Andy Richardson reacts to the first round of the NFL Draft as it happens. Pick discussion below. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments.

7:55 p.m. Good evening! We're finally here at the 2023 NFL Draft. In just a few minutes, Roger Goodell will announce that the Carolina Panthers are on the clock. It would be nice some time if that first team raced to the podium, shoved Goodell out of the way, and made their pick. But that's not gonna happen. With luck, we'll get that first pick by 8:10 or so. When we do, I'll talk about it below.

Add your thoughts in the comments!

8:19 p.m.

1.01. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers.

To the surprise of no one except some Reddit guy who thought it was going to be a different quarterback, Young is the pick. Nothing like a 5-foot-10, 190ish-pound quarterback going No. 1 overall to finally settle the debate over how important size is when considering a franchise quarterback. If Young flops, the blame will be assigned to his size. If he hits, it’s a win for all the undersized quarterback hopefuls out there. Size and arm strength are the concerns. Leadership, pocket awareness, reading defenses, decision-making (so, a whole lot of intangibles) are the strengths. By all accounts teams viewed him as the No. 1 of the quarterback class all along, even when there was talk of other possibilities. It will be a nice case study for how important physical attributes are (or aren’t) at the position.

This year, I don’t expect he’ll be a fantasy asset. He’s not a runner, and Carolina’s receiving group is poor. Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Hayden Hurst, perhaps Terrace Marshall can emerge – those are the guys. Work will need to be done. But long term, he’s the likeliest franchise quarterback from this class.

That was the known pick. The next 30 are where the uncertainty comes in.

8:25 p.m.

1.02. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans.

Right away, a surprise (I think). A month ago I thought Stroud was going No. 1. Then it became clear that Carolina was taking Young, and the negative talk about Stroud came out (most recently, that he flopped this new S2 test that grades cognition and so forth. But Stroud's film is great, everyone remembers his big performance on New Year's Eve, in Ohio State's 42-41 loss that came down to a missed 50-yard-field goal.

Stroud isn't a runner, and Houston's receiving corps is probably worse than Carolina's right now. I'm not expecting him to be a fantasy asset this year either. Long-term, there's more uncertainty than with Young. But Houston had their choice and they picked him, so hopefully (for them) they know what they're doing.

1.03. Will Anderson, DE, Houston Texans.

Of all the teams I expected to trade up with Arizona at No. 3, the team picking at No. 2 was pretty much last. So Houston, with needs all over the place, instead gives up (presumably) a bunch of good picks to move up from 12 to 3 and get just 2 players, a quarterback and the draft's best defensive player.

I guess you call this a win-win for Houston, who manages to get both its franchise quarterback (if they chose right) and a pass rusher to build the defense around for new coach DeMeco Ryans. Anderson is certainly the safe pick.

The question is if they should have just taken Anderson at 2, and then seen if perhaps Stroud (or another quarterback) was there at 12. If Stroud hits, they made the right choice. If he doesn't, well, at least they have Anderson.

8:40 p.m.

1.04. Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts.

This seemed to be whatever most believe would happen, and there's a certain wisdom to it. The Colts have Gardner Minshew. They can win games with him this year. And Richardson is raw as they come, with significant accuracy questions (under 54 percent completions, 2nd-lowest among first-round quarterback this century -- Kyle Boller was worse). But exciting athleticism and arm strength, lighting up the combine, fueling his meteoric rise to be the 4th overall pick.

The Colts have a new head coach in Shane Steichen, who worked with Jalen Hurts the last two years and Justin Herbert before that. Richardson, ideally, will be a Cam Newton-like runner and can be developed as a passer. With Minshew on hand, it seems like the Colts won't need to rush him into the lineup. So maybe. Fantasy-wise, there's a lot more upside than with Stroud or Young. Rushing production worth double in fantasy leagues. But like the Colts, patience might be required.

8:51 p.m.

1.05. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle Seahawks.

I guess we'll never know if all the stories about Seattle taking a quarterback at 5 were legit, since maybe they coveted one of the guys who went in the top 4. But probably not, since there were certainly opportunities to trade up if they were so inclined. Pete Carroll's team taking a star cornerback, not a huge surprise. Seattle had a bottom-10 defense last year, yards and points allowed, which had to really bug Carroll. A step in the right direction (and they have another first-round pick later).

1.06. Paris Johnson, OT, Arizona Cardinals.

First Arizona trades down with Houston, then they trade back up with Detroit. Haven't even had time to break down all the picks involved in these movements, but it's probably complicated. The Cardinals don't have much going for their roster right now, and working on the offensive line story for our preseason annual, I had a couple of blank spots in their line. So taking the top tackle in the draft to help protect Kyler Murray seems like a pretty good idea.

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9:07 p,m.

