Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day… Today marks another chapter in the chaotic history of the NFL known as the NFL Draft. As always, I thought I would try to predict ten things I believe will happen. The draft process and the talent involved will make this a very entertaining spectacle so let’s stop shooting the breeze and get to it. These are the Top Ten Predictions for the 2023 NFL Draft!
10.) There Will Be 10 Tight Ends Drafted In The First Three Rounds
In 2019, there were eight tight ends drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. I firmly believe there will be a record set for tight ends drafted in 2023 with an additional two tight ends being drafted in these three rounds. This tight-end class is deep and with two tight ends predicted to go in the first round alone, it is left to the betting man to decide if this is a worthy one or not. I believe it is.
9.) Lukas Van Ness Will Be The Chiefs’ Selection At #31
Lukas Van Ness is an incredible athlete and proved that at the combine when he showed off his freakish nature. However, there is a lot of talent in this draft. Something is telling me that Van Ness will into the same situation as a man that the Chiefs drafted last year; George Karlaftis. The kid was also a freak, but with all the talent there, he ended up falling to the Chiefs. Van Ness could fall into that same situation this year.
8.) Will Levis Will Go #2 Overall To The Texans
It is crazy how Will Levis went from just another quarterback in the draft to a huge betting sensation as to where he will be drafted. In terms of talent, he was my fourth quarterback on my board, but now we are learning of a new situation. Will Levis is now being placed in bets as the number one quarterback going off the board. While I do not believe that for a second, I counter that bet with one of my own. I believe that Will Levis will be the second quarterback off the board and he will be the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans for the 2023 season.
7.) Zay Flowers Will Be The 1st Wide Receiver Drafted
This one is kind of just a shot in the dark, but when it comes to wide receivers, we really don’t know which one will be drafted first. If I had to make an interesting pick, the name Zay Flowers from Boston College seems to be floating around in my brain of which receiver will be the first to go. His name and draft stock have been going up in recent weeks, and why would it be unusual for his name to be called as the first receiver off the board. Is it the Texans? The Packers? The Patriots? Who knows, but he has a good chance of being the first guy off the board.
6.) Six Corners Will Be Taken In The 1st Round
This cornerback class is crazy talented. The number listed above might be off-putting, but just hear me out here. It is almost a guarantee that names like Witherspoon, Gonzalez, Porter, and Banks all are drafted in the first round. What is to stop some teams from reaching for names like Forbes and Stevenson who have been getting a lot of 1st round talks in recent weeks. Some would argue it is a deep class, but I am willing to bet some teams take a chance.
5.) The Packers Will Draft Nolan Smith And Not A Receiver In The 1st Round
For years, people have been predicting that Green Bay takes a receiver in the first round. Who are we kidding at this point? Just because Aaron Rodgers got traded does not mean that they will be taking a receiver when they have names like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. They still have Jones and Dillon too who are both very capable receiving backs. I think the Packers will take a receiver in the 2nd round, but will once again focus on the defense by drafting Georgia”s Nolan Smith on the edge.
4.) Bijan Robinson Will Be Drafted By The Falcons
Robinson has been a hot discussion as to where he will end up. Teams that originally came to mind were the Cowboys, Chargers, Eagles, and Bills, but what if I were to tell you it will be the Falcons who will draft Bijan with the number eight overall pick? Does it seem crazy, or is it the perfect spot for this Texas product to land? The Falcons have a young offense with Ridder, Allgeir, London, and Pitts already at the helm. Now let us add the best running back in the draft that has gotten Saquon Barkley comps to a team that can take the division now with some help in the run game.
3.) Budda Baker and DeAndre Hopkins Will Get Traded On Night One
The Cardinals are in a huge position to unload some major talent in the draft this year. Two huge names to unload include receiver DeAndre Hopkins and safety Budda Baker. Both are likely to find new homes in my honest opinion because the Cardinals are not a great team right and need to collect as many draft picks as they can to add sufficient talent to the roster. I would be very surprised if these two aren’t dealt with as the Cardinals are desperate for some kind of deal, and it works out for both individuals as well since they don’t want to be there anymore in the first place.
2.) There Will Be Ten Trades This Year In The 1st Round
Last year we had nine trades happen in the first round. I am always a betting man, and for some reason, I believe we are going to have double-digit trades this year. The quarterbacks are better than last year’s products so teams will be moving to up for them. Some teams need to unload certain players so it won’t be hard to imagine trades including them to come through. Teams are willing to spend certain things in order to get the players they want, so yes I believe we will have more trade than we had last year; 10.
1.) C.J. Stroud Will Be This Year’s Green Room Sad Boy
Every year there is a player who starts off hot in the draft process and then he seemingly slides down to a variety of issues. The quarterback position is notorious for this. Just look at Malik Willis last year. The kid was supposed to be a first-round selection and the first quarterback off the board and, instead he was selected in the third round. Look at Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith, Johnny Manziel, Lamar Jackson, and many others. Some were successful and some were not. The only thing in common with all of them is that they fell hard in the draft. I believe Stroud will suffer the same way all of those listed above did. Will he be good or bad is up to when he plays, but I can tell you in my honest opinion, he will fall.
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