WWE Draft 2023: Are Any Superstars Not Eligible to Be Drafted?

By Connor Casey

The 2023 WWE Draft officially starts on this week's Friday Night SmackDown. While the Draft has been absent since 2021 and the brand split has been all but dead for the better part of the last year, the company is hyping up this year's Draft as one that will "change the game" while claiming that every Superstar is eligible to be drafted by either brand. However, eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the graphic shown for the Draft during the latest edition of SmackDown had some noticeable absences. 

To start off, no NXT stars were featured even though it's widely believed that this year's Draft will consist of a few main roster call-ups. Call-ups made via The Draft in recent years have included The Street Profits, Hit Row, Austin Theory, Aliyah, Xia Li and Ridge Holland. It's easy to chalk up the roster's absence from the graphic to WWE officials wanting the call-ups to be a surprise. 

It's also no surprise that part-timers like John Cena and Logan Paul aren't featured on the graphic as they're often treated as "free agents" who are free to jump from one roster to another depending on how WWE Creative wants them booked. Paul popping up to be drafted to one of the brands for a quick viral moment is entirely possible.

Gable Steveson, despite being drafted to Monday Night Raw in 2021, is also not featured. It appears he's looking to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris so his pro wrestling career is on hold for the time being. 

Next up are the group of currently injured wrestlers, as it seems a bit arbitrary regarding who is and isn't featured on the graphic. AJ Styles, Johnny Gargano, Ronda Rousey and Kofi Kingston are all on the list but Tommaso Ciampa, Randy Orton, R-Truth and Robert Roode aren't. Big E is also absent, though it's unclear if he'll ever be cleared to return to wrestling full-time following his broken neck. 

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And finally, there are a few wrestlers who have been absent from TV for miscellaneous reasons. Bray Wyatt has been off TV since before WrestleMania due to what's reportedly been an undisclosed illness, Alexa Bliss has been gone since just after the Royal Rumble despite publicly denying that she's on hiatus and Carmella has been reportedly "sidelined" since March for unknown reasons. 

Are you expecting any big surprise returns in the Draft? Tell us your picks in the comments! 

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