It’s usually lonely at the top — except when you’re talking about the NFL Draft.
Entering Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season, six teams have two wins or fewer, and another nine have just three wins. That could make for a messy end to the season, as the race to the bottom begins.
Currently sitting uncomfortably in the top spot are the Lions. After passing on a quarterback in a passer-thin 2022 NFL Draft, Detroit is almost sure to take a look at the top options on the board come 2023. Whether that’s Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Will Levis remains to be seen.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess: Alabama’s Will Anderson is a safe bet to land as the top player selected, and if not, at minimum the top three. Clemson’s Myles Murphy, Alabama’s Jordan Battle and Oregon’s Noah Sewell all headline a potentially defense-heavy first round.
MORE: NFL mock draft 2023 — A trio of passers highlight top 10
Unfortunately, a number of teams won’t be able to play meaningful November football — the holiday season is, sadly, mock draft season.
Here’s how the current draft order stacks up:
NFL Draft order 2023
This is how the draft order stands prior to the start of the NFL’s Week 9 games:
| Pick | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Lions | 1-6 |
| 2 | Houston Texans | 1-5-1 |
| 3 | Carolina Panthers | 2-6 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-6 |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-6 |
| 6 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-5 |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-5 |
| 8 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 3-5 |
| 9 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | 3-5 |
| 10 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 3-5 |
| 11 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-5 |
| 12 | Chicago Bears | 3-5 |
| 13 | Green Bay Packers | 3-5 |
| 14 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 3-4 |
| 15 | Indianapolis Colts | 3-4-1 |
| 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-4 |
| 17 | New England Patriots | 4-4 |
| 18 | Washington Commanders | 4-4 |
| 19 | Atlanta Falcons | 4-4 |
| 20 | Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA) | 4-4 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4-3 |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 5-3 |
| 23 | New York Jets | 5-3 |
| 24 | Baltimore Ravens | 5-3 |
| 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | 5-2 |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | 6-2 |
| 27 | New York Giants | 6-2 |
| 28 | Tennessee Titans | 5-2 |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 6-1 |
| 30 | Buffalo Bills | 6-1 |
| 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | 7-0 |
Notes:
— The Eagles hold the Saints’ first-round pick as part of a pick swap with New Orleans during the 2022 NFL Draft.
— The Texans hold Cleveland’s first-round pick as part of the Deshaun Watson trade that sent the passer to the Browns.
— The Seahawks have Denver’s first-round pick as compensation from the Russell Wilson trade.
— The Lions have the Rams’ first-round pick due to the Matthew Stafford trade.
— The Broncos traded pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins for a first-round pick prior to the 2022 NFL trade deadline. That pick formerly belonged to San Francisco, which traded it to Miami as part of the Trey Lance package in 2021.
— The Dolphins don’t have their own first-round pick after being sanctioned by the NFL for tampering violations regarding Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
MORE: Sporting News big board for 2023 NFL Draft
Top 2023 NFL Draft prospects
It’s early yet, but after a down year of passers in the 2022 NFL Draft, there could be three first-round prospects come next April.
Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis will all jockey for the right to be the first quarterback off the board come the 2023 NFL Draft. Analysts and scouts currently peg the battle to be between Young and Stroud, with Levis a comfortable third.
If a quarterback isn’t the first player off the board, then it will most definitely be Crimson Tide pass rusher Will Anderson. Anderson is a dynamic edge capable of disrupting the game from the jump.
