2023 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Bears-Panthers Trade Fallout: Timeline, QB Plans, Moore

March 11th, 2023 at 10:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears made history Friday by becoming the first NFL team to trade the No. 1 pick in the draft prior to April – since the draft was moved to April in 1976. Their return from the Panthers – four draft picks spread across three years and receiver D.J. Moore – will go a long way in determining both team’s futures for years to come.

Further details have emerged regarding the blockbuster deal, including the negotiating process which led up to the deal being finalized. Talks started at the Combine, with the Panthers being one of a number of teams reaching out to the Bears, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and David Newton. That comes as little surprise, considering how willing Bears GM Ryan Poles was to move down the board, given his and the team’s support of quarterback Justin Fields. The ESPN duo add that talks intensified over the past few days, and Friday’s negotiations were sufficient to consummate the trade before the start of free agency this coming week.

By moving up to the No. 1 slot, the Panthers now have a free choice of the 2023 class’ top quarterbacks. Newton reports, to no surprise, that QB is indeed the position which Carolina will use their top pick on (Twitter link). That will invite plenty of debate and speculation in the coming weeks, as this year boasts a number of intriguing options, but not necessarily a can’t-miss passer. Newton notes that the Panthers were high on Kentucky’s Will Levis at the end of the 2021 campaign, and the performances of Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud also drew positive reviews from GM Scott Fitterer and Co.

Many have Young, the 2021 Heisman winner, rated as the top signal-caller in the class (which is headlined by the aforementioned three QBs, along with the raw but uber-athletic Anthony Richardson). However, Joe Person of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that Stroud is believed to be in pole position at the moment, one which obviously represents something well short of a final evaluation of any draft prospect on the Panthers’ part. The Buckeyes star put up huge production in his college career, and has long been discussed alongside Young as a blue-chip in the running to become the top passer out of this year’s class.

Interestingly, Newton adds that Carolina could become sufficiently content with more than one QB at the top of the board that they elect to trade down slightly; Person corroborates this (on Twitter). With the Texans (who hold the second overall pick) and Colts (No. 4) each in need of a new signal-caller, moving down any amount would carry a high degree of risk. If the Panthers were assured that at least one of their preferences would be available at their new slot, though, they could use a second trade to recoup some of the capital they spent to acquire the top pick.

Draft maneuvering and the success the Bears have in restocking their roster with the additional picks will be a key determining factor in the legacy of this trade, but the inclusion of Moore has immediate ramifications. Carolina was reluctant at first to include the 25-year-old in the trade package, but Person notes that the Bears viewed him as a “must-have” to finalize the deal (Twitter link). While losing Moore marks a substantial blow to the Panthers’ passing attack, Newton and Person add that his inclusion saved Carolina from having to add another first-round pick to their offer.

The way Carolina approaches their newfound leverage and which passer(s) emerge as their top targets will be an interesting storyline to watch in the coming weeks. The willingness Poles had to move out of the top slot so quickly, meanwhile, will be a key takeaway from the Bears’ perspective as attention will turn to how Chicago uses their added draft capital for the next few years.

Panthers To Acquire 2023 No. 1 Pick From Bears

March 10th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

It has long been expected that the Bears would part with the top pick in this year’s draft. They have reportedly done so, shipping the No. 1 selection to the Panthers for a package including multiple first-rounders (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

The full compensation coming Chicago’s way, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) is as follows: picks No. 9 and 61 in 2023, the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2024, their second-rounder in 2025 and receiver D.J. Moore. That will make this deal a franchise-altering one for both parties, as the Bears acquire substantial draft capital along with a proven No. 1 wideout, while the Panthers will have a prime opportunity to land a long-term option at the quarterback position.

Bears GM Ryan Poles has been consistent in his praise of quarterback Justin Fields, leaving the door wide open to a move down the board. He said upon learning that Chicago had the top selection (rather than the QB-needy Texans, who will pick second) that he would need to be “blown away” by this year’s class of passers to consider staying at No. 1 and replacing Fields. The latter took a step forward in terms of production, particularly on the ground, in 2022, but questions remain about his potential as a passer. The Bears are clearly staying true to their commitment to him in 2023 and beyond.

