With the 2023 NFL Draft now veering ever closer following a dramatic Superbowl LVII encounter between the Eagles and Chiefs, newcomer NFL fans may be questioning as to the true purpose and process surrounding the Draft and how picks can impact a team’s outlasting future.
The annual NFL Draft is the perfect opportunity for some of the NFL’s worst ranked teams to elevate their roster with a top collegiate recruit that can help turn their fortunes around after a challenging spell in the prior year.
A number of the NCAA’s top talents from various schools and of different positions are drafted into the NFL with considerable amounts of hype following on from their dominating stints at the college level, which has many of the NFL’s most woeful teams hoping that their college success can translate over to the professional level with greater development.
Fans will often showcase their hype and adrenaline surrounding the arrival of one of college sports’ most successful names as this is often considered to be a major moment for the franchise they support as they look to mount a future challenge for a spot in the postseason or even the Superbowl for most teams that are already competing at a high level.
- How the order of the Draft works:
The team that picks first in the Draft for this year will be the Chicago Bears after finishing the regular season with an abysmal 3-14 record, which of course was the worst in the NFL this season.
The overall order of the draft operates with the teams going in order based off how bad their record was the previous year, meaning that the Bears will select first given that they had the NFL’s worst record followed by the Houston Texans (3-13-1), Arizona Cardinals (4-13) and the Indianapolis Colts (4-13-1).
These are the four teams that will occupy the top four selections given their poor record the prior year, however the fifth pick will belong to the Seattle Seahawks despite finishing with a 9-8 record and making the postseason.
The reason for this is due to the Denver Broncos trading away their first round selection in this draft class following a monumental trade for former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, meaning that Seattle will have acquired the opportunity to select a high-profile college prospect in the top five picks of the draft despite being an established playoff contender.
The same also remains true for the sixth pick which is now held by the Detroit Lions after they sent their franchise QB Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams for numerous picks last season.
According to the latest NFL lines, the Bears are expected to either trade their pick away to another team picking high in the draft, who will likely select Alabama QB Bryce Young with the first overall selection at -145.
- Rules and regulations on Draft Night:
Whenever a team is on the clock, they will have fifteen minutes to place their selection as to who they want to choose from the Draft class, with representatives from each team sending a card, with the players name, up to the commissioners podium which confirms their choice of selection.
The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, will then announce who the team has selected with the player then walking out onto the stage to perform interviews and take pictures with the press ahead of their trip to whatever club has selected them.
If a team does not place their selection before the fifteen minute deadline, then their pick will be voided and the team picking next will have the opportunity to select the best player that was previously available.
Teams can also trade their picks and star players during draft night which often include one team sending their pick to the other team for that club’s selection and some future picks in the process, which is very likely to happen in this year’s draft given that the Bears already have a star-studded QB in Justin Fields and could select Bryce Young to mount further interest from other teams before eventually landing the player that they originally wished to sign.
This process will continue across a number of rounds scheduled throughout the next few nights until all available players have been selected from a variety of spots, including special teams, with any players that failed to secure a draft selection being often signed up for short-term extensions in the pre-season.
Overall, NFL Draft night is an exhilarating experience for all NFL teams and fans in attendance as they watch in anticipation of the next top prospect who is capable of turning their franchise into a major contender for years to come.
The 2023 Draft class is already shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory, meaning that whoever is picking very high is likely to land a future All-Pro talent that could become the cornerstone of their franchises continued path towards success.