The Sportsletter - Draft Dreams 🏈

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 28, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

The 2023 NFL Draft was as mysterious as it’s ever been, and it led to a full evening of twists and turns on Day 1. If there were winners in Round 1, there must have been losers, too. And the Ravens made Lamar Jackson the new highest-paid player in the NFL. We pause the NBA and NHL Playoff coverage for NFL Draft mania. Six more rounds are on the way…

Letter Rip!

NFL DRAFT

Draft Dreams: Round 1 Rewind

Image via Giphy

Panthers Select Alabama QB Bryce Young No. 1 Overall; Plus Winners & Losers From the 1st Round

A night 31 players will never forget! The opening round of the NFL Draft took over Kansas City for a league-altering evening of selections. There was drama, trades, surprises, steals and slides. Three quarterbacks went in the first four picks, including the Panthers selecting Alabama QB Bryce Young No. 1 overall. The Texans took over with picks No. 2 and 3 by maneuvering their draft capital. They got Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. before the Colts took the high-upside Florida QB Anthony Richardson. After that, chaos commenced. The Lions took some head-scratchers. The Eagles became Georgia North. And Kentucky QB Will Levis is still on the board heading into Round 2. Here’s how the first round shook out:

2023 NFL Draft

1. Panthers: QB Bryce Young (Alabama)

2. Texans: QB C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)

3. Texans: OLB Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama)

4. Colts: QB Anthony Richardson (Florida)

5. Seahawks: CB Devon Witherspoon (Illinois)

6. Cardinals: OT Paris Johnson Jr. (Ohio State)

7. Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech)

8. Falcons: RB Bijan Robinson (Texas)

9. Eagles: DT Jalen Carter (Georgia)

10. Bears: OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee)

1-10 Analysis: The top-10 played out with a few twists, including the Texans trading back up from No. 12 to No. 3 to select OLB Will Anderson Jr. after using the No. 2 pick on QB C.J. Stroud. The Cardinals — who moved out of the third pick — moved back up to No. 6 (from Lions) to get the top offensive lineman in Paris Johnson Jr. The Falcons found their feature back of the future with Bijan Robinson before the Eagles traded up one spot with the Bears to nab DT Jalen Carter, arguably the best prospect with the most questions off the field.

Picks 11-20

11. Titans: OT Peter Skoronski (Northwestern)

12. Lions: RB Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama)

13. Packers: DE Lukas Van Ness (Iowa)

14. Steelers: OT Broderick Jones (Georgia)

15. Jets: OLB Will McDonald IV (Iowa State)

16. Commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes (Miss. State)

17. Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez (Oregon)

18. Lions: LB Jack Campbell (Iowa)

19. Buccaneers: DT Calijah Kancey (Pittsburgh)

20. Seahawks: WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba (Ohio State)

11-20 Analysis: The teens started as expected with the Titans taking the talented Skoronski to shore up the offensive line, but then things got weird. The Lions shocked the draft with the selection of RB Jahmyr Gibbs way earlier than expected before the Steelers moved up to nab OT Broderick Jones. The Lions then added another head-scratcher with LB Jack Campbell — a projected 2nd-round pick — before the Seahawks kickstarted a run of four-straight receivers (see below).

Picks 21-31

21. Chargers: WR Quentin Johnston (TCU)

22. Ravens: WR Zay Flowers (Boston College)

23. Vikings: WR Jordan Addison (USC)

24. Giants: CB Deonte Banks (Maryland)

25. Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid (Utah)

26. Cowboys: DT Mazi Smith (Michigan)

27. Jaguars: OT Anton Harrison (Oklahoma)

28. Bengals: DE Myles Murphy (Clemson)

29. Saints: DT Bryan Bresee (Clemson)

30. Eagles: OLB Nolan Smith (Georgia)

31. Chiefs: DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas State)

21-31 Analysis: The receiver run went four straight from 20-23, but it was the Ravens with WR Zay Flowers — another piece for QB Lamar Jackson — who might’ve made the biggest splash. Multiple teams traded picks in the back of Round 1. The Bills took the first and only tight end of the first round before a pair of Clemson defensive linemen. And the Eagles — one of the biggest winners of Round 1 — stole another Georgia star at No. 30.

