Getty Image / David Eulitt
After months of prognostication, debate, and hot takes, the 2023 NFL Draft has finally ended. The futures of all 32 NFL teams were significantly impacted over the three-day event in Kansas City.
There were some huge storylines out of the draft. The biggest one is probably at quarterback, where a record number of quarterbacks were taken in the top five rounds (11) and overall (12). A lot of guys who were on the borderline of being drafted or not, like Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, went in the top five rounds, as he went in the fifth round to Green Bay.
Sean Clifford couldn't hold the tears back after being drafted by the @packers đź’š
(via @PennStateFball) @seancliff14 pic.twitter.com/AGJrgLIlTq
— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2023
But, one story of the 2023 NFL Draft that is going under the radar is the number of trades. It seemed like every ten minutes we were getting news of another trade during the draft. It started early when the Houston Texans traded up with the Arizona Cardinals to get Will Anderson at the third pick after drafting CJ Stroud at number two. And it just continued the entire draft, setting a new record of 43 trades in a single draft. Here is ESPN with more details.
“When the Houston Texans made the first trade of the NFL’s draft weekend, it was the start of a record number of swaps of players and picks that took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
At the conclusion of draft business Saturday night, teams had completed 43 trades over the three days. It broke the record of 40 trades set during the 2019 draft.
While the Carolina Panthers had made the biggest trade splash in March when they sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears to move up to the No. 1 spot, it was the Texans who opened the weekend’s flurry of trades.
The draft was not even 30 minutes old when the Texans, who had already selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick, moved back into the No. 3 spot to select Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr . The Texans sent their other first-round pick (No. 12) as well as the No. 33 pick in this year’s draft to go with a first- and third-rounder in the 2024 draft to the Arizona Cardinals to make the move.
It was the first of six trades made on the clock in Thursday’s first round alone.
The Cardinals were also part of the first trade of Day 2 of the draft. The Tennessee Titans sent them two picks in this year’s draft — Nos. 41 and 72 — as well as a third-round pick in the 2024 draft to move up to No. 33 (the second pick of the second round). The Titans then selected Kentucky quarterback Will Levis .
The Cardinals were one of the most active teams and exited the weekend with the potential for at least 11 picks in the 2024 draft.”
Wow, that’s a ton of trades. you’ll see a lot of teams with more or less than the standard seven draft picks next year as a result of these trades. The 2024 NFL Draft is in Detroit.