The 25 best moves NFL teams made in 2023

Earning the second pick in the draft instead of the first pick might have been a blessing in disguise for the Texans, who saw Stroud fall to them after Bryce Young went to Carolina. It's still early, but Stroud looks like a star in the making and very likely Offensive Rookie of the Year after his electrifying debut.

The former defensive coordinator the 49ers and star linebacker in Houston, Ryans came home to take over the Texans. Following years of a merry-go-round in the head coaching position, it's clear Houston found their man. With Ryans at the helm and C.J. Stroud under center, the Texans look like a clear contender going forward in the AFC South.

Chicago might have been tempted to select a quarterback to replace the struggling Justin Fields, but instead they traded the first overall pick to Carolina for D.J. Moore and four high draft choices. The draft capital looks even better after the Panthers terrible season, giving Chicago the potential opportunity to replace Fields with the coveted Caleb Williams of USC.

Schwartz had quite the track record as an NFL defensive coordinator before Cleveland hired him, reiterating why he has such a strong reputation. Cleveland joined the elite defenses in the league despite multiple major injuries on offense, as Schwartz focused on getting star pass rusher Myles Garrett better matchups.

The oft-injured Swift seemed to fall out of favor in Detroit, but that was to Philly's benefit. The team replaced Miles Sanders with Swift, shipping a fourth-round pick. Swift was able to establish himself as a bellcow back and tallied his second season with more than 1,000 total yards.

There were major rumblings about Hopkins losing a step due to injuries and a recent suspension, and that seemed to limit his free agent market after he was cut by Arizona during the offseason. The Titans swooped in, making Hopkins their No. 1 wideout as he showed his early-career ability as a deep threat and was among the league leaders in yards. The addition doesn't offset the loss of A.J. Brown from the previous offseason, but it did help develop Will Levis in his rookie season.

A strong contributor over his first six seasons with the Rams and 49ers, Ebukam took a huge step forward in his first year with the Colts. He signed a reasonable three-year, $24 million deal in the offseason and proceeded to set a career-high in sacks.

With star wideout Cooper Kupp missing the start of the year due to injury, it was unclear if the Rams had a viable receiver who could step up. Nacua to the rescue. The fifth-round pick out of BYU showed star ability, much like Kupp, with four 100-yard games early in the year on his way to setting the rookie record for catches and receiving yards in a season. 

Thielen's decline in recent seasons with Minnesota was clear, so his signing in Carolina wasn't met with much fanfare. He was the veteran presence the Panthers needed, however, with arguably his best season since his 2018 Pro Bowl campaign. Still hovering around 10 yards per reception, Thielen doesn't add much explosion to the offense, but he was the surehanded receiver Bryce Young needed.

After a one year hiatus with the arch-rival Rams, Wagner came back to Seattle for his 12th NFL season. Even in his mid-30's, Wagner hasn't lost much as he ranked among the league leaders in tackles once again.

Atlanta desperately needed a leader on defense after recent struggles, and Bates became that with his play on the field. The former Bengal was terrific after signing a four-year deal, with his fourth career 100-tackle season and a career-high in interceptions.

Meyers was an obvious fit for the Raiders with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels running the team. He did a great job as a second receiver, offsetting the loss of Darren Waller, and set a career-high in touchdowns. The rumblings of a Davante Adams move in the near future could make Meyers' value to the team even more important after signing a three-year, $33 million contract.

Montgomery's addition was controversial, replacing the popular Jamaal Williams as Detroit's power back and also taking snaps away from first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs. The power back had some injury issues but had a great first year of his three-year contract, setting a career-high in yards per rush at nearly five.

After three seasons in Pittsburgh, Dotson has helped stabilize a young Rams offensive line with his excellent play this season. The guard was acquired from the Steelers for the minimal cost of a draft pick swap.

Gilmore is playing for his fourth team in four years, but the former Defensive Player of the Year has been great on the backend for Dallas. While DaRon Bland has made most of the headlines, Gilmore has held quarterbacks to a nearly 50% completion rate on balls thrown his way. He was acquired from Indy for a fifth-round pick.

Edwards left Philly after four seasons, but is playing some of his best football in Chicago. He's been worthy of his three-year deal, playing the run masterfully and ranking among the league leaders in tackles.

It's been a forgettable season for Washington, but they have seen progress from the offense after hiring Bieniemy away from the Chiefs to be offensive coordinator. The offense has ranked in the middle of the pack in spite of the inexperienced Sam Howell under center, a poor offensive line, and arguably the worst defense in the NFL. Bieniemy could finally be in line for his first head coaching job this offseason.

For the second time, it's become obvious that McDaniels is cut out to be an NFL head coach. Kudos to Raiders owner Mark Davis for seeing the light and firing McDaniels in the middle of his second season with the time. Since the firing, the Raiders have looked like the different team with Antonio Pierce leading the way, and could bring some momentum into 2024.

Adding more veterans has helped the Falcons defensive line, and the big Onyemata has big a significant reason. The long-time Saint has set a career-high in tackles and also rushed the passer well, helping the Falcons plug the middle after signing a huge three-year contract in the offseason.

Carter was arguably the most talented player in the draft, but off-field concerns pushed him down draft boards. Philadelphia was the beneficiary, taking Carter with the ninth overall pick and seeing him prosper in his rookie season. He has a chance to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year as a situational pass rusher.

San Francisco's defense has continued its dominance, and the addition of Hargrave from Philadelphia has played out as well as could be expected. After recording a career-high 11 sacks last season, Hargrave has been on a strong pace this year after signing a four-year, $84 million contract.

Allen made perfect sense as a free agent addition with the opportunity to remain in Vance Joseph's system after playing under him in Arizona. He's played at a near Pro Bowl level while setting career highs in several categories after signing a three-year deal worth more than $45 million on paper.

The defense was a major issue for the Dolphins last season, so the hiring of Fangio was a coup for head coach Mike McDaniel. Fangio has been as advertised despite some injuries, as the defense ranked top 10 in yards for much of the season.

No defense has seen a bigger improvement than Minnesota, and Flores is a big reason. The former Dolphins head coach has shaped the Vikings defense as coordinator, with a unit that's ranked in the top 10 and kept a shaky offense in games.

Clowney has struggled to find consistency in recent years, but that's changed in Baltimore this season. The veteran has played some of his best football, with 7.5 sacks in his first 13 games, and is being paid less than $3 million this season.