Kyle Dvorchak breaks down the most notable skill player selections and their fantasy football implications from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Titans finally break the Will Levis fall
Kentucky’s quarterback slipped out of the first round, but his fall didn’t last long on Day Two. The Titans moved up to land their heir to Ryan Tannehill with pick No. 33. Tannehill is set to hit free agency next offseason and the Titans will likely let him walk. Levis won’t start early in his rookie season, taking him off the radar in standard leagues. His potential as a dual-threat quarterback does put him on the radar in deeper Superflex leagues.
Sam LaPorta earns the TE2 honor via Detroit
LaPorta was generally considered to be in the second tier of tight ends, but that was only because of how strong this class was. In other years, he could have been the top player at his position. His receiving credentials are unquestioned. LaPorta topped 50 catches and 650 yards in consecutive seasons to close his time as a Hawkeye and was one of the best tight ends at generating yards after the catch in 2022. Entering a Detroit depth chart that will offer little resistance, LaPorta will have an outside chance at TE1 numbers as a rookie.
Michael Mayer goes one pick later
It was slightly surprising to see Mayer, who many thought was the best tight end in this class, go after LaPorta, but he only had to wait one more pick to hear his name called. Taken by the Raiders at No. 35 overall, Mayer topped 800 receiving yards as a sophomore and as a junior before declaring for the draft. He is also a strong blocker which should help get him more playing time as a rookie.
Panthers get Bryce Young another weapon
Built like fellow Ole Miss alum A.J. Brown, Jonathan Mingo (6'2/220) could immediately strike up some chemistry with the No. 1 overall pick. Mingo has the speed (4.46 40-yard dash) to win on deep routes but plays with the physicality of a YAC generator. He isn’t as polished as Brown was coming out of college, but Mingo should assert himself as Carolina’s WR1 this year.
Seahawks make a truly head-scratching pick
There’s no other way to frame Seattle spending a second-round pick on UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet. With 398 carries for 2,372 yards and 27 scores over the past two years, Charbonnet has the profile of a bell-cow back. He was a reasonable pick for most teams in the second round. However, Kenneth Walker blew up as one of the league’s most electric backs in his rookie campaign, so it’s unclear what the team’s plan for Charbonnet will be in 2023.
Chiefs add help at receiver with Rashee Rice
The Chiefs have a lot of bullets at receiver but no safe bets. Kadarius Toney is a stud when healthy, but that has been an exceedingly rare circumstance through two pro seasons. Skyy Moore was an elite prospect but flopped in spectacular fashion as a rookie. Rice, taken with the No. 55 overall pick, is a physical receiver with impressive athleticism for his 6'1/204 frame. He posted a 96/1,355/10 receiving line in 2022, though that was his fourth season at Group of Five school SMU. His ability to play on the outside will allow him to compete with Justin Watson for reps as a rookie. Rice is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar early in the year, though his role will be worth watching closely as the season progresses.
Marvin Mims sneaks into Round Two
Boasting a career yards per route run of 2.95 plus 4.38 speed, Mims’ upside is tantalizing. The fact that a team took him with the last pick of the second round shows that the NFL is excited about his potential as well. The downside to his draft slot is that he landed with a team that has Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy already lined up for starting roles. Mims could be a big-play specialist if Sean Payton revives Russell Wilson‘s once-unimpeachable deep ball, though the moniker of “better in best ball” may be all too fitting for Mims’ boom/bust nature as a rookie.
Lions look to the future with Hendon Hooker
The buzz around Hooker reached a fevered pitch heading into the draft, but the steam dissipated once NFL teams started calling names. Hooker tumbled to pick No. 68 before Detroit minted Hooker as a Lion. Coming off a torn ACL and facing a seismic adjustment to a pro-style offense, it may be a while before we see Hooker throw a ball in an NFL game. However, with the amount of talent Detroit has amassed on the offensive side of the ball, fantasy fans will be waiting for that moment with bated breath.
Tank Dell stays in Houston
Nathaniel Dell, or Tank by his nickname, has one of the best production profiles in the class. Over the past two years at Houston, he totaled 199 receptions for 2,727 yards and 29 touchdowns. Those videogame numbers look like what one would expect from a first-round pick. However, having spent two years in lowers levels of football before joining Houston, Dell enters the league at 23 years old. He’s also small...Extremely small...Dell clocked in at 165 pounds at the combine. There are next to no successful comps for a player of Dell’s size in recent NFL history, but staying home and going to the Texans should afford him ample opportunities to earn slot snaps as a rookie, giving us short kings hope for one of our own to succeed at the highest level of football competition.
Saints get Alvin Kamara insurance with Kendre Miller
With Kamara facing a possible suspension due to an incident at the 2022 Pro Bowl, the Saints had to add some insurance at running back on Day Two. Miller doesn’t enter the league with much of a receiving profile, but he can handle a massive workload and is impossible to bring down on first contact. He rushed 244 times in 2022 and Pro Football Focus charted him with 816 of his 1,399 rushing yards coming after contact. Miller may be one of the biggest risers in dynasty circles after the draft.
Giants land yet another slot receiver
The Giants’ desperately needed help at receiver heading into the draft. They did not, however, need another option in the slot. They already have Parris Campbell, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jamison Crowder on the roster. What will separate Jalin Hyatt, who they took with the No. 73 pick, is his speed. Hyatt ran a 4.40-forty at the combine and looked even quicker on tape.
Back-to-back Vols WRs come off the board
One pick later, Tennessee’s outside receiver, Cedric Tillman, was drafted by the Browns. Tillman may not earn a fantasy-relevant role right away, but his addition to the team may signal a lack of faith from Cleveland in Elijah Moore. The Browns swapped Day Two picks with the Jets to get Moore. They also have Donovan Peoples-Jones and former Day Two selection David Bell on the roster. The pecking order in Cleveland is Amari Cooper followed by a Gordian Knot of intriguing wideouts.
Dolphins get a Raheem Mostert clone
Devon Achane was frequently compared to Mostert throughout the draft process. He was also mocked to the Dolphins more often than any Day Two pick should be connected to a single team. Knowing what needed to be done, Miami added Achane to the squad with the No. 84 overall pick. Achane blazed a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the combine and averaged 6.4 yards per carry in college. He’s a tremendous fit for Mike McDaniel‘s scheme and will be a terrifying home run threat when he is on the field.
Darnell Washington tumbles into the third round
Washington was projected to go in the first round by many draft pundits, but a knee issue reportedly knocked him down some teams’ boards. He eventually got scooped up by the Steelers near the end of the third round. With Pat Freiermuth already locked into a starting role, Pittsburgh likely took Washington for his blocking prowess.
A KICKER!
The 49ers entered the draft without a pick in the first two rounds. Their only picks in the third round were compensatory selections tacked onto the end of Day Two. They first traded up for a defender and then, with their second pick, the 49ers selected a kicker. To be fair, Michigan’s Jake Moody is a certified stud. He has the range to push for 60-yard tries and is deadly accurate from close. He’ll be a solid fantasy option at kicker, though San Francisco’s understanding of positional value may still be stuck in 2016; the last time a kicker went on Day Two. That pick, Robert Aguayo, did not end well for Tampa Bay.