Current NFL Players at Risk of Losing Their Starting Roles on 2023 Draft Night
Draft night is a special occasion for prospects looking to make their dreams a reality. It's a little less fun for current players who might be watching their teams replace them on live television.
Such is life in the NFL.
As J.J. Watt once said, success is leased. That's especially true in the NFL, as every year there are hundreds of players added to the talent pool through the draft.
That means several starters across the league are set to lose their spots on the depth chart in just over a week.
Based on potential draft picks, recent performance or a combination of the two, these players could be losing their starting jobs by the time the draft ends April 29.
OT Mekhi Becton, New York Jets
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According to the latest update from Rich Cimini of ESPN, "all signs point to tackle Mekhi Becton being ready for training camp."
That doesn't mean there will be a starting spot waiting for him, though.
The 2020 first-round pick has struggled to make an impact in the NFL. He played just one game in 2021 and missed all of 2022 with a knee injury.
Dependability is one of the most important attributes for an offensive lineman. Becton's unfortunate injury history means the New York Jets could be drafting his replacement.
Becton had a solid 74.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in his rookie season, but he still gave up seven sacks. In 2022, the Jets attempted to move Becton to right tackle, but he was injured before the campaign started.
Now, Cimini reported that Becton has lost over 40 pounds and is down to 350. He also noted a move back to left tackle could help keep him healthy. Playing on the right side put his injured knee on the outside, causing more pressure on it.
Either way, the Jets now have Duane Brown at right tackle and will be in a good spot to take a left tackle prospect with the 13th pick, assuming the selection is not included in a trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Becton has obviously worked hard to recover from his injury, and the Jets surely hope he's going to fully recover and be productive.
Hope is not a plan, though. If someone like Northwestern's Peter Skoronski, Georgia's Broderick Jones or Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. is available, they would be hard to pass up.
WR Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
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Kendrick Bourne's stay with the New England Patriots has been filled with ups and downs.
In 2021, he wasn't a starter in the traditional sense (he made five starts), but he was third on the team in targets and rewarded the squad with 55 receptions for 800 yards.
Nelson Agholor and running back Rhamondre Stevenson cut into that target share significantly in 2022. Bourne only made two starts and was fifth on the team in targets with 48, catching 35 of them for 434 yards and a touchdown.
With Agholor and Jakobi Meyers gone, the Patriots only brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster, opening the door for Bourne to start alongside DeVante Parker and Smith-Schuster in 11 personnel.
The draft could wind up slamming that door shut, though.
In the B/R mock draft, the Patriots wind up taking cornerback Joey Porter Jr. at No. 14. But when they're on the clock in this scenario, TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston is still on the board.
Smith-Schuster is best suited for the slot. Parker gives quarterback Mac Jones a speedy downfield target. A big-bodied receiver who can play on the outside would round out the receiving corps and leave Bourne as the odd man out.
Even if the Patriots pass on a wideout in the first round, someone like Tennessee's Cedric Tillman or SMU's Rashee Rice could be taken in the second and have the same effect on Bourne's role.
Edge Charles Harris, Detroit Lions
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Charles Harris was supposed to be the bookend defensive end across from Aidan Hutchinson in 2022. However, a groin injury limited him to just six games and four starts.
He avoided getting Wally Pipped. He is probably still the top candidate for the job in 2023. John Cominsky and James Houston were the only two players other than Hutchinson to have more than two sacks.
However, the draft could serve as the means to finding Harris' replacement.
After all, he has just one year of starter-level production. The 2017 first-round pick had just 6.5 sacks in four seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons before notching 7.5 in his debut season with Detroit.
With the opportunity to add a long-term partner for Hutchinson on the other side of the defensive line, the Lions might look to add someone like Texas A&M's Tyree Wilson with the sixth pick or Clemson's Myles Murphy with the 18th pick.
Either one would spell the end of Harris' time as a starter, even if he proves to be healthy.
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CB Mike Jackson, Seattle Seahawks
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Mike Jackson came out of nowhere to have a great season for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. He didn't have the same eye-catching ball production that Tariq Woolen did, but he was strong in coverage.
Jackson had just one interception and got his hand on 12 passes. However, he was reliable, giving up a completion percentage of just 55.8 and a passer rating of 75.1 when targeted.
What makes his season so baffling is that it was his fourth year in the league. The first three were spent in Detroit, New England and Seattle, and he appeared in a total of four games.
Seattle is going to have to find out if Jackson was a diamond in the rough the whole time or if his success in 2022 was an aberration.
