College football stars will take their first step toward becoming professional football stars (or flops) in the 2023 NFL Draft. Expect to hear “Alabama,” “Georgia” and “Ohio State” a lot, as well as “acceleration,” “physicality” and “football IQ.”
When is the draft?
The draft begins Thursday evening and continues Friday evening and Saturday afternoon from Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.
how can i watch it?
Coverage of the first round begins Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC. Friday’s coverage, of Rounds 2 and 3, begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and Rounds 4 to 7 begin Saturday afternoon on ESPN.
Who has the top pick?
The Chicago Bears’ 3–14 record qualified him with the first selection. But the Bears chose to trade Joe to the Carolina Panthers for a package of four picks, including No. 9 overall, and wide receiver DJ Moore, 26, who has three starts with at least 1,000 yards in catching. Career season. Depending on how the pick of Carolina at No. 1 works out, and what the Bears do with the group of picks they acquire, the blockbuster trade could prove to be a win or a disaster for either team.
So who will Carolina choose?
Although he hasn’t made a formal announcement, the Panthers are widely expected to select Alabama’s Bryce Young, widely considered the best of a strong group of quarterbacks available.
Young is an undisputed leader with a stellar record leading Alabama’s superteam. The big question mark is his height: 5-foot-10, considered smaller than what NFL teams usually like their quarterbacks.
The Bears traded the top pick in part because it looked like a year to go No. 1 for quarterbacks, and they’re happy with 24-year-old Justin Fields, who performed exceptionally well as a rusher last season. .
What’s up with Jalen Carter?
Defensive lineman Jalen Carter helped lead Georgia to back-to-back national titles. But last month, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a car crash after the team’s championship parade that killed two people, including a teammate. He was sentenced to probation, a fine, and community service.
While he was once certainly a top selector, teams’ concerns over the incident have raised some doubts, as has Carter’s poor performance in one workout.
Carter could still be selected early if a team decides to go for his undoubted talent. The Seahawks at No. 5 are a likely landing spot. Or he could slide down, as some players always seem to on draft day, if teams decide his potential isn’t worth the risk.
Besides Young, what quarterbacks could be taken higher?
Quarterbacks could fill out the entire top four, as three other signal-callers are expected to go high in addition to Young: Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Lewis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Richardson is a particularly interesting case, a tremendously talented player who some scouts feel has yet to get the best out of that talent. He may go as high as No. 2 or maybe even break out of the top 10.
Who else will get to the top?
The names you’ll hear most often are linebacker Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama, cornerback Devon Witherspoon of Illinois, and edge rusher Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech. Running backs aren’t currently in vogue with NFL drafters, at least higher up the pecking order, but Texas’ Bijon Robinson could buck that trend.
Which teams are in the best position overall?
The Houston Texans have the No. 2 and 12 overall selections to help turn around a franchise that has won only 11 games over the past three seasons. Also in a good spot are the Seahawks (Nos. 5 and 20, plus two second rounders) and the Detroit Lions (Nos. 6 and 18, plus two second rounders).
The Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers probably can’t count on landing a superstar; They wouldn’t get drafted until the third round.
There are 32 teams. Why are there only 31 picks in the first round?
The Miami Dolphins lost their top pick, which would have come in at No. 21, after they were found to have “impregnable communication” with Tom Brady in two separate seasons while he was under contract with other teams.
Who is Mr Irrelevant?
It is a title given to the last drafted player. Most of those players make little impact in the league. But last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy, defied his lowly draft status. After injuries to the 49ers’ first and second-string quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy got his chance to start. He went 5–0 in the regular season and led the team to the conference championship game.
Before you hastily dismiss your favorite team’s draft class as a bust, remember Purdy.