3 Shocking Events from Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, we expected it to be one of the more unpredictable first rounds in recent memory filled with roller coaster ups and downs. Even still, there were some moments that left us speechless. Here are 3 shocking events from the first round that remain unexplainable even into Friday morning.
Snubbed Prospects
The big storyline here is QB Will Levis, a prospect that was widely considered to be a potential top-five selection who could go as high as No. 2 overall to the Houston Texans. Instead, he is still on the board heading into Friday’s second round.
However, Levis isn’t the only surprise omission from this first round. Joey Porter Jr. was viewed as one of the most promising cornerback prospects in this class, yet he was not one of the four cornerbacks selected in that first round. Nor was safety Brian Branch, a prospect often connected to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 23. There are a number of big names remaining on the board as Friday evening approaches.
The Detroit Lions
Someone needs to call Detroit and remind them that it is 2023 and not 1993 because their draft process in the first round was shocking. First, they selected Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick after trading down from No. 6, a pick that makes very little sense.
At the end of the day, even if they are trying to move D’Andre Swift at some point this offseason, if they wanted to get a workhorse RB in this class, they may have been better off just staying at No. 6 and taking Bijan Robinson. This just doesn’t feel like a need right now worth filling with a top-15 pick in an extremely deep RB class.
Then, they turned around and selected LB Jack Campbell. Again, this feels like a massive reach by the Lions in the middle of the first round, but it’s more understandable based on need. This isn’t a very deep linebacker class, and if a few go off the board in the span of a few picks, a team could miss out entirely.
That being said, it feels like the Lions once again jumped the gun with this pick. There is a very real chance that we don’t see another LB go off the board before the 50th overall pick. Regardless, this was a truly shocking draft process for a team with two top-20 selections.
Houston’s Gutsy Approach
Over the past few weeks, there has been nothing but steam that the Houston Texans were going to avoid C.J. Stroud at all costs. So, of course, the Texans sprinted to the podium with the selection of Stroud with the second overall pick, beginning the inevitable tearing of all mock drafts around the country.
That wasn’t their only surprise move of the night, though. We had to wait about five minutes for Houston to make another huge splash, trading up from No. 12 to No. 3 with the Arizona Cardinals in order to select EDGE Will Anderson Jr. They gave up a massive package that included No. 33, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. It’s a hefty price tag for a pass-rusher, but if he turns into the generational talent that he can be, it will be worth it.
Overall, the first-round proved to be just as exciting as we all hoped and dreamed it would be, filled with surprising picks and loads of trades shuffling the draft board. Hopefully we will see similar chaos in Day 2 on Friday night.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.