During the 2022 NFL draft, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett became the first quarterback chosen when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him at No. 20. That was the latest the first QB had appeared in an NFL draft since 1997, when the San Francisco 49ers made Virginia Tech’s Jim Druckenmiller the first quarterback selection at No. 26.
The 2023 draft will be more like business as usual. By the time the 20th pick comes up this year, four quarterbacks likely will have been drafted, with the top two selections most assuredly set to be spent on QBs.
· LEVI WALLACE PLAYED FOR THE STEELERS AFTER BEING STRICKEN BY BELL’S PALSY
· FORMER AUBURN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN SIGNS WITH CHIEFS
· JARRAN REED COMES ‘HOME’ IN NFL FREE AGENCY
In the first 76 NFL drafts, quarterbacks were the top two players taken in five. This year will be the sixth time in 12 drafts that the top two selections are quarterbacks.
The SEC is primed for another banner draft. The record for the most players picked from one conference in the first round of a single draft is 15 from the SEC in 2020. In each of the past two drafts, 12 players from the SEC have been chosen in the first round. The SEC seems poised to chase its record in the 2023 draft, including three of the first-round quarterbacks.
The 88th NFL draft will be held April 27 through 29 at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Only 31 players will be selected in the first round on April 27 because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their choice as part of their NFL-imposed punishment for tampering violations. The second and third rounds will be held on April 28, with the fourth through seventh rounds following on April 29.
The 32 NFL teams will pick 259 players in the 2023 draft. A look at the players who could be selected in the first round, using the draft order as it currently stands:
No. 1: Alabama quarterback Bryce Young — Carolina Panthers
The Panthers obtained the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears to select their quarterback for the next decade. While they’ve acknowledged considering four, two seem more ready to play — Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young. Might this come down to coach Frank Reich trying to convince owner David Tepper not to pick the QB who is almost 6 inches shorter than the team’s head coach, with general manager Scott Fitterer the man in the middle? The Heisman Trophy still carries cachet, and the Panthers are raising season-ticket prices in 2023 after five consecutive losing seasons.
No. 2: Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud — Houston Texans
After the Panthers make their decision, the Texans get the other quarterback and the opportunity to say he was the one they wanted all the time.
No. 3: Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. — Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ pass rush wasn’t bad last season, but they did have a bad pass defense. Only one team gave up more touchdown passes and only one team yielded a better passing-efficiency rating to opposing quarterbacks than Arizona in 2022.
No. 4: Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson — Indianapolis Colts
Another quarterback decision — Richardson or Kentucky’s Will Levis? The Colts take the 6-foot-4, 244-pound QB with seven touchdown passes for at least 70 yards and 14 of at least 40 yards and four touchdown runs of at least 60 yards while in college, overlooking the four games in 2022 in which Richardson failed to complete at least half his passes, including a 9-of-27 showing versus Florida State.
No. 5: Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon — Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have made a lot of noise about picking a quarterback with this draft choice obtained from the Denver Broncos in last year’s trade of QB Russell Wilson. The implication is Seattle won’t get another chance to draft his low otherwise. Pretty confident, but it might be a while if they can reconstruct the Legion of Boom. Last year, the Seahawks hit the jackpot with fifth-round cornerback Tariq Woolen.
No. 6: Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson — Detroit Lions
An outside linebacker for the Red Raiders, Wilson is a pass rusher who seems more likely to play defensive end in the Lions’ scheme. With the second pick in the 2022 draft, Detroit chose Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, and he produced 9.5 sacks. Now they’ll have a bookend.
No. 7: Kentucky quarterback Will Levis — Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas just signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72 million contract. But it won’t kill the Raiders’ salary cap if he’s not on the team in 2024, when the rocket-armed Levis ought to be ready after a season learning the system.
No. 8: Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter — Atlanta Falcons
When the Bears held the No. 1 pick, Carter was considered a strong candidate to be the first player off the board. Then came the trade, an off-the-field issue and a crummy pro day. The irony is if the Falcons hadn’t picked him here, Carter would have gone at No. 9 – to the Bears.
No. 9: Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski — Chicago Bears
No team in the NFL had its quarterbacks sacked at a higher rate than Chicago in the 2022 season.
