NFL: How the 2023 NFL Draft is drastically different from last year’s

The biggest event of the NFL offseason is finally upon us. The NFL Draft is where lifelong dreams are achieved with the brightest stars hearing their names being called as they are welcomed into the league.

The three-day event will take place in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Round 1 will take place on April 27^th, rounds 2-3 will take place the following day on the 28^th and the Draft will wrap up with rounds 4-7 on the 29^th.

This year’s Draft is filled to the brim with quarterback talent, something that was not as apparent heading into last year’s draft.  In 2022, we only saw one quarterback come off the board in the first round. This year’s draft is expected to have three or more QBs in the first 10 picks.

The Carolina Panthers have been on the clock with the first selection since their trade in early March with the Chicago Bears that gave them the 1^st pick. Names such as Bryce Young (Alabama), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and even recently Will Levis (Kentucky) have been circulating in the discussion for the number one pick.

The Panthers haven’t hinted at who they are going to take, but they have fully decided as an organization on who it is going to be. Newly acquired head coach Frank Reich, says you won’t hear about who they are selecting until Thursday night.

When looking at this draft class it is very similar to ones in the past. But having too many QBs in class that are “NFL ready” can sometimes be too much for teams and General Managers to handle. Not only do you want to pick the quarterback of your future, but you also want to make sure you pick the right one.

Teams not in search of a QB are still going to have fun of their own. While the quarterbacks will get most of the limelight, there is still plenty of talent elsewhere in this year’s class.

Beside the quarterbacks, this year’s draft class also has a very exciting group of wide receivers. The betting favorite is Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the first receiver to be taken in the draft. There is still a slew of high caliber talent at that position waiting to be selected behind him. Expect to hear names such as Quentin Johnston (TCU), Jordan Addison (USC) and Zay Flowers (Boston College) in the first round as well.

The defensive side of the draft welcomes in a whole new group of elite pass rushers to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. The “Crown Jewel” of defensive lineman looks to be Jalen Carter from Georgia as he is projected to be a top-5 pick. After him, the apple does not fall far from the tree of talent as generational talent, Will Anderson (Alabama) should be drafted shortly after.

After the wild free agency we saw this March, expect more fireworks throughout the Draft. Overall, you can still never judge a team’s success in the offseason until they hit the field in September. Nonetheless, the Draft is still an exciting experience for fans, players and coaches that brings us another step closer to the NFL season.