With the NFL draft quickly approaching, lots of questions are being raised as to what teams are planning to do. This draft class features many outstanding players but the question on everyone’s mind is, where will they end up?

At the end of the NFL season, the teams with the top 5 picks were the Bears, Texans, Cardinals, Colts, and Seahawks (via Denver). Before any trades happened it was not hard to predict what was going to happen thus far. The Bears already drafted their franchise quarterback Justin Fields a few years prior, and he has been shaping up to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league with a great season last year— with over 2200 yards and 17 touchdowns on 11 interceptions. These numbers are, objectively, not very good, but the Bears had very little weaponry for Fields to use. What was truly exemplary was his dynamic rushing attack. This season, Fields had 1100 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. Being a huge dual-threat quarterback and a lack of wide receiver or tight end depth in this draft class, it made a lot of sense for the Bears to trade their pick away. They ended up trading their 1st overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the Panthers’ 9th overall pick, a second-round pick, another set of 1st-round and 2nd-round picks, and star wide receiver DJ Moore. This huge trade gives the Bears a massive overhaul and completely changes how the draft is going to go. As of right now, no other teams have traded up, but as the free agents pick their teams, a lot of franchises are going to be desperate to get a new franchise Quarterback.

There are three superstar quarterback prospects in this year’s draft: Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson. They were all given the opportunity to show why they deserve to be drafted before each other at the 2023 NFL Combine (the combine is a yearly tradition that gives each player an opportunity to shine in different physical categories, and it gives teams an opportunity to scout and talk to each prospect). CJ Stroud was a big winner at this year’s combine, putting on an impressive throwing display. Every throw seemed effortless and in control. In the long pass portion of the combine, Stroud threw downfield over 60 yards with ease. Stroud opted out of the athletic testing of the combine but still impressed scouts. Bryce Young was originally the first overall pick that was to be taken off the board. Young was in attendance for the combine but did not participate in the athletic testing or the throwing drills. Instead, Young only met teams and had interviews. Anthony Richardson saw his opportunity and struck as one of the biggest winners in the combine. He was ranked as the number 1 quarterback in height (6 ‘4 ¼), weight (244 pounds), 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds), vertical (40.5 inches), and broad jump (10 feet 9 inches). Being the top-rated quarterback in all of these categories is very impressive, and his draft stock rose dramatically, especially because of his 40-yard dash. His time is ranked as the third-best of any quarterback in NFL history. With all these stats, it is almost time for teams to choose which quarterback they are going to select to represent their team next year.

I think the first overall pick in this draft will be CJ Stroud to the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers added Adam Thielen to their roster in the offseason along with Miles Sanders. Stroud would be the perfect fit in this offense because of his ability to remain cool in the pocket and quick release. The Panthers’ offensive line received various PFF grades between 60 and 70, which is very low. Stroud will have to make quick decisions in the pocket and get the ball to his targets. I think the Texans elect to keep their second overall pick and draft, Bryce Young. Although not having participated in the athletic portion of the combine, the film of Bryce Young at Alabama speaks for itself. He finished with 3300 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. The Texans need a quarterback who can take care of the football and score points. Anthony Richardson is a dynamic quarterback who will create a lot of big plays but his touchdown to interception ratio last year was 17:9. Another reason why Bryce Young seems like the obvious number 2 overall pick is because he seems more NFL-ready. Richardson may have the best physical combine stats of any quarterback, but his senior year stats tell a different story. Young is the safer pick because he will be a day 1 starter that is sure to put up numbers and lead the Texans for years to come. While Kyler Murray was battling injuries and only played 10 games last season, I think the Cardinals will stick with him. This means Anthony Richardson is not an option for them. I think the Cardinals will trade down to another team.

The two teams that I think are most likely to offer the Cardinals a trade are the Raiders and Colts. Despite having the number 4 overall pick, the Colts may try to trade for the third pick to prevent another team from sniping Anthony Richardson by trading with the Cardinals. Another possibility is the Raiders, who lost Derek Carr and have the 7th overall pick, trading with the Cardinals to procure a new franchise quarterback. The Colts have an earlier pick to offer, so I think the Cardinals will trade down one pick and let the Colts take Anthony Richardson at 3 and take the best available defense linebacker, Will Anderson Jr., at 4. With JJ Watt retiring from the NFL last season, the Cardinals will need somebody else to create pressure and rush the quarterback. I think the most obvious choice is to trade down one pick and draft Will Anderson and try to get some additional draft picks or players from the Colts.

My final prediction will be for my favorite team: the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks had one of the worst defenses last season and could not manage to generate any pressure on the quarterback. The return of Jamal Adams (Quadriceps Tendon injury week 1) would hope to fix that problem. They also had lots of trouble stopping the run. With the 49ers recently acquiring Christian McCaffrey, it is going to be extremely important that the Seahawks can contain the run next year. That is why at number 5 I think the Seahawks will select defensive tackle, Jalen Carter. Carter’s draft stock plummeted after he faced charges of reckless driving and racing in an accident that killed 2 people. He reached a plea deal and will continue his promising career in the NFL, but it wasn’t certain if this accident would push teams away from drafting him. Pete Carroll on the Seahawks has taken players with huge attitudes before such as Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman, and he handled them very well. I don’t think he will be scared to draft Jalen Carter who will prove to be a monster on the Seahawks’ defensive line.

Credit: Sidharth Nayar