Only twice in the 21st century has the top selection been traded, and a No. 1 pick has never been dealt in the month of March. Poles recently hinted at that being a possibility, and it has now come to fruition. Rapoport adds that part of the reason this blockbuster is taking place now is the Bears’ desire to land Moore prior to free agency opening next week (Twitter link).

The 2018 first-rounder immediately established himself as a focal point of the Panthers’ passing attack, recording three consecutive seasons of 1,100+ receiving yards from 2019-21. He has been targeted at least 118 times in all but his rookie campaign, and scored 21 touchdowns across his five seasons in the league (including a career-high seven in 2022). Moore, 25, is under contract through 2025 with scheduled cap hits of over $20MM in each of the next three years.

The Maryland alum’s base salaries (ranging from $14.85MM to $19.965MM) could turn out to be money well spent for the Bears, a team which has been in dire need of a true impact-making wideout to unlock Fields’ potential. They traded for N’Keal Harry and Chase Claypool from the Patriots and Steelers, respectively, in 2022, though neither young pass-catcher was able to put up significant numbers in their time in the Windy City. Moore will slot atop the WR depth chart and increase expectations dramatically for Fields and Co. in his third NFL season.

The Panthers were one of many teams thought to be in the market for a significant addition at the quarterback position this offseason. The draft has long been considered their preferred route to find a legitimate Cam Newton successor; this deal will give them that opportunity. Rather than jockeying with teams like the Texans, Raiders and Colts in the top-10, Carolina will jump to the front of the line and have their pick of the lot amongst the 2023 QB class.

Alabama’s Bryce Young is generally regarded as the top signal-caller available this year. The 2021 Heisman winner has drawn plenty of questions about his frame and build with respect to withstanding NFL contact, but his production across the past two seasons makes him an appealing prospect. Young was at the Combine for measurements, but did not take part in drills, unlike other high-end signal callers C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.

The Panthers’ preference amongst those four options will go a long way in determining the future of their franchise. Meanwhile, it will be worth monitoring how this shake-up affects other teams in need of drafting a quarterback who are now no longer in the running to trade up to No. 1. The Bears now have even more draft capital than they did before today, and a top-10 pick should still allow them to secure an impact player for the foreseeable future. That, coupled with their league-leading cap space, will allow them to be highly aggressive this offseason.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Draft, Purdy, 49ers, Ebukam, Clark, Seahawks, Staff

March 8th, 2023 at 1:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals have fared well when picking in the top five over the past two decades, landing the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson and Kyler Murray. The team’s second-half swoon last season led to a rebuild, giving a new regime the No. 3 overall pick. Similar to the Bears, the Cards are prepared to move down. GM Monti Ossenfort made that clear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The team gave Murray a landmark extension last summer, and although Year 1 of that deal did not go well, he remains Arizona’s franchise quarterback. As such, the team will be prepared to move down to accommodate a QB-seeking team (or one eyeing the top non-passer available) that was unable to land Chicago’s pick. Such a move would bolster a roster that enters free agency with several holes.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

