
Man City in pole position to sign Anderson
Manchester City is set to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Teams must decide on the fifth-year options for their first-round picks from the 2023 NFL Draft by May 1, 2026. The article tracks each team's decision on whether to pick up or decline these options.

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The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft was a fascinating one. There were a trio of quarterbacks selected in the top four picks, with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson all coming off the board early. There were stars that were found both early (Will Anderson Jr., Devon Witherspoon, Jalen Carter, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs) and later (Christian Gonzalez, Jaxon Smith-Njigba) in the first round, at positions considered both premium and not. And of course, there were plenty of whiffs as well.
Three years after these players had their dreams come true on draft day, their teams are now in a position where they have to decide on their futures. All first-round contracts are guaranteed for four seasons, but they also contain an option for the team to extend the player a fifth year, also fully guaranteed. And the decision on whether to do so has to be made by May 1, 2026.
In the space below, we're going to track each of the first-round draft picks by whether they had their option picked up or declined, or whether they signed a contract extension with their team. As a reminder, there were only 31 picks in the first round of the 2023 draft because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their selection as punishment for violations of the league's anti-tampering policy.
The deadline for NFL teams to decide on fifth-year options for their 2023 draft picks is May 1, 2026.
The top four picks of the 2023 NFL Draft included quarterbacks Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson.
There were 31 first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft due to the Miami Dolphins forfeiting their selection.
If an NFL team declines the fifth-year option for a player, the player will become a free agent after their four-year rookie contract ends.

Manchester City is set to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
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| Pick | Player (team) | Team | Fifth-year option decision | Projected contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryce Young | Panthers | Picked up | $25.9 million |
| 2 | C.J. Stroud | Texans | Picked up | $25.9 million |
| 3 | Will Anderson Jr. | Texans | Extended | 3 years, $150 million |
| 4 | Anthony Richardson | Colts | TBD | $22.4 million |
| 5 | Devon Witherspoon | Seahawks | Picked up | $21.2 million |
| 6 | Paris Johnson Jr. | Cardinals | Picked up | $19.1 million |
| 7 | Tyree Wilson | Raiders | TBD | $14.5 million |
| 8 | Bijan Robinson | Falcons | Picked up | $11.3 million |
| 9 | Jalen Carter | Eagles | TBD | $27.1 million |
| 10 | Darnell Wright | Bears | TBD | $19.1 million |
| 11 | Peter Skoronski | Titans | TBD | $19.1 million |
| 12 | Jahmyr Gibbs | Lions | TBD | $14.3 million |
| 13 | Lukas Van Ness | Packers | TBD | $13.8 million |
| 14 | Broderick Jones | Steelers | TBD | $19.1 million |
| 15 | Will McDonald IV | Jets | TBD | $13.8 million |
| 16 | Emmanuel Forbes | Rams | TBD | $12.6 million |
| 17 | Christian Gonzalez | Patriots | TBD | $18.1 million |
| 18 | Jack Campbell | Lions | TBD | $21.9 million |
| 19 | Calijah Kancey | Buccaneers | TBD | $14.5 million |
| 20 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seahawks | Extended | 4 years, $168.6 million |
| 21 | Quentin Johnston | Chargers | TBD | $18.0 million |
| 22 | Zay Flowers | Ravens | Picked up | $27.3 million |
| 23 | Jordan Addison | Vikings | Picked up | $18.0 million |
| 24 | Deonte Banks | Giants | TBD | $12.6 million |
| 25 | Dalton Kincaid | Bills | Picked up | $8.2 million |
| 26 | Mazi Smith | Jets | TBD | $13.9 million |
| 27 | Anton Harrison | Jaguars | Picked up | $19.1 million |
| 28 | Myles Murphy | Bengals | TBD | $14.5 million |
| 29 | Bryan Bresee | Saints | Picked up | $13.9 million |
| 30 | Nolan Smith | Eagles | TBD | $13.8 million |
| 31 | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Chiefs | TBD | $14.5 million |