2023 NFL Draft: Biggest Winners & Losers from Round 1

And just like that, Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially over.

Thursday night was one of the most entertaining first rounds in quite some time, with fans and pundits alike scrambling to figure who was com ing off the board next. A night that started with quarterback Bryce Young going to the Carolina Panthers, ends with fellow QB Will Levis leaving the Green Room without an NFL home. 

But before we get to the second and third round Friday, here’s a recap on some of the biggest winner and losers from Night 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Another big day for Philly.

Not only did the Eagles manage to draft Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, trading up from tenth overall to ninth, but they also stole DE Nolan Smith at the end of the first round.

Carter was ranked as high as #1 overall by ESPN anayalsts, and Smith was expected to go in the middle teens. Both players fell because of various reasons, but that’s just the Eagles gain. The Super-Bowl runner ups have a great regime, with an even better track record at developing talent. 

Last season the Eagles also took Bulldogs, DT Jordan Davis and OLB Nakobe Dean, so this is a pattern now. Regardless, all four players could be Day 1 starters next season and that’s the point. After losing Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers, Philly rebound in a big way on Night 1.

Loser: Detroit Lions

Head coach Dan Campbell is a bit of wildcard and that’ why the Lions went way out of left fi9eld with their draft picks.

After trading back from #6 to#12 with the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit decided to draft running back Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama. While he’s an exceptional talent, I have to ask, what year is this?

A running back hasn’t been drafted in the first round since 2018 (Saquon Barkley), and two RBs were taken in the Top-12 this year. The Atlanta Falcons took Bijan Robinson, one of the best prospects this year, at eighth overall. That was still a reach. Gibbs is even bigger of a reach, ranked outside the Top-30 by most draft analysts. If the Lions wanted to trade back further, they probably could have still drafted him.

They also drafted an outside linebacker in Jack Campbell, a position they badly needed. But the stench of Gibbs is still lingering, again leaving most wondering what the heck Dan Campbell and the Lions are doing.

Winner: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans needed a jumpstart for their franchise and they definitely did that Thursday Night.

Since the common draft era, only two other teams have selected twice in the Top three of any draft, and the Texans did that by trading up from #12 to #3. Landing their quarterback of the future in in C.J. Stroud, Houston gives new coach DeMeco Ryans a foundational piece on offense. Then they drafted Will Anderson Jr., the best edge rusher in college football. That gives Ryans a massive foundational piece for his defense. 

Going from GM Nick Caserio potentially leaving, to drafting cornerstones for a franchise that has been historically mismanaged the last few seasons. Hats off to the Texans, they finally got it right.

Loser: Will Levis

The fourth-best QB in the class fell from a top-five pick to not being selected in the first round. Wow.

Kentucky’s Will Levis had a less than 1% chance of making it to the second round, yet it happened because of a foot concern. Maybe. Levis also had processing and decision-making concerns as well, but those have been public knowledge for quite some time. 

So it begs the question: What happened?

Surely someone will trade up to the beginning of the second round for him (and there have been calls already made), but it’s awful to have to sit in the Green Room and not hear your name called. Hopefully this makes him a better player, but not a great start to an NFL career for Levis.

Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens

Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets

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