2022 NFL 1st-Round Draft Picks Still Working Toward Key Roles

The 2023 NFL draft is just three months away. It's always a fun time of year, as we get to see our favorite college football stars continue their careers on a bigger stage. This year, a number of CFB standouts are expected to go in the first round, including Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, and quarterbacks Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.

If you need to describe the college football offseason as succinctly as possible, a single word will suffice: hectic. Several teams have to reshape a roster, but others are welcoming back a bunch of key players. Some programs need to replace a head coach or top assistants. Problematic trends must be corrected, and breakout seasons need to be sustained.

Some underclassmen dominate NFL draft coverage throughout the collegiate campaign all the way up to the event itself. This year, Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. and Bryce Young, Georgia's Jalen Carter, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Texas' Bijan Robinson fall into that category. Other early entrants don't receive the same recognition throughout the process and tend to look like late risers, even though their caliber of talent deserved recognition all along.

The beauty of NFL conference championship weekend is the near-unending amount of storylines to cover. You want strengths and weaknesses? We have both. Under-the-radar players? You bet. Those are just two examples of dives into the matchups between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.

The dates for several players' pro days in advance of the 2023 NFL draft are starting to roll in, and ESPN's Field Yates dropped two important ones Thursday. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Kentucky signal-caller Will Levis are considered two of the top prospects in this year's draft. The latest consensus big board from NFL Mock Draft Database lists Young and Levis as the No. 2 and No. 6 prospects overall, respectively. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud notably sits between them at No. 4.

The early signing period has nearly killed the old February National Signing Day. Remember all the hoopla, the whirlwind of decisions and the ranking flips of yesteryear? Those were fun times, but we're left with a shell of that drama now that the December signing session features most each class' talent.

Three of the four teams that advanced to the NFL's conference championship round last year made it back in 2023. Once again, the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers stand one step away from a Super Bowl appearance. But we shouldn't treat the Philadelphia Eagles like strangers to the title scene. They hoisted a Lombardi Trophy just five years ago.

The NFL may be about to experience an offseason unlike anything it has ever seen. It's a quarterback-driven league, and the amount of change that may occur behind center over the next few months could leave everyone's heads spinning. The greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, is set to...

If your favorite NFL team is in the market for a new running back, the 2023 offseason could have the answer. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson and Daniel Jones will dominate the headlines between now and the start of free agency on March 15. However, the running back market could be historically good.

Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and will miss the league's inaugural Pro Bowl Games, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "According to the source, Tagovailoa's time in the protocol has been deliberate as he meets with multiple doctors and specialists," Louis-Jacques reported. "There have not been any setbacks as the Dolphins prioritize his long-term health."

The New York Jets announced Thursday they hired Nathaniel Hackett to replace Mike LaFleur as their offensive coordinator. ESPN's Rich Cimini reported New York has also hired former Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Keith Carter. Hackett went 4-11 as the Denver Broncos head coach this season, failing to make it...

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. refused to give credit to the Cincinnati Bengals offense ahead of the AFC Championship Game:. The Bengals enter Sunday's game with a 10-game winning streak, scoring at least 20 points in each game during this stretch. Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes to lead the team to a dominant 27-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the last round, highlighting why he's one of the league's best quarterbacks.

The Kansas City Chiefs need to figure out how to end their three-game losing streak against the Cincinnati Bengals. Andy Reid's team fell to the Bengals in each of the last two regular seasons and in last year's AFC Championship Game. Kansas City has to come up with a game...

Coming off arguably the worst season of his career and a blowout loss in the playoffs, Tom Brady may not want to end his tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on such a down note. Per ESPN's Jeff Darlington (starts at 2:05 mark), there were times over the course of...

The Dallas Cowboys let go six assistant coaches Thursday, and they may not be finished. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in the process of being "evaluated" and is not guaranteed to return for the 2023 season. "I really don't want to play this game today,"...

Steve Wilks addressed the Carolina Panthers passing him over in their coaching search in favor of hiring Frank Reich. Wilks said in a statement Friday he's "disappointed but not defeated." "It was an honor for me to coach those men in the Carolina Panthers locker room as the interim head...

Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed shared a private exchange he had with fellow NFL legend Shannon Sharpe following his abrupt exit from Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats hired Reed to be their head football coach but didn't ratify his contract after he publicly criticized the conditions at the program. Ed Reed...

WWE announced Thursday the newest class of college athletes to sign with its "Next In Line" NIL program. Among the headliners is Penn State wrestler Greg Kerkvliet, a two-time All-American. The junior advanced to the semifinals of the 285-pound division of the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, losing to two-time national champion, Olympic gold medalist and current WWE talent Gable Steveson.

The law firm representing former Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks in a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and all 32 teams released a statement Thursday following the news that Frank Reich had been hired as Carolina's next head coach. The firm said in a statement:. "We are shocked...

The Detroit Lions are upgrading the turf at Ford Field after using the controversial slit-film turf last year, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. It's official! The <a href="https://twitter.com/Lions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lions</a> are upgrading to the <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldTurf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FieldTurf</a> CORE system at <a href="https://twitter.com/fordfield?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fordfield</a> & the Allen Park Practice Facility. As the team's trusted choice for over 20 years, we can't wait for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lions</a> to take the new field in 2023.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/syntheticgrass?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#syntheticgrass</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePride</a><a href="https://t.co/Rltb8JYxuE">https://t.co/Rltb8JYxuE</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zxitbc4ML3">pic.twitter.com/Zxitbc4ML3</a>