NFL Draft 2023 Results: Winners and Losers of Day 3

The 2023 NFL Draft is now complete. On Day 3 of the event, we saw picks from Round 4 to Round 7, completing the formal drafting process. There will be undrafted free agents who will be picked up now.

As always, there were winners and losers on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. We look at them here.

NFL Draft Winners

Philadelphia Eagles

The Georgia Bulldogs had 10 players picked in the 2023 NFL Draft. Four of them went to the Philadelphia Eagles. Even on the third day, they traded up in the fourth round to get cornerback Kelee Ringo. He had dropped far beyond where he should have and the Eagles snapped him up.

With a core group of players having knowledge of playing together, they have put a solid core at the end of the 2023 NFL Draft. Howie Roseman has done a tremendous job throughout the draft.

The Carlson Family

It's tough for kickers to get a look in during the NFL Draft. Most of them go unsigned and have to try to get on as undrafted free agents.

Yet, in the sixth round, the Green Bay Packers chose Anders Carlson out of Auburn. Choosing a kicker over other needs might seem strange, but they have probably been influenced by seeing his brother do so well in the league.

Daniel Carlson hit the most 50+ yard goals last season, recording 11 of them in 2022. He has also been the scoring leader in 2020 and 2021. That has brought him two All-Pro selections: once in the first team and once in the second. The Packers might be hoping the family golddust stays strong.

D'Andre Swift

Even though the pick happened on the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft, the repercussions were felt today. Since Jahmyr Gibbs was drafted by the Detroit Lions 12th overall, running back D'Andre Swift is free to go to another team.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. They are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and D'Andre Swift gets the chance for a new beginning.

NFL Draft Losers

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots must face the perennially strong Buffalo Bills and the resurgent New York Jets this season in the AFC. Their idea of combating the firepower of Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers is to draft a kicker and a punter in the same draft.

They became the first team since the 2000 Oakland Raiders to pick a kicker and a punter in the same draft. It remains to be seen if this duo will be like Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler or not. If there were no other needs, that would have made sense but they could have done more to strengthen their team.

Safety

The safety position, in general, took a huge hit. On the third day, it was reinforced again that it is no longer a premium position. Comparing it to another position that is also widely ignored, even the running back position fared better.

Out of the 18 running backs chosen in this draft, 11 were chosen on the final day. Out of the 20 safeties chosen, 17 of them were chosen on the final day. If a player wants to get a higher draft position, they would do better as a hybrid corner-safety to have the chance of getting picked higher.

Max Duggan

This year's national championship game was a blowout as the Georgia Bulldogs obliterated TCU. TCU did well to get there, though, with Max Duggan working as their quarterback.

However, his opposite number that day, Stetson Bennett, got to go to the Los Angeles Rams. There, they have a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who was injured last season and is already 35 years old. Bennett might get a chance to show his worth.

Duggan also went to Los Angeles but to the Chargers. He will have to sit behind Justin Herbert. There is a very slim chance of him ever getting to see the field.

Overall, the 2023 NFL Draft went well for many teams. The Houston Texans took the initiative by taking both the second and third picks before the Philadelphia Eagles juggernaut took over. The likes of the Detroit Lions started slowly but gradually built from there. Established teams like the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers made some unconventional choices.

But everything is now done in terms of the draft on pen and paper. We will know their real worth when they step out on the field and deliver the way they were expected to be. That is when we will be able to decide who are the true winners and losers in this whole game.