Players in the 2023 NFL Draft just wrapped their third regular seasons, meaning teams will now make decisions on fifth-year options for the first-rounders in the class.
All drafted rookies are given four-year contracts to begin their careers -- and when it comes to players selected in the first round, teams have the option to extend that pact for a fifth year, a decision they have to make heading into Year 4. The fifth-year-option window for the Class of 2023 opened Jan. 5, with the final deadline set for May 1. Today, I'm taking a look at the 31 eligible selections from Round 1 back in 2023, providing my opinion on whether or not each of the players merits the fifth-year option, which would lock them in place for the 2027 season.
I've also noted which players should be candidates to receive potential extensions this offseason, which rookies become eligible for after Year 3, possibly preempting the need to exercise the fifth-year option, as was the case with Derek Stingley Jr. and the extension he signed with the Texans last year. Regardless of what the realities of negotiating an actual deal this year might look like, all of these extension candidates are players that, in my view, should be locked up by their teams as soon as possible.
NOTE: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their 2023 first-round pick following an investigation into whether the team violated league policies pertaining to the integrity of the game.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Young hasn't lived up to the potential many (myself included) thought he'd reach early in his career. But while there have certainly been some bumps in the road (SEE: his 2024 benching), he's also shown that he has the clutch gene. Since 2023, he leads the NFL with 12 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. He needs to demonstrate more consistency overall but deserves credit for making timely plays and helping Carolina to its best finish in recent memory, including the Panthers' first NFC South title since 2015 and first postseason berth since 2017.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Stroud has been mostly excellent for the Texans, beginning his career as the Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler. While his production slightly dipped in Years 2 and 3, Stroud has played an instrumental part in lifting the Texans to the postseason in each of his three seasons with the franchise.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
It was a bit surprising to see the Texans trade up to snag Anderson right after drafting Stroud, but Houston nailed these two selections. Like Stroud, Anderson has become a pillar for this team, anchoring a defense that has improved by leaps and bounds since his arrival. That unit ranked 27th in scoring and 30th in yards allowed in 2022; three years later, it is second in scoring and tops overall. Anderson, who has 30 career sacks, including a career-high 12 in 2025, is a major reason why.
Exercise the option? No.
Indy took a gamble when selecting Richardson fourth overall, and that gamble hasn't paid off. He played four games as a rookie before a shoulder injury ended his season. He missed multiple games in 2024 with hip, oblique and back injuries, before losing the starting gig to Daniel Jones in the 2025 preseason. In October, he suffered an eye injury during pregame warmups that sent him to injured reserve, leaving the Colts to turn to 44-year-old Philip Rivers and rookie Riley Leonard after Jones was lost for the year with an Achilles tear. I'm not sure how long the Colts can continue to keep their eggs in this basket.
Exercise the option? Yes. -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Witherspoon has been a top-notch cornerback since joining the league. A three-time Pro Bowler, he has logged two INTs, 32 passes defensed, 16 tackles for loss, nine QB hits, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 43 career games. Mike Macdonald wouldn't have been able to engineer the second coming of the Legion of Boom without a versatile playmaker like Witherspoon in the slot and outside.
Exercise the option? Yes.
Johnson has been just OK for the Cardinals, earning strong grades from Pro Football Focus but also ending each of the past two years on injured reserve. Still, with all the changes on tap -- including a new head coach the potential departure of Kyler Murray -- it will be important to retain solid players like Johnson along the offensive line, especially in the short term.
Exercise the option? No.
Wilson was a big-time project coming out of Texas Tech, and the Raiders really reached by taking him seventh overall. He's played 50 games (seven starts) over three seasons but has logged only 12 sacks -- for a first-round pick, those numbers should be exponentially higher. Even more glaring is the fact that he hasn't played more than half of the Raiders' defensive snaps in any season.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has repeatedly said Robinson is the best player in football, and while I can think of other candidates for that title, Robinson is certainly in the discussion. He led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards in 2025 and has the fourth-most scrimmage yards by a player in their first three career seasons in NFL history with 5,648 -- trailing only Jamal Lewis (5,700) and Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (6,145) and Eric Dickerson (5,816). Robinson has made a tremendous impact as a do-it-all runner/receiver.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
One of the premier talents in this draft class, Carter completely transforms Vic Fangio's defense when he's on the field. His suspension for spitting on Dak Prescott in Week 1 this season raised an eyebrow, and he's dealt with some injuries, but the two-time Pro Bowler is a game-altering force up front and consistently finds ways to disrupt quarterbacks in the pocket.
