Buffalo Bills NFL Draft 2023: Round 1 open thread

The 2023 NFL Draft is here, Bills Mafia! Settle in with your fellow Rumblers for what should be an eventful and exciting night for the NFL in Kansas City, MO. We could find ourselves waiting a few hours before the Buffalo Bills make their first selection at pick 27. If history is accurate, the team will most likely be on the clock close to 11:30 p.m. EDT if they stay put at their original slot. Each team is allowed a maximum of 10 minutes to make their pick.

Of course, there are a multitude of scenarios that could change how and when general manager Brandon Beane and Buffalo’s front office turn in their card to NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell.

After weeks of rumors about the Bills trading for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, will it finally happen during Round 1 tonight? We saw a pair of receivers in A.J. Brown and “Hollywood” Brown traded during the first round last April. So, perhaps it’s Hopkins’ turn.

Barring a trade for Hopkins, the Bills should have plenty of options to choose from in the draft. The wide receiver class is rich in prospects who profile as explosive slot receivers in the NFL, but void of a true consensus WR1.

What’s lacking among this year’s draft prospects if a wealth of elite talent at linebacker. After the trio of Jack Campbell, Drew Sanders, and Trenton Simpson, move questions than answers seem to be the norm for the position group.

Will the Bills decide to draft a linebacker? Or will they try to fortify the offense around quarterback Josh Allen and add a young receiver or offensive lineman? Without a clear long-term plan at defensive tackle, is their move to shore up the position with their first pick?

As an added bonus, there’s a bit of schadenfreude to dip your toes in, with the Miami Dolphins sitting out tonight’s first round. Remember, they surrendered their first-round pick after being found liable for meddling via inappropriate contact with both Tom Brady and Sean Payton. Once again, the most famous sixth-round NFL pick costs an AFC East team draft capital.

Here’s your open thread for the night’s festivities! As always, we’ll be publishing tons of content as soon as we find out who that mysterious first-round pick is — and really, it could be anyone!

Have fun, and as always, go Bills!

Complete Round 1 draft order and results

1. Carolina Panthers — Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)
2. Houston Texans — C.J. Stroud, QB (Ohio State)
3. Houston Texans (from Cardinals) — Will Anderson Jr. EDGE (Alabama)
4. Indianapolis Colts — Anthony Richardson, QB (Florida)
5. Seattle Seahawks — Devon Witherspoon, CB (Illinois)
6. Arizona Cardinals (from Lions) — Paris Johnson Jr., OL (Ohio State)
7. Las Vegas Raiders — Tyree Wilson, EDGE (Texas Tech)
8. Atlanta Falcons — Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (from Bears) — Jalen Carter, DT (Georgia)
10. Chicago Bears (from Eagles) — Darnell Wright, OL (Tennessee)
11. Tennessee Titans — Peter Skoronski, OL (Northwestern)
12. Detroit Lions (from Cardinals via Texans) — Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Alabama)
13. Green Bay Packers (from Jets) — Lukas Van Ness, DE (Iowa)
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Patriots) — Broderick Jones, OT (Georgia)
15. New York Jets (from Packers) — Will McDonald IV, EDGE (Iowa St.)
16. Washington Commanders — Emmanuel Forbes, CB (Mississippi St.)
17. New England Patriots (from Steelers) — Christian Gonzalez, DB (Oregon)
18. Detroit Lions — Jack Campbell, LB (Iowa)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Calijah Kancey, DT (Pittsburgh)
20. Seattle Seahawks — Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Ohio State)
21. Los Angeles Chargers — Quentin Johnston, WR (TCU)
22. Baltimore Ravens — Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College)
23. Minnesota Vikings — Jordan Addison, WR (USC)
24. New York Giants (from Jaguars) — Deonte Banks, CB (Maryland)
25. Buffalo Bills (from Jaguars via Giants) — Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah)
26. Dallas Cowboys — Mazi Smith, DT (Michigan)
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Bills) — Anton Harrison, OT (Oklahoma)
28. Cincinnati Bengals — Myles Murphy, EDGE (Clemson)
29. New Orleans Saints — Brian Bresee, DT (Clemson)
30. Philadelphia Eagles — Nolan Smith, LB (Georgia)
31. Kansas City Chiefs — Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE (Kansas State)