NFL Draft Cheat Sheet 2023: Prospect Picks, Rankings, Stats
The Carolina Pantherwith the No. 1 overall pick, are hours away from being on the clock – which means that 2023 NFL draft has come. There will be a total of 259 selections over a three day period Thursday to Saturday.
The big pre-draft questions: Where are the top quarterbacks going in this class and how many will make the top five selections? But there are also numerous talented playmakers on both sides of the ball who could be high picks.
To prepare you for all the action, here’s everything you need to know about the draft in one place – including times, location, draft order, best prospects, rankings, mock drafts, stats to know and more. Read about the best draft prospects, your team’s pressing needs, and why there are only 31 first-round picks this year. Let’s start with some basics:
ESPN draftcast | best possible
Where, when and how to view 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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Rounds 2-3: Friday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
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Rounds 4-7: Saturday at 12 p.m. ET (ESPN with ABC Simulcast, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network)
The Draft 2023 takes place in Kansas City, Missouri – home of the Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City bosses. Among the at least 17 players who will be there is USC WR Jordan Addison; Alabama OLB Will Anderson Jr. and QB Bryce Young; Georgia DT Jalen Carter; State of Ohio OT Paris Johnson Jr. and QB CJ Stroud; Kentucky’s QB Will Levis; Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.; Florida QB Anthony Richardson; and Texas RB Bijan Robinson.
What is the draft order?
There will be 259 picks in this year’s draft and those Carolina Panther the first overall selection after a blockbuster trading with the Chicago Bears. The Houston Texans And Las Vegas robbers have the most picks in the entire draft with 12 each while the Miami Dolphins have the least with only four after being stripped of their first round selection for manipulation violations.
Top 10:
1. Carolina Panther (via CHI)
2. Houston Texans
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Seattle Seahawks (on the)
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR)
7. Las Vegas robbers
8th. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR)
10 Philly Eagles (via NO)
How do prospects rank in this class?
Boy Scouts Inc. Top 10 prospects:
1. Bryce YoungQB, Alabama (highlights)
2. Bijan RobinsonRB, Texas (highlights)
3. Will Anderson Jr.OLB, Alabama (highlights)
4. Tyree WilsonDE, Texas Tech (highlights)
5. CJ StroudQB, Ohio State (highlights)
6. Jalen CarterDT, Georgia (highlights)
7. Devon WitherspoonCB, Illinois (highlights)
8th. Christian GonzalesCB, Oregon (highlights)
9. Peter SkoronskyOT, Northwest (highlights)
10 Anthony RichardsonQB, Florida (highlights)
Boy Scouts Inc. Top 6 quarterbacks:
1. Bryce YoungAlabama
2. CJ StroudState of Ohio
3. Anthony RichardsonFlorida
4. Will LevisKentucky
5. Hendon hookerTennessee
6. Jake HaenerState of Fresno
Best overall prospects and best prospects by position:
More about the outstanding players:
How good is the draft class 2023?
The 2023 draft class isn’t an overly strong group save for a few core positions: quarterback, offensive tackle, and cornerback. These three positions are very good in terms of talent in turn 1, but lack firepower in subsequent turns. In conversations with NFL scouts during this process, most have forecast around 15 true first-round grades, which is in line with previous years. A lack of star power in wide receiver and defensive tackle affects the overall perception of this draft, as does the fact that the deepest positions in this draft — running back and tight end — were largely demoted in the early rounds of the previous draft.
In the time I’ve spent covering the draft professionally (since 2011) this isn’t the worst draft – that honor belongs to 2013. But it’s in the bottom half of the courses I’ve studied, in terms of first-round talent, entry-level grades, and talent levels in the middle rounds of the draft. — Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst
Latest mock designs
Looking for the latest sample designs from all of our design analysts? Well you found her. See who each analyst sends to each team in the first round.
You can find any mock draft Here.
Buzz before the draft
What are our pundits on the rumor mill hearing ahead of Thursday’s draft? Does anyone know what Houston will do at #2? Here’s the latest from ESPN+.
10 Things to Know From ESPN Stats & Information
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The #1 overall pick was handed out to the Panthers by the Bears. The trade marked only the 12th time in NFL history that the No. 1 overall pick changed hands before the draft. The final instance was the Rams’ trade in 2016 to select quarterback Jared Goff.
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Bryce Young could become the first Alabama player to be picked #1 overall in the joint draft era (since 1967).
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The last five No. 1 picks in the NFL draft have made the playoffs within their first three seasons.
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In the joint draft era, there were three instances where QBs were selected with each of the top three picks in a draft. It happened in 2021, 1999 and 1971.
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Since Peyton Manning in 1998, 18 of the 25 No. 1 picks have been quarterbacks. Only eight QBs took the first overall win in the first 31 years of the joint draft era.
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The Seahawks, Lions and Eagles finished last season with a winning record and top 10 picks. If they make that selection, it will be the first year since 1969 that three teams are in the top 10 with a winning record.
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In the last four drafts, the earliest draft for a running back was the 24th pick.
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Among active players in the 2022 season, 64% were drafted after the third round or went undrafted.
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Players selected on Day 3 of the 2022 draft had the most snaps (39,367), games (1,445), and starts (356) on Day 3 of any rookie class since 2010.
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The 2022 draft included 37 draft day trades. There were nine draft day trades in the first round, the most in a first round since 2004 (10).
Projecting the best players of the draft
outsiders in football uses metrics to predict how well players will do in their first five years in the NFL. Will the 2023 Quarterback Class Have Multiple Elite QBs in the Mix? How do the running backs stack up behind Bijan Robinson? Which wide receivers will make the biggest impact? And what pass rushers should teams not want to face? All of these questions are answered below via ESPN+.
quarterbacks | run back | wide receiver | Edge rusher
Betting on the draft
Planning on placing draft day bets? Our sports betting team is here to help you place the best bets possible.
Read about the prospects
Who are some of the top prospects in this week’s draft? From a second-generation NFL player to a college walk-on, here are some of our favorite stories from the Class of 2023.
NFL Draft Day Predictor
Our Draft Day Predictor is a publicly available tool that uses simulated expert drafts, grades from Scouts Inc., and team requirements to predict prospect selection probabilities in the upcoming draft. This means we can predict when the best players will be selected and how likely they are to be available on specific slots. — Seth Walder, Analytics Author
What to expect from the design
The 2023 draft is filled with quarterback, tight end, and offensive tackle talent. Many teams are particularly excited about this class of offensive tackle, and rightly so. Up to six could be selected in the first round, which would be in line with what we’ve seen in 2020. The quarterback is a bit top heavy and as many as five could be picked in the first round. There is a bit of a drop after this point, but value is to be had in the mid to late rounds. With the recent success of Brock Purdyteams are more likely to call a signal caller late.
The great thing about this defensive endclass is that there are many different types of players that fit different schemes. Ditto for the cornerback – the depth in this class is remarkable. While up to five players could be selected in the first round, there are also many players in the position that could come off the board fairly quickly in Day 2. — Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst
