NFL Draft 2023 First Round Recap: Surprises, Excitement, and Top Picks

The first round of the NFL draft has come to a close, and as expected, it was full of surprises and excitement. The top picks in the draft went largely as predicted, with quarterbacks dominating the early selections. However, there were also some unexpected picks and trades that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the first overall pick in the draft, and they used it to select quarterback Malik Willis from Liberty University. Willis was widely regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft, and the Jaguars were in need of a quarterback after trading away their former starter earlier in the off-season.

The New York Jets, who had the second overall pick, also went with a quarterback, selecting Spencer Rattler from the University of Oklahoma. Rattler was considered by many to be the top quarterback prospect in the draft, and the Jets hope that he can help turn around their struggling offense.

The San Francisco 49ers made a surprise move by trading up to the third overall pick and selecting defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux from the University of Oregon. Thibodeaux was widely regarded as the top defensive player in the draft, and the 49ers hope that he can help bolster their defense, which struggled last season.

Other notable picks in the first round included the Denver Broncos selecting wide receiver Garrett Wilson from Ohio State University, the Dallas Cowboys selecting linebacker Christian Harris from the University of Alabama, and the New England Patriots selecting offensive tackle Evan Neal from the University of Alabama.

Overall, the first round of the draft was full of excitement and intrigue, and it will be interesting to see how these young players develop and contribute to their respective teams in the coming seasons.

One of the biggest surprises of the first round was the Las Vegas Raiders’ selection of running back Isaiah Spiller from Texas A&M University with the 18th overall pick. Spiller was not considered to be one of the top running back prospects in the draft, but the Raiders saw something in him that they liked and decided to take a chance on him.

Another surprise pick was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of defensive tackle Haskell Garrett from Ohio State University with the 24th overall pick. Garrett was not expected to go in the first round, but the Steelers were impressed with his ability to disrupt opposing offenses and felt that he would be a good fit for their defensive scheme.

Several teams also made trades during the first round, including the Chicago Bears, who traded up to the 11th overall pick to select quarterback Sam Howell from the University of North Carolina. The Bears gave up a significant amount of draft capital to make the trade, but they believe that Howell has the potential to be a franchise quarterback.

The first round of the draft also saw several highly touted players fall further than expected, including wide receiver Jamison Williams from the University of Alabama and linebacker Nik Bonitto from the University of Oklahoma. Both players were considered to be potential top-10 picks, but they ended up going later in the round.

Overall, the first round of the draft was full of surprises and excitement, and it set the stage for what promises to be an exciting weekend of draft picks and trades. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how these young players develop and contribute to their respective teams in the coming seasons.

Browns:

Round 3: 74th, 98th
Round 4: 111; 126
Round 5: 140, 142
Round 6: 190.
Round 7: 229.

Bengals:

Round 2: 60
Round 3: 92
Round 4: 131
Round 5: 163
Round 6: 206
Round 7: 246