The Texans remain at the top, but they have some company knocking on the door for Thanksgiving dinner.
They, the Panthers and the Bears are the current 1-2-3 teams in the 2023 NFL Draft order, with Houston still in the driver's seat for the No. 1 overall selection after Week 11.
Whether it's the Texans or Panthers in the top spot, it's apparent that both teams will be looking at a quarterback in April. As it stands, there are two projected star passers waiting at those picks. Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are the headliners, and Kentucky's Will Levis also figures to be a top pick, although it's unclear where he may land.
And it's not just quarterbacks that teams are in on, which may be good news for the Bears, who appear to have their answer at the position with Justin Fields. Alabama edge Will Anderson is a safe bet to land in the top three, likely going No. 3 overall. He, Clemson's Myles Murphy, Alabama's Jordan Battle and Oregon's Noah Sewell headline a group that could make the first round defense-heavy.
MORE: NFL Draft big board — Top 50 players available next April
It's Thanksgiving week, and some teams have a lot to be thankful for — while others may have to wait until April to give thanks.
Here's the current draft order:
NFL Draft order 2023
This is how the draft order stands entering the Week 11 "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Chiefs and Chargers:
| Pick | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Texans | 1-8-1 |
| 2 | Carolina Panthers | 3-8 |
| 3 | Chicago Bears | 3-8 |
| 4 | Las Vegas Raiders | 3-7 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 3-7 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 3-7 |
| 7 | Houston Texans (from HOU) | 3-7 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-7 |
| 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-7 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 4-7 |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | 4-7 |
| 12 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-6 |
| 13 | Detroit Lions | 4-6 |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts | 4-6-1 |
| 15 | Atlanta Falcons | 5-6 |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | 6-5 |
| 17 | Los Angeles Chargers | 5-4 |
| 18 | New York Jets | 6-4 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-5 |
| 20 | Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA) | 5-4 |
| 21 | New England Patriots | 6-4 |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 6-4 |
| 23 | Cincinnati Bengals | 6-4 |
| 24 | Buffalo Bills | 7-3 |
| 25 | Baltimore Ravens | 7-3 |
| 26 | Tennessee Titans | 7-3 |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | 7-3 |
| 28 | New York Giants | 7-3 |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 8-2 |
| 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7-2 |
| 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | 9-1 |
Notes:
— The Eagles hold the Saints' first-round pick as part of a pick swap with New Orleans during the 2022 NFL Draft.
— The Texans hold the Browns' first-round pick as part of the Deshaun Watson trade that sent the passer to Cleveland.
— The Seahawks have the Broncos' first-round pick as compensation from the Russell Wilson trade.
— The Lions have the Rams' first-round pick because of the Matthew Stafford trade.
— The Broncos traded pass-rusher Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins for a first-round pick prior to the 2022 NFL trade deadline. That pick formerly belonged to the 49ers, who traded it to Miami as part of the package to move up to draft Trey Lance in 2021.
— The Dolphins don't have their own first-round pick after being sanctioned by the NFL for tampering violations regarding Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
MORE: Sporting News big board for 2023 NFL Draft
NFL Draft 2023 top prospects
It's early, but after a down year for passers in the 2022 NFL Draft, there could be three first-round prospects next April.
Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis will all jockey for the right to be the first quarterback off the board. Analysts and scouts currently peg the battle as being between Young and Stroud, with Levis a distant third.
If a quarterback isn't the first player off the board, then it will most definitely be Crimson Tide pass-rusher Will Anderson, a dynamic edge who's capable of disrupting the game from Day 1 in the NFL.