Ossenfort also said the Cardinals have been in talks with free agents-to-be Zach Allen and Byron Murphy. The first-year GM indicated the Cardinals “would love” to keep both players, though he noted the obvious financial caveat (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban) that could lead each out of town. Both were drafted to play in Vance Joseph‘s system in 2019, and each will be among the top free agents at their respective positions. If Murphy and Allen leave, cornerback and defensive line would become areas of dire need in Arizona. The Cards did not put much around Murphy since Peterson’s 2021 exit, and Allen following J.J. Watt off the roster would obviously put the onus on the NFC West squad adding reinforcements up front.
Brock Purdy‘s postponed elbow surgery will take place Friday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. The breakthrough 49ers quarterback was initially scheduled to undergo the UCL repair Feb. 22, but swelling led to a delay. The seventh-round pick who would be on track to retain his starting role is expected to face a six-month recovery timetable, which would run up against Week 1. This creates more QB uncertainty in San Francisco, though Trey Lance is on track to participate in OTAs. The plan remains for Purdy to have a less invasive elbow procedure, but he acknowledged Tommy John surgery — elbow reconstruction — could take place. The latter route would threaten to hijack Purdy’s 2023 season.
The 49ers discussed trading for Frank Clark before the veteran defensive end agreed to a Chiefs restructure in 2022, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. Clark is now available, having been a Chiefs cap casualty this week. The former Seahawks draftee’s 13.5 playoff sacks are the third-most in NFL history, but he never topped eight during a regular season with the Chiefs. The 49ers could consider Clark opposite Nick Bosa, with Samson Ebukam being viewed (via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com) as likely to price himself out of San Francisco. Ebukam, 27, recorded 9.5 sacks in his two-year 49ers run. He could command an eight-figure-per-year deal, per Fowler, as this edge rusher market is fairly light. Even ahead of his age-30 season, Clark may not come much cheaper.
Azeez Al-Shaair figures to join Ebukam on the way out of the Bay Area, Barrows adds. The 49ers have already given Fred Warner a top-market contract, and they reached a midlevel agreement to retain ascending sidekick Dre Greenlaw last year. Al-Shaair will join a crowded off-ball linebacker market next week.
The Seahawks went through with some front office promotions recently. Nolan Teasley has moved into the role of assistant GM, while Matt Berry will become the team’s senior director of player personnel. Teasley has been with the team since 2013, moving up from the scouting level. Berry has been working with the Seahawks longer than GM John Schneider, having started with the team in 2008. Additionally, Willie Schneider will step into Beasley’s former role of pro personnel director. Aaron Hineline will replace Berry as director of college scouting.
The Seahawks’ recent Phil Haynes deal will be a one-year, $4MM pact, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. The prospective guard starter will receive a fully guaranteed $1.3MM base salary and a $2.2MM signing bonus.

NFL Draft Rumors: Young, Safeties, Skinner

March 4th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Sitting pretty with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans are reportedly very high on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Despite his diminutive stature, Young has always been considered a top prospect at his position dating back to high school. How much will it affect his draft stock?

In evaluating the former quarterback of the Crimson Tide, the Texans have formed an extremely high opinion of Young in many regards. The only area that concerns Houston is a potential lack of durability due to his slight frame. While his height has been a minor concern, when combined with a reported weight at Alabama of 194 pounds, his size becomes a concern for NFL teams. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the concerns certainly are a factor but not enough so to remove him from his status as the top passer in the draft.

At the NFL Combine today, we received an official measurement. One of the first to report on the matter, ESPN’s Field Yates provided us with Young’s height (5-foot-10 and 1/8 inches), weight (204 pounds), and hand size (9 and 3/4 inches). The increased weight is seen as a big win in Young’s camp as a factor that should help bolster his projected durability.

Yates also provided us with a comparison to former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. While the two are not quite alike in play, Murray measured the same height, three pounds heavier, and with hands that were a quarter of an inch smaller, effectively negating any arguments that Young’s size should be a factor that would keep him from being a top draft pick.

Here are a few other rumors from this year’s upcoming draft:

Due to what is perceived to be a lack of safety depth in this year’s draft, the market for second-tier free agent safeties is expected to heat up when free agency opens, according to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network. There’s an opinion that after the top three draft prospects at the position, which include Illinois’s Sydney Brown, Georgia’s Chris Smith, and the draft’s only expected first-round safety Brian Branch from Alabama, there is a large drop off in safety talent. This should result in more fervent bidding for free agent safeties who otherwise would’ve been looking at average contracts behind the top-tier earners at the position. While top free agent safeties like Jessie Bates and Jordan Poyer will be searching for top money, players like Eric Rowe, A.J. Moore, J.T. Gray, and Lamarcus Joyner should expect to compete for higher contracts than they would have if competing with a deeper draft class.
Contributing to the lack of depth at the position, Boise State safety JL Skinner was unable to perform at the Combine this week due to a torn pectoral muscle, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Skinner is currently projected as a Day 2 draft pick but could have improved his draft stock even more with a strong performance at the Combine, which many expected he would do. He still met with teams, but Skinner was not able to participate in any drills with the other defensive backs. He’ll have surgery next week.

