As should be the case, the newest crop of rookies gets most of the attention around the NFL Draft.
But the draft affects veterans in a big way. The draft shows each team's plan for the 2023 season and beyond. We see which part of the cycle is coming. New players can't come in without veterans leaving. And veterans don't leave without new players coming in.
Luckily, the Footballguys staff is here to sort out this movement. We asked them to name a player who came out of the draft with some major competition.
See 14 Veterans Who Gained Value here >>>
See 5 IDP Vets Who Gained Value >>>
See 5 IDP Vets Who Lost Value >>>
RB Ken Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Jason Wood: Pete Carroll has a long history of valuing running backs far higher than his NFL brethren, but things looked pristine for Walker entering this year. After emerging as the team's lead back as a rookie in 2022, the team let Rashaad Penny walk in free agency, and only scatback DeeJay Dallas returned. But Seattle used a second-round pick -- the same round they drafted Walker -- on Zach Charbonnet, the UCLA powerhouse. Any hopes Walker would be a 20+ touch fantasy stud flew out the door. The Seahawks also used a seventh-round pick on Kenny McIntosh, who many see as a viable NFL starter in his own right.
Ben Cummins: I'm in lockstep with Jason on this one. Charbonnet caught 61 passes in his final two collegiate seasons, and Pete Carroll was immediately discussing using Charbonnet in the passing/screen game after selecting him in the second round. Many will see Charbonnet as a thorn in Walker's side but still the clear backup. Not so fast. There's a chance this year's second-round pick (Charbonnet) overtakes last year's second-round pick (Walker) at some point this season. But at minimum, Walker is now in a timeshare, and that was not something hardly anyone expected heading into the draft.
RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jeff Haseley: We saw how Etienne split duties with James Robinson before he was traded to the Jets in October of 2022. Robinson out-carried and out-performed Etienne in the early going. It wasn't until Robinson's trade that Etienne burst onto the scene in 2022. Doug Pederson is known for his committee approach at running back. Look for third-round pick Tank Bigsby to occupy a role that will yield 50/50 carry splits at best for Etienne.
Zareh Kantzabedian: It's tough to follow up with what Jason wrote about Walker, but I need to submit a player because I need the job security. To everyone's surprise, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected running back Tank Bigsby in Round 3 of the NFL Draft. Yikes! That is significant draft capital for a running back. While he isn't Etienne's equal, Bigsby was a heralded runner at Auburn. In 2022, Etienne finished ninth in rushing yards and third in yards per attempt among running backs with at least 200 carries. It may not be anything that Etienne did directly, but we may be seeing Doug Pederson revert to his favorite pastime of a running back by committee. Etienne is standing on shaky ground, and he could fall through to the ranks of RB2.
Christian Williams: Doug Pederson believes in committee backfields, and the Tank Bigsby selection is further evidence that they'll transition back to that mindset in 2023. Bigsby is a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner with an undervalued pass-catching skill set. While Etienne does provide the lightning aspect to the Jacksonville offense with his breakaway speed and ability in space, Bigsby could steal his thunder with early production and a sizeable early-down workload.
Ryan Weisse: I have to respectfully push back on Etienne a bit. Last year, the other Jaguars running backs accounted for almost 140 carries. That is plenty of work for a third-round rookie. Plus, Ettienne was only targeted 45 times, and that is regarded as the best part of his game. If the targets go up, he can lose carries and still be great for fantasy on what should be a very good offense.
RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
Sam Wagman: Say so long, sweet prince, to the former fifth-round pick that has joined the many Day 3 running backs to post solid seasons only to get summarily replaced by way of a shiny new toy. In this case, though, Allgeier is getting pushed aside by the wunderkind Bijan Robinson, the best running back prospect in years. Despite rushing for over 1,000 yards last season, Allgeier will now take a backseat to Robinson in Arthur Smith's run-heavy offense. This should still allow him a change-of-pace role, but I don't expect him to come close to last year's statistics, with Allgeier seeming to be a better football option than a fantasy option.
Gary Davenport: This isn’t so much low-hanging fruit as fruit that landed on the ground, rolled off a cliff, continued rolling onto the expressway, and got hit by seven different cars before eventually being eaten by a horde of jackalopes (Fun fact—jackalopes love citrus. Helps keep their claws sharp). As a rookie, Allgeier topped 1,000 rushing yards, averaged almost five yards a carry, and finished 30th in PPR fantasy points. His reward for that performance was being relegated to complete irrelevance by the selection of Bijan Robinson eighth overall in the 2023 draft. Allgeier will carry more cups of Gatorade for Robinson this year than footballs.
Chad Parsons: The Falcons were in the crosshairs to draft Bijan Robinson, making Tyler Allgeier already an at-risk running back, with the Atlanta brass speaking to bolstering the depth chart. Robinson ultimately landed in Atlanta with the eighth overall pick, and Allgeier slumps from the lead back with top-12 upside to the clear primary backup with a single selection.
Andy Hicks: I have to agree with the takes that Allgeier is in for a fight for fantasy relevancy. Bijan Robinson is going to be the primary back unless he whiffs badly in NFL pass protection schemes or struggles to adapt in camp. Regardless of your take on selecting two backs from the same team in a draft, this is a situation where you almost have to. Robinson will rightly be the more popular choice, but despite his value crashing, Allgeier demonstrated he has ability if given the opportunity.