With the kickoff of the 2023 NFL Draft just around the corner, franchises across the American Football Conference (AFC) are in overdrive mode as they aim to plug gaps and address specific needs ahead of the new season. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the team to beat, with a spate of pre-season signings and roster adjustments serving notice of their continued title aspirations.
Draft Needs Across Teams in AFC
The draft provides an opportunity to replenish rosters with potential stars or players capable of stepping up and becoming key contributors for teams looking to compete at a high level. Below are some draft needs that AFC teams will be attempting to fulfill:
– Cincinnati Bengals – Fixing weak spots on their offensive line with an offensive guard and also add depth to their cornerback position.
– Buffalo Bills – Adjusting their interior offensive line and bolstering depth at linebacker.
– Denver Broncos – Improving their center position.
– Cleveland Browns – Defending against teams strong end-to-end, maintaining a reliable defensive tackle play other than free-agent signing.
– Los Angeles Chargers – Strengthening up the middle on defense and adding reliable linebackers.
– Kansas City Chiefs – Adding more pass-rush options, which will equip them in burning against opponents’ quarterbacks.
– Indianapolis Colts – Looking for young quarterback talent to build around, wide receiver depth chart strengthening, cornerback, and safety add-ons as needed.
– Miami Dolphins – Boosting depth at offensive guard, defensive tackle, and linebacker positions.
– Jacksonville Jaguars – Performing higher from their cornerback group or upgrading it altogether. Adding reinforcement at defensive tackle, offensive guard, and safety positions as necessary.
– New York Jets – Building with long-term starter-worthy centers and guards on offense. Also looking to strengthen linebacker corps while securing the defensive line behind them with tackles or ends if possible.
– New England Patriots – Adding an offensive tackle to move starting guards to right tackle. Building the team’s strengths at wide receiver, tight end, and linebacker positions.
– Las Vegas Raiders – Ensuring their defensive tackle position is stabilized for the long term as a top priority.
– Baltimore Ravens – On the lookout for a true X receiver who can open up opposing defenses on the vertical field.
– Pittsburgh Steelers – Finding more dynamic edge rushing options and bolstering tackles to protect quarterback and running back assets in place.
– Houston Texans – Bending over backward looking for ways to fix their ongoing troubles at quarterback, improving the wide receiving corps, shoring up depth along the linebacker corps, and replenishing their depth charts with a quality pass rusher or three.
Dane Brugler’s Top 100 Prospects for 2023 NFL Draft
On Monday, leading sports publication The Athletic released Dane Brugler’s top 100 prospects for the upcoming draft. All players are expected to get snapped up early during the thrice-day period covering seven rounds slated from April 27-29 in Kansas City.
Brugler’s comprehensive list orders each of these promising young players by his ranking with color-coding split between offense (green) and defense (blue). Players are also sortable by position or college team affiliation.
Each player card includes a written prospect profile by one of The Athletic’s draft analysts, key statistical measurables highlighting a particular strength in their game versus other players at that position since 2010.
Pro Football Focus Top 150 Prospects
Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) updated draft board highlights its top 150 prospects eligible for selection at this year’s draft. PFF has positioned their draft board according to value-based assessments prioritizing high-value positions over those deemed less significant.
Bryce Young from Alabama is leading PFF’s rank being named the best playmaker in the draft class, followed by Jalen Carter from Georgia as one of the best defensive tackle prospects to look out for. Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama has also been detailed as one of the most explosive and fluid blue-chip edge players of note thus far.
Rounding out PFF’s list, William Levis from Kentucky, C.J. Stroud from Ohio State, and Anthony Richardson from Florida are among the top prospects.
CB Devon Witherspoon ranks highly on this list too following an impressive season with the Fighting Illini where he allowed only 22 catches for just over 200 yards, boasting three interceptions and 14 pass break-ups in total.
Other promising players featured on PFF’s top 150 prospects list include: Peter Skoronski from Northwestern for offensive tackle position, Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech for EDGE rusher position, Quentin Johnston from TCU for wide receiver position, Christian Gonzalez from Oregon for cornerback position, Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Ohio State for wide receiver position once again, Calijah Kancey from Pittsburgh at DT/horizontal shade defensive lineman position), Lukas Van Ness from Iowa at EDGE rusher position as before but also Dalton Kincaid at TE/ ‘Y’ Tight end position for Utah’s Brigham Young University.
Final Word
As we head ever closer to this year’s NFL draft day, it is clear that every AFC team has its own needs and wants to address in order to remain competitive and contest Kansas City Chiefs’ stronghold. Whether they’re seeking young quarterbacks who can develop into NFL stars or looking for talent round the board on both sides of the ball or specifically aimed at shoring up weak points on their rosters through pickups available in either free agency or trade scenarios ahead of the draft day itself.
The important factor is that all teams are doing what they must to be able to compete successfully in this upcoming football season. The NFL draft is a significant opportunity with a pool of young, impressive talent awaiting selection; so it’s going to be exciting to watch which cities those players will soon join, and how they’ll impact these teams’ season success from there on out.
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