“Greed is good” exclaimed Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone’s eerily prescient 1987 film Wall Street. It’s a controversial opinion but in a capitalist society it’s undeniably true. And truth is one of the two building blocks of knowledge. The knowledge that no bookmaker is going to lose money on the NFL draft means that fans essentially have a certain idea how the 2023 draft will go just by checking the odds, so here goes.
How Bookmakers See The 2023 Draft
First Pick – Bryce Young
‘Bama quarterbacks have a mixed history in the NFL since Joe Namath’s success. AJ McCarron’s in the XFL now. Mac Jones was drafted 15th in 2021 and seems fine. However, unhelpful coaching situations in New England have ruined him. Only this season, he could blossom under Bill O’Brien, an actual offensive coordinator. Jalen Hurts was of course a fully paid-up member of the Crimson Tide crew for a while, and he scored three rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl back in February.
Young looks like a bit in the middle; he is not really a composed, clinical decision maker like Jones. He is also not over six feet tall and 223 lbs like Hurts. But it is what is, and if Carolina wants a new and exciting quarterback, and they cannot wait for Caleb Williams, then Young is their guy.
Second Pick – CJ Stroud
Ohio State quarterbacks have some stories to tell too. Art Schlichter was drafted fourth by the Colts in 1982 but a gambling addiction result in the league suspending him. Don Scott was drafted by the Bears in 1941 but world events meant he never actually played a game in the NFL. Justin Fields is looking like a potential franchise quarterback in Chicago though.
Stroud is as tall as Fields and 14 lbs lighter, but he certainly does not run like Fields. Stroud moves like a traditional, passing quarterback should. Unsurprisingly he avoided the 40-yard dash at the combine. He is rated as the best passer in the class by some, but passing to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to benefit anyone. He does not mind checking down to his running backs though which is not something all college quarterbacks do.
Third Pick – Anthony Richardson
Richardson absolutely destroyed the combine. He ran a 4.56 second 40-yard dash, the same as Cam Newton did in 2011. A 6 feet 5, 258 lbs quarterback who can move like that is going to stress a few defensive coordinators. Next Gen Stats gave Richardson an estimated athleticism score of 99, unsurprisingly the best for any quarterback.
His high ceiling makes him the unicorn in the 2023 draft but questions over his passing accuracy mean his floor is lower than the first two quarterback. Some questioned Josh Allen’s accuracy before he was drafted too; he seems to be alright now though.
Fourth Pick – Will Levis
Levis is also fairly massive, he’s 6 feet 4 and weighed in at 229 lbs at the combine. He recorded the third fastest throw (59 mph) at the combine behind UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Richardson. Levis might have the biggest arm in the class, but he did throw 23 interceptions in his last 24 games for Kentucky. His careless disregard for his own safety will be a slight concern to some too.
Fifth Pick – It’s tie
Tyree Wilson and Will Anderson Jr. Are joint favourites to be picked fifth in the 2023 draft. They’re both exceptional talents. Wilson is huge and strong enough to move offensive linemen out of his way. He’s also quick enough to take blockers by surprise. However, he missed the combine with a broken foot.
Anderson is a speed rusher who can find his way into the backfield before some big left tackles have even moved. Presumably the chances of a team moving up in the draft are somewhat muddying the waters here.
Main Image: HAL HABIB / The Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY NETWORK
