NFL Draft 2023 Results: Winners and Losers of Day 1
The first round of the NFL Draft has come and gone. Several NFL hopefuls saw their names called. There were a few surprises and a lot of moves in draft order, with teams trading back and forth.
Naturally, there are some winners and losers every single year. Getting the right prospects can be a win, but accumulating picks can also be a win as there are different ways to succeed in the draft.
Here's who did well and who didn't on day one:
Winner: Carolina Panthers
Though they only made one pick, the Carolina Panthers are winners. Their pick was totally uncontested, but with odds for them to pick Will Levis skyrocketing and their penchant for making the wrong decision, this was no slam dunk. They got their guy in Bryce Young and suddenly, they're a real contender in the NFC South.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts were probably sitting with bated breath. They'd seen Young go as expected and then a surprise C.J. Stroud pick by the Houston Texans. As such, they might have been worried about losing Anthony Richardson. Fortunately for them, the Texans swooped back for Will Anderson Jr., so the Colts got their man.
Winner: Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter could have gone anywhere on Day 1, but he ended up going to the team most suited to his skillset: the Philadelphia Eagles. Legal troubles meant he slid and he ended up becoming a part of last year's most dominant front seven. It's hard to envision a better scenario for him.
Winner: Justin Fields
Justin Fields needs help and protection. The Chicago Bears, after wheeling and dealing from first overall to 10th, grabbed Darnell Wright, one of the top tackles available.
Winner: Geno Smith
Geno Smith is perhaps this draft's biggest winner. With two chances to do so, the Seattle Seahawks opted not to draft his eventual successor in Will Levis. They also landed the first wide receiver off the board in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Is there a better wide receiver trio than Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett?
Winner: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson won big time. He became the highest-paid NFL player ever hours before and avoided any trade rumors on draft night. He then watched his team select Zay Flowers to pair with Odell Beckham Jr.
Winner: Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins won, too. The Minnesota Vikings had a prime opportunity to select his eventual successor in Will Levis, but opted to go with Jordan Addison to give Cousins another weapon instead.
Loser: Will Levis
Will Levis was potentially going to be the No. 1 overall pick. Then he wasn't. He wasn't the second, third, fourth or any of those picks. All the quarterback needy teams selected others or waited for him to slide rather than trade up.
He ended up sliding completely out of the first round, which was a huge surprise. Levis will find a home in the end, but he's lost millions on this slide.
Loser: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions traded down from sixth overall to 12th and then decided to use the pick on Jahmyr Gibbs when all the wide receiver and tight end prospects were there, as well as a litany of top defensive prospects. It was a surprising selection to put it kindly.
Loser: Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers watched the top wide receiver prospect in Jaxon Smith-Njigba fall all the way to one pick before theirs. Then, they selected the boom-or-bust Quentin Johnston. It's not a bad pick, but going from Smith-Njigba to Johnston is far from a win.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys lost. They were linked to top running back Bijan Robinson, who got selected eighth overall. They had also been linked to Dalton Kincaid, a top tight end prospect, but the Buffalo Bills traded up to get him one pick before the Cowboys could even try.