With week eleven of the NFL season on the horizon, teams will already be looking toward their future selections in April. The Philadelphia Eagles could lose every game from here on out and still pick within the latter half of the first round. However, not every team has the luxury of being undefeated, at the moment. Notably, there may be some trades involving draft compensation either on draft day or leading up to it. So, take every prediction with a grain of salt. With all this being said, who will be the top three picks come April? Buckle up, as we will be predicting NFL draft positions in this article!
Predicting the Unpredictable Draft
First of all, there needs to be a disclaimer here in the sense that we can not accurately predict the future. However, with the way things currently look, we can certainly make an educated guess. For the teams listed below, it may not be in this particular order, but these teams will more than likely select within the first five picks. Without further ado, let’s see who falls within the top three:
First Three Selection Predictions
- Carolina Panthers – Suffice it to say, there’s a reason why this team has one of the worst records in the NFL. From firing their head coach, to the struggles of the QB position, and trading Christian McCaffery. Yes, they have had their wins, granted few and far between, but losses have piled up in droves this year. Additionally, they will continue to stack the loss column most likely before the end of their 2022 campaign.
- Houston Texans- Simply put, they are competing with Carolina for the worst team in the National Football League. This new era of Houston is underwhelming, to put it kindly. However, there is a silver lining to their lackluster year. Firstly, they will more than likely select within the top five, probably within the top two picks. Secondly, they also get another first-round pick via Cleveland from the Deshaun Watson trade.
- Pittsburgh Steelers- It certainly is weird to see a Mike Tomlin-led team this high on the draft position prediction. Yet, this year has been more than underwhelming, to say the least. This is not the Steelers of yesteryear and they are struggling to find their identity without their previous household-name superstars on their roster. Perhaps they will get a fresh start, as they will most likely select early next April.
Other Contenders for top Draft Positions
- Las Vegas- The Raiders are not looking good this season. They look bad, really bad. A 2-6 record has fans, analysts, and possibly ownership thinking of dumping Josh McDaniels before the end of the year. If they do end up relieving McDaniels of his coaching position, I imagine the freefall from it will land them with a favorable spot in the 2023 draft.
- Seattle Seahawks- Before you alert the national guard for this take, let me remind you that the Seahawks possess the Broncos’ first-round pick this year (via the Russell Wilson trade). Currently, Denver is 3-6 and does not have a lot of optimism to improve. Jerry Jeudy is injured (unknown severity at this time), Russell Wilson has not been cooking gourmet meals (as promised), nor does the coaching staff know how to adjust. It’s a recipe for a disaster in the Mile High City and Seattle gets to reap the benefits.
- Arizona Cardinals- The desert is an unforgiving environment and the Cardinals are no exception to its wrath. The 3-6 record so far was not what people expected out of a Kyler Murray-led offense. Kliff Kingsbury has also been openly criticized for his lackluster record as a head coach. Rumor has it Kingsbury might not be at the helm of this team before the end of the season, and Kyler Murray might have to answer to the bench as well. Regardless, the gauntlet of the NFL season does not look favorable to the Arizona Cardinals. And that’s why they might find themselves selecting near the top of the first round in Kansas City.
TL//DR: Predicting NFL Draft Positions
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