2023 Draft Preview: What to look out for...

With the NFL Draft just around the corner, let’s take a look at some of the things which could take place over the course of the seven rounds.

There are four, maybe five quarterbacks taken in the first round, but we really don’t know in which order. Could it be Stroud, Young, or Richardson taken first?

The Panthers have already traded up to number one overall with the expectation they will take a QB, depending on who they take, there could well be more trades amongst the teams picking early. Look out for the Colts to make a big move to select a QB in the top three.

With the Philadelphia Eagles sitting at 10 with another first-rounder this year and 12 picks next, look out for them to move up if Jalen Carter slips beyond the fifth pick. Howie Roseman loves a splash and this would be a big one.

The consensus view, until very recently was Will Anderson was the best pass rusher in the draft, but over the past few months Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech has steadily gained momentum becoming the number one edge on many expert’s boards. When they are selected could have a huge butterfly effect on the whole draft.

With the Rodgers to New York trade finally getting completed, both the Packers and the Jets will have a much clearer view of their draft boards. For the Packers it's a chance to reload on offence and for the Jets it to as much as they can to maximise what may only be a year or two of Rodgers as a Jet.

Much like the Rodgers situation, how Baltimore approaches the draft will be determined by QB Lamar Jackson’s status. With Jackson vocalizing his desire to leave the Ravens the situation remains unresolved providing a confusing outlook for Ossie Newsome and the Ravens.

Talent-wise, there may only be a few players who can match Robinson in the entire draft, but given how running backs are becoming less and less valued by NFL teams, he could well slip to the bottom of the first round. There are rumors he could go as high as eight to the Falcons but if not he could tumble for a while.

This is a draft with numerous high-level cornerbacks, but Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are in a class of their own at the top. There is very little to split the two so following their professional careers will be the only way to see which was truly the better prospect at this stage.

Another player who would be guaranteed a top pick if the draft was only based on talent. Unfortunately for Carter, reports of character concerns and immaturity have knocked his projection to the next level. He is still expected to be a top-ten pick, but there will be teams reluctant to take him too early.

The muscle-bound QB out of Kentucky is a polarising prospect, with out of this world arm talent and good mobility, there is a real player there, but with poor decision-making and accuracy at times he is a project player. NFL teams are often confident in their ability to ‘coach up’ players but his rawness could see him fall.

Hendon Hooker is a 25-year-old quarterback who is expected to miss most of his rookie season with an ACL injury, not the profile most teams are looking for in the draft. There is a real dearth of talent at QB across the league though, so a team may well be tempted to take him late in the first, giving them five years of contract control. He’s a talented player so it could well be worth the risk.

Mocking picks to the Bucs has been tough throughout the draft process, with no clear plan at quarterback but still with a very talented roster, they could go in a number of directions. They are a real candidate for a trade-up to go and grab their guy if one of the big names falls even slightly.

Almost every year there is a player or two who slips down the draft with cameras showing a dejected young man in the green room desperate for his name to be called. It’s never a fun sight to watch but often can give that player extra motivation to go and dominate at the next level.

There are a few players who could end up getting selected far higher than expected in this year’s draft, with positional value sometimes overtaking a team’s need. Players like Zay Flowers and Calijah Kancey could go well above where they are currently being mocked.

Roger Goodell is paid upwards of $40 million a year to be the commissioner of the NFL and one of his public-facing duties is to announce the draft picks whilst on stage. Every year, however, he manages to completely bungle a player’s name in the biggest moment of their career to that point.

The NFL draft has managed to capture the imagination of NFL fans in ways most sports could only dream of. With huge trades and surprise selections expected across the board the unpredictability of the event keeps fans on the edge of their seat the entire time. It’s also a life changing moment for hundreds of young men embarking on their football career. On Thursday from 8pm EST in Kansas City, all our questions will be answered.