WWE is ready to shake things up again. The WWE Draft kicks off Friday on SmackDown and is set to usher in a new era in the company. Since Triple H took over creative last year, fans have wondered if a WWE Draft would happen in the future. After announcing its return a few weeks ago, WWE has been building up the draft as a company-changing event.

Since the WWE Draft will be a two-night event on SmackDown and Raw, only a select number of superstars will be eligible to be drafted each night. Some superstars who can be drafted Friday include Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, Edge, AJ Styles, Cody Rhodes, Bobby Lashley, Bianca Belair, and more. Here are my predictions for who will be the top five picks of the WWE Draft.

1. Roman Reigns

This seems like the obvious choice. The Tribal Chief is closing in on 1,000 days as Universal Champion, and his reign as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion isn't ending anytime soon. Reigns is the face of the company and will continue to be for years to come. Even though he's technically a part-time wrestler now, his value is unmatched. It's unclear which brand will have the top overall pick, but whoever it is should take Roman Reigns. From a business perspective, Fox and USA Network should be fighting over who gets Reigns. Wherever he goes, views and money will follow.

2. Cody Rhodes

I'm still unsure if Cody Rhodes should be drafted to the same brand as Roman Reigns. It's clear that WWE is building up to an eventual rematch between the two, but they may separate them for now. Also, nobody is sure how the draft order will be this year. Since Raw is three hours and SmackDown is two, Raw might get an extra pick each round. Regardless, Cody Rhodes must be a top pick in this year's draft. WWE is treating him like a future face of the company, and if he's going to be the one to dethrone Reigns eventually, they need to keep treating him like a star. In this case, whichever brand gets the second pick needs to take the second-best option, Cody Rhodes. WWE can figure out how they'll revisit the Rhodes and Reigns rivalry down the line.

3. Gunther and Imperium

The current Intercontinental Champion is on a meteoric rise to being a top star in WWE. Gunther has not been pinned or submitted since debuting on the main roster over a year ago. He's arguably the greatest Intercontinental Champion of this generation and will go down as one of the best ever. His ring work is second to none, and a world championship reign is in his future. With Gunther, Imperium will come along with him. As a group, they can take over whichever brand selects them. Gunther can lead the group, but Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci can make a name for themselves in the tag team division. The future is unbelievably bright for Gunther and Imperium, and whichever brand drafts them will be in good hands.

4. Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair is almost guaranteed to be the first female wrestler selected in the WWE Draft. Belair has held the Raw Women's Championship for over a year, and that reign doesn't seem like it's ending anytime soon. It'll be interesting to see how WWE handles both women's champions. If Bianca Belair gets drafted to SmackDown, that would have to mean Rhea Ripley is going to Raw, and vice versa. WWE has handled this by simply swapping the belts in the past, so we'll see what they do this year. Regardless, Belair is too good not to be a top pick in this year's WWE Draft and should be presented as one of the top superstars in the company, period.

5. Drew McIntyre

Wherever Drew McIntyre goes, he needs to become one of the faces of that brand. Although McIntyre has been involved in high-profile feuds and has been on weekly television, he has become somewhat of an afterthought. The former WWE Champion needs to go back to chasing World Championships and getting that big win in front of fans he deserves. I would love for McIntyre to get drafted to the brand with the new World Heavyweight Championship so he can go after that. I would hate to see him stuck on the same brand as Roman Reigns and failing to dethrone him. Hopefully, McIntyre returns with a new attitude and embraces a heel character who will soon be a World Champion.

Those are my predictions for the top five picks in the 2023 WWE Draft. WWE can go in many different directions with the draft, and it will be exciting to see where these superstars end up.

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