2023 NFL Draft Wish List: AFC East

The 2023 NFL Draft is now less than a month away, which is the perfect time to break down every team in the league and see what their best potential path is. Every team has things they need to improve on and here at FTN Fantasy, we will take a look at each division, breaking down how every team should approach the draft next month.

Up first? The suddenly exciting AFC East. 

By the time the NFL Draft starts April 27, we’ll have touched on every team around the league. Here’s the schedule for our Draft Wish List series:

• March 28: AFC East
• March 30: NFC East
• April 4: AFC North
• April 6: NFC North
• April 11: AFC South
• April 13: NFC South
• April 18: AFC West
• April 20: NFC West

2023 NFL Draft Wish List: AFC East

Buffalo Bills

• First pick: 1st round, 27th overall
• Total first-rounders: 1
• Total selections: 6

The Buffalo Bills continue to get extremely close to the top of the mountain, only to stumble right before they reach the summit. When healthy, the Bills still have one of the top rosters in the entire NFL, though they do have a few clear positions that they need to address before the 2023 campaign.

For starters, Tremaine Edmunds joined the Chicago Bears during free agency, leaving Buffalo with a massive hole in the heart of the defense. In Edmunds’ five seasons in Buffalo, the All-Pro linebacker missed just seven total games, while recording at least 100 tackles in every single season. During that span, Edmunds has also logged 85% of the snaps, so his absence, despite the emergence of Matt Milano, will be felt.

And especially because Jordan Poyer returned to Buffalo, the linebacker position could very well be atop the Bills list right now. If that is the case, that would result in Jack Campbell and Trenton Simpson likely being on their radar. At 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, Campbell would project as a very strong MLB, especially after a stellar combine where he ranked second at his position in broad jump (10’8”) and vertical (37.5”). His 6.74-second three-cone drill and 4.24-second shuttle time were also easily the best at the position. Campbell has plenty of experience and feel against zone coverage, which would help him fit right into Buffalo’s defensive scheme.

Of course, when the heartbeat of your entire franchise is Josh Allen, doing everything to help him succeed makes the most sense. The right side of Buffalo’s offensive line really struggled last season. Rodger Saffold and Spencer Brown both graded out as bottom-15 pass-blocking offensive linemen according to PFF, with both players allowing 30 hurries. The left side of the Bills line is solid with Dion Dawkins, Mitch Morse and the recently signed Connor McGovern but at 27th overall, multiple improvements to the right side of the line should be available. I like the idea of drafting Darnell Wright, who actually moved from right tackle to left tackle this past season. He has a ton of experience playing on both sides of the line and in just over 500 pass-blocking snaps in 2022, Wright allowed just six hurries, two quarterback hits and zero sacks. 

Finally, we’ll see if the Bills trade for DeAndre Hopkins in the coming weeks. If they don’t, this team will have to add more help at wide receiver in the draft. They added explosive players in free agency in Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield, as they hope to finally have some semblance of YAC in their offense. But they still need a true slot wide receiver, which makes Josh Downs a player I’d love in Buffalo. He has incredible footwork, excels on short routes in the red zone and even at 5-9 and 171 pounds, Downs is arguably the best contested catch receiver in this class, sporting a 72.2% contested catch rate last year. 

Miami Dolphins

• First pick: 2nd round, 51st overall
• Total first-rounders: 0
• Total selections: 4

Miami originally had two first-rounders for this draft. However, they sent one to Denver in exchange for Bradley Chubb, while the other was forfeited after the league declared they were tampering with Tom Brady. So as it stands now, the Dolphins only have four selections in April’s draft, with their first pick not coming until 51st overall. With only four selections as of this writing, there certainly isn’t much for the Dolphins to do via the draft, though it isn’t as if this team has a ton of holes in their roster. I’d like to see them address the tight end position at some point, and given how deep the class is this year, it makes plenty of sense. Though often underutilized, Mike Gesicki is now gone, leaving the Dolphins with Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and Tanner Conner on the depth chart. At 51st overall, Miami will likely miss out on Michael Mayer, Dalton Kincaid, Darnell Washington and Luke Musgrave and if that is the case, perhaps they wait until the third round and select Tucker Kraft out of South Dakota State. He certainly isn’t among the handful of crazy athletes at the position in this class, but Kraft isn’t unathletic by any means, while possessing good strength, especially in the run game. His ability to get out in space and run-block would make a good fit in Miami’s wide-zone scheme. 

Outside of tight end, I think the Dolphins should look to the center position. Connor Williams was solid last year, ranking as a top-three run-blocking center according to PFF, though he is in the final year of his contract. Luke Wypler from Ohio State or John Michael Schmitz from Minnesota would make a ton of sense if they are on the board at 51. 

New York Jets

• First pick: 1st round, 13th overall
• Total first-rounders: 1
• Total selections: 6

Has Aaron Rodgers been traded to the Jets yet? Because if not, this team desperately needs a quarterback. But let’s operate under the assumption that Rodgers is on this roster, shall we? A popular selection for the Jets at 13th overall is OT Broderick Jones out of Georgia. Tackle is a position this team has to address — Mekhi Becton can be a star, but he has only played in one game over the past two seasons. And behind Becton on the depth chart is 37-year-old Duane Brown. Jones would give the Jets a really strong starting right tackle but could easily move over to left tackle if Becton continued to struggle staying on the field.

After tackle, I’d like to see the Jets add some more help in the middle of the defense. C.J. Mosley will be 31 years old when the season starts and while he has played well, his contract situation is a bit rough right now. Meanwhile, Quincy Williams really struggled in coverage last year, yielding an 86% catch rate in coverage, while also allowing a reception every 6.6 coverage snaps, the second-worst rate among qualified linebackers. At the moment, the Jets have picks 42 and 43 of the draft, which would be a perfect spot to add to the linebacking position. Of course, a Rodgers trade impacts those draft picks but assuming they still have those picks, I really like the idea of Jack Campbell if he falls or Daiyan Henley, who can excel in coverage. A former wide receiver, Henley has good range and understanding of offensive formations. According to PFF, Henley’s 20 coverage stops from last year were tied for the seventh-most in college football. 

New England Patriots

• First pick: 1st round, 14th overall
• Total first-rounders: 1
• Total selections: 11

New England currently has 11 picks in the draft, with three coming in Round 4 and four in Round 6. The Patriots could go multiple directions in the first round, whether it is wide receiver, defensive back or edge. If he is there at 14, Joey Porter Jr. would be a perfect fit in New England’s man-heavy scheme, as he excels in press coverage. That selection just makes all the sense in the world but if they pass on a defensive back in the first round, wide receiver could be a possibility. The Patriots essentially replaced Jakobi Meyers with JuJu Smith-Schuster during free agency but still need help at the position. Zay Flowers or Jordan Addison are realistic targets for this team. Finally, don’t be surprised if they look at edge wit Nolan Smith, especially after his insane combine where he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds.

In the second round, the Patriots should look at Tyrique Stevenson if they don’t select Porter in Round 1. Stevenson is also a very strong, physical press defensive back who projects better in man coverage than zone, which would make him an ideal fit in this New England defense. As for the rest of the draft, look for the Patriots to continue to address wide receiver, offensive tackle and probably running back at some point, especially after Damien Harris signed with the Bills. And with 11 selections in this draft, the Patriots certainly have the ability to move up at any point.