2023 NFL Draft: Nine bold predictions including a wild first-round trade and a surprising fall for C.J. Stroud

The start of the 2023 NFL Draft is just hours away and if the past few weeks have been any indication, this could go down as one of the craziest drafts of all time and that’s mostly because no one seems to have any idea what’s going to happen. 

At the top of the draft, Bryce Young is expected to be the pick for the Panthers, but after that, it’s all a mystery. Trying to predict what’s going to happen in this draft won’t be easy, but we decided to attempt it anyway during Thursday’s episode of the Pick Six podcast. I got together with Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson and we each made three bold predictions about what’s going to happen tonight. 

Since there were three of us and we each gave three predictions, that means you’ll be getting a total of nine predictions, although you could make the argument that we’re actually doing 11 since Wilson and Brinson both did a two-for-one prediction. 

Anyway, here’s a look at our bold predictions for the draft:  

BREECH

• 1. Five quarterbacks go in the top 15. The NFL Draft has been going on for 87 years and in that span, there have only been two drafts where five quarterbacks were selected in the top 15 (1999, 2021). The reason it could happen this year is because NFL teams have proven that they love drafting quarterbacks. There’s a chance that four guys could go in the top 10 — Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson — and if that happens, it could open the door for Hendon Hooker to get selected earlier than he probably should.  
• 2. Huge trade on opening night. Last year, the Titans sent shockwaves through the NFL Draft when they decided to trade A.J. Brown to the Eagles during the first round. This year, I think we’ll see another big trade on opening night. From DeAndre Hopkins to Ryan Tannehill to Dalvin Cook to Austin Ekeler to Trey Lance to Jerry Jeudy to Jonah Williams to Derrick Henry, there are a lot of trade candidates out there right now and I won’t be surprised if one of them gets dealt on Thursday night. 
• 3. Zero kickers get drafted. There has only been one draft in the past 10 years where a kicker didn’t get drafted (2015), but it’s feeling like it could happen again this year….