1.07. Tyree Wilson, DE, Las Vegas.

The Raiders, believe it or not, are one of my ultradeep possible sleeper defenses this year. They were a lot better in the second half of last year than the first half. Granted, part of that was because they were so awful the first half they had nowhere to go but up. But anyway, they were trending favorably. And now they've added one of the draft's best pass rushers, with 27.5 sacks for Texas Tech the last two seasons. A nice piece for their defense, which had a lot of missteps under the previous regime.

1.08. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons.

Some may recall that in one of our stories about Robinson last week, I noted that there was a rumor the Falcons were targeting him. It seemed unlikely, but here we are The Falcons want to run the ball, and were good at it a year ago with Tyler Allgeier. But clearly they didn't think they could do as much with last year's 5th-rounder as this year's top running back. Bijan will start here sooner rather than later, and he'll be the guy in passing situations as well. Sorry, those of you who had Allgeier in dynasty. Atlanta was one of the league's best running teams a year ago, and now they have the draft's best running back. The landing spot gets more appealing the more you think about it.

1.09. Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles.

Another connection that was made a lot pre-draft, with the Eagles potentially moving up for him. And so they did. Carter was taken off some draft boards after an offseason drag-racing incident in which two people were killed; he pled no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving. I think he's probably landed with the right team, and since the Eagles are loaded on both sides of the ball, they can bring him along slowly (and quietly, with plenty of team leaders and others who can take attention away from him). Anyway, football wise one of the best teams and defenses in the league gets one of the draft's very best defensive players.

1.10. Darnell Wright, OT, Chicago Bears.

The Bears have had a nice offseason, adding some quality players and making that sweet trade with Carolina. But they entered the offseason looking so bad on both sides of the ball there's really no pick they could have made where you wouldn't have said, yes, he fills a huge need for them. Taking one of the draft's better tackles is a pretty good choice, but I'd have said that about literally any position they could have gone with.

1.11. Peter Skoronski, OT, Tennessee Titans.

Another team whose roster needs a lot right now, but line was a huge concern; I don't think they have an above-average player these days. So taking the guy widely considered one of the top 2 tackles in the draft makes sense. Should help whoever their quarterback and running back are a year from now.

1.12. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions.

Running backs get hurt a lot. That's basically the only way you can put a positive spin on this landing spot. Until that happens, the Lions have an up-and-coming offense with one of the league's best lines... and THREE talented young running backs in David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and D'Andre Swift. I like Gibbs a lot, and he's going to get on the field right away, probably splitting work with Montgomery before too long. Big negative for Montgomery's value. But Detroit signed Montgomery, what, six weeks ago? So he's clearly a big part of their plans. Looks like a committee, in what should be a very good running game (but preventing both from putting up big numbers).

I can only assume that Swift is going to be dealt. There's just no rational way to think he has a role in this offense with Montgomery and Gibbs around.

1.13. Lukas Van Ness, DE, Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay again passes up an offensive skill position for a defensive player. I'm not sure moving from 15 to 13 was key to make this pick. The Packers defense was quietly disappointing a year ago, so this is probably a good idea.

1.14. Broderick Jones, OT, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speculation that the Steelers were trading up for a wide receiver, but teams tend to covet offensive tackles, which were starting to run thin, and that's what Pittsburgh did. Makes sense. Still no pass catchers off the board. Four linemen in 14 picks.

1.15. Will McDonald, OLB, New York Jets.

New York took a lot of time making this pick, making everyone speculate they really wanted one of the tackles who went just before them. Maybe. But adding a defensive first-rounder also makes sense. They had a good defense a year ago, and more playmakers is never a bad thing. Aaron Rodgers maybe shaking his head hoping for a pass catcher, but at this point he's probably thinking a better defense to go up against Josh Allen et al is a good thing.

Almost halfway through the round.

1.16. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Washington.

The Commanders seemed pretty happy with this pick. They had a top-5 pass defense a year ago, so cornerback didn't seem like a likely target area, but probably Ron Rivera was stumping for a quality defender. I guess if I had the Eagles and Cowboys in my division I'd want more cornerbacks too.

1.17. Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England.

Similarly, with the AFC East featuring the quarterbacks and receivers it currently does, you need cornerbacksk. New England's secondary lost a key starter to retirement (Devin McCourty), so adding a player early makes sense. Not sexy picks, but teams value first-round talents at offensive line and cornerback.

Mike Greenberg is a swell guy and all, I think, but he needs to talk about someone besides Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.

1.18. Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit.

I didn't understand the Gibbs pick for Detroit, but taking a first-round defender makes a lot of sense. Nobody allowed more yards than the Lions last year, and only three teams allowed more points.

1.19. Calijah Kancey, DT, Tampa Bay.

The Bucs are rebuilding, and taking a first-round tackle will be a good way to build out. Kancey averaged 11 sacks the last three years for Pitt.

1.20. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle.

