NFL Draft Prospects Who Can Fill Holes Left from 2023 Free Agency
With many of the 2023 offseason's top free agents off the market, teams with lingering holes are running out of options to fill them.
There's still one glaringly obvious way to acquire high-end talent, however, and that will be through the NFL draft.
Although it can be risky for a club to pin its hopes on a prospect to play a big role in his first season, these gambles can pay off in a big way. Plenty contributed as high-quality starters to their respective franchises this past campaign—including three who even made the Pro Bowl—and more are sure to emerge in 2023.
Based on draft position and schematic fit, here are five prospects who could realistically fill a void for a club that recently parted ways with key talent at their position.
Buffalo Bills: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
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The Buffalo Bills spent the last half-decade developing Tremaine Edmunds into a solid starter but were forced to part ways despite the linebacker having his best season because of an untenable market value.
With Edmunds now plying his trade for the Chicago Bears, Buffalo has a tall task of replacing him with a talent capable of immediately contributing to a championship-level defense.
Given nearly all the remaining veterans on the open market are too flawed or too expensive for the cash-strapped Bills, they should instead utilize an early draft pick to acquire their linebacker of the future.
There would be no better fit for this organization than Iowa's Jack Campbell.
Campbell showed out at the combine and appeared to have cemented his status as a surefire NFL starter. He earned the highest athleticism score at the linebacker position this year after completing the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds and posting a 37.5-inch vertical leap, among other stellar testing numbers.
While Campbell's physical traits are admirable, it's his leadership and versatility that truly make him stand out from the pack.
At the combine, the 22-year-old compared himself to a frog when describing how he plans to take on all types of challenges in the NFL:
"Linebackers, you've got to be amphibious and do a lot of different things. You've got to know the front, but you've got to know how to play it with the back end of the coverage.
"When I think of amphibious, I think of a frog. You can go in the water, you can go on the land. At linebacker, you've got to play the run, take on blocks, you've got to be able to use your hands. You've got to be violent back there. But also you've got to drop back into coverage."
Campbell clearly has the right attitude to thrive in Buffalo, and it's easy to picture him quickly becoming a captain for the team's defense early in his career. He has what it takes to be a leader both on the field and in the locker room and would be a major boon for a team hoping to make a title run in the coming seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
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Despite all their success over the last two years, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't been able to get much production from the tight end position. Unless they make a splash soon, they'll only regress further in that area after losing starter Hayden Hurst in free agency.
While Cincinnati still has some veteran options available to replace a player who tallied up 414 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 52 receptions during his lone season with the club, it could address the position for the long term by expending an early pick on a blue-chip prospect.
Michael Mayer—the Notre Dame star who is the consensus top-ranked tight end in the 2023 class—could be the perfect fit for the Bengals.
Mayer spent the last three years stuffing the stat sheet for the Fighting Irish, finishing his career with 180 receptions for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns. He possesses a fantastic release, strong route-running abilities and seems to always find soft spots in coverage.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow will love having a weapon like Mayer in his arsenal, as the 21-year-old is adept at making contested grabs and coming up with jump balls while rarely committing drops.
He may not be the biggest tight end at 6'4", 249 pounds, but Mayer is a willing blocker for his size who should only improve his inconsistencies in that area with more experience.
While he once seemed to be a long shot to be available when Cincinnati is set to pick at No. 28 overall, Mayer's stock did seem to take a small hit after he only ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and had a vertical leap of just 32.5 inches at the combine.
Rather than take a risk by waiting, Cincinnati could explore a trade up the board to fill what is arguably its most pressing offensive need. By securing a player who will be the best tight end they've had since Tyler Eifert was in his prime back in 2015, the Bengals will once again be a force in 2023.
Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Branch, S, Alabama
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The Philadelphia Eagles lost starting safety and the league's co-interception leader C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Detroit Lions in free agency. A key piece to the team's Super Bowl run last year, Gardner-Johnson was able to slot in as both a safety and nickel cornerback in Philadelphia's defense thanks to his blend of high football IQ, size and speed.
It won't be easy to replace the veteran, but Philadelphia could do so by selecting Alabama's Brian Branch next month. Branch is a standout defensive back who has the tools to seamlessly take over the exact role his potential predecessor left vacant.
