The idea of the Houston Texans not taking a quarterback at No. 2 overall in this week’s 2023 NFL Draft has been floated in the media and that led to a discussion about the unexpected scenarios that could alter the entire first round. First, parameters had to be placed on what constitutes as ‘unexpected.’
For example, the idea of Tennessee, Seattle or Las Vegas taking a quarterback is no longer considered a surprise. According to Caesars Sportsbooks, quarterback is the position most likely to be selected by the Raiders. It is second for the Titans, behind offensive line, and Seahawks.
Here are some specific scenarios that are considered “unexpected:”
Lamar Jackson is traded on draft night
Jackson has requested a trade but Baltimore does not have to grant it. If another team signs him to an offer sheet, the Ravens have right of first refusal to match. If they elect not to match, then Baltimore would get draft compensation in return. The alternative is that the quarterback signs his franchise tag and the Ravens negotiate a trade to send him elsewhere.
It is unknown who, if anyone, has interest in acquiring the quarterback. If he were to be traded, the trade would presumably include a first-round pick and that throws a wrench into Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Would Baltimore use its newfound draft capital to select a quarterback? It may not have a dramatic impact on how the actual draft plays out but it would certainly create a stir.
Publicly, Detroit and Atlanta are supporting their incumbent quarterbacks: Jared Goff and Desmond Ridder, respectively. Is that the honest truth or are they guarding against the possibility that they may not get a chance to add a player at the position? It sounds as though neither has dug too deep into this year’s quarterback prospects but if they were, it could not be considered unexpected.
Ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bears did a good job of hiding their interest in North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky prior to selecting him No. 2 overall.
The Lions are sitting at Nos. 6 and 18 overall. They may not need to move at all in order to select one of the top quarterback prospects. Goff is still only 28 years old so he still has plenty of ball left in the tank and only carries a $31 million salary cap hit this season and next; reasonable figures for the position in 2023 and 2024. The argument for either franchise taking a player at…
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