NFL Draft 2023’s Winners and Losers from first round
The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft had it all. Plenty of picks we did expect, and a couple we definitely did not. Lorenzo Reyes gives his winners and losers.
Sports Pulse
Howie Roseman did it again.
The Philadelphia Eagles general manager swung another draft deal Saturday, this time bulking up the defending NFC champion’s backfield with the addition of former Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift.
Philadelphia sent Detroit a 2024 fifth-round pick in the deal, and the teams swapped seventh-round picks in this year’s draft, with the Lions moving up to No. 219 and the Eagles taking No. 249.
The Lions made one of the more head-scratching moves in the first round Thursday by trading back from their No. 6 pick to take Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall, particularly with Swift and David Montgomery — signed to a three-year, $18 million deal this offseason — already on the roster.
Swift’s arrival brings resolution to Philadelphia’s backfield after it lost starter Miles Sanders to the Carolina Panthers in free agency. The team also signed Rashaad Penny, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry for the Seattle Seahawks in the last two seasons but played in just 18 games from 2020-22 while being plagued by injuries. The defending NFC champions also return Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.
By bringing in Swift, a Philadelphia native, Roseman and the Eagles acquired their fourth Georgia Bulldog of the weekend. The Eagles doubled up on the Georgia trend in Thursday’s first round, moving up one slot from No. 10 overall to take defensive tackle Jalen Carter — considered by some to be the most talented player in the class.
At No. 30, Philadelphia took edge rusher Nolan Smith.
The Eagles used their first selection of the fourth round to pick cornerback Kelee Ringo, whose interception return for a touchdown sealed Georgia’s first of two consecutive national titles.
In the 2022 draft, the Eagles selected Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first round and linebacker Nakobe Dean in the third.
Swift’s homecoming follows three years in Detroit after the Lions took him 35th overall in the 2020 draft. Swift, 24, has 25 career touchdowns (18 rushing, seven receiving) while averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 7.7 yards per catch.
