Getty Image / Cooper Neill
In most years, football fans have some idea of what to expect during the NFL Draft by the time draft day rolls around.
This year is a bit different.
With around 7 hours until the draft begins, there is really only one thing we all know for sure. Bryce Young will be pick one.
Beyond that, there still seems to be plenty of room for speculation.
With that uncertainty about much of this year’s draft, one NFL GM told insider Ian Rapoport that this is the “most unpredictable draft in forever”.
In the words of one GM, "It's the most unpredictable draft in forever."
Welcome to Draft Day.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2023
Early on in the pre-draft process, it seemed like the early parts of this draft were going to be simple to figure out.
Once the Chicago Bears traded away pick 1, the top 2 picks would be Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. Anthony Richardson and Will Levis would follow close behind with plenty of QB-needy teams at the top of the draft.
Will Anderson would be the first non-QB off the board, likely to the Arizona Cardinals with pick 3 if they didn’t manage to trade the pick.
Things have changed quite a bit over the last couple of months. The Texans have seemingly decided not to take a quarterback with the 2nd pick. Yesterday CJ Stroud and Will Levis were a pick ’em to be the 2nd QB selected.
The confusion hasn’t been limited to just the quarterbacks either. The projected top tackle on draft boards has changed to Paris Johnson. The projected top tight end has switched back and forth between Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid with Mayer now becoming a pretty convincing favorite.
Even Bijan Robinson’s draft projections are a bit all over the place with one projection believing he could go to the Falcons in the top ten while there’s also the chance he falls into the 20s. Now Jahmyr Gibbs is even being discussed as a potential 2nd running back taken in the 1st round.
Things should get pretty crazy tonight as fans watch the NFL Draft unfold.