Ladd McConkey – NFL Draft Sleeper Alert
Jay Felicio
The 2023 NFL draft is here, and it’s time for new blood to enter the league. But that also means veterans are about to lose snaps, targets and rushing attempts to rookies.
As we do every year, we’re going to examine each team’s “vacated opportunity” leading into the draft (we first published this piece before free agency – now we’re updating it again). The charts below will show you how many opportunities and yards are “available” leading into the draft (using 2022 stats).
Teams With the Most Vacated Targets and Receiving Yards Available
Here’s the full breakdown of available (or unavailable, if negative) targets and receiving yards for all 32 teams.
| Team | Available Targets | Available Rec. Yds. |
| GB | 259 | 2,014 |
| TB | 193 | 1,094 |
| LA | 108 | 632 |
| ARZ | 100 | 403 |
| JAX | 97 | 616 |
| DAL | 92 | 503 |
| BLT | 91 | 589 |
| LAC | 80 | 596 |
| CIN | 78 | 425 |
| TEN | 77 | 449 |
| SEA | 70 | 578 |
| KC | 59 | 644 |
| WAS | 58 | 262 |
| NO | 50 | 393 |
| IND | 48 | 303 |
| NE | 47 | 181 |
| MIA | 46 | 417 |
| MIN | 44 | 198 |
| BUF | 34 | 124 |
| PIT | 21 | 82 |
| DET | 13 | 244 |
| HST | -4 | 201 |
| DEN | -5 | 143 |
| NYJ | -21 | -351 |
| PHI | -27 | -349 |
| SF | -29 | -139 |
| ATL | -49 | -54 |
| NYG | -63 | -484 |
| CAR | -81 | -581 |
| LV | -110 | -778 |
| CLV | -148 | -1,306 |
| CHI | -184 | -1,189 |
The Packers lost Aaron Rodgers but also apparently every player who caught passes for them in 2022. Their WR depth chart is Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs you and me. A rookie WR could make an immediate impact in Green Bay.
The Bucs also lost a HOF quarterback and some weapons. The Buccaneers have the second-most available targets and yards on the table leading into 2023, though their big two (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) are still there. Big things might be coming for Rachaad White if the Bucs don’t take a running back in the first two days.
Of note – the Cardinals have the fourth-most available targets, and that’s assuming DeAndre Hopkins sticks around. If he leaves Arizona, there’s even more opportunity on the table.
Teams With the Most Vacated Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards Available
Here’s the full breakdown of available (or unavailable, if negative) rushing attempts and yards for all 32 teams.
| Team | Available Rush Atts. | Available Rush Yds. |
| DAL | 212 | 799 |
| PHI | 123 | 481 |
| BLT | 117 | 500 |
| TB | 105 | 417 |
| DET | 103 | 474 |
| LA | 102 | 400 |
| CIN | 95 | 394 |
| SEA | 86 | 441 |
| ARZ | 85 | 387 |
| BUF | 80 | 457 |
| JAX | 77 | 323 |
| CAR | 57 | 232 |
| ATL | 55 | 298 |
| LAC | 38 | 91 |
| GB | 37 | 101 |
| CLV | 36 | 199 |
| IND | 31 | 58 |
| WAS | 24 | 39 |
| KC | 21 | 80 |
| PIT | 21 | 125 |
| SF | 18 | 31 |
| LV | 15 | 199 |
| DEN | 7 | -21 |
| NYJ | 7 | 67 |
| TEN | 5 | 41 |
| NYG | -1 | -29 |
| NE | -16 | -9 |
| MIN | -16 | -76 |
| CHI | -24 | -265 |
| MIA | -61 | -421 |
| HST | -120 | -695 |
| NO | -239 | -1,075 |
Ezekiel Elliott‘s departure from Dallas leaves the Cowboys with the most available rushing attempts and yards in the league. Here’s to hoping Tony Pollard escapes the draft unscathed.
The Eagles also have a significant amount of available rushing work heading into the draft. Will Bijan Robinson fall that far?
Way down at the bottom of the list is the Houston Texans with -120 available rushing attempts. That means the players currently on their roster collectively had 120 more rushing attempts than the 2022 Texans. Will we get Dameon Pierce unleashed, or will Devin Singletary steal some thunder?
