April 29, 2023
On Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen and Illinois safety Sydney Brown. Here we'll take a look around at what the rest of the NFC East teams did in Rounds 2 and 3.
• Pick 47: Jartavius Martin, CB, Illinois: The Commanders double-dipped on cornerbacks with their first two picks, taking Emmanuel Forbes in Round 1, and Martin in Round 2. Martin is a feisty, physical, slot corner / safety versatile defensive back with outstanding athleticism. Fun highlight reel:
Martin will likely be the Commanders' starting slot corner as a rookie.
• Pick 97: Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas: Seeing as the Eagles employ Jason Kelce and they already have his replacement in Cam Jurgens, I didn't watch many centers this year, so I don't have any strong opinions on the player himself, but he seems like a reasonable pick at the back end of the third round.
Ricky Stromberg is one of 'my guys' in this draft and has a good chance at winning the center job in Washington sooner rather than later.
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) April 29, 2023
More details + my scouting report: https://t.co/AOMA1S7Vln
10 plays that show how he wins: pic.twitter.com/RIgjOIp1cu
Where it gets interesting with this pick, however, is that Chase Roullier, who has been one of Washington's best offensive linemen for years, is probably on the way out. Roullier missed nine games in 2021 and 15 games in 2022. When you draft a center in the third round, most teams expect that player to start sooner than later, and Roullier has a salary of $8.3 million in 2023. Barring a significant pay cut, he will pretty clearly be a cap casualty.
• Pick 57: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota: Schmitz is a nasty run blocker who consistently puts opposing defensive linemen on the ground. The following is a highlight reel of RB Mohamed Ibrahim, but it may as well just be a highlight reel for Schmitz as well. Watch him execute difficult reach blocks, and move defenders with power (he's No. 60).
Schmitz originally enrolled at Minnesota in 2017, making 2022 his sixth college season, and he's already 24 years old. So that's the downside. But he'll also be a plug and play starter from Day 1. A priority for this new regime is to build up the offensive line, and Schmitz is another piece. Round 2 was appropriate value.
• Pick 89: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee: Hyatt had a breakout season out of the slot for Tennessee this season, catching 67 passes for 1267 yards (18.9 PYC) and 15 TDs. He is a speed receiver with deep ball tracking skills and run after catch ability. A look:
The Giants' passing offense was painfully conservative in 2022, probably out of necessity. In 2023, with some receivers getting healthy and now the additions of Darren Waller at TE and Hyatt, the Giants should be able to stretch the field more. It will be interesting to see if Daniel Jones can keep his turnover totals down if he tries to be more than just a dink and dunk artist.
But getting Hyatt at pick 89 is a steal.
• Pick 58: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan: I can squint and sort of get what the Cowboys see in Schoonmaker. He's considered one of the best blocking tight end prospects in this draft, and while he did not have good production in college, the ability is there. You can pretty clearly see that Schoonmaker can move.
That said, it's pretty easy to question the value of this pick. Over the course of his college career (23 games), Schoonmaker had 54 catches for 634 yards and 7 TDs, or 27.6 yards per game.
It felt like the Cowboys were going to take a tight end with a high pick, come hell or high water, and when three of them came off the board in the second round, Dallas felt the need to reach for one before the cupboard was bare.
• Pick 90: DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas: Overshown is a safety-turned-linebacker who also has experience playing wide receiver (in high school) and on the edge (at Texas). He is a tall, fast linebacker prospect with good athleticism some ball skills.
As a fifth-year senior in 2022, Overshown had 96 tackles (10 for loss), 4 sacks, and 5 pass breakups. The Cowboys have some fast, explosive players at LB.
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