NFL Draft: Panthers take QB Young with top pick; Texans take Stroud second
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WTVD) -- The NFL Draft is here, and the Carolina Panthers have made their pick, taking Alabama quarterback Bryce Young first overall.
The draft is a three-day event and will be broadcast live from Kansas City.
WHERE TO WATCH
Coverage will be on ABC11, ESPN, and the ESPN app
Round 1 began Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m.
Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 28, 7 p.m.
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 29, Noon.
NFL DRAFT ORDER
First Round
1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
For the last quarter century or so any undersized quarterback prospect has been compared to Drew Brees. Maybe one day Young, at 5-foot-10, will be the one drawing such comparisons. He is a poised leader and creative playmaker with an elite combination of instincts and intelligence with a good arm.
2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
He has elite accuracy and touch combined with good arm strength and size at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds. He broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees by throwing 85 touchdown passes over two seasons. But while he's flashed above-average athleticism, he has at times seemed reluctant to use it and has a tendency to linger in the pocket and lock on receivers, habits he'll have to break in the NFL.
3. Houston Texans (from Arizona): Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama
With so many potential franchise quarterbacks coming out this year, there was no way Anderson was going to be the first overall pick. But he was projected as the top non-QB prospect in the draft and was the best defensive player selected. He racked up 34 1/2 sacks and 62 tackles for loss in 41 games at Alabama.
4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Richardson is 6-foot-4 and just shy of 250 pounds. He's the most intriguing quarterback prospect in the class with Cam Newton-type size, athleticism, and arm strength. But he's still very raw. He had 13 career starts and only 393 pass attempts in three seasons at Florida. He'll need to work on his mechanics and become a more accurate passer in the pros.
5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
As a senior, Witherspoon is a rarity by being selected this high in the NFL draft. He's a physical and disruptive defensive back who is aggressive on the field but patient in life. He didn't play football until midway through high school and spent a year at a junior college before going to Illinois, where he took a huge leap as a senior to become one of the nation's best players.
6. Arizona Cardinals (from L.A. Rams through Detroit): Paris Johnson Jr. OT, Ohio State
Johnson's arrival gives the Cardinals a potential franchise cornerstone who can protect quarterback Kyler Murray for years to come.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
Wilson could boost a pass rush that struggled outside of end Maxx Crosby. The Raiders were 30th last season with 1.6 sacks per game. Wilson made 14 tackles for loss and sevens sacks last year at Texas A&M, making 10 starts before a foot injury ended his season. He was a second-team AP All-American.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Vision, burst, finishing power and reliable hands make Robinson one of the best running back prospects in the past decade. Will need to be more decisive in hitting holes in the NFL. His 3,410 career yards rushing rank behind only Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Earl Campbell (all four-year players) in Texas history
9. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina through Chicago): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Carter is a 313-pound defensive-stopper with power and quickness who collapses pockets as deftly as he splits double teams. The Eagles selected him ninth overall but he might have gone even higher were it not for questions about his maturity and legal problems. He's on probation after pleading no contest to reckless driving and racing, charges related to an auto accident that killed a Georgia teammate and a football staffer.
10. Chicago Bears (from New Orleans through Philadelphia): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Thick and feisty blocker who played more comfortably at right tackle than left. Held up about as well as any offensive lineman in the Southeastern Conference against Alabama star pass rusher Will Anderson.
11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Explodes off the line with power and balance. Locks up defenders in the running game. Legitimate concerns about whether he has the length to stay at tackle at the next level. A three-year starter at left tackle after being a blue-chip recruit
12. Detroit Lions (from Cleveland through Houston): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Explosive and shifty runner, with excellent hands, but doesn't run with tackle-breaking power. Averaged 11.7 yards per reception over three seasons at Georgia Tech and Alabama.
13. Green Bay Packers: Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa
Van Ness wasn't a starter for Iowa last season, but he still had 11 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks. The former high school hockey player earned the nickname "Hercules" for his strength and showed plenty of versatility at Iowa by lining up at both tackle and end.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (from New England): Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Excellent athlete (former high school basketball player) who has some questions about his build being ideal to play tackle in the NFL. Was never called for holding during his college career
15. New York Jets: Will McDonald IV, LB, Iowa State
McDonald is a long and explosive edge rusher with good bend and closing burst. He has the foot speed to win with weave moves and flashes an effective spin move. He doesn't gear down when he gets double-teamed or doesn't win with his first move, and he frequently gets his hands up in passing windows. He's light for an edge defender but he shoots his hands and rarely stays blocked.
