In late November, with many teams well out of the NFL’s playoff chase already, it’s certainly not too early to start thinking about the 2023 NFL Draft.
One of those teams that are well out of the playoff chase now is Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos. (Let’s be honest, they were probably out of it in early October.) And after another humiliating loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday — which included tiffs with defensive linemen and Sam Darnold literally rolling into the end zone — Denver’s latest embarrassment was a terrific gain for two other teams:
The Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.
With Carolina’s victory happening while the fumbling, bumbling Bears tried and failed to beat the Jets without Justin Fields — Chicago is now in possession of the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft. Mind you; the Bears already have their quarterback of the future in Fields. So, they could theoretically take the best non-quarterback on the board (if Alabama’s Bryce Young presumably goes No. 1 overall) or trade down for a king’s ransom to accelerate a rebuild around Fields.
Meanwhile — with the surging Seahawks and Pete Carroll in ownership of the Broncos’ 2023 first-rounder thanks to the Wilson trade — Denver’s position in the NFL’s abyss has Seattle currently slotted in at No. 4 overall. Amidst Geno Smith’s ongoing success as a redemption story and a top-notch 2022 draft class, Carroll has maybe never looked smarter while putting his team in a position for tons of future success.
Here’s the current top 10 order of the 2023 NFL Draft, courtesy of Tankathon:
There’s a ton of season left before the Bears, Seahawks (thank you, Broncos!), and these other terrible teams — like the Lions, thanks to the Rams! — can cement themselves in the top 10. But it’s not too early to consider the ramifications of what a premium draft slot might mean for the respective futures of these organizations.
Whereas some squads will be thinking about deep runs in January very soon, others should prepare themselves for a potentially fruitful April.
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