Colts GM Chris Ballard Addresses Possible Trade-Up

March 3rd, 2023 at 3:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency has yet to begin, but plenty of interest already surrounds this year’s draft with the top pick up for sale. A number of teams could be in play to move up the board, particularly those in need of a franchise quarterback.

The Colts certainly fit that description, and as the current owners of the fourth overall pick, they are well-positioned to land one of the class’ top signal-callers. A trade up the board is something which general manager Chris Ballard spoke about in January, inviting questions about whether Indianapolis will make a push to acquire the top selection. He spoke further on the subject at the combine.

“I know all the speculation out there,” Ballard said, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “To move up, there’s got to be a guy worthy of it… Everybody has just automatically stamped that you’ve got to move up to [No.] 1 to get it right. I don’t know if I agree with that. But that’s going to be the narrative, and that’s OK.”

The Bears own the top pick, but Ryan Poles has repeatedly voiced his support of quarterback Justin Fields, lending further to the expectation that they will move down the board. With the Texans slated to pick second overall, and facing a dire need for a long-term solution under center, any team wishing to move ahead of them will need to pay Chicago a steep price. Doing so will likely be necessary to have the option of drafting Bryce Young, widely seen as the top QB in the 2023 class.

Owner Jim Irsay made his thoughts on the Alabama product known shortly after Shane Steichen was introduced as the Colts’ new head coach. The latter’s track record of working with young passers played a role in his hire, and his tenure in Indianapolis will all-but assuredly begin with a rookie under center. That could be Young if the Colts are willing and able to move up the board, but other high-end options at the position will still be available if they stay at No. 4. C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson are among the top tier of quarterbacks alongside Young, though several teams in the top 10 will be active in maneuvering to acquire them.

Ballard repeated that he would be willing to pull off a major trade if the Colts were fully committed to Young at the top of the board. A deal involving the No. 1 pick would be a significant development at any time, of course, but it might come in this case before free agency begins later this month. Regardless of how the Bears’ plans shake out, the Colts will be a team to watch through to Day 1 of the draft.

Arrest Warrant Out For DT Jalen Carter In Connection With Fatal Crash

March 2nd, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 2: After indicating he would return to Athens to face these misdemeanor charges, Carter was booked at 11:33pm ET. He was released from the Athens-Clarke County Jail at 11:49pm, upon paying a $4K bond, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Carter will make a return to the Combine as well, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who notes (via Twitter) the 310-pound lineman will be back to finish his measurements and interviews with teams.

MARCH 1: The Athens-Clarke County (Ga.) Police Department secured arrest warrants for former Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter in connection with a fatal January car accident. The warrants are for reckless driving and racing (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Seth Emerson).

A January 15 accident claimed the lives of Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. Carter was driving a separate vehicle, and an ongoing police investigation found the two vehicles were “operating in a manner consistent with racing.” Police initially determined the crash a single-car accident caused by LeCroy speeding.

Carter, 21, is expected to be a top-five pick in April. ESPN.com ranks the interior D-lineman as the No. 3 overall prospect in this year’s class; Mel Kiper Jr. places him as the top player available. The highly touted prospect had been scheduled to speak at the Combine on Wednesday morning, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (on Twitter) he is not present.

Carter met with teams prior to this updated story emerging. As of Tuesday night, Carter’s agent told Alan Judd and Dylan Jackson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he had not been contacted about potential charges. Carter said later (via Twitter) he will return to Athens to “answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented.”

