It’s official: The 2022 NFL season is over, and the offseason is here. And that means we’re getting closer and closer to the 2023 NFL draft. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night in Super Bowl LVII to clinch their second championship in four years. Will another team find its Patrick Mahomes in this year’s draft class and soon hoist the Lombardi Trophy? Which franchises will take the next step with savvy moves and smart draft picks to compete with the Chiefs next season? This year’s draft class features plenty of future NFL stars who could make an immediate impact.
With the combine two weeks away and free agency set to open in a month’s time, I’m taking another spin through Round 1 of the draft with predictions for each pick. I have four quarterbacks coming off the board on Day 1, and I even projected a team to trade up to take one at No. 1 overall. Things will certainly change a lot over the next two-plus months, but we are starting to get a better idea of what this class looks like and who could be a first-rounder. Five teams do not have a pick in the first round, including the Miami Dolphins, who were stripped of their selection for tampering violations. That leaves just 31 selections.
Here is my current prediction of how the first round will play out, including a move up the board for a QB-needy franchise. (And be sure to check out our “SportsCenter” mock draft special on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.)