Exercise the option? Yes.
This tough, hard-nosed tackle has refined his game under Ben Johnson, who has emphasized building the offensive line. Wright is great in the run game, grading as PFF's sixth-best tackle in run-blocking (minimum of 200 run-blocking snaps), and allowed just three sacks in 2025, an improvement from the six he was credited with a year ago.
Exercise the option? Yes.
Drafted as a tackle, Skoronski was moved to left guard as a rookie and has manned that position for three seasons. He has steadily improved with each passing season, producing his best campaign coming in 2025, when he allowed just two sacks on 654 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. Skoronski is a dependable piece in the offensive line, which will be a key component in Cam Ward's development as a new coaching staff takes over.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Gibbs has been a formidable part of the Lions' offense as a dual-threat playmaker, earning Pro Bowl nods in each of his three pro seasons. Gibbs has rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 1,800 scrimmage yards in each of the last two seasons, despite topping out at 67 percent of Detroit's offensive snaps in any given campaign. Perhaps his greatest asset is his knack for the end zone. Gibbs has scored 49 touchdowns (39 rushing, 10 receiving), helping the Lions re-establish themselves as one of the toughest teams in the NFC.
Exercise the option? No.
Van Ness was a part-time player at Iowa and hasn't really flourished as a consistent threat for Green Bay, making only two starts in 43 games since 2023. He has just 8.5 career sacks and missed nearly half of this season due to injury. Think of it this way: Green Bay likely wouldn't have traded for Micah Parsons if this 2023 first-round pick was living up to his billing.
Exercise the option? Yes.
This is a tough call. Jones has been a fine tackle for the Steelers, moving to the left side after spending his first two years on the right, though he has struggled with penalties at times. His 2025 season ended after 11 games with a neck injury, which reportedly required surgery and could potentially muddy the picture, but presuming his health checks out, I believe he's worth keeping around for that extra year.
Exercise the option? Yes.
McDonald has been a key player in the Jets' defensive front the last two seasons, logging nearly 20 sacks in that span. New York's roster needs all the talent it can get after a horrid 2025 campaign, and McDonald is a player Aaron Glenn and his staff can build around.
Exercise the option? No.
Original drafting team: Washington Commanders
Forbes was waived by Washington a year and half after he was drafted. He only made seven starts for the Commanders and was benched in both seasons. Claimed off waivers by the Rams in November of 2024, Forbes had a resurgent year in 2025, generating three INTs, 18 passes defensed and a forced fumble in 17 games (14 starts). He's making the most of his fresh start, but at this point, I don't see the need for Los Angeles -- which took over the fifth-year option in his contract -- to commit to him for 2027.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Gonzalez has proven to be every bit the elite cornerback he was projected to be in the pre-draft process. Despite missing a majority of his rookie season with a knee injury, Gonzalez has been a star when healthy for the Patriots defense under a succession of head coaches (Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo and Mike Vrabel), earning his first Pro Bowl nod this season. Gonzalez's INT total (three) might look paltry, but he often matches up against the opponent's top receiver and has been a key factor in the defense's top-10 performance against the pass.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Campbell has been a great player in the middle of the Lions defense. The Pro Bowler set numerous career-high totals in 2025, with 166 total tackles (third-most in the NFL), five sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Campbell is a staple for this unit.
Exercise the option? No.
I can see the Bucs picking Kancey's fifth-year option up, but the lack of play time is concerning; he's missed 22 games in three seasons while struggling to remain healthy. His production hasn't been all that great, either, though he did lead the team in sacks with 7.5 in 2024. Kancey has the ability to be a top interior defensive lineman, but can he stay on the field?