Evidence suggests Carter’s vehicle, a 2021 Ford Tomahawk, and LeCroy’s, a 2021 Ford Expedition, were switching lanes — including on the opposite side of the road — and speeding. Just before LeCroy’s fatal crash, her vehicle was traveling approximately 104 mph. A toxicology report measured LeCroy’s blood-alcohol level at .197, well above the legal limit, and the investigation has deemed alcohol, racing and reckless driving were “significant contributors” to this accident.

Police questioned Carter, and Judd and Jackson report his story changed. Initially, Carter said he was a mile away when the accident occurred. That account changed to indicate he was following the vehicle close enough to see its taillights. Carter also later said he was driving alongside the Expedition. He left the scene of the crash, according to the Journal-Constitution. Police initially suspected other cars were at the scene at the time of the wreck, which occurred after 2:30am Jan. 15. Police asked a Georgia athletics official to have Carter return to the scene; he returned at around 4:15am and denied speeding or racing. Police did not find Carter had been drinking.

Members of Georgia’s national championship-winning team were celebrating the win at a downtown Athens strip club. Three cars left the club around the same time, per Judd and Jackson. Athens police had previously ticketed Carter for driving 89 mph in a 45-mph zone in September 2022; Carter received a $1K fine for that violation. Teams had a lot of questions regarding Carter’s maturity level before this report of his potential involvement in the accident surfaced, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. This issue will certainly overshadow everything else about his prospect status for the time being.

Bears Receiving Calls On No. 1 Pick; Team “Leaning Toward” Trade

February 27th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL Scouting Combine takes place this week, and its first significant development has already reportedly taken place. Multiple teams have inquired about the availability of the first overall pick in this year’s draft, and the Bears are certainly open to the possibility of moving it.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Chicago is “leaning toward” trading the top selection. The results of Chicago’s and Houston’s final regular season games clinched the top spot for the Bears, and immediately invited debate and speculation on what they would do in a position of considerable leverage. General manager Ryan Poles made it clear that all options are on the table as they weigh draft evaluations against trade offers.

When speaking publicly about the opportunity afforded with the No. 1 pick to draft a quarterback, Poles endorsed incumbent starter Justin Fields and said he would need to be “blown away” by the class of signal-callers. Alabama’s Bryce Young is expected to be the first QB off the board, but others like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis are expected to go in the top 10. With the QB-needy Texans set to pick second overall, a bidding war could ensue as teams look to move ahead of them on the board.

Coming off a 3-14 season, the Bears have a number of roster holes to fill, and would be well-served to collect extra draft assets by moving down. Doing so would be in line with the majority view of PFR’s readers, and could still allow them to secure one of the top defenders – defensive tackle Jalen Carter or edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. – depending on how far down the board they fall. Much of their roster needs will be determined by free agency, of course, which will be a busy period for Poles and Co., seeing as the Bears lead the league with nearly $100MM in cap space.

The veteran quarterback market has yet to take shape, with Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo the top names certain to find themselves in a new home next season. Whichever teams are unable to land those two (or any other passer who could be moved, such as Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers) will no doubt look towards the draft to find a long-term solution. A clearer picture will be in place by April with respect to which teams are still on the market for a signal-caller, and thus of interest to the Bears as a potential trade partner.

It has been seven years since the last time a No. 1 pick was traded, but the past two offseasons have seen significant pick swaps in the first round. The Eagles and Saints finalized a notable deal affecting their 2022 and ’23 draft capital last April, while the 49ers made a major push up the board the year before to move to No. 3 and select Trey Lance. Another blockbuster could be in the cards, if the Bears remain willing to entertain offers for the top selection.

NFL Draft Rumors: Richardson, TEs, Wright

February 25th, 2023 at 10:53am CST by Ely Allen

Every year come draft time there are prospects that divide scouts and analysts. Never has that been more apt than this year with Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. We reported this dichotomy back when Richardson first announced his intentions in December, and nearly four months later, teams are still torn.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler went on NFL on ESPN to discuss first-round quarterbacks and the conversation eventually fell to Richardson. Fowler reported that he’s never seen “a bigger variance leaguewide on a feeling about a” quarterback, saying that while some talent evaluators have him as a first-round talent, others (sometimes on the same team) aren’t thinking to look for him until the fourth round.

