Is Bryce Young set to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? With the NFL Draft Combine flying past us, a few players are starting to stand out at each of the major positions. Now is a more important time than ever to dig deeper into the players that could be hearing their names get called very early in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at a few of the best players and the odds at the best sportsbooks for who'll go first at each position.
Odds To Be First Quarterback Drafted:
Bryce Young -250
C.J. Stroud +375
Anthony Richardson +400
Will Levis +675
There are a few quarterbacks that are expected to go very early on in this draft class. The first and most obvious has been Alabama signal caller Bryce Young. He’s been expected to go number one overall for a while now after totaling 8,356 passing yards and 32 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions during his time with the school. His height is a minor concern though, but he wasn’t competing in much of the combine drills due to it potentially lowering his stock more than helping it.
Another quarterback that did compete in the combine was Anthony Richardson. The six-foot, four-inch quarterback has displayed a rocket for an arm and all of the physical tools necessary to become one of the best dual threat players at his position. There’s no doubt that Richardson flew up draft boards following the combine, but Young remains at the top of the list regardless. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud also stayed inside the top three with an excellent showing in the passing drills. Stroud certainly hasn’t done anything to drop his draft stock in recent memory.
Odds To Be First Wide Receiver Drafted:
Quentin Johnston +140
Jordan Addison +255
Jaxon Smith-Njigba +340
Zay Flowers +500
Jalin Hyatt +500
Wide receiver is a harder position to figure out at this stage in the draft process. One player that has seemingly stood out among the rest of the competition is Quentin Johnston, the wideout from TCU. Johnston posted 1,069 yards and six touchdowns on 60 receptions throughout his junior year at the school. He is a big-bodied physical wideout that looks to be one of the most complete options in the draft. Another wideout that’s been consistently at the top of the list has been Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba had 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in his sophomore campaign, which was above both first-round selection wide receivers from this past season. Injury concerns are the only thing holding him back in the eyes of scouts. He injured his hamstring a season ago and only appeared in three games last season, hauling in just five receptions during that span.
Odds To Be First Lineman Drafted:
Paris Johnson -105
Peter Skoronski +125
Broderick Jones +550
Dawand Jones +1,800
When it comes to offensive lineman, Paris Johnson looks like the runaway favorite to be the first one selected. He’s played left and right tackle while also having experience at the guard position. What makes it even more impressive is that last season was the first time that he had been a starter each game. Scouts have been that impressed with what he’s done lately that he’s a ridiculous favorite.
At the other side of the line, it’s Will Anderson. Anderson was projected to be the best defensive player overall before this past year started, and he’s only cemented himself at that throne. He had 51 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. His 2021 campaign saw him rack up 101 tackles, 31 for a loss, and 17.5 sacks. This guy is a physical specimen that has wowed teams in the past few years.
Odds To Be First Cornerback Drafted:
Christian Gonzalez -140
Devon Witherspoon +160
Joey Porter Jr. +450
Cameron Smith +1,500
Cornerback has been a difficult position to analyze, though the combine has certainly split the competition up a little bit. Christian Gonzalez had an excellent showing at the event, running a 4.38 40-yard dash while being an above-average size for his position. He had four interceptions last year at Oregon as well just to show that he can get it done on the field as well. Devon Witherspoon could be another pick to go first at cornerback. After all, he racked up three interceptions during his senior campaign at Illinois and had himself a solid pre-draft process up to this point.
