Raiders buying and selling up, Texans passing on a QB, and different 2023 NFL Draft rumors

Fortunately, the 2023 NFL Draft is lower than every week away. All 32 groups are within the means of finalizing their draft boards, and waiting for Thursday night time when the Carolina Panthers are formally on the clock.

All expectations have the Panthers drafting a quarterback with that choice, and all indicators are pointing to Carolina including Alabama quarterback Bryce Younger with that choice.

After that, nonetheless? It appears all bets are off.

We’ll give into what the Houston Texans may do when they’re on the clock with the second-overall choice, whether or not the Las Vegas Raiders are a group to observe for a commerce up within the first spherical, whether or not C.J. Stroud is certainly sliding, and extra rumors because the 2023 NFL Draft approaches.

May the Texans stun us all?

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Because the 2022 NFL season gave technique to the 2023 NFL Draft season, each analyst and reporter believed that the Houston Texans had been a lock to draft a quarterback with the primary of their two choices within the first spherical.

Nevertheless, when the Panthers pulled off their commerce with the Chicago Bears, leapfrogging forward of the Texans and into the first-overall spot, the dialog shifted. As an alternative of the Texans being in place to draft the primary quarterback on the board, now they had been looking at maybe QB2.

Nonetheless many — myself included — believed the Texans would forge forward with a quarterback, whether or not it was Younger or C.J. Stroud. However that concept has taken successful in latest days, with insiders akin to Matt Miller, Adam Schefter, and Lance Zierlein floating the notion that the Texans may go on a quarterback and draft a defensive participant, and even commerce out of the second-overall spot.

For instance, in accordance with Miller of ESPN, the Texans will not be offered on any of the quarterbacks besides Younger, and even have reservations relating to Alabama go rusher Will Anderson Jr.

Throughout his pre-draft press convention Nick Caserio, the Texans normal supervisor, addressed the thought of Houston buying and selling out of that spot. “We’ve acquired some calls on the quantity 2 decide,” Caserio stated throughout his press convention. “If you wish to quote me… Are we open for enterprise? We’re open to listening.”

Houston handed on an opportunity to commerce with Chicago?

The Texans transferring down within the first spherical just isn’t the one rumor floating round NFL circles because the draft approaches.

There are additionally rumors that Houston and Caserio handed up on an opportunity to maneuver as much as the first-overall spot in a commerce with the Bears.

In accordance to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston, the Texans had been certainly in discussions with Chicago for a transfer to the first-overall spot, however balked on the thought of sending each of their first-round picks to the Bears. Houston countered with the second-overall choice, in addition to the 2024 first-round decide the Texans acquired from the Cleveland Browns within the Deshaun Watson commerce, however the Bears went in one other course.

May the Las Vegas Raiders transfer up within the draft for a QB?

So if the Texans are transferring again within the first spherical, who may probably come up in a cope with them?

That group could possibly be the Las Vegas Raiders, in accordance with some latest chatter across the league.

Las Vegas added free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, however the Raiders have been linked with a few of the incoming quarterbacks all through this draft course of. Throughout his media session on the 2023 NFL Scouting Mix, previous to signing Garoppolo, McDaniels mentioned thought of discovering a long-term quarterback resolution for the Raiders;

“I imply, I believe there’s at all times urgency at that place. Look, the aim for us finally is to have someone that’s going to be right here for a very long time. I believe that, , you see the groups which can be having success proper now, in our league, I might say in our convention, and particularly in our division. they’re younger gamers that had been drafted by their golf equipment, they usually’re being developed there beneath the identical continuity. And so I believe that finally, sure. Do I believe you need to do this should you’re unsure or not offered on the participant, and now you’re making a mistake, simply to attempt to say that you just’re fixing an issue, I don’t suppose that’s actually a smart move. So we’re gonna do every thing we will do to judge each participant at that place, each within the draft and free company and attempt to do what we will do to enhance the room. I imply, there’s definitely going to be plenty of gamers added at that place. Proper now solely Chase Garbers is beneath contract. So we’ll have a look at every thing we will have a look at however the aim finally is to attempt to have a younger participant right here, that’s going to be a Raider for a very long time.”