Finally. Maybe the best receiver in the draft, certainly the most productive slot receiver, goes to Seattle. The Seahawks haven't used a 3rd receiver much in recent years, so maybe not an ideal spot. But Tyler Lockett is an older player, and Smith-Njigba is used to playing with other very good wideouts at Ohio State and still commanding a lot of targets. Smart pick.

1.21. Quentin Johnston, WR, L.A. Chargers.

Wide receivers are starting to go, at last. Johnston is huge and posted some good athletic numbers (jumping; he didn't run) at the combine. Not running is a red flag, as was his inconsistency at times at TCU; some big games, some quiet ones (like a single catch in the championship game loss). There have been more misses than hits at his size lately, and the Chargers already have a couple of big wideouts, although there are some injury concerns. My initial thought is the Chargers will bring him along slowly, grooming him to replace Keenan Allen or Mike Williams (or be ready to plug him in when one gets hurt). I'd rather that the Chargers had taken...

1.22. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore.

I'm a sucker for smaller, quicker wide receivers who play big, guys like Steve Smith, Percy Harvin. Flowers is particularly small (5-9, 182), but I'm definitely intrigued. And he goes to Baltimore, which has Odell Beckham and little else. And just signed Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal. I suspect I'll have Flowers on some fantasy teams.

1.23. Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota.

When writing about Addison, who's nearly 10 pounds smaller than Flowers, I noticed that you've got more smaller, quicker receivers making an impact lately; DeVonta Smith, Marquise Brown, Darnell Mooney. Teams are getting these guys open, rules are favoring offenses, etc. So I don't have any problem with Addison being DeSean Jackson-sized. Nor do I have a problem with him being the Robin to Justin Jefferson's Batman in Minnesota. I think they can have two very good wide receivers in that offense. Addison might have been a nice fit in Pittsburgh (having put up huge numbers with Kenny Pickett at Pitt), but Minnesota will have to do.

We're nearing the end of the first round. Wanted to make sure to thank everyone who's tuned into this blog; I hope it's been fun and also informative. We'll be talking about all these new NFL players on the site on a daily basis, and also in our upcoming preseason magazine.

In addition, Fantasy Index subscriber content (and individual issues available for purchase) begins in the preseason. Our Super Fanatic newsletter package includes every football newsletter we publish -- all preseason Cheat Sheet Updates, plus all 18 in-season issues of Fantasy Index Weekly, plus every in-season ReDrafter cheat sheet, plus our NFL Playoffs ReDrafter and newsletters.

1.24. Deonte Banks, CB, N.Y. Giants.

I haven't yet totalled up the number of cornerbacks selected in the first round. But it's a lot. The Giants needed help in this area (as do any teams facing the Eagles twice a year, so Banks make sense. Many thought they'd be looking for a wide receiver in the first round. Maybe they were, until the recent run took a lot of top ones off the board.

1.25. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo.

Well, the Dawson Knox era was fun. Now Kincaid is going to push him off the stage. Maybe not right away, but let's not rule it out, either. I think Kincaid is ready to play, and he's just a lot better than Knox. In my TE-premium dynasty league, he's going to be a top-8 type of pick in the rookie draft. (Noah Fant was, poorly as that's gone in retrospect.)

1.26. Mazi Smith, DT, Dallas.

While people were connecting Dallas to running backs and receivers, some were overlooking that the Cowboys had some defensive flaws (like ranking 22nd against the run, as a for instance). So a 320-pound defensive tackle out of Michigan looks like a shrewd choice. Clearly, there will be some nice skill guys available on Day 2.

1.27. Anton Harrison, OT, Jacksonville.

The Jaguars, badly in need of an offensive tackle, traded back twice in the second half of the round, perhaps because the tackle they most wanted was taken? Anyway, they got one (even if he's a level below the ones they really wanted). A big need, with Jawaan Taylor gone in free agency and Cam Robinson facing a suspension.

1.28. Myles Murphy, DE, Cincinnati.

Another playoff team looking for defensive help. Cincinnati will presumably be looking at running backs and/or tight ends on Day 2. Murphy had 14.5 sacks the last two years at Clemson.

1.29. Bryan Bresee, DT, New Orleans.

Another pick, another defensive tackle. And back to back Clemson players. Bresee wasn't quite the producer his teammate was, but clearly the Saints like the fit.

1.30. Nolan Smith, LB, Philadelphia Eagles.

The rich get richer, the Eagles add another defensive player from Georgia (Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in the first three rounds last year, two more tonight). The Eagles are going to be a problem in the NFC the next few years. offense and defense.

1.31. Felix Andudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas City.

Kansas City won the Super Bowl last year despite allowing the most touchdown passes in the league. So kind of makes sense they'd add a defensive player. Good night, Kansas City. Looks like people there had a lot of fun.

And that's a wrap. Thanks for watching with us tonight. Hope you enjoyed it. We'll talk about these players plenty in the days and weeks to come.

--Andy Richardson