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Round one of the 2023 NFL Draft is slated to begin Thursday, April 27, at 8 p.m. ET inside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The next rounds of the draft will continue on Friday (rounds two and three) and Saturday (four through seven).
The Carolina Panthers hold the No. 1 overall pick after trading four picks and wide receiver DJ Moore with Chicago to move up in the order.
NFL fans wait in anticipation to see which players will be selected to their team.
In this article, we’ll delve into the probable top picks, potential sleepers and NFL Draft odds.
Odds to be selected No. 1 overall
- Bryce Young (-1000)
- Will Levis (+400)
- C.J. Stroud (+2000)
- Anthony Richardson (+4000)
- Will Anderson Jr. (+15000)
- Tyree Wilson (+15000)
Top Potential Picks
The following five players are among the top five prospects to be drafted inside the top five. The odds for the No. 1 overall pick can be viewed later in this article.
Bryce Young, QB @ 1/10 (-1000) to be selected No. 1
The oddsmakers and pundits highly tout the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner to be the top pick.
Last season, Young completed his second campaign as Alabama’s starter throwing for 3,328 passing yards and 32 touchdowns (just five interceptions).
As a starter over two years, the 21-year-old finished with a 24-3 record. The prospect has a long list of collegiate accolades aside from his Heisman, which includes an MVP award for both the SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl, along with earning the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and Manning awards.
Bryce Young has the highest probability to make the pro bowl for any quarterback coming out in the draft in over a decade. pic.twitter.com/CXI1DqjRat
— Michael Rimmer (@avl_mike) April 25, 2023
Carolina is in search of its franchise quarterback, and Young’s poise and athletic prowess could be just the answer the organization is looking for.
On April 17, Young met with Carolina for a predraft visit resulting in him canceling all other meetings. All signs point toward him being the first player off the board come Thursday evening.
Tyree Wilson, Edge @ 14/10 (+140) to be selected No. 2
The Texas Tech edge defender, along with Will Levis, are favorites to go second in the draft, depending on the sportsbook. William Hill currently has Wilson ahead at +140.
Houston recently hired a defensive-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans. Ryans was a former linebacker for the organization and excelled as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
There’s a chance Ryan won’t draft a quarterback and opt for Wilson to bolster the edge.
The 6-foot-6 defensive end earned an honorable mention for All-Big 12 and made the Associated Press All-Bowl Team.
As a junior in 2021, Wilson recorded 38 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. In his senior year, the Henderson, TX native started 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. During that span, Wilson accumulated 61 tackles, 14 TFLs and seven sacks.
Will Levis, QB @ 17/10 (+170) to be selected No. 2
The pro-style Kentucky product is currently the second favorite to be selected at No. 2 overall by many books.
Houston is in desperate need of a quarterback and could make Levis their signal-caller of the future.
The 6-foot-4, 229-pounder threw for 5,218 yards and 43 touchdowns during his two years as a starter in the SEC. Levis finished his career with a 17-7 record wearing royal blue and white.
With elite arm strength and a gun-slinging archetype, it’s likely he’ll be the second quarterback taken off the board. Should Houston select a defender, Levis will likely be taken at No. 4 by Indianapolis.
Will Anderson, Edge @ 5/2 (+250) to be selected No. 3
If Wilson is selected at No. 2, it’s likely Arizona will pick Will Anderson with the third overall pick in the draft. The Cardinals already have their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray and need to upgrade their pass rush.
Should Levis go No. 2, it’ll be a coin flip between Anderson and Wilson going third.
NFL NextGen Stats and scouts have Anderson as their top-ranked edge prospect and gave the former Crimson Tide defender a 99 production score and 90 total score.
The former SEC Defensive Player of the Year enjoyed the most success during the 2021 campaign when he finished first in the nation in tackles for loss (34.5) and recorded 17.5 sacks. Anderson finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2021.
The former five-star prospect broke all sorts of records in Tuscaloosa and ended his career with 62 TFLs and 34.5 sacks (both second in program history behind Derrick Thomas).
Anderson’s scouting grade predicts him to be a future Pro Bowl talent and many executives are aware that Anderson will have an immediate impact and a better career than most of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.
CJ Stroud, QB @ 2/1 (+200) to be selected No. 4
When Carolina traded up for the No. 1 overall pick, Stroud shot up oddsmakers’ draft boards and became the favorite to be selected as the first player selected at -190.
After pre-draft interviews, Stroud’s stock fell, and is now predicted to be the third quarterback off the board.
Stroud will likely end up as the fourth pick by the Colts should Houston select Levis. If Anderson is taken, then Stroud will fall even lower between picks 5 and 10.
There is speculation that the Ohio State product tumbled down the boards as a result of a poor Wonderlic Test score, skipping the Manning Passing Academy scheduled appearance and bad interviews in predraft meetings.
Stroud had the worst Wonderlic score (18% out of 100%), while Young earned the best at 98 out of 100.
Despite the negative media attention and scrutiny, his exemplary resume proves he’s one of the top prospects.
The 21-year-old finished in third and fourth in Heisman Trophy voting the last two seasons and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In 2022, Stroud led the FBS in pass efficiency (177.7) and threw for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns (second in the FBS) compared to only six interceptions in 13 starts.
The Rancho Cucamonga native led the Buckeyes to two college football playoff semifinal appearances in both years as the starter.
Sleeper Picks
Tyjae Spears and Broderick Jones are two sleepers who could be selected earlier than expected.
Tyjae Spears (RB)
The dynamic running back could slip into the late second round or early to mid-third round despite being expected to be drafted in rounds four through six.
The Tulane product received a production score of 88 and ranked second among running backs in the category. Spears’ total score of 82 put him at No. 3 among rushers at the combine.
The Ponchatoula, Louisiana native ran for 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns during the 2022 season and earned the AAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. He also averaged an impressive 6.9 yards per attempt.
Spears helped the Green Wave upset USC in the Cotton Bowl as he rushed for 205 yards and four scores en route to the MVP Award.
Broderick Jones (OT)
The Georgia tackle is expected to be a mid-to-late first-round grade but could move into the top 15 and possibly top 10 on draft day.
Jones is slightly raw compared to more experienced offensive tackle prospects but shined during his 19 starts.
The 6-foot-5, 311-pounder won back-to-back national titles with Georgia and started the last four games of the 2021 season, which included an SEC Championship, CFP Semifinal and Championship. As a senior, Jones started every game on the way to another title.
The redshirt sophomore had an impressive combine and earned a total score of 85, putting him at No. 2 amongst tackles.
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