One round of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books and we had plenty of trades, surprises, risers, and fallers. There was plenty of intrigue and the draft was unpredictable from the beginning.
No one expected three quarterbacks to go in the first four, no one expected two running backs to go in the top 12, and no one expected the first receiver to drop to No. 20 overall.
Who were the biggest winners from the NFL draft’s first round?
3. Seattle Seahawks
Not many were sure what direction the Seattle Seahawks would go with the No. 5 pick, but they were able to secure the top defensive back in the draft in Devon Witherspoon. While this may have been a slight reach, getting the top defensive back to help out a defense that was a liability last year was a big win.
I think Witherspoon will end up having the best career of any defensive back in this draft and though I’m usually against taking a defensive back in the top five, he’s that good.
With their second pick in the first round, the Seahawks got one of my favorite players and a guy that was unbelievably overlooked because he didn’t play in 2022. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the best receiver in the draft class and Seattle was able to get him at No. 20.
How do you show Geno Smith that you’re riding with him as your quarterback? You give him yet another weapon and the best receiver in the draft.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
There were major concerns regarding Jalen Carter ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Some called him the most complete defensive lineman and the most talented player in the class, but some off-field concerns had scared some previously-interested teams away.
Because of that, Carter dropped to No. 10 overall and the Eagles were able to trade up from No. 11 to make sure they got him. He was probably the best value pick in the entire first round. He was originally projected as a top-five pick and the fact that he fell to No. 10 just goes to show that teams were legitimately concerned.
But when he was picked, he admitted that he told the Eagles when they called him that they were getting the best player in the draft. He vowed to prove it.
Philadelphia also landed Nolan Smith at No. 30 overall and many believed he was good enough to go in the top 20. He’s one of the best linebackers in the class and he could be a dominant pass rusher as well for the Eagles. That defense will be scary.
So, to recap, Philadelphia landed a guy at 10 that could have gone top five and another at 30 that could have been a top-20 pick. Not too bad.
1. Houston Texans
After the Texans won in their season finale to miss out on the No. 1 overall pick, fans were doubting the entire organization: they couldn’t even lose correctly.
But all they did was go on to have the best first round of any team.
The Texans got CJ Stroud at No. 2 overall and he could very well end up being the best quarterback in the draft class. They’re hopeful that he’s the franchise quarterback that they’ve been looking for and he has all the tools to be. He has good size, he’s accurate, and he makes good decisions; oh, and he’s a great leader.
After they drafted Stroud, they traded up from No. 12 where they were slotted next to get the No. 3 overall pick from the Cardinals. They then picked up the best defensive player in the draft class in Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama.
Back-to-back great picks in the top five? It just feels like the Texans are a completely different franchise with DeMeco Ryans at head coach.
Next year will be fun thanks to these two picks.