Fowler believes that Richardson is a bit of a project who will need to find a situation in the NFL where he can sit for a year and develop but notes an NFL executive who calls Richardson a combination of Cam Newton and Justin Fields. Quoting NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 asserts that some teams have Richardson as the second-best quarterback on the board. I’ve personally seen a mock draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports that has the Bears trading Fields and taking Richardson at No. 1 overall.

All this to reiterate sentiments from our breakdown of his initial draft announcement. Teams are evaluating Richardson off of 13 games of film of the one-year starter in Gainesville. That single season saw him complete only 54.2% of his passes for 2,631 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He added 680 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 115 rush attempts. He went 6-7 as a starter for the Gators. The college stats aren’t great, but there’s so little to work with that scouts are still betting on the potential he held as a four-star recruit coming out of high school.

Last year, experts predicted as many as four quarterbacks would be taken in the first round. Only Kenny Pickett actually heard his name on Day 1 of the draft. Evaluators are equally bullheaded this year on quarterbacks going early and often, but with nearly two months until Draft Day, there is still much that we don’t know.

Here are a few other quick notes on upcoming prospects:

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer has long been thought of as the 2023 NFL Draft’s best prospect at the position. Well, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, one tight end made a strong case for himself at the Senior Bowl. Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave made a lasting impression on scouts at the all-star event. Musgrave measured at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds and impressed with his physicality, speed, route-running, and hands. Breer posits that Musgrave did enough to earn the top spot on position rankings.
Another prospect who may be higher than initially thought is Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright. The O-lineman also attended the Senior Bowl with many believing that he had a lot that he still needed to prove. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, Wright may have already done enough. Miller claims Wright is a top-32 prospect and finds it hard to believe that he’ll slip past the first round. The Volunteers didn’t expect to keep the consensus five-star out of West Virginia for all four years and the fact that they did had many thinking Wright is not a first-round talent. An impressive performance at the Senior Bowl and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2022 should prove otherwise as Wright continues to work towards the goal of hearing his name called on the first night of the draft.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

February 13th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVII in the books, the order of the final two first-round picks in April’s draft have been finalized. The Chiefs once again find themselves at the bottom of the order by virtue of winning their second Lombardi Trophy in the past four years.

The last time they found themselves in that position, they added running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in what was seen as a selection which would greatly boost their rushing attack. A repeat of that decision is unlikely this time around, given the emergence of seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco as the team’s lead back down the stretch, including the Super Bowl in which Edwards-Helaire was deactivated.

For the Eagles, the fact that their own first-rounder will be one spot higher than Kansas City’s is of course no consolation for the outcome of the game. Nevertheless, Philadelphia will have two chances – since they also have the Saints’ top choice, sitting at No. 10 overall – to add high-end rookies to an already strong core. The success both teams enjoyed in 2022, coupled with the strengths of their respective front offices, should have them well-positioned to contend once again next season.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:

Chicago Bears: 3-14
Houston Texans: 3-13-1
Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
Carolina Panthers: 7-10
Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
Tennessee Titans: 7-10
Houston Texans (via Browns)
New York Jets: 7-10
New England Patriots: 8-9
Green Bay Packers: 8-9
Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
Detroit Lions: 9-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
New York Giants: 9-7-1
Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
Buffalo Bills: 13-3
Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
New Orleans Saints (via 49ers through Broncos)
Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3

This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Effect Of COVID-19, NIL On NFL Draft

January 27th, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The NCAA has effected many changes of late in college football and, while they ultimately won’t change the overall talent pool in the NFL, there is a latent period of adjustment that the NFL will live within for the next few years. The biggest difference during this adjustment period is the thinning of the talent pool behind projected Day One draft picks, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post, specifically the quarterback talent pool.

The changes that have created this lag in middle-class talent are ones that make it more attractive for players to stay in college longer. For instance, the NCAA granted every college athlete an extra year of eligibility when many sports lost a full season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletes are initially given four years of eligibility with the opportunity to take a redshirt year and extend their eligibility to five years. Sometimes medical redshirts are granted for season-ending injuries or other serious situations. Most athletes who exhaust their eligibility play four to five years, while a select few sometimes play six seasons.

