Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft was about the value.
The Steelers and Lions were among the teams with strong second-day hauls, while the Panthers did not build enough around No. 1 pick Bryce Young.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Will Levis went from the fall guy in Round 2 to a potential future starter with the Titans. The Lions grabbed Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round. Will that put more pressure on Jared Goff in 2023?
Those were the highlights of the second and third rounds, and there promises to be more swings on Day 3.
The Sporting News looks at the biggest winners and losers from Day 2:
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Winner: Will Levis
The wait might be worth it for Levis, who landed with Tennessee after a trade with Arizona. The Titans took Levis with the No. 33 pick. This was a shrewd move by first-year general manager Ran Carthon to get offensive lineman Peter Skoronski in the first round and Levis in the second round.
The Kentucky quarterback will have every opportunity to fight for a starting job, but the more likely scenario is he gets a year to develop behind Ryan Tannehill. The draft-day slight should be motivation, and it does not hurt Houston's Bryce Young and Indianapolis' Anthony Richardson also are in the AFC South.
GRADES: Complete pick-by-pick analysis for Rounds 1-3
Loser: Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis
Tannehill has one year left on his contract, and this is the second straight year the Titans have spent a second-round pick on a quarterback. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that none of the money on Tannehill's contract is guaranteed this season either.
Titans pick Kentucky QB Will Levis.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2023
Ryan Tannehill is entering the final year of his deal. None of the money is guaranteed.
Tannehill has one year left on his contract, and this is the second straight year the Titans have spent a second-round pick on a quarterback. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that none of the money on Tannehill's contract is guaranteed this season either.
Willis played in eight games as a rookie, but he had a 50.8% completion percentage and averaged just 4.5 yards per attempt.
Will all three quarterbacks still be on the roster in Week 1?
Winner: Detroit Lions
The Lions made a pair of polarizing picks in the first round with Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12) and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell (No. 18), picks that could be solid despite the perceived draft-day value.
Detroit had a stronger Day 2. Iowa's Sam LaPorta (No. 34) had 153 receptions the last four seasons and will be a reliable possession-type player for the Lions. Alabama safety Brian Branch (No. 45) had a first-round grade after the NFL Combine and is one of the best run-support safeties in this year's class.
The splash pick came in the third round at the No. 68 pick with Hooker, who also was a borderline Day 1 pick. Hooker will have time to recover from a torn ACL behind Jared Goff, at least for a season, and he could be a good fit with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions capped their night by trading back into the third round for Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin, who could be a solid run stuffer.
Dan Campbell has changed the culture in Detroit, and this is a strong crop of picks in the first two days.
MORE: Best players still available for Rounds 4-7
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
Joey Porter Jr. fell to the second round, but the Penn State cornerback landed with the Steelers with the No. 33 pick. That's where his father Joey was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, Super Bowl champion and later assistant coach. Now Porter Jr. – who had 11 pass breakups as one of the best defensive backs in the Big Ten in 2022 – will be a fan favorite from Day 1.
The Steelers added Wisconsin defensive tackle Keeanu Benton with the No. 49 pick. Benton – a 6-foot-4, 317-pounder – had 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season. The Steelers closed a strong Day 2 by taking Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who slipped to the No. 93 pick.
Loser: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers grabbed their franchise quarterback in the first round in Bryce Young.
Carolina made tepid Day 2 moves, however, that left a little to be desired. The Panthers reached for Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo in the second round. Mingo averaged 15.7 yards per catch for the Rebels, but it was a touch early. Then, Carolina traded up 13 picks to get Oregon linebacker D.J. Johnson in the third round.
Young will create a lot of excitement as a rookie for the Panthers, and they have just two Day 3 picks.
MORE: The 15 worst value picks in the 2023 NFL Draft
Winners: Second-round tight ends
Utah's Dalton Kincaid was the only tight end selected in the first round by Buffalo, but five tight ends landed in ideal places in the second round. That run began with LaPorta to the Lions.
Notre Dame's Michael Mayer fell to the second round despite comparisons to former Cowboys tight end, and the throw-back tight end landed in Las Vegas with the No. 35 pick. He is a high-upside replacement for Darren Waller, who was traded to the Giants.
Green Bay selected Luke Musgrave with the No. 42 pick, and he will provide Jordan Love another target and a long-term replacement for Robert Tonyan. Dallas took Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker at No. 58, and he is a possible replacement for Dalton Schultz, who signed with Houston.
Jacksonville capped the run by taking Penn State's Brenton Strange with the No. 61 pick.
Losers: Darnell Washington and Kelee Ringo
Last year, Georgia's Nakobe Dean slid down the draft board. In 2023, two Bulldogs who were projected high-round picks slid down the board.
Tight end Darnell Washington was a surprise fall guy considering the show he put on at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. The Steelers rescued Washington, but few could have predicted the 6-7, 264-pounder would have been the eighth tight end selected in the draft.
What was the reason? There are concerns about Washington's knee.
Georgia standout tight end Darnell Washington, who excelled in games last season, has been pushed down on some #NFL teams' draft boards due to a knee issue, per league sources. Unclear how far he falls from original grades, which were high.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 29, 2023
Ringo was not drafted on Day 2. The 6-2, 207-pound cornerback ran a 4.36 in the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He struggled late in the season, but Ringo's fall remains a shocker.
Winner: Tennessee Volunteers
Through two days, Alabama has the most players selected with eight. Tennessee, which beat the Crimson Tide 52-49 in a thriller last season, is second with five through two days.
Darnell Wright was taken by the Bears in the first round, and the Volunteers had four third-round picks. That run started with Hooker before receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman went back-to-back to the Giants and Browns, respectively, with the No. 73 and No. 74 picks. The Rams then took defensive end Byron Young at No. 77. This is yet another sign Josh Heupel has Tennessee back on the map.
