Draft Notebook: Final thoughts heading into the first round

The waiting game is over. Tonight in Kansas City, the Carolina Panthers will officially be put on the clock to begin the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s time to get after it.

We have been pumping out the pre-draft content at KSR. There is a big board, draft guide, and a final mock draft that includes trades and predictions for all 31 picks for the first round. The table is set.

In our final Draft Notebook of this cycle, I’m diving into some final thoughts regarding this year’s draft. The party starts at No. 2.

What do the Texans do?

Houston general manager Nick Caserio is a true wild card. The former long time personnel staffer in New England surprised everyone last year when he picked Derek Stingley Jr. over Sauce Gardner in the first round and then selected an offensive guard with second round grades in the middle of the first round. Despite an obvious need at quarterback, the buzz in Kansas City is that the Texans are in best player available mode.

With new head coach DeMeco Ryans taking over, Houston will be shifting to a four-down front and a team that will heavily invest in the defensive line. That means finding a cornerstone EDGE player to build around. Will Houston be willing to trade back to get Will Anderson Jr. or Tyree Wilson later in the top-five or do they hold pat at No. 2 overall? Whatever they decide, this could cause a slide for Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud who is seen as the second-best QB prospect in this class.

The dominoes will start to fall with Houston.

Who trades first?

I feel very confident in predicting that a trade will happen before the second quarterback is selected on Thursday night. We are not totally sure on the Houston Texans, but we absolutely know the Arizona Cardinals would like to move out of the No. 3 spot. Will the Indianapolis Colts be willing to move up one spot to secure their guy. Will the Tennessee Titans take a big swing? Is Minnesota willing to part with a bunch of draft capital just to bet on a high variance QB prospect. Is there another team we’re not talking about that will enter the QB race?

All of this will all play out early in the draft.

Will Levis will be in the center of all the madness

No matter what happens on Thursday night, Will Levis will get a ton of camera time on ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network. The polarizing Kentucky QB has big-time traits, positional size, and experience in a pro-style scheme. He checks a ton of boxes. Who is going to bet on him?

I feel safe projecting Levis to be a top-10 pick. I also feel safe claiming that some organization will trade-up to draft the former Penn State transfer. Levis will generate a ton of takes tonight, but we shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.

Anything could happen with Anthony Richardson

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson is the best athlete we’ve ever seen at the position. The former four-star recruit’s highlight package is terrifying. The big quarterback has a huge arm, has flashed moments of great pocket management, and can provide some run game value. However, this is a one-year starter who had some very bad moments in Billy Napier’s offense.

Could Richardson go No. 2 overall? Absolutely. Do I think Richardson could fall outside of the top 15? Absolutely. The toolsy quarterback could literally go anywhere in this draft. I have no idea what to expect, but a hunch tells me he could possibly end up being QB5.