2023 NFL Draft 1st Round Recap

The 2023 NFL Draft begins Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. We’ll be updating this page live as the results come in. Spend draft night with us!

#1 Overall Pick – Carolina Panthers

Panthers Select QB Bryce Young / Alabama

Young stands 6’0 and weights about a buck, 90. He won the Heisman in 2021 – his sophomore season. Young quickly became the odds-on favorite to be drafted #1 overall as soon as the Panthers traded up to the first pick in March.

The knock on Young is that he’s undersized, but you can’t argue with his results. He threw for 4,800 yards his sophomore, Heisman season and another 3,300 last year. He maintained a completion percentage in the mid-60s both years with a combined 79-12 TD-INT ratio.

He can also move around out there – rushing for 185 yards and 4 scores last year. He projects to be a Week 1 starter for Carolina.

#2 Overall Pick – Houston Texans

Texans Select QB CJ Stroud / Ohio State

The first pick of the DeMeco Ryans era. The defensive-minded coach decided to go quarterback, here.

Stroud joins David Carr and Deshaun Watson as the QBs drafted in the first round all-time by Houston.

Stroud is the most accurate and complete passer in this year’s draft. He threw for 3,688 yards and 41 TDs last year in his junior season. His 88.9 QBR ranked 2nd in all of college football.

Stroud and Young went back and forth as the betting favorites for the #1-overall pick, and it was widely believed these two would go 1 and 2 in either order.

#3 Overall Pick – Houston Texans (via trade with ARI)

Texans Select LB Will Anderson / Alabama

DeMeco Ryans makes a huge draft night move and slides into the #3 spot – giving his Texans the 2nd and 3rd-overall picks. Houston traded their 12th-overall pick (and more) for this privilege.

Ryans opts to go defense with this one – selecting the highest-rated defensive player in the draft in Will Anderson.

Anderson was the first true freshman ever to start at linebacker for Nick Saban. He was a 3-time All-American, 3-time All-SEC, 2-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and was even a Heisman finalist last spring.

This pick gives Alabama 2 of the top-3 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.

#4 Overall Pick – Indianapolis Colts

Colts Select QB Anthony Richardson / Florida

Richardson started just 13 games in his college career and was not prevalent on people’s draft radar prior to an amazing showing at the combine. Richardson is a tank – standing 6’4 and weighing 245 pounds. He draws Cam Newton and Donovan McNabb comparisons.

Richardson has 4.4 speed and can huck the ball a country mile. He’s easily the most athletic quarterback in this year’s draft, although he’s not a polished product. New Colts HC Shane Steichen has a project on his hands.

This is only the 4th time in the modern draft era we’ve seen 3 quarterbacks taken in the first 4 picks.

#5 Overall Pick – Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Select CB Devon Witherspoon / Illinois

Witherspoon joins last year’s draft pick Tariq Woolen as the Seahawks look to retool their secondary following the collapse of the Legion of Boom.

Witherspoon stands 6’0, 180 and has 4.4 speed. He’s considered to be the best coverage corner in the draft. The entire 2022 season, Witherspoon allowed just 1 catch in press man coverage. 1 catch!

#6 Overall Pick – Arizona Cardinals (via trade with DET)

Cardinals Select OT Paris Johnson Jr / Ohio State

The Cardinals moved down from #3 to #12 in a trade with Houston earlier tonight and then moved back up to #6 by giving Detroit that #12-overall pick as well as their 2nd-round pick of this draft.

Arizona is still all-in on their franchise guy – Kyler Murray – and are drafting who they believe to be the best left tackle on the board to protect their key asset.

Scouts say Johnson is the consummate pro who is mature enough both mentally and physically to step into an important role in Week 1. He’s 6’6, 310 pounds.

#7 Overall Pick – Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Select DE Tyree Wilson / Texas Tech

The longest arms in the land. He’s 6’6, 270 with an insanely long reach. He’s an absolute force coming off the edge who can easily swat passes down on those occasions he doesn’t get pressure.

Wilson may have been taken higher were it not for a bad foot injury he suffered during this last season which required surgery.

#8 Overall Pick – Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Select RB Bijan Robinson / Texas

The absolute best RB in the 2023 class – bar none. In the past, Robinson would have been given consideration as the #1-overall pick, but things are different now.

After the Chiefs won a Super Bowl in which their running  back was drafted in the 7th round and performed well – teams realized taking high-profile RBs in the draft was not a priority.

Robinson does so much well. He has speed, power, hands, blocking ability. He’s the real deal. The complete package.

