Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is projected by many people to be the first signal-caller to go off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft. Where he will end up, however, is anyone’s guess as the Chicago Bears hold all the cards.
Right now, the situation atop the draft board is very fluid. The Bears own the No. 1 overall pick and have played things close to the vest. They could opt to trade back and continue building the roster up around Justin Fields. Or, they could trade Fields and select Bryce Young themselves.
General managers came away from the Senior Bowl not feeling sold on the Bears keeping Fields. If that is the route they take, Bryce Young will be heading to the Windy City. However, a lot can change between now and the 2023 NFL Draft that starts on April 27th.
There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams that should do everything in their power to move up the draft board. Here are three teams that should go all-out to make a deal that puts them in a position to select Bryce Young.
The Seahawks being on this list is contingent on what happens with Geno Smith during free agency. All signs are pointing toward a reunion between the two sides, but you never know what can happen. Turning 33 in October, this is likely the last chance Smith will have to cash in on a lucrative deal and if a team presents him with one, he could jump at it.
There is also the off chance that Seattle doesn’t want to commit a lucrative, long-term deal to Smith and will look for long-term options. Thanks to their trade with the Denver Broncos for Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have the assets to move up the draft board should they choose to.
Seattle has the Nos. 6 and 20 picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and Nos. 38 and 52 in the second round. That is more than enough ammunition to jump to the top of the board and select Bryce Young if the opportunity presented itself.
The Texans improved drastically in the last few weeks of the 2022 season. That resulted in them winning two out of their last three games and costing them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In desperate need of a quarterback, they have to do whatever it takes to ensure they are in a position to select the signal caller they have ranked No. 1 on their board. If that happens to be Bryce Young, making a trade up with the Bears is imperative.
Armed with five picks in the first 74 selections, the Texans have the assets to make a trade up one spot. Houston has the extra draft capital courtesy of the Deshaun Watson trade with the Cleveland Browns.
The Colts are sitting in the No. 4 spot in the 2023 NFL Draft. Normally, that wouldn’t be too bad of a spot to be in. But, there is a good chance at least two, if not three, quarterbacks go off the board before they are on the clock. With quarterback being arguably their biggest need, they need to aggressively pursue a move up.
Indianapolis may have to dip into future draft capital to jump up from the No. 4 spot, which they should be willing to do. It would pain them for years to come if they didn’t make a move and Bryce Young ends up flourishing with a team such as the Texans, who the Colts face twice a year in the AFC South.
After seeing the work that new head coach Shane Steichen did with Jalen Hurts on the Philadelphia Eagles, the Colts front office should do everything they can to bring a young signal-caller into the building for him to work with.