Now there are experiences that as an alternative of simply seeing what quarterback is offered when the Raiders are on the clock with the seventh-overall choice, Las Vegas might entertain buying and selling up for a quarterback they like. On Thursday’s episode of Get Up, ESPN insider Dianna Russini point out that the Raiders may be keen to come back as much as the third-overall decide — at present held by the Arizona Cardinals — if a quarterback they like is offered:

“Arizona actually needs to maneuver out of that No. 3 spot. Groups have been having conversations with Arizona, and Arizona may be very open to transferring out. So, if the Raiders see a quarterback that they’re in love with, they’re keen to maneuver up there and maybe have some conversations to go get their man,” stated Russini on Thursday.

Nonetheless, there’s a probability Las Vegas stays put, in accordance with Russini, and addresses the opposite facet of the soccer. “However that being stated,” added Russini, “protection is the main target from what I can collect from having a few conversations with the place they wish to go.”

Is C.J. Stroud actually falling?

In a draft class the place a number of quarterback are thought-about to be coming off the board inside the highest ten, an Ohio State passer is all of a sudden falling out of favor because the draft approaches.

No, this isn’t the 2021 NFL Draft and we aren’t speaking about Justin Fields, as an alternative it’s the 2023 NFL Draft and we’re speaking about C.J. Stroud.

With rumors swirling that groups are decrease on Stroud than media consensus, and rumblings that the Ohio State passer didn’t rating in addition to the opposite QBs on the S2 Cognitive check, the most recent pre-draft examination NFL groups are turning in the direction of as they transfer away from the Wonderlic, may Stroud truly be falling down draft boards? Will Brinson of CBS Sports activities not too long ago mocked Stroud to the Tennessee Titans on the Eleventh-overall choice, pairing the Ohio State QB with Mike Vrabel, one other former Buckeye.

Is Stroud truly falling? These tales about him have the texture of a basic pre-draft smokescreen, and that the Ohio State QB nonetheless comes off the board on the prime of the primary spherical.

However I’m sufficiently old to recollect saying the identical actual factor about Fields, earlier than he slipped deeper into the primary spherical than anticipated.

Are the Detroit Lions warming as much as Jalen Carter?

Photograph by Steve Limentani/ISI Pictures/Getty Photos

Earlier within the draft cycle, there have been experiences that the Detroit Lions harbored reservations about Georgia defensive deal with Jalen Carter. Former Lions offensive guard T.J. Lang addressed these points not too long ago on a radio look. Talking on 97.1 The Ticket, the Lions’ flagship radio station, Lang had this to say:

“When you simply activate the movie and watched this child play and by no means interviewed him, it might be a rattling simple course of for him. He’s the most effective three skills on this draft class. And I put extra inventory into that,” stated Lang. “However should you’re the Lions, a group that has labored so exhausting the final two years to do that factor proper, to usher in the proper guys with the proper traits and proper sort of leaders, should you get it unsuitable with one participant at No. 6 that’s going to come back in feeling some type of immortality, it may go sideways actually fast.”

Nevertheless, is the temper shifting inside Detroit following a pre-draft assembly with Carter? The group met with the gifted defensive deal with not too long ago, and Brad Holmes, the group’s normal supervisor, provided this throughout his pre-draft press convention Thursday. “Yeah he got here in and he did a pleasant job,” Holmes stated when chatting with the media. “Yeah, once more, it’s at all times case-by-case. [Carter] got here in, we loved our time with him, he did a pleasant job. I’ll say even after he left our go to, I felt higher on him.”

If quarterbacks do certainly come off the board inside the first 5 choices, the Lions could possibly be able to draft Carter with the sixth-overall choice. Whereas which may have appeared unlikely every week in the past, maybe the percentages are rising of such a pairing subsequent Thursday night time.