Bryce Young leads 2023 NFL Draft; six trades, wide receiver run follow

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 27 (UPI) -- Bryce Young led a run of three quarterbacks selected within the first four picks of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. Six trades also were completed in the first round.

Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, was the first player in Alabama history to be taken first in an NFL Draft. He joined the Carolina Panthers, who acquired the top pick in March through a trade with the Chicago Bears.

"I'm still trying to process it in real-time. It's surreal," Young said at a news conference inside the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. "Hearing my name called is a huge blessing."

Young was among three Alabama players selected in the 31-pick round. Georgia and Ohio State also had three players apiece get drafted in the first round.

The Houston Texans used the No. 2 overall pick to snag quarterback C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State. They then completed the first trade of the draft.

The Texans sent four draft picks to the Arizona Cardinals as part of a deal to move up from No. 12 to secure the No. 3 pick, which they used to select former Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.

"The rebuild, in my opinion, is on its way," Stroud said when asked about joining Anderson on the Texans.

The Indianapolis Colts picked up former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, a star of the scouting combine, at No. 4.

"I'm ready to be a quarterback and not just the athlete everybody sees me as," Richardson said. "I'm ready to be the quarterback and to lead a team."

The Seattle Seahawks selected cornerback Devon Witherspoon of Illinois at No. 5.

The Cardinals were involved in another trade minutes later. They sent a cluster of picks, including the No. 12 selection they acquired in their earlier swap, to the Detroit Lions in a trade for the Nos. 6 and 81 overall selections.

They used the No. 6 pick to land former Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. The Las Vegas Raiders selected former Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson at No. 7.

Your 2023 first overall pick: @_bryce_young

: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC : Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKLy4 pic.twitter.com/GDOUnj97NV— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023

Former Texas star Bijan Robinson became the first running back selected when he went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears then completed the third trade of the night. The Eagles sent the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2024 to the Bears in exchange for the No. 9 pick.

They used the selection to take former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The Bears used the No. 10 pick to add 333-pound former Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

The fourth trade of the night came when the New England Patriots sent the No. 14 pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers used that pick to select offensive tackle Broderick Jones out of Georgia.

Two cornerbacks came off the board at Nos. 16 and 17. The Washington Commanders first picked former Mississippi State star Emmanuel Forbes. The New England Patriots selected Oregon's Christian Gonzalez with the next pick.

Four-consecutive wide receivers were selected with pick Nos. 20 through 23.

The Seattle Seahawks started the run by drafting Ohio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the first wide receiver selected.

The Los Angeles Chargers then added former TCU pass catcher Quentin Johnston at No. 21.

The Baltimore Ravens picked up former Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers with the next pick. The Minnesota Vikings followed by drafting former USC star Jordan Addison.

The New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to the fifth trade of the night after that selection. The Giants, who moved up one draft slot, selected former Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks at No. 24.

A sixth trade followed, with the Jaguars sending the No. 25 pick to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills picked former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid with that selection.

Four-consecutive defensive linemen were selected to end the round.

Former Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy went to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 28. Defensive tackle Brian Bressee, Murphy's Tigers teammate, went next to the New Orleans Saints at No. 29.

The Eagles picked up former Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith at No. 30. The Kansas City Chiefs ended the round by selecting edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah out of Kansas State.

Second- and third-round coverage will start at 7 p.m. Friday on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network. Third-day coverage, featuring the final four rounds, will start at noon Saturday on the same networks.

2023 NFL Draft

1. Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2. Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3. Houston Texans (trade from Arizona Cardinals)

Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

4. Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5. Seattle Seahawks

Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6. Arizona Cardinals (traded from Detroit Lions)