16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
Forbes had six interceptions, including three returned for a touchdown, in his third and final season in Starkville. With six career pick-6s, he's tied for the most of any college player since 1976.
17. New England Patriots (from Pittsburgh): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Gonzalez, who transferred to Oregon after two seasons at Colorado, has a versatile skillset and was effective both in coverage and against the run, notching four interceptions and 50 tackles last season.
18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
The 6-foot-4, 249-pound Campbell became the first player in school history to win the Butkus Award as college football's best linebacker.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt
Kancey was the 19th player drafted Thursday night and will be expected to bolster the pass rush and contribute right away on a team despite the Bucs going 8-9 in Brady's final season and coming off winning consecutive NFC South titles for the first time in franchise history. He's been compared to former Pitt DL and NFL star Aaron Donald.
20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Smith-Njigba had a breakout season in 2021 when he had 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and dominated the Rose Bowl against Utah with 15 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He played just 60 snaps last season because of a lingering left hamstring injury. He finished with five catches for 43 yards and appeared in only three games.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Johnston led the Horned Frogs in receiving the last three years. He had 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and eight touchdowns last season as TCU went from unranked at the beginning of the season to the College Football Playoff title game, which it lost to Georgia
22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Flowers shined last season for a bad Boston College team, catching 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. He gives Lamar Jackson another weapon now that the Ravens QB has agreed to a new deal.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, Southern Cal
Addison was the fourth consecutive wide receiver taken after none went in the first 19 slots. The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner for the nation's top wide receiver at Pittsburgh, the speedy and polished Addison transferred to USC for his final college season. He creates separation with a combination of quickness and burst out of breaks, but he is undersized and that could limit him to the slot.
24. New York Giants (from Jacksonville): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
Banks is a physical press-zone corner with the fluidity and top-end speed to turn and run with any receiver. While his technique needs to get better, he has the strength and length to reroute receivers. A little finesse might help him in coverage. He missed 11 games in 2021 with a shoulder injury.
25. Buffalo Bills: (from Jacksonville): Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Kincaid is an efficient route runner who has big hands and plucks the ball out of the air. He accelerates quickly and has the ability to make the first defender miss and break tackles after the catch. He needs to refine routes and gain strength.
26. Dallas Cowboys, Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
A bit of a surprise here, but Smith is an outstanding run defender and one of the strongest prospects in the 2023 class. His ability to clog the middle and make plays within the tackle box is outstanding. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun possession charge last year for failing to register a weapon he had legally purchased.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Buffalo): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
The 6-4, 315 Harrison has the strength to move defenders when his technique is sound and he has a finisher's mentality in the run game. He's an effective combo and second-level blocker with the range to lock up defenders in space.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
Murphy is a high-motor pass-rusher who has great takeoff quickness. He uses his long arms to neutralize offensive linemen and closes well. He's an instinctive run defender with the strength and length to stack and shed offensive tackles.
29. New Orleans (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver): Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Bresee is a dominant run defender with the strength to stack and shed blockers. He has the quick hands and feet to slip and split linemen. As a pass-rusher, he needs to improve his ability to string together multiple moves.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia
Smith may have fallen this far because of his smaller size, but his take-off speed, change-of-direction skills and closing burst jump off the tape. He tries to win with speed too much and lacks some polish, but he has an effective stop-start move that gets offensive tackles off-balance. He has a high ceiling as a pass rusher. The Eagles, already the NFC champions, just got scarier on Day 1 of the draft.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State
Anudike-Uzomah is a tenacious edge defender who chases the quarterback and pursues the run with relentless effort. As a pass-rusher, he can beat offensive tackles with speed, power and his hands. As a run defender, he has the burst and speed to slip blocks.
NO FUN FOR SOME
Not every team has a draft pick in the first round. The Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers will sit the first night out unless they make a trade.
Four of the five teams are out of the first round because of trades. The one exception is the Dolphins.
The NFL punished the franchise by taking away its 2023 first-round and 2024 third-round picks after a probe found the team tampered with quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton.
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The Associated Press and ESPN contributed.
