NFL Mock Draft (Part 1 of 2)

With the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft...

The Carolina Panthers select...

C. J. Stroud!

Quarterback, Ohio State!

At the moment, there are rumors swirling around that Bryce Young has won the hearts of most of the organization, but I think that Frank Reich will fight for Stroud, as he is believed to have a preference for him.

Young's primary advantages over Stroud are athleticism and pro-readiness. While I acknowledge that Young is better in both departments, I believe that Stroud has a higher ceiling. He also is by no means a bad athlete. He has flashed great scrambling potential in college; I believe he will run more in the NFL.

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With the second pick of the NFL Draft...

The Houston Texans select...

Bryce Young!

Quarterback, Alabama!

No surprise here. If nearly any other team had the #1 overall pick, I'd probably have them taking Young instead. But the Texans instead get to pounce on the opportunity of Frank Reich picking his preference.

The Texans will need to find some offensive playmakers for Young right away after trading Brandin Cooks, which may or may not be mocked in their next pick. Though they are also in need of defensive linemen.

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With the third pick of the NFL Draft...

The Arizona Cardinals select...

Will Anderson Jr.!

Defensive end, Alabama!

Not buying the trade rumors here. While some teams are interested in Will Levis, trading up to #3 would be a steep price to pay, both for the team trading up and for the Cardinals to drop down and likely miss their two favorite prospects in the class.

I have seen a few mocks list Tyree Wilson here instead due to his greater length, but this Arizona. Not Jacksonville. I expect the Cardinals to take near-unanimously top-ranked edge instead of going for a player that is perhaps a better scheme fit.

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With the fourth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Indianapolis Colts select...

Anthony Richardson!

Quarterback, Florida!

I am nearly 100% confident in these top four picks. It's after here that it gets muddy for me.

You've got one of the best young RBs in the league with Jonathan Taylor, a solid offensive line, and now a combine-record-setting athlete at QB in Richardson? Even with his raw ing mechanics, that's a terrifying scheme for an offense already.

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With the fifth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Seattle Seahawks select...

Jalen Carter!

Defensive tackle, Georgia!

It's a close race between the two top remaining defensive linemen here, but talents at defensive tackle to the pedigree of Carter are hard to come by. Even last year, Jordan Davis was not regarded by many analysts as a potential #1 talent.

I thought about Laremy Tunsil's draft day slide for comparison. While those are two completely different instances, both were potential #1 talents that experienced a fall from grace. But a big difference is that there has been ample time between Carter's antics and the draft, while Tunsil's happened just before it, giving teams no time to evaluate.

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With the sixth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Detroit Lions select...

Tyree Wilson!

Defensive end, Texas Tech!

While a corner here would make a lot of sense as well, Detroit could make for themselves one of the most lethal -rushing units in the NFL with this selection. Wilson with the likes of James Houston and Aidan Hutchinson would be dominant.

This class is relatively deep at both corner and edge, but getting your hands on a top 2 edge rusher typically requires a top 3 or 5 pick. With the Seahawks taking Carter, one of them falls into their laps without need for a trade-up.

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With the pick of the NFL Draft...

The Las Vegas Raiders select...

Will Levis!

Quarterback, Kentucky!

To be honest, I am more optimistic on Jimmy Garoppolo than most. But the dealbreaker for me is his injury history. He has had only one year where he was fully healthy as a starter, and if the team he came from last proved anything, it's that quarterback depth is important.

Even if he does not start immediately, Levis would have one of the NFL's best at both receiver and running back, a mentor quarterback, and a higher ceiling than Derek Carr did as a prospect in college, which lead me to believe the Raiders will take him.

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With the eighth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Atlanta Falcons select...

Devon Witherspoon!

Defensive back, Illinois!

By drafting arguably the best cover corner in the draft, the Falcons should create one of the NFL's deadliest cornerback duos with Witherspoon starting alongside AJ Terrell.

I've had corner mocked to the Falcons for a while, so the question is less about their positional need and more about which one. I am honestly pretty 50/50 on it and would change this pick depending on when you asked. But as a prospect, I simply believe Witherspoon is better, so he's who I have here.

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The Chicago Bears have TRADED the ninth pick to the Jets!

With the ninth pick, the New York Jets select...

Paris Johnson Jr.!

Tackle, Ohio State!

This is probably one of the first mega-contraversial moves I will have here. I will explain the Bears' side of the trade when I get to them, but here are my reasons I have for the Jets trading up here.

The Jets are bringing in a top-level QB who probably only has a few years left, and then they will need to develop another player, be it Zach Wilson or someone else. Paris Johnson has the highest upside of any tackle in this draft and the Jets LOVE him as a prospect.