NFL DRAFT

Winners, Losers & Best Available

Photo: David Eullitt / Getty Images

Winners: Texans, Eagles & Seahawks

Three of the four teams with multiple first-round picks were the biggest winners of Day 1. The Texans used their draft capital from last year’s Deshaun Watson trade to nab the No. 2 and No. 3 picks. The Eagles were also big winners with the two Georgia defenders. And the Seahawks nailed both picks with the top cornerback and top wide receiver on the board.

Honorable Mention (Winners): Colts, Cardinals, Falcons, Patriots, Ravens, Bills & Bucs

Losers: Lions, Steelers & Cowboys

The Lions also had two first-round picks, but they moved out of the top-10 and used No. 12 on running back Jahmyr Gibbs — a player who likely would’ve been there at their 18th pick. And they used No. 18 on a linebacker with a second-round grade. Detroit’s picks weren’t bad, but they reached on two players way above their projected value. The Steelers also moved up three spots to go offensive line, and the Cowboys passed on TE Michael Mayer to grab a defensive tackle with a second-round grade.

Teams Without 1st-Round Picks: Rams, Dolphins, Broncos, Browns & 49ers

Best Available Players: QB Will Levis (Kentucky), CB Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State), TE Michael Mayer (Notre Dame), DE Keion White (Georgia Tech), S Brian Branch (Alabama), TE Luke Musgrave (Oregon State), QB Hendon Hooker (Tennessee), OG Steve Avila (TCU), OG O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida), WR Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee)

One round down. Six to go.

NFL Draft Schedule

Rounds 2-3: Today (7:00 pm ET)

Rounds 4-7: Tomorrow (Noon ET)

Additional Storylines

PFF: 2023 NFL Draft: Grades & Analysis for All 31 First-Round Picks

SI: NFL Draft 2023: Best Available Players for Day 2

The Ringer: Winners & Losers From Round 1 of the NFL Draft

USA Today: Bryce Young’s Status as No. 1 Selection Comes With Loftiest of Expectations

B/R: Will Levis Toe Injury Cause of Draft-Day Slide; Team Feels QB May Need Surgery

Yahoo! Sports: Eagles & Cardinals Settle Jonathan Gannon Tampering Investigation With Draft-Day Trade

NFL

Ravens Ride With LJ 💰

Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

Ravens Make QB Lamar Jackson Highest-Paid Player With $260 Million Draft-Day Extension

One more offseason quarterback saga found a resolution just a few hours before the draft. The Ravens and QB Lamar Jackson agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension with $185 million guaranteed. The deal comes after two months of a negotiation standoff and makes Jackson the highest-paid player (annual value) in NFL history. The 2019 NFL MVP has long been criticized for acting as his own agent and failing to get his full value, until yesterday. The Ravens also added WR Odell Beckham Jr. in the offseason before drafting WR Zay Flowers last night.

Highest Paid QBs in NFL

1. Lamar Jackson (BAL): $52 Million / Year

2. Jalen Hurts (PHI): $51 Million / Year

3. Aaron Rodgers (NYJ): $50.3 Million / Year

4. Russell Wilson (DEN): $48.5 Million / Year

5. Kyler Murray (ARI): $46.1 Million / Year

Editor’s Note: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ deal ($450 Million) is the largest overall at $45 million per year over 10 years.

Another quarterback gets the bag. Next up? Joe Burrow (Bengals) and Justin Herbert (Chargers).