No. 10: Texas running back Bijan Robinson — Philadelphia Eagles
No running back has been selected before the 24th pick in the past four NFL drafts. But Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman doesn’t seem to be a slave to conventional wisdom, and the Eagles have played in two of the past six Super Bowls. Roseman grabs an impact player for coach Nick Sirianni.
No. 11: Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. — Tennessee Titans
If you’re going to pin your offensive identity on running back Derrick Henry, then how about doing something to correct the downward direction of the offensive line’s quality of play?
No. 12: TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston — Houston Texans
The Texans got a quarterback with the second selection. Now they get C.J. Stroud a target after trading Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys.
No. 13: Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy — New York Jets
Like every other coach, the Jets’ Robert Saleh likes versatile, productive defensive linemen. And he likes to have a lot of them.
No. 14: Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez — New England Patriots
The Patriots have plenty of cornerbacks. They drafted two last year. What they don’t have are any 6-foot-1 cornerbacks, which is what Gonzalez is. His acquisition would provide an opportunity to shift former Auburn standout Jonathan Jones back to slot corner or even to free safety with the retirement of Devin McCourty.
No. 15: Southern Cal wide receiver Jordan Addison — Green Bay Packers
The Packers are moving to a new quarterback in 2023. Their top wide receiver currently under contract for 2023 had 611 receiving yards in 2022.
No. 16: Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz — Washington Commanders
Schmitz is a projected second-rounder. The Commanders currently have Nick Gates who started 10 games in the past two seasons around injuries for the New York Giants lined up to play center in 2023. Washington stiff-arms the best-player-available philosophy to get the best player needed.
No. 17: Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. — Pittsburgh Steelers
After losing cornerback Cameron Sutton in free agency, the Steelers make a legacy pick. The cornerback’s father played linebacker in eight seasons for Pittsburgh.
No. 18: Alabama safety Brian Branch — Detroit Lions
Detroit has been strengthening its secondary with the free-agent signings of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Cameron Sutton. Branch continues the trend, and his ability to play slot corner, too, gives the Lions options with Sutton.
No. 19: Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Bucs aren’t going to re-sign Donovan Smith, adding Jones would allow them to re-think the decision to move Tristan Wirfs from right tackle to left tackle. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler at right tackle the past two seasons. Jones played left tackle at Georgia.
No. 20: Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence — Seattle Seahawks
Torrence’s addition would allow free-agent signee Evan Brown to play center, as he has for most of his career, and put a lot of size into the Seahawks’ run game.
No. 21: Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey — Los Angeles Chargers
Kancey would put another disruptor in front of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
No. 22: Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers — Baltimore Ravens
Over the previous eight drafts, the Ravens have used a first-round choice on a wide receiver three times. But, somehow, Baltimore is pretty thin at this spot.
No. 23: Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker — Minnesota Vikings
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has been a Pro Bowler three of the past four seasons – and Minnesota has won one playoff game. Cousins is signed through the 2023 season.
No. 24: Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright — Jacksonville Jaguars
With right tackle Jawaan Taylor gone in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs, do the Jaguars want to give swing tackle Walker Little his big chance at the spot or draft a replacement?
No. 25: Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo — New York Giants
New York gets a big cornerback for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who has 37 receptions for 494 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants during his three NFL seasons.
No. 26: Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee — Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas defense can be pretty disruptive around the edges. Bresee would put some of that in the middle, too.
No. 27: Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders — Buffalo Bills
After five straight 100-tackle seasons for Buffalo, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is with the Chicago Bears now thanks to free agency.
No. 28: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer — Cincinnati Bengals
The three tight ends on Cincinnati’s offseason roster caught 12 passes during the 2022 season. Fortunately for the Bengals, this draft has three tight ends worth first-round consideration. Cincinnati takes the best blocker of the trio.
No. 29: Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs — New Orleans Saints
For the first time in his six seasons with the Saints, running back Alvin Kamara wasn’t a Pro Bowler in 2022. He also is facing a felony battery charge in Nevada that even if he is found not guilty could result in league-imposed discipline (as in a suspension).
No. 30: Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron — Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles took a lot of hits in free agency, including losing right guard Isaac Seumalo. Bergeron projects more as a guard than a tackle in the NFL and hangs his hat on run-blocking.
No. 31: Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt — Kansas City Chiefs
After losing No. 1 wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, the Chiefs swing for the fences with the final selection of the first round by passing Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smih-Njigba and overlooking their offseason losses at offensive tackle.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.