NFL Draft 2023 winners and losers: Eagles, Seahawks get stronger; Cowboys

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. With 259 selections made, the league’s teams will soon begin figuring out how to fit all of these puzzle pieces together.

Obviously, it will take some time to learn exactly how well or how poorly each franchise did. But that won’t stop us from weighing in on how things look, at least on paper.

Here’s a rundown of this year’s biggest winners and losers of the draft.

Winners

Philadelphia Eagles

GM Howie Roseman appears to have delivered once again, raking in one quality pick after another. Roseman devoted much of his team’s draft resources to retooling a defense that lost a number of key contributors in free agency. Georgia teammates Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith should help fortify an already formidable defensive front while another Bulldog (Kelee Ringo) and Illinois product Sydney Brown should help shore up a revamped secondary. And to top it off, he swung a trade for D’Andre Swift at a low cost to help improve the depth of the rushing attack.

Seattle Seahawks

John Schneider and Pete Carroll continue to position their team for success (and cash in on trading Russell Wilson last offseason) with a deep draft class that featured 10 selections led by cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. From there, the Seahawks added a collection of players that initially will bolster depth and eventually turn into key contributors on both sides of the ball.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Successful teams understand the importance of winning in the trenches. The Steelers first added a talented offensive tackle in Broderick Jones, and then drafted one of the best blocking tight ends available in Darnell Washington, both of whom will help make Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris more successful. They also acquired pieces to upgrade their defensive front, like interior lineman Keeanu Benton and edge rusher Nick Herbig.

Houston Texans

Not only did the Texans get their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, regarded as the best pocket passer in the draft, but they also added a potential face of their defense in Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. Wide receiver Nathaniel Dell should blossom into a key red-zone threat.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals did plenty to help themselves this year, landing a Day 1 starter in offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and eight other prospects to improve depth on both sides of the ball. But they also ensured they have plenty of draft assets to continue building next offseason (two firsts, a second, three third-rounders, two fourth-rounders, two fifths and a seventh). That’s huge after such ineffective drafts in recent years.

Cincinnati Bengals

The mission was clear: upgrade the defense to make life easier on Joe Burrow and life more difficult for Patrick Mahomes. Pass-rusher…