Tag: draft order

NFL Network reports multiple teams willing to trade a first round pick for Sean Payton

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that multiple teams are willing to trade a first round pick ‘and more’ to the Saints for Sean Payton:

We have inferred this much already, but it’s good to have it out in public. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that each of the teams meeting with Sean Payton are willing to trade a first round draft pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the Super Bowl-winning head coach — the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans have each interviewed Payton already, while the Carolina Panthers rescheduled their sit-down following the tragic passing of Charlotte FC player Anton Walkes.

“My understanding is all of those teams would be willing to meet the asking-price of a first rounder and more, to compensate the Saints,” Rapoport said Saturday.

That’s not too surprising; the Saints owed it to themselves to verify as much before granting teams permission to speak with Payton. With that said, it’s reassuring to see that New Orleans done its due diligence to insure they’ll be well-compensated should Payton choose to coach a new team. And as Rapoport noted, a first rounder is the big piece to a trade, but the Saints will be seeking more draft assets to pad out a trade package.

What that may be depends on the team. The Broncos, for example, have a first rounder coming their way from the San Francisco 49ers which will be slotted as early as No. 25 or as late as No. 31 depending on where their playoff run ends (the Miami Dolphins forfeited a first-round pick this year, which means there are only 31 selections in the opening frame rather than the usual 32). The Texans own the No. 2 and 12 picks in the first round, whereas the Panthers control No. 9. Any of those first rounders would be the foundation for a Payton trade.

Of course this all hinges on Payton accepting one of those jobs. He could very well choose to remain at FOX Sports another year and look for a coaching gig again in 2024, should none of them appeal to him. Between meddling ownership, power-hungry front offices, and unsteady quarterback situations, each of the three potential landing-spots has warts. And as Rapoport added in his report, the NFL is waiting to see where Payton chooses to go (if anywhere) before head coach hirings around the league kick off. He’s the first big domino for the 2023 offseason.

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Early look at Colts’ 2023 draft selection order

Here is an early look at the Colts’ selections in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts enter one of the most pivotal offseasons in recent memory, and the majority of it surrounds the 2023 NFL draft.

Though we still have the majority of the offseason to get through before the draft talk really heats up, we at least have an idea of how many selections the Colts will be working with when the draft does arrive at the end of April.

It’s not official yet, of course. Some of these selections are subject to change, especially when the compensatory picks are added to the official order. As of this writing, those selections have not been added.

The Colts will have their first-round pick, something they’ve only been able to say once in their last four drafts (2019-2022). And that current slot will give them a chance to come away with a potential franchise quarterback. They have eight total selections entering the offseason.

They did not, however, earn an extra second-round pick in the second Carson Wentz trade that sent him to Washington. Wentz failed to remain the starter due to injury and thus, failed to meet the conditions of the trade so the selection remains a third-round pick.

Here’s a quick look at the early draft selection order for the Colts as the offseason begins (via Tankathon):

2023 NFL draft order: Top 23 picks locked in after wild-card round

Check out the updated first-round order for the 2023 NFL draft following wild-card weekend

The first round of the NFL playoffs is officially in the books, and after a memorable wild-card weekend, we now have five more slots in the 2023 NFL draft order locked in.

Every team that was ousted from the postseason this weekend now knows where they’ll be picking in the first round of this year’s draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Gians have slid down the board thanks to their first-round wins, while the Minnesota Vikings have leapt up the list following their upset loss at home.

Here’s an updated look at where this year’s draft order stands following wild-card weekend:

NOTE: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in next year’s draft as a result of the NFL’s investigation into tampering violations.

*remaining playoff teams TBD

Chargers 2023 first-round draft pick set

With the Chargers’ season now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season concluded Saturday night after a massive collapse to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Super Wild Card Weekend now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Chargers own the No. 21 overall pick after the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers on Monday night. Had Tampa Bay defeated Dallas, Los Angeles would’ve held the No. 20 overall selection.

The previous five players selected No. 21 overall have been cornerback Trent McDuffie (Chiefs), edge defender Kwity Paye (Colts), wide receiver Jalen Reagor (Eagles), safety Darnell Savage (Packers) and center Billy Price (Bengals).

The NFL Draft kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27th and ends on April 29th. So we’ll be spending the next three months covering potential draft prospects, and there will be mock drafts.

Why Saints should root against 49ers in rainy playoff game vs Seahawks

This is a little convoluted, but stay with us. Why the Saints should root against the 49ers in their playoff game against the Seahawks:

The New Orleans Saints aren’t competing in the NFL playoffs, but they do have some rooting interests in the postseason. And no game might matter more to them than the San Francisco 49ers’ elimination-game matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, during the opening wild-card round. But why?

Well, that’s because the 49ers’ first round pick in the 2023 NFL draft belongs to the Denver Broncos (by way of trades with the Miami Dolphins, who won this pick a few years back to help San Francisco move up for quarterback Trey Lance; Miami later sent it to Denver in exchange for star pass rusher Bradley Chubb). And the Broncos are a leading team in the Sean Payton sweepstakes. The Saints are seeking a first-round draft pick for Payton’s coaching rights, so the 49ers’ selection (again, transferring to Denver) is squarely in their sights.

So it would be nice to see that pick end up slotting early in the first round. Depending on how other wild-card round playoff games shake out, it could end up as high as No. 19 overall or as low as No. 24. Should Payton be traded to the Broncos in exchange for that pick (and, hopefully, a couple of more selections in later rounds), that would be a valuable asset for New Orleans.

