NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/16/23
Here are the latest 2023 draftees to sign their four-year rookie deals:
Atlanta Falcons
- DE Zach Harrison (third round, Ohio State)
Cleveland Browns
- WR Cedric Tillman Jr. (third round, Tennessee)
Houston Texans
- WR Nathaniel Dell (third round, Houston)
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Josh Downs (third round, North Carolina)
Kansas City Chiefs
- T Wanya Morris (third round, Oklahoma)
- DE BJ Thompson (fifth round, Stephen F. Austin)
- DT Keondre Coburn (sixth round, Texas)
- CB Nic Jones (seventh round, Ball State)
New Orleans Saints
- QB Jake Haener (fourth round, Fresno State)
The Browns added Tillman to a receiver room that includes Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and trade acquisition Elijah Moore. Peoples-Jones is going into a contract year. Downs joins a Colts team rostering contract-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and second-year talent Alec Pierce. The Colts lost Parris Campbell this offseason. Dell will stay in Houston, moving to a Texans team that traded Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys. The Texans did sign Robert Woods and are expected to have 2022 second-round pick John Metchie in uniform after a leukemia diagnosis wiped out his rookie year.
Donovan Smith‘s Chiefs signing looks set to place Morris on the developmental track. Kansas City has now added two free agent tackles — Smith and Jawaan Taylor — who have a combined 12 years of NFL starting experience. The Saints will pair Haener with their higher-profile Fresno State alum, Derek Carr, atop their quarterback depth chart. The team made Haener this draft’s sixth QB selection, at No. 127, and the move began a run on Day 3 QB picks.
Saints Acquire No. 127, Select QB Jake Haener
The Saints are giving up a future draft pick to get into the fourth round. New Orleans has acquired pick No. 127 from Jacksonville. In exchange, the Jaguars have acquired pick No. 227 and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Saints will be using their selection on quarterback Jake Haener. The Fresno State product was widely considered to be atop the remaining tier of QBs, generally ranking sixth in his draft class.
While he won’t have the draft stock of the QBs selected before him, Haener can keep up with his upside. He didn’t play in a Power 5 conference and has generally been viewed unfavorably from a physical perspective, but he’s been lauded for his ability to control the game from under center.
Haener truly had a breakout campaign in 2021, when he finished with 33 touchdowns vs. only nine interceptions. He followed that up with a 2022 campaign where he connected on 72 percent of his passes for 2,896 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only three picks. He also earned the 2023 Senior Bowl MVP after the season.
The Saints made a move for Derek Carr this offseason and seem fully committed to their acquisition. The team also kept mainstay Jameis Winston, meaning Haener will likely spend his rookie campaign as the third quarterback on the depth chart.