We are halfway to football season, folks! The 2023 NFL Draft took place this past week, and there’s lots that happened. From friends getting drafted to numerous trades, the Draft was the talk of the sports industry. With a total of 259 picks, let’s dive into all the highlights!

FIRST ROUND, FIRST PICK

In March, the Chicago Bears traded their Number One pick to the Carolina Panthers. And the first pick in the first round was none other than quarterback Bryce Young from the University of Alabama. He said, “It’s just such a wealth of knowledge, and for me, I am going to try to be a sponge and soak it all in.” The player is already garnering potential Rookie of the Year buzz. He finished his career at Alabama with a 65.8% completion rate, 8,356 passing yards, and 87 touchdowns. 

FIRST ROUND, SECOND PICK

Following with the second pick, the Houston Texans chose quarterback C.J. Stroud from Ohio State University -- another Rookie of the Year candidate! Stroud received a low test score pre-Draft and said, “This was all probably just a humble moment God wanted me to go through.” He’s a 2-time Heisman Trophy finalist and threw for 3,688 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. 

Fun Fact: Young and Stroud have been friends ever since middle school and met at a camp in California! They became rivals for the Heisman Trophy their first year in college and are now members of different teams in the National League. 

TRADES

In the first round, many trades happened. The Texans moved up to 3 after trading Will Anderson and their 105th pick. Then the Cardinals traded back to Number 6 where the Detroit Lions went to 12 and received two more picks. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to 9 with the Chicago Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 14 from the New England Patriots, and the New York Giants traded to 24 from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The final trade from the first round was the Buffalo Bills moving to 25 from the Jaguars.

MOST PICKS

As you know, there are many different conferences in the NCAA. But which had the most drafts this year? The SEC had a total of 62 picks, Big Ten with 55, ACC 32, and Big 12 with 30. The Pac-12 picked 27, AAC 10, then the Sun Belt with 9. Independent tied with MAC for 7, then MWC with 5, Conference USA 3, and from the FCS/Division II was 12.

HISTORICAL  MOMENTS

Time for the most special part -- historical moments! To begin, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud being drafted as one and two was the first time that the first two picks were both African-American quarterbacks. Plus, this was the first time since 2017 that two running backs were chosen in the top 12. And a heartfelt moment -- With the Number 212 pick, the Dallas Cowboys chose the Kansas State running back, Deuce Vaughn. But the best part was, his dad works for the organization and was the one who gave him the official call and offer. So sweet!

What are you most excited for about football season?