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
JSN massively exceeded my expectations. When he was coming out of Ohio State, I thought he'd be a dependable No. 2 option, in line with the significant jump he made from Year 1 (63 catches, 628 yards, four TDs) to Year 2 (100 catches, 1,130 yards, six TDs). In 2025, though, he more than justified Seattle's offseason trade of DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. As Sam Darnold's primary target this season, JSN recorded 119 receptions on 163 targets for a league-leading 1,793 yards, plus 10 touchdowns. He's established himself as an elite receiver.
Exercise the option? Yes.
Johnston has become a much more dependable receiver in 2025, averaging 14.4 yards per reception with eight touchdowns on 51 catches, clearing his per-catch average from 2024 by 1.5 yards. You have to give him credit for the strides he's made for a Chargers offense that ranks 12th in yards. He also has led the team in touchdowns the last two seasons (recording eight TDs each year).
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Despite a few missteps, Flowers has been Baltimore's best receiver since his arrival. He's shown that he's made for the big moment, evidenced by his 138-yard, two-TD performance in the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh. With back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons that have resulted in Pro Bowl selections, it feels like Flowers is just scratching the surface.
Exercise the option? Yes.
We can't ignore his absence during a three-game suspension to start the season, and there have been some inconsistencies to his game, but Addison has often been a playmaker in Kevin O'Connell's offense. Yes, his totals have decreased in each of his three seasons, but the entire offense took a step back in 2025 due to poor QB play, and he did set a new career high in yards per catch (14.5). It'd be smart to keep key pieces together for the foreseeable future in hopes of getting the most out of J.J. McCarthy -- or whoever lines up under center.
Exercise the option? No.
Banks has ability, but he was routinely picked on, resulting in his benching midway through the 2024 season. In 2025, he played less than half of the Giants' defensive snaps and carved out a role on special teams as a returner. He'll have to prove he's worthy of a new contract in 2026, provided he's still with the Giants as they transition to a new head coach.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Kincaid has dealt with several injuries, but there's no denying his impact when he's on the field. Josh Allen has a 150.3 passer rating when targeting Kincaid in 2025, the highest among all QB-receiver duos with a minimum of 20 targets, per Next Gen Stats. Kincaid also finished second on the team in receiving yards this season. There's no chance the Bills would want to move on from such an important weapon.
Exercise the option? No.
Original drafting team: Dallas Cowboys
Smith struggled to make an impact during his time with the Cowboys; he didn't log a single start for them in 2025 and was a healthy scratch multiple times. Then, he was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Quinnen Williams to Dallas. Smith never played more than 30 percent of the snaps in any of the three games in which he appeared after being shipped to the Jets.
Exercise the option? Yes -- EXTENSION CANDIDATE.
Harrison's workmanlike approach has been evident in both his own improvement this season and the team's. The right tackle has allowed only one sack on 573 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, per PFF, which has no doubt been key to Trevor Lawrence's success. Jacksonville would be wise to reward Harrison for his dependable play.
Exercise the option? No.
Murphy made a minimal impact in his first two seasons before having an increased role in 2025, with Trey Hendrickson sidelined. As a starter in the final nine games of the season, Murphy recorded four sacks (three over the final four games), but he's otherwise been mostly forgettable as a member of one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Exercise the option? No.
Bresee has been OK for an up-and-down Saints defense. He has totaled 14.5 career sacks, including 7.5 in 2024 -- but simply put, that's just not enough production to merit New Orleans picking up his option, in my opinion.
Exercise the option? Yes.
Smith has dealt with his fair share of injuries but has been a steady player for Vic Fangio when healthy, flashing when on the field, even though his production (10.5 career sacks) doesn't always show it. The Eagles are likely to be counting on him more in the future, with Jaelan Phillips and others hitting free agency this offseason.
Exercise the option? No.
Anudike-Uzomah missed the entire 2025 campaign with a hamstring injury and didn't make much of an impact in his first two seasons, totaling just three sacks in 34 games (three starts). The Chiefs must quickly improve their pass rush if they don't want a repeat of this season, and unfortunately, Anudike-Uzomah's output to this point does not suggest he'll be a part of that solution.
