Vents From the 2023 NFL Draft

Russell Wilson

If you have listened to the podcast, you will know that I am a 49er fan. Over the years, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have caused me a lot of pain. Now, I can deal with that. He was a good player, they were a good team, they got the better of us, that happens. But the fact he is still screwing us after he leaves is seriously annoying. A year of comically horrendous quarterback play was fun for everyone to watch, unless you were a fan of the non-Seattle based NFC West teams. Each week that went by saw the Broncos’ record get worse and worse, and as a result, the Seahawks draft picks get better and better. So much so that the Seahawks landed themselves the 5th and 20th picks in this year’s NFL Draft.

The Seahawks are fresh off a very impressive 2022 draft class and have followed that up this year with the widely considered number 1 cornerback and number 1 wide receiver in the draft. One of the best defensive players in the draft to add to an already strong secondary, and the perfect slot receiver to complement an already stacked offense that boasts DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Kenneth Walker and other new rookie, Zach Charbonnet. There is no denying, the Seahawks appear to have got a lot better this draft. Damn you Russell Wilson!

Detroit Lions taking Jahmyr Gibbs

The Lions had a weird draft. They got some very highly regarded players at a good number of positions, just in a slightly weird order (at least according to how ‘draft experts’ had players ranked). After day one, people were confused at the selection of running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, at 12 (after trading out of the 6th pick) and Jack Campbell at 18. But day 2 landed them very popular selections of TE Sam LaPorta, safety Brian Branch and quarterback, Hendon Hooker, all selections that many expected to already be off the board. All in all, a fantastic haul.

So what are you complaining about Oli? Well, I can’t get one thing out of my head. If you’re taking a running back at 12, why not just stick at 6 and take Bijan Robinson, the can’t miss stud who people can’t stop talking about? The player than seems to be on everybody’s board as a top 1 or 2 player from the draft class. The player who people think is a lock for multiple pro-bowls. I don’t want to knock Gibbs here, because he is a class player in his own right, but Bijan Robinson is not your typical highly drafted running back. Maybe they were rattled by Devon Witherspoon going to Seattle at 5, a scenario that not many saw coming. Maybe they genuinely prefer Gibbs, or put him level with Bijan. Who knows. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and no-one knows how these player’s careers will end up, but if I was a Lions fan, I would be slightly disappointed that a top 12 running back selection has not resulted with Bijan Robinson being added to the mix.

BRAG: Baltimore Ravens

What a rollercoaster this off-season has been. It looked more and more likely, at the beginning of the off-season, that ex-MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, was heading out the door. A departure that would have sent the Raven’s into an intimidating period of unknown. The search for a quarterback can be long and agonising (just ask the Colts) and Ravens fans would have been feeling pretty bleak. However, just a few days before the draft, Jackson signed a new contract with the team, which was swiftly followed up by the selection of first round wide receiver, Zay Flowers. One of the trendy names leading up to the draft, the Flowers hype seemed to build more and more momentum as the first round drew closer, helped partially by a private workout with Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. He ended up being the second receiver taken in the draft (behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and now joins a far more optimistic Ravens offense that includes Lamar Jackson, JK Dobbins, Mark Andrews, Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman. Undoubtedly, this has been a rapid turnaround in fortunes for a Ravens fanbase who looked to be set for a season of pain but are now firmly placed as AFC North favourites.