2023 NFL Draft Primer: Bold Predictions, Things To Watch, More

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The 2023 NFL Draft begins in just two days. For both teams and prospects alike, there will be ripple effects, due to the craziness that is the draft. This year’s draft is definitely highly anticipated, in particular. With this being a perceived weaker class, it is more challenging to gauge the landing spots of some prospects. In most years, we have a pretty good idea of what the top ten could look like.

That leads us into our final topics before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft. What are the top things to watch for entering this draft that some fans may not be expecting? Who are some possible players that could unexpectedly sneak into the first round? Plus, I attempt to put my money where my mouth is with some bold predictions.

With possibly one of the most surprising draft weekends nearing, we wanted to point out some key storylines to monitor. No matter how astonishing these may be for some people, there appears to be a chance of just about anything happening in the draft this year. Without further ado, let’s kick off our 2023 NFL Draft primer.

Bold Predictions

Vikings Trade Up For QB

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The Minnesota Vikings have been seen as a possible landing spot for a quarterback. Kirk Cousins only has one year left on his contract. Notably, Minnesota opted to not give him a new extension. The performance in last year’s Wild Card loss to the New York Giants appears to have left the Vikings at a major crossroads.

It may take a major trade up in the first round to get the guy that they want. Minnesota currently sits at 23 overall. The boldest part of this prediction may not be that they move up to get a quarterback. But instead, it is how far the Vikings may have to move up to get their new passer.

Could they go all the way up to two or three overall, jumping the Indianapolis Colts at four overall, while moving up around 20 spots?! Even if they do not move up that high, it is still plausible to envision a scenario where the Vikings trade up all the way to eight, nine or even ten overall. I think they are looking to get either Will Levis or Anthony Richardson.

Only One Tight End Goes In First Round, Despite Loaded Class

This could be the best tight end class in a long time. You have five guys that could all realistically go within the first 50 picks. Beyond that, there are even a handful of other developmental names that could turn out to be solid bargain picks in the middle rounds. Even with all of that excitement, I think teams will wait on taking a tight end. So much so, that I believe only one tight end will be selected on Thursday night.

Getting early return on investments from first-round tight end selections is incredibly difficult. Production is just so hard to come by for tight ends taken in the first round it seems. Because of that, and the depth of the class, only one tight end will go in round one. I believe that will be Utah’s Dalton Kincaid.

More Interior Offensive Linemen Go In First Round Than Offensive Tackles

In most years, we are used to seeing nearly a handful of solid options available at offensive tackle in the first round. The top of the offensive tackle class seems to be weaker than most years. And largely, the entire depth of the offensive tackle group does not appear to be brimming with hope, so to speak.

There may actually be more interior offensive linemen go in the first round than offensive tackles, believe it or not. There is a debate between some people on how Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski should be classified. But even if you project him as an offensive tackle rather than a guard, I still think interior offensive linemen outweigh offensive tackles taken on Thursday night. That would be rare, given the positional value of interior blockers. I could see anywhere from four to six interior offensive linemen names being in the mix for the first round. This could include O’Cyrus Torrence, John Michael Schmitz, Joe Tippmann, Steve Avila or Cody Mauch.

Things To Watch

Packers May Finally Get First-Round Pass Catcher… After Aaron Rodgers Leaves

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After weeks of stalling and waiting, the New York Jets finally agreed to a trade with the Green Bay Packers to acquire Aaron Rodgers yesterday. The four-time NFL MVP always had his favorite targets throughout his Green Bay tenure. At the same time, the Packers never opted to give him a new pass-catching weapon in the first round. Coincidence or not, Green Bay may finally select a pass catcher in the first round, right after Rodgers leaves out the door.

The Packers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2002, when they took Javon Walker out of Florida State. You have to go back to 2000 for the last time Green Bay took a tight end in the first round. In that draft, the Packers took Bubba Franks out of Miami (Florida). The aforementioned Kincaid could be a target at tight end. Perhaps, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the first wide receiver off the board to Green Bay at 13 overall as well.

One Of Top Four QBs Possibly Drops Out Of Top Ten

Since the end of the NFL postseason, it seems like most mock drafts have had all of the top four quarterbacks going in the top ten. While I would not agree with it, I could predictively see one dropping out of the top ten. It seems like most people expect quarterbacks to go off the board quickly. Certain teams have shown patience and allowed top passers to slide in the past, though. Bryce Young appears to be a lock at one overall to Carolina at this point. Afterwards, it is truly anyone’s guess as to where the other top quarterbacks land.

Levis or Richardson could go as early as two, three or four overall, whether a team trades up or sticks and picks. Even still, either of those two could still drop near ten overall or outside of it and would not be surprising. CJ Stroud is my personal QB1 in the class. Nonetheless, there appears to be some buzz of him sliding in the first round. I would not be surprised to see him drop out of the top ten at this point. If he does, I like the Tennessee Titans as a sneaky-good fit at 11 overall, assuming Tennessee stays in that spot.

Wide Receivers, Offensive Tackles May Slide

I mentioned that offensive tackles could slide earlier. It is a weird class, where there is no lock for the top ten. I would not be surprised if as little as three offensive tackles went in round one. There may be a surprise for some, if a name like Broderick Jones is still waiting around by the back half of round one.

At wide receiver, there is also not as many elite, bonafide options at the top like recent years. Smith-Njigba seems like he will probably be the first wide receiver off of the board. Do not be shocked if only one or two more wide receivers go in the first round, a contrast to recent drafts.

Players That Could Go Earlier Than Some Think As First Rounders

As the heading says above, these are a group of players that I could realistically see going in the first round. Some people may not expect that for these names. Yet, the film and plus-traits of these players are sometimes just too good to pass up, even if they have not always garnered the most headlines.

Kansas State CB Julius Brents

Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents had a pretty stellar pre-draft process. He showed out at the NFL Scouting Combine fairly adequately. The performance he had at the 2023 Senior Bowl instilled confidence in people that were already pounding the table for him. Beyond that, there were reportedly some teams that had Brents graded as a first-round pick after the Combine. His mix of tenacity, ball skills and man coverage skills could entice a cornerback-needy team to jump on him.

Iowa LB Jack Campbell

The linebacker position is always a tough one to gauge, as far as when the first one will be selected. Quietly, Iowa’s Jack Campbell could be a fit for some teams late in the first round. His ability to lead in the middle of the defense, diagnose plays and read and react quickly were all impressive to start with. But with his athletic testing results at the Scouting Combine, it could be hard for teams to pass up on Campbell. He provides very little concerns against either the run or the pass.

Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes

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A run on cornerbacks could result in the first round, even in a deep cornerback class. A name that some people may be surprised to see possibly go in the first round may be Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes. There is no doubt about it. His frame is super tiny, measuring in at just 166 pounds at the Scouting Combine. However, Forbes plays the ball like a receiver, providing soft hands, a quick trigger and swift adjustments at the catch point.

Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs

This player could easily be seen as a top 20 player in the class. Bijan Robinson is the running back garnering all of the attention, and rightfully so. Nevertheless, there appears to be some late buzz that Jahmyr Gibbs could also be a first round pick at running back. The Alabama product is a different style of player than Robinson. While I would not use these names as direct player comps, Gibbs runs with the smoothness similar to Jamaal Charles, while still being a consistent receiving threat like Christian McCaffrey. Some team in the first round may not want to pass up on his ability to be an all-around weapon in their offense.

Be on the lookout for more FPC 2023 NFL Draft articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.