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Projecting the 2023 NFL Offensive All-Rookie Team: Seahawks' draft class provides instant impact (again)
Which NFL newbies will outshine the competition at their respective positions in 2023? Chad Reuter projects the Offensive All-Rookie Team, a group that includes draft picks spanning from Round 1 to Round 6.
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Projecting the 2023 NFL Offensive All-Rookie Team: Seahawks' draft class provides instant impact (again)
Published: Jun 26, 2023 at 10:20 AM
Chad Reuter
Draft Analyst
Do the Seahawks have the best WR room in the NFL? | 'GMFB'
Getting thrown into the NFL fire is no small task for rookies. After lining up against college competitors of varying skill levels, they now must face veteran pros in the prime of their respective football careers.
It is no surprise that the top-performing rookies typically come from the first, second and third rounds. The players on the 2022 NFL.com All-Rookie Teamincluded 12 first-round picks and four Day 2 selections. Five Day 3 picks -- including a surprisingly relevant Mr. Irrelevant, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy -- and one undrafted free agent (Dolphins nickelback Kader Kohou) made the squad.
My projection for the 2023 All-Rookie Team leans heavily on early-round picks, though two Day 3 selections made the offense. Check back on Tuesday for my projected All-Rookie Defense.
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Bryce Young
College: Alabama
Carolina Panthers
Drafted: Round 1, No. 1 overall
Young has already taken the reins of the Panthers' offense. He will make some mistakes, just like all rookie quarterbacks, and his surrounding cast is average -- at best. However, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner's intelligence, maturity and athleticism will shine through this fall. He’ll prove himself a leader and playmaker.
RB
Bijan Robinson
College: Texas
Atlanta Falcons
Drafted: Round 1, No. 8 overall
Robinson might be splitting carries early in the season with the Falcons' leading rusher from last year, 2022 fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier. It's only a matter of time, though, before the eighth overall pick of this year’s draft is the team's top playmaker from the backfield, exploiting creases for big runs and evading defenders in the open field as a receiver.
RB
Zach Evans
College: Mississippi
Los Angeles Rams
Drafted: Round 6, No. 215 overall
Cam Akers has definitely experienced ups and downsduring his career with the Rams. If injury or inconsistent play from Akers creates an opportunity for Evans, I expect the rookie sixth-rounder to attack rushing lanes with his powerful yet agile north-south running.
WR
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
College: Ohio State
Seattle Seahawks
Drafted: Round 1, No. 20 overall
Geno Smith returns to lead the Seahawks in 2023, with Smith-Njigba operating in the middle of the field while DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett make plays outside. The former Buckeye will find holes in zones and separate from his man inside, giving Seattle a top-five WR trio by the end of the season.
WR
Zay Flowers
College: Boston College
Baltimore Ravens
Drafted: Round 1, No. 22 overall
Flowers can be the big-play threat after the catch that the Ravens’ offense has needed for some time. He could have 80 catches as a rookie, spreading out defenses horizontally and vertically, which will make the team's running attack even more dangerous.
Zay Flowers on OC Todd Monken's offense: 'I love it, it fits my style perfect'
TE
Sam LaPorta
College: Iowa
Detroit Lions
Drafted: Round 2, No. 34 overall
Six months after trading one former Iowa tight end (T.J. Hockenson) to Minnesota, the Lions scooped up another Hawkeye product at the position. LaPorta can be Jared Goff's safety valve when defenses key on Amon-Ra St. Brown. The second-round pick scored just five touchdowns in four seasons at Iowa, but Goff threw 12 touchdowns to tight ends in 2022, so I expect LaPorta to see plenty of red zone targets this year.
OT
Darnell Wright
College: Tennessee
Chicago Bears
Drafted: Round 1, No. 10 overall
The Bears can take the next step in 2023 if Justin Fields ascends to top-10 quarterback status in Year 3. Chicago selected Wright to play right tackle on the revamped offense line, which is tasked with not only protecting the young signal-caller but also leading a power run game with D'Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbertand fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson (whom I considered for this list) at running back.
OT
Broderick Jones
College: Georgia
Pittsburgh Steelers
Drafted: Round 1, No. 14 overall
Left tackle was a major issue for the Steelers last year. It won't be in 2023 if Jones uses his athleticism to play balanced in pass pro and gets after this man in the run game. It might take the 22-year-old two or three games to get used to the speed and power of veteran edge rushers, but he'll eventually find his groove.
Have Steelers added enough talent to make playoffs? | 'NFL Total Access'
OG
Paris Johnson Jr.
College: Ohio State
Arizona Cardinals
Drafted: Round 1, No. 6 overall
It’s unclear where Johnson will line up as a rookie after playing both guard and tackle during his college career. He worked at right tackle during minicamp, but head coach Jonathan Gannon was non-committal when asked recently about which position the rookie will play come Week 1. Veteran Kelvin Beachum could get the nod at right tackle, bumping Johnson to left guard, where he would move defenders on run plays and protect Colt McCoy until Kyler Murray returns from injury.
OG
Anthony Bradford
College: LSU
Seattle Seahawks
Drafted: Round 4, No. 108 overall
Seahawks GM John Schneider landed two starting tackles -- Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas -- in last year’s draft, and Bradford has a chance to compete for the starting spot at right guard this year. Bradford missed minicamp practices after being in what head coach Pete Carroll called a “fender bender,” so it did not sound like he suffered any serious injuries. His massive frame and relatively nimble feet remind me of a young Gabe Jackson.
C
John Michael Schmitz
College: Minnesota
New York Giants
Drafted: Round 2, No. 57 overall
Schmitz is plugged into the middle of the Giants' line as a rookie, where I expect him to play for the next decade. The sturdy pivot is effective in space and will lead the group up front to give quarterback Daniel Jones an opportunity to succeed.
