B.J. Ojulari, LSU TIgers. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
These non-first-round picks landed in spectacular places for them during the 2023 NFL Draft.
While first-rounders are expected to make noise wherever they end up, where you land in the NFL Draft matters way more for day-two and day-three picks.
I mean, half the league is undrafted and Hall of Famers come from anywhere. These guys may have been studs in the college game, but this is the NFL. While I outlined some of my favorite picks from round one on Friday, these are some of the picks that caught my attention in the final six rounds of the draft. Some of these might work out. Others may bomb, but I just have a feeling.
So let’s get cracking, shall we? Here are five rookies I believe landed in absolutely ideal situations.
2023 NFL Draft: 5 rookies who find themselves in perfect situations already
5
B.J. Ojulari
LB LSU Tigers
B.J. Ojulari’s NFL pedigree goes to a place with an up-and-coming defensive mind
Although the Arizona Cardinals may have the least talented roster in the entire NFL, I did like a lot of what they did in the 2023 NFL Draft. I think trading back and then trading up again to get Ohio State book-end tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was a savvy move made by new general manager Monti Ossenfort. As for Jonathan Gannon, he landed a total beast in B.J. Ojulari coming out of LSU.
Ojulari’s older brother Azeez was a pass-rushing stud at my alma mater, so it is no surprise to see him tearing it up entering his third season with the New York Giants. Although they picked different colleges to attend, the SEC is still the SEC. The younger Ojulari brother has the makeup to be exactly what Gannon will want in his new-look Cardinals defense. It was an elite day-two pick.
Arizona is still a few years away from being a year away, but I think the Cardinals did more good things than bad in the NFL Draft. While their third-round picks do nothing for me, I believe they got value at many levels of the draft. After investing a ton of draft capital in Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins, perhaps it will be third time’s a charm with Ojulari making his way to The Valley of the Sun?
This could totally blow up in my face, but I do like the fit and the opportunity ahead of Ojulari here.