He may not be the best instant starter, but Johnson still played amazing in college and has guard versatility. I have him as the top tackle in the class for a reason.

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With the tenth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Philadelphia Eagles select...

Christian Gonzalez!

Defensive back, Oregon!

The Eagles have always been situated very nicely in the draft for mocks. Not only do they have two picks in the first round, but they sit at the border of the top 10, where a number of players could be tempting trade targets should they fall (EX: Will Levis, Christian Gonzalez, Jalen Carter).

However, I find it more likely that the Eagles will take one of these elite players instead to add to their dominant roster. While the Eagles return both of their corners, they were *this* close to having neither and it could be that way in the near future. Gonzalez provides some future security at the position as well as instant impact.

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With the eleventh pick of the NFL Draft...

The Tennessee Titans select...

Peter Skoronski!

Tackle, Northwestern!

The Titans not only lost guard Nate Davis to free agency, but have had mixed success trying to find starting tackles in the mid-rounds (EX: Dillon Radunz in the 2nd, Nicholas Petit-Frere in the 3rd). Skoronski has the unique ability to potentially upgrade either spot.

If I'm the Titans GM, Skoronski's the #1 player on my board. It's just too perfect a fit with both the positional versatility and being the most technically sound O-lineman. Even if Will Levis, Jalen Carter, or Tyree Wilson were to fall, it'd be hard to convince me otherwise.

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With the twelfth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Houston Texans select...

Jaxon Smith-Njigba!

Wide receiver, Ohio State!

The Texans are absolutely in play for a defensive gamechanger here. But when your top wideout is Robert Woods? You know that's a position that will need to be addressed as immediately as possible.

There are some complaints about JSN's top speed and lack of production junior year, but he's a special player. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were the frontrunners for the OROY last season and JSN outgained them in college with only one extra game.

If the Panthers end up taking Young and the Texans take Stroud, then this pick would make even more sense. I'd almost be mad at them for not doing it in that scenario.

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With the thirteenth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Chicago Bears select...

Broderick Jones!

Tackle, Georgia!

Ryan Poles LOVES building through the draft and trading for more picks. In the last draft, the Bears tied for the most selections thanks to FOUR consecutive trade downs. Pace also shipped off Roquan Smith, Robert Quinn, and Khalil Mack under his tenure.

If you're questioning the trade, I'd sooner question the Jets' willingness to trade up than the Bears' willingness to trade down.

Even if Broderick Jones doesn't have as high a ceiling as Johnson, the picks they get from the trade could be used at another position of need. As with most teams who earned the #1 overall pick, the Bears have many holes, and the more picks to fill them, the better.

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With the fourteenth pick of the NFL Draft...

The New England Patriots select...

Lukas Van Ness!

Defensive end, Iowa!

As an Iowa product, Van Ness hails from a college known for producing talented defenses throughout the years even if the only offensive talents they can produce are tight ends and linemen. The Patriots would be a good fit as a team with a strict system under Bill Belichick.

Most of the sack leaders on the Patriots aren't pure D-linemen (EX: Matthew Judon and Josh Uche). Van Ness would add talent to a blooming D-line featuring the likes of Christian Barmore and Deatrich Wise.

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With the fifteenth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Green Bay Packers select...

Dalton Kincaid!

Tight end, Utah!

It feels like the Packers are allergic to drafting wide receivers in the early rounds, doing so seemingly out of obligation last year. They traded up for Christian Watson, but only after ing on wideout twice in the first round to select two defenders.

I don't think this draft will be much different. There aren't any downright #1 wideouts like Ja'Marr Chase, Chris Olave, or CeeDee Lamb. So instead, the Packers find a great fit with Dalton Kincaid, arguably the greatest player of a very strong tight end class this season.

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With the sixteenth pick of the NFL Draft...

The Washington Commanders select...

April Fools again, suckers!

Joey Porter Jr.!

Defensive back, Penn State!

Some have cited Deonte Banks as a more fun pick due to him being a local product from Maryland, but the Commanders are certainly fond of Penn State products as well. They traded out of the pick used to draft Chris Olave last season to draft Jahan Dotson.

Yikes... that one isn't going so well, is it?

This time, the Commanders do not need to make a bone-headed trade down to get their PSU product, because if they do, he'll likely go to Pittsburgh. Instead, they'll take an instant starter to slot in at CB2 opposite Kendall Fuller.

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Stay tuned for the next sixteen picks. Tell me why I’m stupid in the comments.