The Draft Day Guide
04/27/2023
By: Jeff Yoder
Draft-Day Notes & Top-5 Players at Each Position — Tonight (8:00 pm ET, ESPN)
After three months of offseason shuffling since the Chiefs topped the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, the NFL’s marquee offseason moment is finally here. Your team looks different than it did just three months ago, and the draft gives each franchise a chance to select their pieces of the future. We shared The Sportsletter’s Mock Draft 2.0 in yesterday’s edition. We’ll go a little deeper in today’s edition, featuring potential trades, team needs and the best players at each position. The Panthers already know who they’re taking with No. 1 overall, but no one else does. One of sport’s greatest live-action off-the-field events is about to launch. Let’s strap in.
Teams With Multiple 1st-Round Picks
Texans: Pick #2, Pick #12
Seahawks: Pick #5, Pick #20
Lions: Pick #6, Pick #18
Eagles: Pick #10, Pick #30
Potential Trades & Swaps
Almost every year one team swaps a first-round pick for a veteran player they know will make an immediate impact. Watch for the teams with multiple picks (above) to use that capital for trading back and grabbing veterans. Don’t be surprised to see the Titans (Pick #11) move up for a quarterback or the Cardinals (Pick #3) to move back. The Eagles and Seahawks are also teams to watch with a long history of draft-day trades.
Veteran Draft-Day Trade Candidates
A few aging veterans in not-so-great situations could be viable options for draft-day trade bait. Here are a few we’ll keep an eye on: WR DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals), RB Dalvin Cook (Vikings), RB Austin Ekeler (Chargers), and RB Derrick Henry (Titans).
Surprising Fact: Believe it or not… If the Panthers select QB Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick, he’ll be the first Alabama player selected No. 1 overall in the history of the NFL.
Top-5 Players at Each Position
QB: 1. Bryce Young (ALA), 2. C.J. Stroud (OSU), 3. Will Levis (UK), 4. Anthony Richardson (FLA), 5. Hendon Hooker (TEN)
RB: 1. Bijan Robinson (TEX), 2. Jahmyr Gibbs (ALA), 3. Tyjae Spears (TUL), 4. Zach Charbonnet (UCLA), 5. Devon Achane (TEX A&M)
WR: 1. Jaxson Smith-Njigba (OSU), 2. Zay Flowers (BC), 3. Jordan Addison (USC), 4. Quentin Johnson (TCU), 5. Jalin Hyatt (TEN)
TE: 1. Dalton Kincaid (UTAH), 2. Michael Mayer (ND), 3. Darnell Washington (UGA), 4. Luke Musgrave (ORE ST), 5. Sam LaPorta (IOWA)
OT: 1. Paris Johnson Jr. (OSU), 2. Peter Skoronski (NU), 3. Broderick Jones (UGA), 4. Darnell Wright (TEN), 5. Anton Harrison (OU)
OL: 1. O’Cyrus Torrence (FLA), 2. Steve Avila (TCU), 3. John Michael Schmitz (MIN), 4. Luke Wypler (OSU), 5. Joe Tippmann (WIS)
DL: 1. Jalen Carter (UGA), 2. Calijah Kancey (PITT), 3. Bryan Breese (CLEM), 4. Mazi Smith (MICH), 5. Adetomiwa Adebawore (NU)
EDGE: 1. Will Anderson Jr. (ALA), 2. Tyree Wilson (TEX TECH), 3. Lukas Van Ness (IOWA), 4. Myles Murphy (CLEM), 5. Keion White (GA TECH)
LB: 1. Nolan Smith (UGA), 2. Jack Campbell (IOWA), 3. Drew Sanders (ARK), 4. Trenton Simpson (CLEM), 5. Henry To’oTo’o (ALA)
CB: 1. Christian Gonzales (ORE), 2. Devon Witherspoon (ILL), 3. Joey Porter Jr. (PENN ST), 4. Emmanuel Forbes (MISS ST), 5. Cam Smith (SC)
S: 1. Brian Branch (ALA), 2. Jordan Battle (ALA), 3. Antonio Johnson (TEX A&M), 4. Ji’Ayir Brown (PENN ST), 5. Sydney Brown (ILL)
NFL Draft Schedule
Tonight: Round 1 (8:00 pm ET)
Tomorrow: Rounds 2-3 (7:00 pm ET)
Saturday: Rounds 4-7 (Noon ET)
Here we go. The Panthers are on the clock…
Additional Storylines
SI: Breaking Down Strengths & Weaknesses of Each Presumptive First-Round QB
USA Today: 12 Big-Name Veterans Who Could Be Traded During the Draft
B/R: A 2023 Draft-Day Trade That Makes Sense for Every NFL Team
FOX Sports: 2023 NFL Draft Sleepers: The 10 Favorite Day 2 & 3 Prospects
Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Image