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The race for the Lombardi Trophy is officially on following the conclusion of the regular season, but future Super Bowl titles will be hanging in the balance in April as well.
That's when the Chicago Bears will select first in the 2023 NFL draft as teams look to find the foundational cornerstones who will take them from vying for draft position to battling for playoff seeding.
Here's a look at the updated order of picks, per Tankathon, as well as some key questions ahead of the draft.
1. Chicago Bears
2. Houston Texans
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos)
6. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams)
7. Las Vegas Raiders
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints)
11. Tennessee Titans
12. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns)
13. New York Jets
14. New England Patriots
15. Green Bay Packers
16. Washington Commanders
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Detroit Lions
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Seattle Seahawks
21. Jacksonville Jaguars
22. Miami Dolphins (forfeited)
23. New York Giants
24. Baltimore Ravens
25. Los Angeles Chargers
26. Dallas Cowboys
27. Cincinnati Bengals
28. Minnesota Vikings
29. Denver Broncos (via San Francisco 49ers)
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles
Will Alabama Players Go 1 and 2?
Alabama fans surely didn't enjoy missing the College Football Playoff with two losses this season, but the NFL draft could provide something of a silver lining for the program if its top playmakers are the first two names called.
Quarterback Bryce Young and pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. were two of the most dominant players in the history of a program that is filled with accolades, championships and All-Americans.
Young won the 2021 Heisman Trophy, while Anderson finished fifth in the voting as a defensive player that same season. The pass-rusher was the No. 1 overall player on the latest big board from B/R's NFL Scouting Department and was also listed as the best power-rusher and run-stopper among edge-rushers.
Young was the No. 13 overall player and No. 2 quarterback who was listed as the most accurate passer.
Top quarterbacks are always contenders to go first overall at the NFL draft, but the Bears could very well look to trade their pick since Justin Fields is the franchise signal-caller. Combine that with their desperate need of impact players across the roster, and teams who want Young or another quarterback may be calling Chicago ahead of the draft.
Which Quarterback Will be Taken First?
Young might be the No. 1 overall pick.
Or he might not even be the first player taken at his respective position.
Quarterbacks are always under the brightest spotlight during the predraft process with interviews, the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days. And this year will be no different, with Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis all potential early picks.
Despite a heartbreaking one-point loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff, Stroud helped his cause by demonstrating more mobility as both a runner and in the pocket than in the past all while torching the Bulldogs' secondary with his arm throughout the contest.
The 21-year-old deserved better than a loss, but the Buckeyes defense allowed 42 points and their top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., was knocked out of the game by a questionable hit that was initially called targeting and then overturned upon review.
Throw in Ohio State missing a field goal in the final seconds after Stroud put it in position to win, and the quarterback who is top at his position on B/R's NFL Scouting Department's big board was more than worthy of earning a shot at the national title.
Levis didn't play under quite the same spotlight as Stroud did at Ohio State or Young at Alabama, but the Wildcats star is someone who could impress during the buildup to the draft with a strong arm and perhaps convince a team to take a chance on him in the early picks.
Will There Be a Running Back Taken in the 1st Round?
It's no secret that running backs aren't valued in the NFL nearly as much as they used to be, and that has been reflected come draft day in recent years.
The last running back taken in the top 20 picks was Saquon Barkley, who went No. 2 overall in 2018 to the New York Giants. There wasn't a single RB taken in the entire first round last year, with Iowa State's Breece Hall being the first one off the board at No. 36 overall to the New York Jets.
However, Bijan Robinson could change that trend this year.
The Texas star was listed as the No. 4 overall player on the big board by B/R's NFL Scouting Department, which is ahead of all the quarterbacks and behind only defensive linemen.
While his running stands out, so does his ability to stay on the field. He was also listed as the best third-down back and the one with the best hands at his position. That type of versatility will translate to an NFL that is so dependent on big plays and moving the chains with the passing attack.
Whether Robinson's talent is enough to outweigh recent running back trends remains to be seen, but he is someone who will instantly make whichever offense he is inserted into much better in 2023.
