Another season of unrealized expectations leads to an offseason of hope for some of the NFL's preeminent franchises.
The Bills came up short of their Super Bowl destiny once again as they were manhandled by the Bengals in the divisional round. Buffalo can now look forward to April: they hold the 28th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, with adjustments along their offensive line as a potential priority.
The same can be said about Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. Jerry Jones has a lot of difficult decisions to make regarding key personnel, highlighted by running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Elliott still has a year and a bit of money left on his contract; Pollard enters the offseason as a free agent, but he suffered a fractured fibula in the divisional round against the 49ers.
MORE 2023 NFL DRAFT: SN's latest mock draft | Top 75 big board
The NFL Draft order is nearly set. Here's how it shapes up entering championship weekend:
NFL Draft order 2023
How the draft order stands after the NFL's divisional round:
| Pick | Team | W-L-T |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Bears | 3-14 |
| 2 | Houston Texans | 3-13-1 |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-13 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | 4-12-1 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 5-12 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 5-12 |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | 6-11 |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | 7-10 |
| 9 | Carolina Panthers | 7-10 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 7-10 |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | 7-10 |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | 7-10 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 7-10 |
| 14 | New England Patriots | 8-9 |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | 8-9 |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | 8-8-1 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-8 |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | 9-8 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | 9-8 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 10-7 |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | 10-7 |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-4 |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-8 |
| 25 | New York Giants | 9-7-1 |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | 12-5 |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | 12-4 |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | 12-4 |
| 29 | Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA) | 13-4 |
| 30 | Kansas City Chiefs | 14-3 |
| 31 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14-3 |
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 trade that sent Deshaun Watson to Cleveland.
— The Seahawks hold the Broncos' first-round pick as part of the compensation in the Russell Wilson trade.
— The Lions hold 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.
NFL Draft 2023 top prospects
A trio of passers could steal the spotlight come April 27.
Alabama's Bryce Young figures to be the top quarterback coming into the draft, and he's joined by Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Kentucky's Will Levis as potential first-round passers to take the stage in Kansas City.
Young led the pack throughout the 2022 college football season and is considered to be one of the top two passers ahead of the draft, alongside Stroud.
Levis' standing is something of a mixed bag: Some consider him a first-round talent, while others believe he may fall out of the first round completely. Levis' physical traits are legitimate, but questions about his processing and decision-making remain.
Outside of the QBs, several game-wrecking defenders should be top-10, if not top-five, selections. Alabama's Will Anderson and Georgia's Jalen Carter will jockey for first defensive player off the board in 2023. Clemson's Myles Murphy could also find himself in that discussion.