RSS Feed2023 NFL Draft First Round
By Chris Malumphy
With the first selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young from Alabama. The Panthers obtained the first pick from the Chicago Bears for the 9th pick in the Draft, a second-round pick (No. 61), a first-round pick in 2024, a second-rounder in 2025 and wide receiver DJ Moore.
The Houston Texans eschewed negative remarks regarding S2 testing and selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second pick in the draft. The Texans shocked the draft by then trading up to obtain the third pick in the draft from the Arizona Cardinals and selecting edge rusher Will Anderson from Alabama. GM Nick Casario and new coach DeMeco Ryan are going all out to turn the Houston franchise around.
Hoping to resolve the outstanding problem at quarterback that has existed since Andrew Luck retired, the Indianapolis Colt picked the most athletic player in the draft, quarterback Anthony Richardson from Florida. The Seattle Seahawks may have wished that Richardson was still have been available when they picked, but since he was gone, Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon fit the bill for coach Peter Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
Making their second trade in the first six picks in the draft, the Arizona Cardinals traded back up with the Lions to select Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson. The Cardinals gave the Lions the 12th pick that they had obtained from the Texans and a second rounder, the 34th pick in the draft. The Las Vegas Raiders added 6'6" edge rusher Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech. Texas bell-cow running back Bijan Robinson was taken with the 8th pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded up one spot with the Bears to draft troubled defensive tackle Jaylen Carter, considered by many to be the best player in the draft, from Georgia. The Bears truned around and drafted another defensive tackle, Darnell Wright from Tennessee. The Tennessee Titans took Northwestern offensive linemen Pete Skoronski. The Detroit Lions liked running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama, the third member of the Crimson Tide in the top 11 picks. The Green Bay Packers used part of the booty obtained from the New York Jets for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to select Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up with the New England Patriots to select tackle Broderick Jones from Georgia. The New York Jets selected Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald. Mississippi State defensive back Emmanuel Forbes was selected by the Washington Commanders. The New England Patriots followed with cornerback Christian Gonzalez of Oregon. The Lions select Dick Butkus award winner Jack Campbell, a linebacker from Iowa.
Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 19th pick in the first round. Speedy Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will join the Seahawks and Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. The Los Angeles Chargers gave quarterback Justin Herbert another target in Quentin Johnston, the wide receiver from Texas Christian.
Newly signed Lamar Jackson will have Zay Flowers, wide receiver from Boston College, joining Mark Andrews, Odell Beckham and Rashod Bateman, as his top targets. The Minnesota Vikings followed by giving another great target in Jordan Addison from USC and Pittsburgh. The New York Giants traded up one spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars to take cornerback Deonte Banks from Maryland. The Jaguars shipped the draft pick they obtained a few minutes earlier to Buffalo and the Bills selected tight end Dalton Kincaid from Utah. The Dallas Cowboy tried to shore up its defense by selecting defensive tackle Mazi Smith from Michigan. Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison will protect Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville with the Jaguars Cam Robinson facing a possible suspension. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy. Clemson then sent defensive tackle Bryan Bresee to the New Orleans Saints. The Philadelphia Eagles selected Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith. The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs closed out the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft by selecting defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah from Kansas State.
| 2023 NFL Draft Round One | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Pick | Player | Name | Team | Position | College | Source |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Bryce Young | Panthers | QB | Alabama | Bears |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | C.J. Stroud | Texans | QB | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | Will Anderson | Texans | ED | Alabama | Cardinals |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Anthony Richardson | Colts | QB | Florida | |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Devon Witherspoon | Seahawks | CB | Illinois | Broncos |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | Paris Johnson | Cardinals | OT | Ohio State | Rams via Lions |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | Tyree Wilson | Raiders | ED | Texas Tech | |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Bijan Robinson | Falcons | RB | Texas | |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Jalen Carter | Eagles | DT | Georgia | Panthers via Bears |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | Darnell Wright | Bears | OT | Tennessee | Saints via Eagles |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Peter Skoronski | Titans | OG | Northwestern | |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Jahmyr Gibbs | Lions | RB | Alabama | Browns via Texans and Cardinals |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Lukas Van Ness | Packers | ED | Iowa | Jets |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | Broderick Jones | Steelers | OT | Georgia | Patriots |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Will McDonald IV | Jets | ED | Iowa State | Packers |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Emmanuel Forbes | Commanders | CB | Mississippi State | |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Christian Gonzalez | Patriots | CB | Oregon | Steelers |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Jack Campbell | Lions | LB | Iowa | |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Calijah Kancey | Buccaneers | DT | Pittsburgh | |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seahawks | WR | Ohio State | |
| 1 | 21 | 21 | Quentin Johnston | Chargers | WR | Texas Christian | |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | Zay Flowers | Ravens | WR | Boston College | |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | Jordan Addison | Vikings | WR | USC | |
| 1 | 24 | 24 | Deonte Banks | Giants | CB | Maryland | Jaguars |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Dalton Kincaid | Bills | TE | Utah | Giants via Jaguars |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | Mazi Smith | Cowboys | DT | Michigan | |
| 1 | 27 | 27 | Anton Harrison | Jaguars | OT | Oklahoma | Bills |
| 1 | 28 | 28 | Myles Murphy | Bengals | ED | Clemson | |
| 1 | 29 | 29 | Bryan Bresee | Saints | DT | Clemson | 49ers via Dolphins and Broncos |
| 1 | 30 | 30 | Nolan Smith | Eagles | ED | Georgia | |
| 1 | 31 | 31 | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Chiefs | ED | Kansas State | |
