KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2023 NFL Draft began Thursday night, and three of the first four selections were quarterbacks.

Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson were among the top four picks, a result that is not uncommon in a league on which teams know finding a franchise QB is the quickest path to success.


What You Need To Know

  • The Carolina Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with No. 1 overall pick

  • Former Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson went No. 4 to the Indianapolis Colts

  • Apopka native Jalen Carter, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, was chosen No. 9 by the Eagles

  • The Bucs picked defensive tackle Calijah Kancey out of Pittsburgh at No. 19

  • Over the three days of the 2023 NFL Draft, Florida's teams made 25 selections. A list of their picks is below

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team from Florida to make a pick, and they chose Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey at No. 19 to begin the post-Tom Brady era.

The Carolina Panthers selected Young, the slender and dynamic Alabama quarterback, with the No. 1 pick, seven weeks after making a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears to move up so they could get their choice of potential franchise players.

Richardson went at No. 4 to the Indianapolis Colts, who will begin a sixth consecutive season with a different starting quarterback.

Richardson might have the most upside of all the quarterbacks in this draft, according to NFL Draft observers, but he has the least experience. Colts owner Jim Irsay is fond of Philadelphia Eagles quarterbaack Jalen Hurts, and Richardson has similar playmaking ability.

He’ll play for Shane Steichen, who was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when Hurts developed into an MVP runner-up.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a two-time national champion at Georgia and an Apopka native, was chosen No. 9 by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Among Florida's NFL teams, the Bucs were looking to add talent to help the team remain competitive. The Bucs made eight picks over the seven rounds. A list of their picks can be found at the end of this story.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had been slated to pick No. 24. However, they made two deals to move down in the draft. They traded the No. 24 pick to the New York Giants for the Nos. 25, 160 and 240 picks. Then they made a deal with Buffalo, sending the No. 25 pick to the Bills for the 27th and 130th selections.

At No. 27, the Jags selected offensive tackle Anton Harrison out of Oklahoma.

The move could help them protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence, both short term and long term. The Jags could be without left tackle Cam Robinson, who could face a multigame suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. The potential suspension is pending the result of a B sample. Robinson already was trying to work his way back from a torn meniscus in his right knee, an injury incurred in December.

Jacksonville made 10 picks in Rounds 4-7 and 13 over the seven rounds of the draft, and it filled holes at pass rusher, cornerback and tight end.

Harrison, meanwhile, could end up being a plug-and-play starter in Jacksonville — especially if Robinson is sidelined to start the season. His fate hinges on the results of a B sample test, which could take up to a month to finalize.

The Miami Dolphins did not have a first-round pick this year because they forfeited it after an investigation into whether the team violated league policies pertaining to the integrity of the game. The probe focused on whether the Dolphins violated tampering rules over making contact with quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton while they still were under contract with the Bucs and New Orleans Saints, respectively. The league also looked into allegations that the team intentionally lost games in 2019 to improve their draft position.

With its first pick in this year's draft, at No. 51 in the second round, the Dolphins selected cornerback Cam Smith out of South Carolina. They made four picks over the seven rounds.

The second and third rounds were held Friday, and Florida's NFL teams made six picks in those rounds. The third and final day of the draft, rounds 4-7, wrapped up Saturday.

In all, Florida's NFL teams made 25 selections over the three days of the draft.

The last player selected, affectionately nicknamed Mr. Irrelevant, was Desjuan Johnson out of Toledo, made by the Los Angeles Rams.

First-round picks (Thursday)

Top 10 draft picks overall

  1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago): Quarterback Bryce Young, Alabama
  2. Houston Texans: Quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
  3. Houston Texans (from Arizona): Linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Alabama 
  4. Indianapolis Colts: Quarterback Anthony Richardson, Florida
  5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
  6. Arizona Cardinals (from Detroit via L.A. Rams): Offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
  7. Las Vegas Raiders: Defensive end Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
  8. Atlanta Falcons: Running back Bijan Robinson, Texas
  9. Philadelphia Eagles (from Chicago, via Carolina): Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Georgia
  10. Chicago Bears (from Philadelphia, via New Orleans): Offensive tackle Darnell Wright, Tennessee

    See the complete list of first-round picks


Tampa Bay Bucs first-round pick

  • 19. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

Tampa Bay Bucs picks on Days 2 and 3 (from Green Bay via Detroit)

  • Second round — No. 48 (from Green Bay, via Detroit): Offensive tackle Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
  • Third round — No. 82: Defensive end YaYa Diaby, Louisville
  • Fifth round — No. 153: Linebacker SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh
  • Fifth round — No. 171 (from L.A. Rams, compensatory selection): Tight end Payne Durham, Purdue
  • Sixth round — No. 181 (from Indianapolis): Safety Josh Hayes, Kansas State
  • Sixth round — No. 191 (from Philadelphia, through Houston, through L.A. Rams via Green Bay): Wide receiver Trey Palmer, Nebraska
  • Sixth round — No. 196: Defensive end Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan

Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick

  • 27. Offensive tackle Anton Harrison, Oklahoma 
    • The Jaguars had the No. 24 pick originally but traded it to the New York Giants for the Nos. 25, 160 and 240 picks. Then they made a deal with Buffalo, sending the No. 25 pick to the Bills for the 27th and 130th selections.

Jacksonville Jaguars picks on Days 2 and 3 (from Chicago, through San Francisco, via Carolina)

  • Second round — No. 61 (from Chicago, through San Francisco, via Carolina): Tight end Brenton Strange, Penn State
  • Third round — No. 88: Running back Tank Bigsby, Auburn
  • Fourth round — No. 121 (from Tampa Bay): Linebacker Ventrell Miller, Florida
  • Fourth round — No. 130 (from Buffalo): Defensive end Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State
  • Fifth round — No. 136 (from Chicago): Linebacker Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
  • Fifth round — No. 160 (from New York Giants): Safety Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
  • Sixth round — No. 185 (from New York Jets): Wide receiver Parker Washington, Penn State
  • Sixth round — No. 202: Cornerback Christian Braswell, Rutgers
  • Sixth round — No. 208 (from Philadelphia): Safety Erick Hallett II, Pittsburgh
  • Seventh round — No. 226 (from Carolina): Offensive tackle Cooper Hodges, Appalachian State
  • Seventh round — No. 227 (from New Orleans): Defensive tackle Raymond Vohasek, North Carolina
  • Seventh round — No. 240 (from Baltimore, through New York Giants): Defensive end Derick Parish, Houston

Miami Dolphins picks on Days 2 and 3

  • Second round — No. 51: Cornerback Cam Smith, South Carolina
  • Third round — No. 84: Running back Devon Achane, Texas A&M
  • Sixth round — No. 197: Wide receiver Elijah Higgins, Stanford
  • Seventh round — No. 238: Offensive tackle Ryan Hayes, Michigan

The complete list draft picks can be found on nfl.com

  • After the first round, select the round you want to view from the drop-down list.