Top Contenders to Be 1st Overall Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

With the 2022 NFL draft in the bag, it’s never too early to begin looking at the next one. The 2023 NFL Draft will kick off on April 27 in Kansas City and, unlike this year, there may be a quarterback worthy of going first.

The 2022 quarterback class wasn’t very strong and only Kenny Pickett went in the first round and not until the 20th overall pick. It was just the third time in the last 30 years that only one quarterback was chosen in the first round of an NFL draft.

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While there are a few franchise caliber quarterbacks, there are also plenty of other choices – linebacker, offensive tackle, and wide receiver. Who will it be?

Here are the early contenders to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Favorites

In the 2023 draft, there will be some quality quarterbacks available and two of them are the top favorites on the betting board. Unlike Spencer Rattler (now at South Carolina) who was the 2022 betting favorite at this time last year, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Williams aren’t going to be beaten out by a talented freshman.

Stroud, the Ohio State star, is the overall favorite to go No. 1 at +200. He’s 6-3 with a strong arm and he has proven time and again that he is capable. In the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl win over Utah, Stroud set a school record with 573 passing yards and six touchdowns. He finished the 2022 season with 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns.

Williams became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy last season after throwing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. He’s the favorite to repeat as Heisman winner and he’s second on the board to go No. 1 in next year’s draft at +250.

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Defense First

Part of who goes first in the 2023 draft will have something to do with the drafting team’s needs. Jacksonville, which picked No. 1 in consecutive drafts, picked its quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, in 2021. This year, the need was an edge rusher and former Georgia DE Travon Walker went No. 1.

If a team is in need of defensive help next year, Alabama LB Will Anderson could be the first pick. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Nagurski Trophy which goes to the nation’s best defensive player. Anderson led the nation in tackles and also led the nation in sacks. He can get after the quarterback and that is why he is given +300 odds to go No. 1 in 2023.

Best of the Rest

There could be great value in OT Paris Johnson and WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The two are actually teammates at Ohio State. Wide receivers typically do not go No. 1 in any draft. In the Super Bowl era, only two have been picked first overall – Irving Fryar in 1984 and Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.

Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns last season. In that Rose Bowl win over Utah, he set an FBS record with 347 receiving yards. He is a longshot at +1600, but 2022 was a record-breaking year that saw six receivers go in Round 1.

Johnson is a massive 6-foot-7-inches and 315 pounds. He played right guard last season, but will move back to tackle in 2022. His versatility is one reason why he is listed at +900 to go first. A team in need of a quality offensive tackle will think long and hard about Johnson.

NFL Predictions

Odds to Be 1st Overall Pick in 2023 NFL Draft

C.J. Stroud +200

Bryce Young +250

Will Anderson +300

Paris Johnson +900

Tyler Van Dyke +1600

Jaxson Smith-Njigba +1600

Phil Jurkovec +1600

Spencer Rattler +1800

Learn more about advanced NFL statistics and check out our NFL touchdown scorer props betting guide.