Branch is highly experienced after he began seeing action in Tuscaloosa right away. He drew three starts as a true freshman during the Crimson Tide's 2020 national title run and is coming off a breakout junior campaign in which he started all 13 games and recorded 90 tackles, seven pass defenses, three sacks and a pair of interceptions.
While he worked primarily as Alabama's nickelback, Branch should have little trouble converting to a traditional safety at the NFL level thanks to his size, quickness, strength and top-tier awareness. Those traits will allow him to match up with anyone from speedier slot receivers to hulking pass-catching tight ends.
Even though his testing numbers weren't off the charts at the combine, the six-foot, 190-pound safety ran a solid 4.58 40-yard dash to go along with a 34.5-inch vertical and 10'5" broad jump. He ranks as the No. 28 overall player on the latest Bleacher Report Scouting Department big board.
Branch is the most pro-ready of any safety prospect in this class and has no glaring flaws in his game, making him an ideal pickup for a club ready to win now like the Eagles.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
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The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have made the playoffs last season, but a strong finish ensured another winning campaign for head coach Mike Tomlin and set the club up well for success in 2023.
While the Steelers are a team on the rise thanks to quarterback Kenny Pickett's emergence, they still have a few big holes to fill before they can become a true postseason contender.
One of the more concerning issues is at cornerback. Pittsburgh lost Cameron Sutton—the defensive back who has been with the organization since 2017 and spent most of the last two seasons as a starting corner—to the Detroit Lions in free agency and has only signed aging veteran Patrick Peterson as a replacement.
While the 32-year-old showed he still has something left in the tank during a resurgent 2022 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings, the Steelers need to get younger and find some long-term stability at the position.
There doesn't seem to be a better way to accomplish that goal than by drafting Joey Porter Jr., the standout cornerback who not only attended nearby Penn State but also has a namesake father who played and coached with the Steelers.
Porter doesn't need any of those connections to be a perfect fit for Pittsburgh. He was a force for the Nittany Lions and is one of, if not the best overall cornerback prospect in the class.
The Bleacher Report Scouting Department ranked Porter No. 9 on their latest big board for good reason. Standing over 6'2" and weighing 193 pounds while clocking a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and posting a 35-inch vertical leap, the 22-year-old has the ideal size and athleticism for a modern cornerback who will be tasked with taking on the big and fast wideouts who currently dominate the NFL.
While his measurements and testing results are impressive, Porter's play has been even better.
A physical defender who presses well and uses his strength to his advantage, Porter gets wideouts flustered and off their rhythm right away. He can match his marks stride-for-stride and has great recovery speed and hand usage to capably defend, even when he seems beat.
There's little to suggest Porter won't earn a starting job in his first preseason and hold that distinction for years to come. He's an ideal pickup for an organization like Pittsburgh and will take this defense to the next level if it lands him on draft night.
San Francisco 49ers: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
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Mike McGlinchey spent the initial five years of his career as a regular on the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line, but the team just allowed him to walk in free agency and now must unearth a starting right tackle for the upcoming season.
With three picks between No. 99 and No. 102, the draft will be a strong option for the Niners to replace their longtime tackle with a quality prospect from a deep class of offensive tackles,
One option the club may have is to package some of those selections to move up the board for Dawand Jones, an absolutely massive right tackle out of Ohio State. Jones rates as the No. 44 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department big board, so getting into the second round should do the trick.
Jones measured up at a whopping 6'8" and tipped the scales at 374 pounds during his trip to Indianapolis. He's still a relatively raw prospect when it comes to his technical skills, but the Buckeyes product has unteachable size that will aid him in making a successful transition to the pros.
A former standout high school basketball player in Indiana, Jones is surprisingly quick and moves well for an offensive lineman of his size. Few NFL defenders will be able to use power to overcome him, and he's shown good growth protecting against speed rushers.
Although he's had some issues with discipline in Columbus, which led to a high volume of penalties, he has all the physical tools necessary to become a standout right tackle at the next level and can bring along the rest of his game with some tutelage.
Jones may not be a Pro Bowler from the jump, but he can slot into McGlinchey's role and serve as a great run blocker and adequate pass protector as a rookie. If he improves his technique and discipline, he'll be a fixture on San Francisco's O-line for the foreseeable future.
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