NFL

2023 NFL Draft: 10 Things Every Fan Needs to Know Before April

Kansas City is the host location for this year's draft

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2023 NFL Draft guide for fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

We are less than a month away from one of the biggest events on the NFL calendar.

The 2023 NFL Draft is set for late April, as the league will get an infusion of young talent.

After making its first ever stop in Las Vegas in 2022, this year’s draft will once again be in a city it’s never been before

Unlike last year, however, there are a few high-profile quarterbacks in the 2023 draft, which will surely add to the overall intrigue of the event.

Here’s what to know about the 2023 NFL Draft:

When is the 2023 NFL Draft?

The 2023 NFL Draft runs from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29. The first round will take place on April 27, Rounds 2 and 3 are on April 28, and Rounds 4-7 are on April 29.

Who is hosting the NFL draft in 2023?

The NFL draft is heading to Kansas City for the first time ever this year. The event will be held at and around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The location is roughly 10 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs.

How much are NFL Draft tickets?

Fans can attend the 2023 NFL Draft for free all three days. For entry, fans have to download the NFL’s OnePass app for more information as the draft approaches.

What is the 2023 NFL Draft order?

  1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago)
  2. Houston Texans
  3. Arizona Cardinals
  4. Indianapolis Colts
  5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)
  6. Detroit Lions (from L.A. Rams)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders
  8. Atlanta Falcons
  9. Chicago Bears (from Carolina)
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)
  11. Tennessee Titans
  12. Houston Texans (from Cleveland)
  13. New York Jets
  14. New England Patriots
  15. Green Bay Packers
  16. Washington Commanders
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers
  18. Detroit Lions
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  20. Seattle Seahawks
  21. Los Angeles Chargers
  22. Baltimore Ravens
  23. Minnesota Vikings
  24. Jacksonville Jaguars
  25. New York Giants
  26. Dallas Cowboys
  27. Buffalo Bills
  28. Cincinnati Bengals
  29. New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles
  31. Kansas City Chiefs

Note: The Miami Dolphins were slated to have the No. 21 overall pick in the first round but had to forfeit it, cutting the total to 31 first-round selections.

Who will be the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?

With the Bears already having Justin Fields at QB, they traded down to No. 9 as Carolina moved to the top overall spot. The Panthers signed Andy Dalton in free agency as a veteran option, but they will be looking for a franchise signal caller to build around. Players like C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and others will be mentioned here, so let’s delve into them further.

Who is the best QB in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis are the top three contenders in the running for the “best quarterback in the 2023 draft class” title. All three players are widely projected to go inside the top 10.

Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 7,849 yards, 74 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa. In 2022, the 6-foot signal caller rushed 46 times for 195 yards and four scores.

Stroud was a two-time Heisman finalist and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year winner over his last two seasons at Ohio State. The 6-foot-3 signal caller completed 69.3% of his passes for 7,775 yards, 81 touchdowns and 12 picks.

Levis, meanwhile, starred for Kentucky after transferring from Penn State as a junior. Over two seasons with the Wildcats, the 6-foot-3 Levis completed 65.7% of his passes for 5,232 yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. 

Florida QB Anthony Richardson is also widely viewed as a first-round pick behind Young, Stroud and Levis thanks to an impressive showing at the combine. 

Which teams don’t have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Five teams are without a first-round pick in the 2023 draft: Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.

Denver traded its first-round pick as part of the deal to land head coach Sean Payton from the Saints.

The Rams are without a first-round pick for a second straight draft as a result of the Matthew Stafford trade. After sending Detroit the No. 32 overall pick last season, the Lions are getting a much higher pick this time around at No. 6.

The Texans own the Browns’ first-round pick in three of the next four drafts via the DeShaun Watson trade, with the first one coming in at No. 12.

Like the Rams, the 49ers are also without a first-rounder for the second consecutive draft. San Francisco sent out its 2022 and 2023 first-rounders to the Dolphins to move up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft and select Trey Lance. The Dolphins would reroute both of those 49ers first-rounders, though, moving the 2022 pick (No. 29) to land Tyreek and the 2023 pick (No. 29) to land Bradley Chubb.

Speaking of the Dolphins, Miami simply lost its pick. The NFL took away the Dolphins’ 2023 first-rounder and 2024 third-rounder after an investigation found the team tampered with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

Who has the most 2023 NFL Draft picks?

With 37 compensatory picks being awarded, the Texans and Raiders will have the most selections of any teams with 12, according to Tankathon.com’s projections. After the Watson trade, the Texans have two picks in the top 12 and five in the top 74 with new head coach DeMeco Ryans now at the helm.

Here’s a look at the six teams projected to have at least 10 selections:

  • Texans: 12 (includes one comp pick)
  • Raiders: 12 (includes two comp picks)
  • Patriots: 11 (includes two comp picks)
  • Rams: 11 (includes four comp picks)
  • Chiefs: 10 (includes two comp picks)
  • Giants: 10 (includes two comp picks)

Who has the fewest 2023 NFL Draft picks?

The Miami Dolphins have the fewest picks going into the 2023 draft with just four: 

  • Round 2, Pick 51
  • Round 3, Pick 84
  • Round 6, Pick 197
  • Round 7, Pick 238

The Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos are projected to have the second-fewest picks at five.

Bonus: Who is hosting the 2024 NFL Draft?

The draft will remain in the midwest next year, going from Kansas City to another first-time location in the Motor City. Campus Martius in downtown Detroit is where the 2024 NFL Draft will be held.

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