The Gridiron Geniuses — 2023 Draft Recap

Year five. Stefan D enters as champion. The target is officially on Diggs This.

The defending champion drafted under maximum scrutiny and responded by doing exactly what won him the title — building a receiver-heavy roster with deep late-round value. The league spent the first three rounds watching him. By round five, half of them were copying him.

Matt S made the most surprising pivot: abandoning the zero-RB philosophy he'd been refining for two years. "New strategy," he said, without elaborating. He took an RB in round 1. The room went quiet for a moment. Then everyone moved on.

Travis K entered year five with the quiet urgency of someone who last won in 2019 and has made the playoffs every year since. He drafted with unusual aggression in the middle rounds, reaching for players the room didn't have going until round 9. Either genius or a tell.

Brock P has a new strategy. This is the fourth consecutive year Brock has had a new strategy. The strategy remains undefeated in the drafting phase.

Adam T drafted almost perfectly — at least by ADP. Every pick within a round of consensus. No drama. No reaches. Either extremely disciplined or extremely bored.

Late-Round Talking Point

Justin J took a tight end in round 3 in a deliberate echo of Travis K's 2019 move. "It worked once," he said. "Why not." Travis K said nothing. His expression said something.

Five years in, this league knows how to draft. What it's learning is when to deviate.