Redrafting 2023 Rookies After 1st NFL Season

Have you thought about redrafting 2023 rookies? The 2023 NFL season is over and so we now have a good chunk of games to evaluate the 2023 rookies. 

Some teams in the NFL absolutely nailed their draft picks. The Houston Texans made two excellent selections with their two top-three picks in C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. However, could the Carolina Panthers and the Las Vegas Raiders have drafted better? 

Although the NFL season is over, fans across the world are still searching for their next football fix. That’s why we’re redrafting 2023 rookies this week! 

Redrafting 2023 Rookies After 1st NFL Season

As stated above, we are redrafting 2023 rookies after their 1st season in the NFL. It’s always a bit of fun to see what teams should have actually done in hindsight. There are a couple of changes, but also a number of same picks made. At the end of the day, the GMs are in their position for a reason. 

Now that we have seen what the rookies can do after the 1st season, it’s obviously a lot easier to tell which players each team should have drafted. We’re still including trades in our redrafting 2023 rookies piece too.

Below, I will be taking you through the top-10 selections in this redraft. Will Bryce Young still go off the board first? How far will Puka Nacua rise? Let’s begin redrafting 2023 rookies!

1. Carolina Panthers (Via CHI)

Actual Pick: QB Bryce Young 

Redraft Pick: QB C.J. Stroud

Things went extremely well over in Houston for 2023. Stroud has quickly risen as one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the league, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also had a TD:INT ratio in the playoffs of 3:0. 

The offensive line in Carolina was dreadful, and it certainly hindered Young’s progress. The former Alabama signal caller was sacked a mammoth 62 times! Stroud would have had to deal with the same issues at the Panthers, but he has now proven he can make it at the NFL level. Question marks still remain about Young. That’s why Stroud is first off the board as we begin redrafting 2023 rookies. 

2. Houston Texans 

Actual Pick: QB C.J. Stroud

Redraft Pick: QB Bryce Young

With the Panthers selecting Stroud with the first overall pick, the Texans can no longer select him as we continue in redrafting 2023 rookies. Arguably, we could put Anthony Richardson in this pick. He had a blistering start for the Colts, scoring four rushing TDs in as many games. 

However, if Young had played in this Texans offense, we’d likely see the best of him under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Slowik has proven over the years that he can get the best out of QBs during his time at the San Francisco 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo springs to mind, and Young is a lot more talented. 

3. Houston Texans (Via ARI)

Actual Pick: OLB Will Anderson Jr. (Traded up with Arizona Cardinals)

Redraft Pick: OLB Will Anderson Jr. 

It made sense at the time for the Cardinals to draft back, and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans wanted to go out and get his guy as part of his new defense. That trade would likely happen again, and Anderson Jr. was a hit in his rookie season. 

The former Alabama pass rusher recorded 7 sacks in 2023 and was the highest graded rookie edge defender according to PFF. This pick wouldn’t change as the Texans continue to build an incredibly strong edge pairing of Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard. 

4. Indianapolis Colts 

Actual Pick: QB Anthony Richardson

Redraft Pick: QB Anthony Richardson

If Young was still on the board at this stage, then he would have been expected to go ahead of Richardson. However, we have him going to the Texans in our redrafting 2023 rookies. The Colts needed a QB and Richardson would still be landing here in Indianapolis. 

Despite starting just four games last season, the 21-year-old showed a lot of promise in just a small period of time. The Colts went 2-2 with him under center, and he threw for 577 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 136 yards and four TDS. His dual-threat ability is what attracted the Colts to Richardson in the first place, and he proved he could still do it at the NFL level. 

5. Seattle Seahawks (Via DEN)

Actual Pick: CB Devon Witherspoon 

Redraft Pick: WR Puka Nacua

Puka Nacua was the shock of the 2023 NFL draft. It will come as no surprise to see him now going inside the top-5 as we continue redrafting 2023 rookies. He broke NFL rookie records in both receiving yards (1,486) and receptions (105), and was extremely unfortunate not to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. He would have done so if it wasn’t for Stroud. 

The Seahawks would go on to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th overall pick so they still wanted to add another top receiver next to D.K Metcalf. With Nacua still on the board, his prospects would have been too hard to pass up. 

6. Arizona Cardinals (Via DET)

Actual Pick: OT Paris Johnson Jr. 

Redraft Pick: OT Paris Johnson Jr. 

The Cardinals made a smart move to trade back in the draft and then ensured they secured their offensive line future to protect franchise QB Kyler Murray by selecting Paris Johnson Jr. He was the best lineman on the board at the time and would have gone before their 12th overall pick if they didn’t trade up with the Detroit Lions. 

Johnson had a solid rookie year in Arizona and only got better as the season went on. His pass-blocking ability was always a strength, but his run-blocking got considerably better towards the end of the season. The focus should be on protecting K1, and the Cards would have expected to have another top pick in 2024 which could give them the chance to draft a top skill player. 

7. Las Vegas Raiders 

Actual Pick: DE Tyree Wilson 

Redraft Pick: DT Jalen Carter

The Raiders wanted to draft Johnson with this pick, but the Cards made the right move, and would do it again in this redraft. That means the Raiders need to look elsewhere. They chose Tyree Wilson with their original pick, but the start to his NFL career was hit by injuries. 

Jalen Carter was expected to be a top-5 pick before his legal issues last summer. However, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 9th overall pick. The interior defender proved that he has a huge upside and was the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year all season. He was pipped to the award by Anderson Jr. but he still proved his elite pass-rushing abilities. 

8. Atlanta Falcons

Actual Pick: RB Bijan Robinson 

Redraft Pick: QB Will Levis

Look, we understand the colossal upside of Bijan Robinson. He was good in his rookie year, too, rushing for 976 yards and four TDs. He also made 58 catches for 487 yards and 4 TDs. However, the glaringly obvious issue is at quarterback. 

With guys like Kyle Pitts and Drake London already on the roster, the Falcons offense is crying out for somebody who can make the most of them. With Stroud, Young and Richardson all gone, the next best QB is Levis. Levis fell all the way down to 33rd overall in the draft, but Atlanta perhaps should have taken a chance on him. He showed some encouraging flashes over his nine starts at the Tennessee Titans in 2023. 

9. Chicago Bears (Via CAR)

Actual Pick: DT Jalen Carter 

Redraft Pick: OT Darnell Wright

With Carter already off the board as we resume redrafting 2023 rookies, it seems unlikely that the Eagles would have traded up. Therefore, the Bears are picking at nine here. They selected offensive tackle Wright just a pick later anyway, and we can see them still giving Fields some extra help again. 

Wright had a solid first season in the NFL, proving to be a well-balanced tackle in both his run-blocking and pass-blocking development. Both Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins had good years on the left side of the o-line for Chicago and Wright has slotted in well over on the right. 

10. Philadelphia Eagles (Via NO)

Actual Pick: OT Darnell Wright

Redraft Pick: CB Devon Witherspoon

Philly remains at 10th overall in this redraft and Carter has already gone. However, they are taking corner Witherspoon this time. There was no doubt that Seattle made the right decision at the time by selecting him fifth overall, but the chance to draft Nacua seemed too good here to pass up now that we know his ability in the NFL. 

With Witherspoon still on the board, it would only be a matter of time before he would be selected. Fellow corner James Bradberry had a down year for the Eagles. Picking the best corner in the draft would have helped them improve a secondary unit that allowed the 2nd-most passing yards per game in 2023.