The NFL is a quarterback driven-league. Teams will do whatever it takes to try and identify their leading man. For the NFL Draft 2023, general managers and other front-office personnel will have a deep quarterback class to parse through this spring.
As any NFL fan will tell you, that isn’t an easy task to handle. But that encapsulates the draft in a nutshell. A lot of time and money will be sunk into the draft, which is an inexact science at best.
Plenty of teams feel they are on the cusp of Super Bowl contention. They will need to use this year’s draft to find the final pieces of their rosters.
Here’s a look at some NFL draft odds and some things to keep an eye out for.
Who’s No. 1?
The availability of so many top quarterbacks in the first round will have many who enjoy looking at NFL player stats, wondering who teams few as the top choice.
C.J. Stroud & Bryce Young
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who is -110 to be selected first, is viewed as a virtual coin toss with Alabama product Bryce Young, who is -110.
Stroud finished third in Heisman Trophy voting last season. He led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff semifinals, where the Buckeyes nearly upset eventual champion Georgia.
Young, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, had injury issues last season but was still able to finish with 3,328 yards and 32 touchdowns. During the 2021 season, Young led Alabama to an appearance in the national title game. Teams may be concerned due to Young’s 5-foot-10 frame that he can’t stay off the NFL injury report.
Anthony Richardson & Will Levis
Florida’s Anthony Richardson (+2000) and Kentucky’s Will Levis (+5000) are also highly-regarded quarterbacks but longshots to be chosen first. The Carolina Panthers, who traded up with Chicago for the top pick, will need to make the right decision if they hope to climb the NFL standings.
The Panthers are hoping to find a quarterback that can be mentioned in NFL MVP odds like former star quarterback Cam Newton was.
Conference rivalries will play out in first round
People watching most NFL matchups will be able to pick out many former SEC players on the field. That is because the league has long dominated the college football landscape. Twelve players with SEC ties were selected in the first round of last year’s draft.
Since 2017, the SEC has had 12 or more players selected in the first round four times. The lowest time during that time span was in 2019, when nine players were chosen.
When it comes to the NFL Draft 2023, the over/under for SEC players in the first round has been selected at 11.5. With Georgia once again the defending national champions, this number has a good chance of going over again. The over/under for the Big Ten has been set at 8.5 players, while the ACC’s number is at 3.5.
Where will Jalen Carter go?
The NFL Draft 2023 standings will show that things have been tough in the draft process for Jalen Carter. Carter impressed scout with his play on the defensive line for Georgia and had strong workouts that had him headed toward the top 10. However, an incident in the offseason has his future up in the air.
People will see no player has seen his NFL Draft 2023 stock fall following an off-season car accident. Car was allegedly involved in a street result that resulted in the death of a Georgia recruiting staff member and a member of the football team.
Carter’s over/under on what spot he’ll be taken in the first round is 7.5. With it being +150 on the over, it may be worth keeping an eye on the over as more information comes out on if teams are willing to take a chance on him. There is no denying that Carter has the chance to help improve a NFL team stats in the right situation.
First offensive lineman to be chosen is also up in the air
Looking at the NFL schedule will show that most teams will aggressively search for an offensive lineman in the same way people look for quarterbacks.
Landing a top lineman can step up a team with a key piece for a sizeable amount of time. With the NFL Draft 2023, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. (-125) and Iowa’s Peter Skoronski (-105) are the two players people expect to go off the board first.
Georgia product Broderick Jones (+800) and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright (+1600) are both long shots to steal the top spot.
Teams with strong offensive lines typically go far in the NFL playoff bracket.
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