Additional Storylines

Yahoo!: Ravens All Smiles After (Finally) Reaching Agreement With Lamar Jackson

The Ringer: Eight Takeaways From Lamar Jackson’s New Contract With Ravens

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA Playoffs

Gm 6: Celtics def. Hawks (128-120) | BOS Wins (4-2)

🏒 NHL Playoffs

Gm 5: Lightning def. Maple Leafs (4-2) | TOR Leads (3-2)

Gm 5: Devils def. Rangers (4-0) | NJD Leads (3-2)

Gm 5: Golden Knights def. Jets (4-1) | VGK Wins (4-1)

⚾️ MLB
Shohei Ohtani Throws 8 Ks, Nearly Hits for Historic Cycle

Pirates Beat Dodgers for 9th Win in 10 Games, Lead NL

THE STORYLINES

🏀 Brittney Griner’s Press Conference

The Phoenix Mercury center spoke to the media for the first time yesterday since she spent 10 months in a Russia prison in 2022. The tear-filled Griner was candid about her traumatic experience, stating she’ll never play overseas again. (USA Today)

🏈 Aaron Rodgers’ New Adventure

Aaron Rodgers believes he's where he needs to be. And the New York Jets' new quarterback thinks they can do big things together. The four-time NFL MVP was introduced by the team Wednesday, and he’s ready to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought. (CBS News)

⚾️ MLB Power Rankings

We're around the one-month mark of the 2023 MLB season, and while it's still too early to be paying too much attention to the standings, five of the six division leaders are teams that didn't win their divisions last year. (ESPN)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Former Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner Transferring to Alabama (ESPN)
• Aaron Rodgers Says He Couldn’t Get Packers’ Calls Due to Bad Cell Service (SI)
• Louisville Women’s Basketball Star Hailey Van Lith Transfers to Champion LSU (Yahoo! Sports)
• Jaguars LT Cam Robinson Facing 6-Game Suspension for PEDs (CBS Sports)
• Dick Groat, 8-Time MLB All-Star & Two-Sport Hall of Famer, Dies at 92 (USA Today)

🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

The NFL Draft continues with Rounds 2-7 tonight and tomorrow, and we're closing out Round 1 of the NBA and NHL Playoffs with a few potential Game 7s on the way. Here's what we're watching this weekend.

NFL Draft

Rounds 2-3 (Friday, 7:00 pm)

Rounds 4-7 (Saturday, Noon)

NBA Playoffs

Gm 6: Kings at Warriors (Fri. 8:00 pm)

Gm 6: Grizzlies at Lakers (Fri. 10:30 pm)

Gm 1: Suns at Nuggets (Sat. 8:30 pm)
Gm 1: Heat at Knicks (Sun. 1:00 pm)

Gm 7: Lakers at Grizzlies (Sun. TBD)*

Gm 7: Warriors at Kings (Sun. TBD)*

*If Necessary

NHL Playoffs

Gm 6: Hurricanes at Islanders (Fri. 7:00 pm)

Gm 6: Bruins at Panthers (Fri. 7:30 pm)

Gm 6: Stars at Wild (Fri. 9:30 pm)

Gm 6: Avalanche at Kraken (Fri. 10:00 pm)

Gm 6: Maple Leafs at Lightning (Sat. 7:00 pm)
Gm 6: Devils at Rangers (Sat. 8:00 pm)

Gm 6: Oilers at Kings (Sat. 10:00 pm)

Gm 7: Hurricanes at Islanders (Sun. TBD)*

Gm 7: Bruins at Panthers (Sun. TBD)*

Gm 7: Stars at Wild (Sun. TBD)*

Gm 7: Avalanche at Kraken (Sun. TBD)*

*If Necessary

MLB

Braves-Mets Series

Giants-Padres Series

Yankees-Rangers Series

Full MLB Weekend Schedule

Soccer

MLS Weekend Schedule

NWSL Weekend Schedule

Tennis

Madrid Open (All Weekend)

*All Times ET

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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

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