NBA Draft: What Can we Learn from the 2023 NFL Draft?

Day one of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. And with it the ensuing fireworks that started as early as the third overall pick.

At first glance, the NBA and NFL drafts are chemically and fundamentally different. But a deeper look shows plenty of similarities, especially regarding general draft philosophy.

Here’s a few takeaways that can carry over from the NFL to NBA draft:

Go Get Your Guy

In perhaps the most surprising move of the night, the Houston Texans grabbed their guy, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with their second overall selection. Then, turned around and traded for No. 3, grabbing Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., apparently their other guy.

They, of course, had to give up plenty of draft capital to get the deal done, but there’s something to be said for doing due diligence on multiple prospects, ending up coveting both and pulling the trigger to get them.

Several NBA front offices, especially ones with large caches of future draft picks, could likely take notes from Houston’s move.

Expect the Unexpected

A simple, but important takeaway, Thursday’s proceedings reestablished that truly anything can happen on draft night.

For months now, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has been thought of as the potential second overall pick, and certainly no less than the top-five. But on Thursday, he didn’t hear his name called at all.

Levis will certainly hear his name called on day two, and it might end up being better fit-wise in the long run. But it just goes to show that teams, be it NBA or NFL, typically keep their cards very close to their chest, regardless of what most analysts are saying.

The Art of Trading Back

On the flip-side of selling out for your “guy” is trading back.

It’s a risky move that can net teams even more draft capital and potentially still let them draft the player they’re after. We saw plenty of NFL teams opt to fall back in the rotation on Thursday night, and it will undoubtedly happen even more as the draft progresses.

The NBA Draft in June will be no different. Teams will assuredly be gathering as much intel as possible in order to maximize their outcome.

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