2023 NFL draft preview

The GIST: Newly named NY Jets quarterback (QB) Aaron Rodgers can try to steal the NFL spotlight, but all attention will be on the league’s next generation when the NFL Draft begins in Kansas City tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET. The pick is (almost) in.

How it works: Launched in 1936, the draft has evolved from a one-day event held in hotel meeting rooms to a full-blown three-day party. The selection order is determined by the previous season’s performances; the team with the worst record picks first…barringany trades.

• Speaking of, the Chicago Bears finished last, but traded that coveted No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers, so this year’s first three selections will be made by the Panthers, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals.

• From there, the picks keep comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ for seven rounds (spread out from tomorrow through Saturday), culminating with this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, the No. 259 overall selection. What an honor.

Players to watch: Alabama QB and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is the consensus favorite to hear his name first, but what happens after that is anyone’s guess. Any of three QBs — C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), Anthony Richardson (Florida), or Will Levis (Kentucky) — could go No. 2 overall, with the others likely following at No. 3 and No. 4.

• But no matter their order, the boys will likely make history. Young, Stroud, and Richardson are poised to become the first trio of Black QBs selected in the first 10 picks. Now that’s a touchdown.