#9 Overall Pick – Philadelphia Eagles (via trade with CHI)

Eagles Select DT Jalen Carter / Georgia

Carter was considered by some to be the most talented defensive lineman in the 2023 class but an unfortunate incident (he was present at a deadly car crash) forced his draft stock to plummet.

Carter stands 6’3 and weighs about 310 pounds. He’s a big boy. He’s got a 400-pound bench and still ran a sub-5 second 40.

Carter will be a delightful addition to an already formidable front-7 in Philly.

#10 Overall Pick – Chicago Bears (via trade with PHI)

Bears Select OT Darnell Wright / Tennessee

We figured the Bears would take a lineman to help protect their biggest asset – Justin Fields – but many thought the Bears would opt for hometown boy Peter Skoronski.

Instead, Chicago selected the 6’5 330-pound behemoth out of the SEC who ran a 5.01 40-yard dash in the combine.

Mel Kiper Jr. says Wright has the potential to become the best lineman in this draft – maybe even the best overall player. That’s high praise.

Given how pitiful the Bears’ O-line was last year (32nd in sacks allowed), Wright will assuredly receive immediate playing time in Chicago.

#11 Overall Pick – Tennessee Titans

Titans Select OT Peter Skoronski / Northwestern

Some expected Skoronski to be the first pass protector off the board. He’s 6’4, 310 pounds but has short arms which is reportedly the reason why he fell a bit tonight.

Skoronski has football in his blood with multiple relatives who played in the league. For what it’s worth, Skoronski was the first player drafted tonight to not be in Kansas City in person.

#12 Overall Pick – Detroit Lions (via trade with ARI)

Lions Select RB Jahmyr Gibbs / Alabama

Detroit held the #6 and #18-overall picks heading into this draft and opted to trade back to 12th with their first pick.

The Lions surprised everyone by taking a second running back here after Bijan Robinson came off the board just 5 picks earlier.

The 2023 Lions boast a multi-faceted rushing attack with D’Andre Swift, David Montgomery, and now Gibbs.

Gibbs is the 3rd Crimson Tide player taken thus far in the draft and the 6th player taken from the SEC.

#13 Overall Pick – Green Bay Packers

Packers Select DE Lukas Van Ness / Iowa

Green Bay received this pick from New York in the recently completed Aaron-Rodgers-to-the-Jets trade.

Many expected Green Bay to select an offensive weapon to accompany QB Jordan Love, but the Packers couldn’t not draft a guy nicknamed Hercules.

Van Ness is 6’5, 240 and an absolute beast. He’s not a polished product but has as much raw talent and athleticism as any D-lineman in this draft.

#14 Overall Pick – Pittsburgh Steelers (via trade with NE)

Steelers Select OT Broderick Jones / Georgia

The Steelers moved up via trade with New England to grab an O-tackle for the young QB Kenny Pickett.

Jones is extremely unproven – starting just 19 games in college. You can’t deny the dude’s athleticism, though. At 6’5, 310, he’s big enough to withstand bull rushes from larger D-ends but is quick enough to run a sub-5 40-yard dash and star at high school basketball.

This makes it 7 players from the SEC drafted in the first 14 picks.

#15 Overall Pick – New York Jets

Jets Select LB Will McDonald / Iowa State

#16 Overall Pick – Washington Commanders

Commanders Select CB Emmanuel Forbes / Mississippi State

#17 Overall Pick – New England Patriots

Patriots Select CB Christian Gonzalez / Oregon

#18 Overall Pick – Detroit Lions

Lions Select LB Jack Campbell / Iowa

#19 Overall Pick – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers Select DE Calijah Kancey / Pitt

#20 Overall Pick – Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Select WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba / Ohio State

#21 Overall Pick – Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Select WR Quentin Johnston / TCU

#22 Overall Pick – Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Select WR Zay Flowers / Boston College

#23 Overall Pick – Minnesota Vikings

Vikings Select WR Jordan Addison / USC

#24 Overall Pick – New York Giants (via trade with JAX)

Giants Select CB Deonte Banks / Maryland

#25 Overall Pick – Buffalo Bills (via trade with JAX)

Bills Select TE Dalton Kincaid / Utah

#26 Overall Pick – Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Select DT Mazi Smith / Michigan

#27 Overall Pick – Jacksonville Jaguars (via trade with BUF)

Jaguars Select DT Anton Harrison / Oklahoma

#28 Overall Pick – Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Select DE Myles Murphy / Clemson

#29 Overall Pick – New Orleans Saints

Saints Select DT Bryan Bresee / Clemson

#30 Overall Pick – Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Select LB Nolan Smith / Georgia

#31 Overall Pick – Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Select DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah / Kansas State