Who could be a surprise contender for the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The 2022 NFL season began in earnest with all 32 teams striving toward the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The dream of winning the Super Bowl is a reality for many teams in the league, but for others, it can seem just out of reach.
There are some surprise packages ahead, with some previously underwhelming teams on the path to rebuilding their franchise. Other teams like the Cincinnati Bengals produced a stunning run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 campaign, narrowly missing out to the Los Angeles Rams in the title game.
Betting on these teams could add value to the race for the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. All leading sportsbooks provide this bet type even in the season’s early stages. If you’re looking for the best value odds and bonuses from sportsbooks and casinos, this link explains everything you need for West Virginia online betting, where operators like BetMGM and DraftKings are offering no-deposit bonuses and free site credits.
By shopping around, you can find odds for the team that you believe will take the tumble towards the first-overall pick. Alabama’s Will Anderson and Bryce Young are among the top contenders along with Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. There could be surprise teams in the mix for those potential stars come May 2023.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers edged past the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in their first game of the season in a crazy overtime contest. After Joe Burrow led the Bengals on a comeback, the usually reliable Evan McPherson had a game-sealing extra-point kick blocked before he spurned another chance in overtime. Chris Boswell too missed a kick, but he nailed his final effort to get the Steelers off the mark.
Looks like TJ Watt is saying “I tore my pec” pic.twitter.com/JWpq6oyAwh
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 11, 2022
However, the win came at a price with TJ Watt tearing his pec and Cameron Heyward also suffering an injury. Pittsburgh’s offense was stagnant, to say the least, with Mitchell Trusbisky underperforming. The team relied heavily on plays from their defense to create a good field position. The Steelers play in a tough division in the AFC North and without their star men on defense, it could well push them into the conversation for the top pick in the draft. Mike Tomlin is a good coach, but as this article explains, losing Watt for the season would be a disaster.
New England Patriots
It might be sacrilege to suggest that a team coached by Bill Belichick could be a contender for the first-overall pick, but the GOAT coach has struggled without Tom Brady. Belichick steered the Patriots to the playoffs with rookie Mac Jones as a quarterback before being hammered 47-17 by the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard Round.
Let's gooo @BlessedJones33 and @MelvinIngram‼️
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 11, 2022
?: Watch #NEvsMIA on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/HMPWFSFpeW
The loss of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels prompted Belichick to turn his offense over to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, neither of whom had coaching experience on that facet of the game before in their respective careers. New England put only seven points on the board in the opener against the Miami Dolphins and looked lackluster throughout the contest, as per this report. There are no star players on the Patriots’ roster and it may only take a few cracks in the system for New England to plummet. They’re closer to the number one pick than they are to the Super Bowl this term.
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