It isn't often that a fifth-round corner has a breakout season after three years of toiling away on the bench. If the Seahawks don't buy his long-term outlook, they are going to have two opportunities to add to their secondary in Round 1 with the fifth and 20th selections.
They'll likely have their pick of the best corners in the class at No. 5. Someone like Maryland's Deonte Banks would make sense at No. 20. Any first-rounder would put Jackson's starting role into question immediately.
OT Dan Moore Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
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Giving Kenny Pickett everything he needs to develop into a franchise quarterback has to be the Pittsburgh Steelers' No. 1 goal as an organization right now. That includes giving him elite pass protection.
Dan Moore Jr. should be applauded for breaking into an NFL starting lineup at left tackle as a fourth-round pick, but he doesn't offer adequate protection.
The Steelers have went with the 24-year-old for two seasons as the blindside protector. Unfortunately, there wasn't much difference between Year 1 and Year 2. In 2021, he earned a grade of 57.8 from PFF with seven sacks allowed and five penalties. In 2022, his grade rose to 62.4, but he allowed seven sacks again and drew 10 penalties.
The Steelers' pick at No. 17 in the latest B/R mock draft is Georgia tackle Broderick Jones.
"Jones is arguably the class' most physically gifted offensive line prospect, and getting him at No. 17 is too good of a value for a Steelers offensive line in desperate need of an upgrade at tackle," B/R NFL scout Brandon Thorn said.
Moore's ceiling is much lower than that of Jones, and the Steelers can't afford to let another draft go by without making a serious investment at the position.
WR Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
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For two years, Josh Palmer has been in a position to break out in the Los Angeles Chargers offense. Flanked by Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, he was not the focus of secondaries, and he had Justin Herbert throwing him the ball.
The results have been replacement-level production.
Palmer saw 107 targets and hauled in 72 of them for 769 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. Keenan Allen only played in 10 games, and Palmer still couldn't use the time to break out.
He had two 100-yard games all season.
After finishing 13th in scoring with a talent like Herbert under center, the Chargers should be looking at wide receivers in this draft. Allen dealt with a hamstring injury throughout the season and is going to be 31 when the 2023 campaign starts.
L.A. has to find a receiver who could be a No. 1 or 2 option if Allen starts to decline.
Palmer has shown he isn't that guy. So if someone like Boston College's Zay Flowers or USC's Jordan Addison is available at No. 21, then Palmer is going to see a significantly reduced role.
S Darnell Savage, Green Bay Packers
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Darnell Savage has been a starter for the Green Bay Packers since they took him in the first round of the 2019 draft. That streak is going to be in jeopardy in 2023.
The Packers already appear to be bidding adieu to one-half of their safety tandem. Adrian Amos remains unsigned. Savage has one more year left on his rookie contract after the team picked up his fifth-year option.
Based on his play in 2022, it's a decision they'd probably like to take back.
Savage had a career-low one interception, the fewest total tackles (58) since his rookie season and gave up a passer rating of 114.2 a year after giving up eight touchdowns in coverage.
The Packers have needs on offense they'll need to address as they transition away from the Aaron Rodgers era, but safety is one area of the defense they have to fix.
It's telling that one of their few external free-agent signings was a safety. Tarvarius Moore didn't play much for the San Francisco 49ers, but he'll get a shot at seeing the field.
Expect at least one more addition through the draft. Even if Green Bay doesn't get Alabama's Brian Branch in the first round, the likes of Florida State's Jammie Robinson, Alabama's Jordan Battle or Texas A&M's Antonio Johnson would make sense in later rounds.
QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
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Most of the teams who are likely to draft a quarterback have already showed their hand. The Indianapolis Colts cut Matt Ryan, while the Carolina Panthers let Sam Darnold walk in free agency, only signed Andy Dalton to replace him and traded up to the No. 1 pick.
Ryan Tannehill stands out as one of the few capable veteran quarterbacks who could be replaced in the draft.
His best football has come in Tennessee with Mike Vrabel running the team, but it feels like the Titans have hit their ceiling with him. He's 36-19 as their starter, but the squad hasn't won a playoff game since 2019.
So it is no surprise that the franchise may trade up for a quarterback in this draft.
On his Move the Sticks podcast (h/t Buck Reising of A to Z Sports), Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network named the Titans as a team "exploring" a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, who pick third overall. Tennessee owns the No. 11 selection.
The franchise drafted Malik Willis in the third round last year. It was a half-measure toward moving away from Tannehill. However, Willis struggled in three starts, throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions.
It just might be time to take the full measure of replacing Tannehill with one of the top quarterback prospects in this class.
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