receiver in this league, but it's going to take time. Like Hyatt, this is good range for him and he'll add some size, physicality and run-after-the-catch ability to the Browns' passing game. Grade: B

12 (75). Atlanta Falcons: Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State — Harrison is a huge, athletic defensive lineman who can compete for a starting role in the Falcons' rotation. He has some real explosion and can play multiple spots. Grade: B

13 (76). New England Patriots (from Panthers): Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State — Mapu is a prototype linebacker every team is looking for, but he's coming from a lower level of football. He needs to bulk up a little. The primary upside: he's a great athlete and can make plays all over the field. Grade: A

14 (77). Los Angeles Rams (from Patriots via Dolphins): Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee — Quality depth here for the Rams up front with Young. He is an explosive athlete off the edge and ran a 4.43 at the scouting combine. Grade: B

15 (78). Green Bay Packers: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State — Kraft is a good player, but why pick another tight end here? The Packers could have mined a bit more value out of this pick. Grade: C

16 (79). Indianapolis Colts (from Commanders): Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina — Downs' size knocked him down the board, but he's a polished player who fits in well with the players the Colts already have. Grade: A

17 (80). Carolina Panthers (from Steelers): DJ Johnson, LB, Oregon — Trading up for Johnson probably wasn't necessary here. He had a great 40-yard dash time, but not very much production at Oregon. Still, taking athletes on the defensive line is almost always a defensible idea. Grade: C-

18 (81). Tennessee Titans (from Lions via Cardinals): Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane —The Titans needed a change of pace back for Derrick Henry this season and someone to help out Will Levis in the future. Spears is a big play waiting to happen and was the All-Juice team running back. Grade: A

19 (82). Tampa Bay Buccaneers: YaYa Diaby, EDGE, Louisville — This is a good spot for the versatile player from Louisville. It'll be interesting to see how he and Calijah Kancey are deployed together in Tampa Bay's fronts. Grade: B-

20 (83). Denver Broncos (from Seahawks): Riley Moss, CB, Iowa — The Broncos needed cornerback depth and Moss has the potential to wind up as a starter for them down the road. He's a freak athlete with legit man cover skills. Grade: B

21 (84.) Miami Dolphins: Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M — The Dolphins were always rumored to look at a running back and they got an incredibly explosive option here. Achance isn't the biggest RB, but he's explosive as hell and gives the Dolphins' offense another big-play threat. Grade: A+

22 (85). Los Angeles Chargers: Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State — Fine depth pick for the Chargers at this point. Henley may push for a starting spot this season. Grade: C+

23 (86). Baltimore Ravens: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson —This is a solid range for Simpson to go in. He is fast but struggled taking on blocks at times for Clemson. He can be a weapon as a blitzer for Baltimore in his rookie season. Grade: C+

24 (87). San Francisco 49ers (from Vikings): Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State — No need to really trade up for Brown here, but we're reaching the point of the draft where trading up for these picks isn't very harmful, so no need to ding them too much. The 49ers needed depth at safety. Grade: C-

25 (88). Jacksonville Jaguars: Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn — The Jaguars had more pressing needs than a backup running back, but Bigsby is a nice spell for Travis Etienne. He was The Guy for Auburn in the backfield since his freshman year. Grade: C

26 (89). Los Angeles Rams (from Giants): Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest — Turner is a disruptive talent who can get up the field in a hurry and will be able to create a whole lot of disruption next to Aaron Donald. Grade: A

27 (90). Dallas Cowboys: DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas — Overshown is a project as far as the NFL is concerned. He has the speed to be a playmaker for the Cowboys. At the very least, he can play some special teams while he bulks up. Grade: C-

28 (91). Buffalo Bills: Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane — The Bills got linebacker depth which they needed in the wake of losing Tremaine Edmunds. Grade: C+

29 (92). Kansas City Chiefs (from Bengals): Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma — Morris was a highly thought of offensive tackle prospect who should have a chance to compete for a starting spot. Anytime you can find a potential starter at this point it's a good pick. Grade: A

30 (93). Pittsburgh Steelers (from 49ers via Panthers): Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia — Washington could have gone in the first round! Teams appear to be afraid of his knee, but he's an uber talented player to take at this point in the draft. He's going to make every facet of the Steelers' offense better if he's healthy. Grade: A+

31 (94). Arizona Cardinals (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford — Wilson is a quality X-receiver target at this point in the draft. He's a solid WR who can contribute in the "big game" based on his skills. Grade: B

32 (95). Cincinnati Bengals (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S, Alabama — Battle is a quality player who can fill a variety of safety positions. Great pick up for the Bengals who add more versatility to an already versatile secondary. Grade: A

33 (96). Detroit Lions (from Cardinals, compensatory pick): Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky — Martin is raw, but he's a big, strong dude on the interior of the defensive line. It's a gamble for the Lions at this spot. Grade: C-

34 (97). Washington Commanders (compensatory pick): Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas — Here's added offensive line depth on the interior for the Commanders. Stromberg had a strong week during the Shrine Bowl practices this year. Grade: C+

35 (98). Cleveland Browns (compensatory pick): Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor — This is the player the Browns needed on their defensive line. He's a tank at nose tackle and will give the Browns a respectable, tough presence that adds some much needed beef. Grade: A

36 (99). San Francisco 49ers (compensatory pick): Jake Moody, K, Michigan — No kickers on the first two days of the draft. That's a hard philosophy. Fail! Grade: F

37 (100). Las Vegas Raiders (from Chiefs via Giants, compensatory pick): Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati —The Raiders needed speed at wide receiver and they got it in Tucker. He's a bit more of a gadget type of player than a true WR, but that's OK at this point in the draft. Grade: B-

38 (101). San Francisco 49ers (compensatory pick): Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama — I don't get this one at all. Latu was a late Day 3 prospect, but the 49ers felt like this would be a good spot for him. Maybe we're wrong, but this feels a couple of rounds too early. Grade: D+

39 (102). Minnesota Vikings (from 49ers, compensatory pick): Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC — Solid, versatile cornerback for the Vikings here. They need as many as they can get their hands on for Brian Flores and the scheme he's going to install for the 2023 season. Grade: C+