And the rainy, windy conditions at Levi’s Stadium are looking like an equalizer between the red-hot 49ers and chaos-prone Seahawks. San Francisco is going into the postseason with a 10-game win streak behind them, buoyed by a fierce defensive effort and impressive play from third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, plus the electrifying midseason pickup of running back Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers are favored by 9.5 points at Tipico Sportsbook, so the oddsmakers aren’t giving Geno Smith’s Seahawks much of a chance. With thunderstorms and heavy winds in the forecast, though, it might be anyone’s game.

So root against San Francisco, Saints fans. That shouldn’t be hard given the teams’ long-running history, and it sure would be sweet to see the 49ers knocked off on the eleventh anniversary of the historic divisional-round playoff loss New Orleans suffered at old Candlestick Park. Maybe they can get some help here, even if it’s only indirectly. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT on FOX.

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Saints are scheduled to pick 41st overall in 2023 NFL draft

The Saints don’t have a first round pick (for now…), but we know where they’ll be picking in the second round:

Let’s go ahead and get it out of the way: the first-round 2023 NFL draft pick the New Orleans Saints traded to the Philadelphia Eagles will fall at No. 10 overall, which isn’t great. The Saints are probably going to get a first rounder back after trading Sean Payton’s coaching rights, but that’s not a sure thing. So when will they go on the clock in April?

Right now, the Saints are slated to make their first pick in the second round at No. 41 overall. Because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first rounder for tampering violations last year, there are only 31 picks in the 2023 first round rather than 32. That puts the Saints at No. 41 in the next frame.

But the Saints have a history of trading their picks around. They’re always eager to move up the board and target specific prospects, so it shouldn’t shock anyone if they move up from No. 41.

New Orleans also has a strong history of drafting in the second round — that’s where they’ve found standouts like cornerback Alontae Taylor (who led the team with 11 passes defensed as a rookie), linebacker Pete Werner, center Erik McCoy, safeties Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell, plus wide receiver Michael Thomas. Hopefully they’ll continue to make the best of this draft slot.

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Colts officially hold No. 4 pick in 2023 NFL draft

The Colts hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts officially hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

After losing to the Houston Texans in Week 18, the Colts secured a top-five pick. However, they got some help from the Denver Broncos, who defeated the Los Angeles Chargers to conclude their season.

That Broncos win moved the Colts up one spot in the draft order and, they will officially hold the No. 4 overall pick.

Here’s a look at the top-four picks:

  1. Chicago Bears (3-14)
  2. Houston Texans (3-13-1)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (4-13)
  4. Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1)

It will be a very interesting offseason for the Colts and having this high of a pick certainly means they are going after a quarterback. Which quarterback that will be remains to be seen, but this gives them to chance to either sit and wait to see what happens or move up for their guy.

The first order of business will be to find a new head coach. We took a look at some top candidates the Colts could consider.

Then the main focus will be finding a quarterback through the draft.

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Possible draft pick order scenarios for Colts entering finale

Here are all the possible draft order scenarios for the Colts entering the finale.

Just one game stands between the Indianapolis Colts (4-11-1) and the merciful end of the 2022 season, and all eyes are on where they will be sitting in the 2023 NFL draft order.

Entering the regular-season finale, a home game against the Houston Texans, there are only a few scenarios that would change the slot in which the Colts will be choosing from to begin their 2023 draft class at the end of April.

Currently holding the No. 5 overall pick, the Colts can get no worse than the No. 6 pick and can go no higher than the No. 3 pick.

Here are all of the draft order scenarios for the Colts entering the final week of the regular season:

2023 NFL draft: Updated 1st-round order after Week 16

Here’s what the first-round order would look like if the 2023 NFL draft took place after Week 16

We’ve only got two weeks left in the 2022 NFL regular season, and there’s still plenty of potential for movement at the top of the 2023 NFL draft order.

The Houston Texans’ upset win over the Tennessee Titans last week narrows their lead for the No. 1 overall pick, which the Chicago Bears nipping at their heels. The next three teams on the list have four wins each, so the top five slots could see some changes over the final two weeks.

Here’s what the first-round order would look like if next year’s draft took place after Week 16 (via Tankathon):

*NOTE: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in next year’s draft as a result of the NFL’s investigation into tampering violations.

Detroit Lions draft slot update entering Week 17

Tracking where the Detroit Lions first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft sit at the conclusion of Week 16

The Week 16 action wasn’t good for the Detroit Lions’ playoff aspirations, not with the team getting run over by the Carolina Panthers. It also wasn’t a great weekend for the Lions’ draft slots in the first round.

Detroit’s loss left the Lions with the No. 18 overall pick. There’s still quite a bit of mobility in either direction, depending on how the Lions fare in the final two games against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

The Los Angeles Rams hurt the value of Detroit’s other pick by blowing out the Denver Broncos 51-14 on Christmas. That Rams victory improved their record to 5-10 and moved them out of the top five. The Lions, of course, hold the Rams’ first-round pick as part of the Matthew Stafford trade in 2021.

With one game left to play in Week 16, the Lions now hold the No. 7 and No. 18 picks in the first round. Monday night’s game between the Colts and Chargers could impact that Rams’ pick, however; if the Colts win, Indianapolis improves to 5-9-1 and pushes that Rams’ pick back up to No. 6. If the Chargers win, it solidifies the acquired pick from Los Angeles outside the top five with two weeks to play.

At 7-7, the Chargers’ outcome is also pertinent to Detroit. If the Chargers lose, it makes it more likely Los Angeles doesn’t make the postseason. They would have the same record as Detroit at 7-8. The Steelers, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Packers and Seahawks and Titans are also 7-8.

The Rams have games remaining with the Chargers and Seahawks, both on the road.

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