NFL Draft Grades: How Eagles fared in 2023 draft, according to experts

Experts blown away by Eagles haul in 2023 NFL draft grade roundup originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles entered the 2023 NFL Draft with six picks and ended up with a really impressive haul.

When all was said and done, they ended up drafting seven players and traded for running back D’Andre Swift.

Here’s a look at their actual draft haul this season:

1-9: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
1-30: Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia
3-65: Tyler Steen, OG, Alabama
3-66: Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
4-105: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
6-188: Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford
7-249: Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas

Eagles fans seemed pretty pleased, especially after landing Carter and Smith on Day 1. That was a pretty good start to the draft. And a quick stroll around the internet shows that the experts think Howie Roseman nailed this draft too:

ProFootballFocus: A+

“Landing the No. 2 overall player on the  PFF big board at Pick 9 is a huge win for the Eagles. Carter played 392 snaps in 2022 and earned a 92.3 PFF grade that led all Power Five interior defenders. He registered 32 total pressures from 273 pass-rushing snaps. The Eagles had to give up just a 2024 fourth-round pick to make this happen. The Eagles land the 13th overall player on the PFF big board with the 30th pick in the draft as Philadelphia retools its defensive line once again with elite talent. Smith might be undersized at 238 pounds, but he earned a 90.0 PFF run defense grade over the past two seasons and is an incredible athlete.”

The Ringer: A+

“What I wrote about the Nolan Smith pick on Thursday night —”They can’t keep getting away with this”—now applies to the Eagles’ entire draft. I loved what Philly did basically from start to finish, and after grabbing both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in Round 1, they cleaned up the rest of the way: The Eagles added a solid tackle/guard prospect in Alabama’s Tyler Steen and a hard-hitting safety in Illinois’s Sydney Brown on day two, before taking yet another Georgia star in cornerback Kelee Ringo to open day three. Add in the trade with Detroit for running back D’Andre Swift (yes, he also went to Georgia) on Saturday, and the defending NFC champs look like one of the biggest winners of draft weekend.”

USA Today: A+

“If you want to argue it's not all that hard to scout University of Georgia players, fine. But it's not so easy reaching the Super Bowl yet nevertheless getting into positions to stockpile that caliber of talent, but EVP/GM Howie Roseman still manages to do it. This time, he reeled in DT Jalen Carter – perhaps the No. 1 overall talent in 2023, his off-field question marks notwithstanding – at No. 9. Twenty-one spots later, Roseman continued reloading his front seven with uber-athletic Dawg pass rusher Nolan Smith. High upside CB Kelee Ringo arrived in Round 4, and Roseman likely found his RB1 by essentially giving Detroit a 2025 fourth-rounder (and a seventh-round pick swap) for former Georgia star D’Andre Swift as he heads into a contract year. Bottom line? Good luck keeping the NFC champs out of Super Bowl 58.”

Fox Sports: A+

“Is there a grade higher than A-plus? GM Howie Roseman gets one of the best players in the draft at No. 9 (DT Jalen Carter), a potential top-10 pick at 30 (Edge Nolan Smith) and a potential first-round CB in the fourth round (Kelee Ringo). Plus, he trades for RB D'Andre Swift, the pass-catching back his team needed. He basically raided the best program in college football (Georgia) and it reinforced the Eagles as the team to beat in the NFC.”

Sporting News: A+

“The Eagles added three more Georgia defensive stars to tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean, who will be key second-year starters on the front seven. Carter and Smith are great explosive complements to Carter and Brandon Graham. Ringo will be groomed well behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Steen was a good future stash up front and Brown can help offset the loss of C.J. Gardner-Johnson. A bonus was using some draft capital to address running back with a trade for D'Andre Swift. McKee also gets them on the board with a developmental backup QB.”

ESPN: A

“General manager Howie Roseman has had an outstanding run in Philly, and he crushed Round 1. The Eagles had two first-rounders thanks to last year's trade with New Orleans, and they were able to maneuver the board for two prospects in my top 12, including the No. 1 overall prospect, Jalen Carter, landing him at No. 9. Carter has some off-field questions -- his draft status was clouded after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a fatal crash in January -- but there's no denying his talent level. And if you look at this team's biggest weakness from last season, it was stopping the run; Philly ranked 24th in yards allowed per carry (4.6). As I wrote Thursday, putting Carter next to Jordan Davis again makes total sense. … With Carter and Smith filling clear needs -- and the trade for running back D'Andre Swift filling another -- I really like this class. Roseman has done it again.”

DraftKings: A

“Insert an Eagles being the new Georgia Bulldogs joke here. Laugh all you want, but the strategy is a smart one. They picked up Carter, Smith and Ringo who could all contribute this season, but certainly should be expected to start in 2024. Steen helps to improve the offensive line, with Brown helping to shore up the secondary. They also acquired D’Andre Swift, so surprise, surprise, the Eagles are going to be good again.”

CBS Sports: A

“Howie Roseman killed it with his haul this year. Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round with their two picks is an impressive draft for a team that needed to get young players up front. Third-round guard Tyler Steen is a good player, who will be a starter in a year to two. Then they traded to land running back D'Andre Swift from the Lions. Nice job.”

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