There are extremely rare cases that exceed even this. University of Miami tight end Cam McCormick is such a case as he prepares for his eighth season as a college athlete. After originally signing with Oregon, McCormick redshirted his first year in 2016, appeared in seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2017, received a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending injury in the Ducks’ first game of 2018 as a redshirt sophomore, missed the entire 2019 season due to injury as a redshirt junior, sat out the entire 2020 COVID season as a redshirt senior, once again suffered a season-ending injury in the 2021 season opener as a sixth-year senior, and utilized his extra year of eligibility from COVID-19 to play as a seventh year senior in 2022, appearing in all 13 games.

McCormick utilized his regular redshirt, his medical redshirt, and his extra year of COVID eligibility to play seven seasons in Eugene and still missed two of his eligible seasons due to injuries suffered in the season opener. Before his decision to transfer to the Hurricanes, the NCAA granted McCormick two more years of eligibility for those two lost seasons, meaning, this season, the 24-year-old will be an eighth-year senior, and he will be eligible to return as a ninth-year senior in 2024. This is a clear example, albeit an egregious one, of how the NCAA’s allowance of extra eligibility keeps a player in college long after they would otherwise have exhausted their allowable years.

Another way players have found their way to staying in college longer is through the transfer portal. Transfers have often been a helpful tool for college athletes who find themselves in unfavorable situations due to coaching dismissals or slipping down the depth chart. There have long been stories of success from players who decided to make the move to start over at a new school.

Recent changes to transfer rules have made transfers much more prevalent in the sport. Before the changes, coaches had the ability to block certain schools as transfer destinations and many players were forced to sit out for a year, causing many to reconsider a change of scenes. But with waivers available to help athletes play immediately and full and open recruiting of players in the transfer portal, the prospect of changing schools becomes much more attractive.

An old trend would see players who had started for two or three years declare early for the NFL draft even if they likely weren’t a top selection because they saw the writing on the wall that they would be losing playing time to an underclassman. These days, those same players will instead choose to transfer and spend their last few years of eligibility with a school that will allow them to continue to develop and display their ability before potentially going to the NFL.

Lastly, the newest (and most drastic) change in college football: Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). NIL allows college players to profit off of their personal brand through sponsorships and other similar types of deals. This perhaps affects the NFL talent pool the most.

Many different situations used to lead to players declaring early for the draft for financial reasons. Sometimes an injury-prone player would accept their place as a middle-round draft pick just so that they could sign a multi-year contract and guarantee themselves a paycheck, rather than waste a potential healthy year in college where they can only benefit off of their scholarship. Similarly, underclassmen who had phenomenal years and don’t want to risk losing draft stock by playing another year unpaid in college would declare early and, again, ensure the money in hand, even if it wasn’t top-end money.

Those same players now have motivation to stay and play in college with a paycheck. NIL deals have made it possible for star college players to make potential millions of dollars while still in college. Those players with impressive underclassmen seasons that are worried about the risk of losing stock in the following year now are able to get paid while potentially increasing their draft stock even more with another strong year.

All of these factors have led to players staying in college for longer tenures, and this is the first year that we’re seeing it truly affect the depth of the draft’s talent pool. An agent that normally represents what he calls “a middle class of quarterbacks” spoke under the condition of anonymity and said, “I counted like 19 kids who would usually at least think about declaring for the draft who decided to stay in school.”

The agent believes that after the first round, prospects like Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and TCU quarterback Max Duggan won’t hear their names called until the third day of the draft. Quarterbacks projected as Day Two picks like Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler are finding it more and more enticing to stay in college and earn NIL money while they attempt to improve their draft stocks.

This won’t last forever. The lag in talent will eventually catch up to the draft in a few years, negating this effect. Until then, though, NFL teams will face a new, significant challenge in finding a wealth of talent in the middle rounds of the draft.

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