2023 NFL Draft: 10 Predictions with Under a Month to Go
One quarterback will be off the board after the first pick, and more are sure to follow. The Houston Texans own the second selection, and they’re desperate to find a new franchise signal-caller.
The Indianapolis Colts are also in the quarterback market, and they hold the fourth overall pick. Three signal-callers going in the first four selections is a near certainty.
However, the early run on quarterbacks isn’t going to end there. Stroud, Richardson and Young are the top three QB prospects, and Kentucky’s Will Levis—the 21st-ranked prospect n the B/R board—is also in the first-round conversation.
The prediction here is that either the Arizona Cardinals or the Seattle Seahawks, who hold the third and fifth picks, respectively, trade down so that a quarterback-needy team can move up. Arizona already has Kyler Murray, who signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension last offseason. Seattle just signed Geno Smith to a three-year, $75 million deal.
There are a couple of logical candidates to move into the top five. The Las Vegas Raiders (seventh overall) signed Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, but the oft-injured 31-year-old shouldn’t be viewed as the quarterback of the future.
Las Vegas has also met with Young, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. It has at least some level of interest in this QB class, and if general manager Dave Ziegler falls in love with a prospect, the Raiders could try to jump Indianapolis at No. 4.
The Tennessee Titans should also be eyeing a signal-caller, as Ryan Tannehill is entering the final year of his contract. Tennessee does have 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis on the roster, but he struggled mightily as a rookie (42.8 passer rating) and can’t be counted upon as a succession plan. The Titans could move up from No. 11 to jump either Indianapolis or Las Vegas to get their guy.
There’s also a chance that Seattle simply takes a quarterback at No. 5 to develop behind the 32-year-old Smith. It’s worth noting that the Seahawks can get out of Smith’s contract after one season while taking on a manageable dead-cap charge of $17.4 million.
Running back has become a bit of a devalued position in the NFL. Ball-carriers tend to have shorter careers than other positions, and good backs can be found later in the draft. Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, for example, just tallied 262 scrimmage yards in the playoffs as a seventh-round draft pick.
This is a deep running back class—the scouting department has 15 backs ranked in the top 150 prospects—but Robinson has the potential to be an All-Pro-caliber dual threat right out of the gate.
With four quarterbacks likely going early in Round 1, there’s a good chance that a fifth gets picked in the back end. It’s not an unusual phenomenon because first-round selections come with a fifth-year option—which is especially valuable when quarterbacks are involved.
In a recent mock draft, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has Hooker landing with the Vikings at No. 23.
If the Raiders don’t draft a quarterback early, they would also be a candidate to trade up from No. 38. The Los Angeles Rams (No. 36) and Titans (No. 41) are also teams to watch when it comes to trading back into Round 1 for a signal-caller.