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espn staff
The Carolina Panthers, with the No. 1 overall pick, are hours away from being on the clock — which means the 2023 NFL Draft has arrived. A total of 259 selections will take place over the three-day period from Thursday to Saturday.
The big questions coming into the draft: Where are the top quarterbacks in this class going and how many will be picked in the top five picks? But there are also a number of talented playmakers on both sides of the ball who could make high selections.
To get you ready for all the action, here’s your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the draft – including times, locations, draft order, best prospects, rankings, mock drafts , statistics to know and much more. Read about the draft’s best prospects, your team’s immediate needs and why there are only 31 selections in the first round this year. Let’s start with some basics:
ESPN Draftcast | best available
Where, when and how to watch the draft
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round 1: Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
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Round 2-3: Friday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
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Round 4-7: Saturday at noon ET (ESPN with ABC simulcast, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
The 2023 draft is being held in Kansas City, Missouri – home of the Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs. USC WR Jordan Addison among at least 17 players to be onsite; Alabama OLB Will Anderson Jr. and QB Bryce Young; Georgia DT Jalen Carter; Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. and QB CJ Stroud; Kentucky QB Will Lewis; Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.; Florida QB Anthony Richardson; and Texas RB Bijon Robinson.
What is draft order?
This year’s draft will have 259 picks and the Carolina Panthers will have the first overall pick after a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears. The Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders have the most picks in the entire draft, 12 each, while the Miami Dolphins have the fewest four after being stripped of their first-round selection for an offseason violation.
top 10:
1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI)
2. Houston Texans
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Seattle Seahawks (via Dane)
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR)
7. Las Vegas Raiders
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR)
10. Philadelphia Eagles (No via)
How do the prospects rank in this category?
Scouts Inc. Top 10 Prospects,
1. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (Highlights)
2. Bijon Robinson, RB, Texas (Highlights)
3. Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama (Highlights)
4. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech (Highlights)
5. CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State (Highlights)
6. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia (Highlights)
7. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois (Highlights)
8. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon (Highlights)
9. Peter Skoronsky, OT, Northwestern (Highlights)
10. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida (Highlights)
Scouts Inc. top six quarterbacks,
1. Bryce Young, Alabama
2. CJ Stroud, Ohio State
3. Anthony Richardson, Florida
4. Will Lewis, Kentucky
5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
6. Jake Hainer, Fresno State
Best overall odds and best odds by position,
More about standout players,
How good is the 2023 draft class?
The 2023 draft class is not an overly strong group outside of a few core positions: quarterback, offensive tackle and cornerback. These three positions are very good in terms of talent in the first round, but they lack firepower in the later rounds. In speaking with NFL scouts during this process, most have estimated about 15 true first-round grades, which is about the same as in years past. The lack of star power at wide receiver and defensive tackle affected the overall perception of this draft, as did the fact that the deepest positions in this draft – running back and tight end – were massively devalued in the early rounds of the previous draft. Is.
In my time spent covering the draft professionally (2011-present), this isn’t the worst draft — that honor belongs to 2013. The grade of the early draft and the level of talent seen in the middle rounds of the draft. , Matt Miller, NFL Draft Analyst
latest mock draft
Are you looking for the most up-to-date mock drafts from all of our draft analysts? Well you found them. See who each analyst is going with for each team in the first round.
You can find every mock draft here.
pre-draft buzz
What are our experts hearing in the rumor mill ahead of Thursday’s draft? Does anyone know what Houston would do at No. 2? Here’s the latest news from ESPN+.
10 things to know from ESPN stats and info
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The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers. This is only the 12th time in NFL history that the No. 1 overall pick has changed hands prior to the draft. The last example was the 2016 trade to the Rams to select quarterback Jared Goff.
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Bryce Young could become the first player from Alabama to be selected No. 1 overall in the Common Draft Era (since 1967).
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The last five No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft have made the playoffs in each of their first three seasons.
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In the normal draft era, three instances of QBs have been selected with each of the first three picks of the draft. This happened in 2021, 1999 and 1971.
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Since Peyton Manning in 1998, 18 of the 25 No. 1 picks overall have been quarterbacks. Only eight QBs went first overall in the first 31 years of the Common Draft era.
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The Seahawks, Lions and Eagles finished with winning records last season and ranked in the top 10.
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In the last four drafts, the earliest a running back was drafted was the 24th selection.
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64% of active players were drafted in the 2022 season Afterwards The third round or became unpublished.
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Players selected during Day 3 of the 2022 Draft had the most Snaps (39,367), Games (1,445) and Starts (356) of any Day 3 rookie class since 2010.
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There are 37 draft-day trades included in the 2022 draft. There were nine draft-day trades during the first round, the most during the first round since 2004 (10).
Projecting the Top Players of the Draft
Football Outsiders uses metrics to predict how well players will be in their first five years in the NFL. Are there too many elite QBs in the mix for the 2023 class of quarterbacks? How do running backs stack up behind Bijon Robinson? Which wide receiver will make the biggest impact? And which pass-rushers should teams not be facing? Below are all those questions answered via ESPN+.
quarterback | running back wide receivers | edge rushers
draft betting
Planning to bet on draft day? Our sports betting team is here to help you make the most informed bets possible.
read about the possibilities
Who are some of the top prospects in this week’s draft? From second-generation NFL players to college walk-ons, here are some of our favorite stories about the Class of 2023.
nfl draft day predictor
Our Draft Day Predictor is a publicly available tool that uses expert mock drafts, scout inc grades and team needs to select prospects for prospects in the upcoming draft. This means we can predict when the best players will be selected and available on certain slots. , Seth Walder, Analytics Writer
what to expect from the draft
The 2023 draft is loaded with talent at quarterback, tight end and offensive tackle. A lot of teams are particularly excited about this offensive tackle class, and rightfully so. There could be six picks in the first round, which is what we saw in 2020. The quarterback is a bit heavy and five can be selected in the first round. There is a slight decline after that point, but there is value in being in the mid to late stages. With the recent success of Brock Purdy, teams will be more likely to draft a late signal-caller.
The great thing about this defensive end class is that there are many different types of players that fit into different schemes. The same can be said for cornerbacks — the depth in this class deserves attention. Although there are five picks in the first round, there are many players in this position who can come off the board early on the second day. , Jordan Reed, NFL Draft Analyst