1.) Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
You don’t trade up to the No. 1 overall pick and not take a QB. There was a lot of chatter around C.J. Stroud from Ohio St., but the top player in the draft is Bryce Young. What it turns out to on draft day? Well it’s team owner David Tepper who’s making this pick.
2.) Houston Texans: Will Anderson, DE, Alabama
If Houston had lost their final game of 2022 this wouldn’t be a problem but they rallied, won, and are now in a position where their fate is out of their control. If Stroud is the pick at No. 1 than Houston takes Young. If not, look to Will Anderson. New head coach DeMeco Ryans knows the value of a premier pass rusher from his playing days (Mario Williams) and coaching career (Nick Bosa).
3.) *Arizona Cardinals: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Of the first three picks this is the only pick I’m certain of and I don’t believe Carter goes here. This pick will 100% be traded whether or not C.J. Stroud is still on the board or not. There are allegedly six teams talking to Arizona about moving up. Who moves up is anybody’s guess.
4.) Indianapolis Colts: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio St.
Maybe the Colts move up and take Stroud a pick earlier, nevertheless, this is the ideal draft scenario for the Colts. Andrew Luck left the organization in a tailspin after his sudden retirement and they’ve failed to properly address the quarterback position in the years since. An offense with Stroud, Jonathan Taylor, and Michael Pittman Jr. would be fun to watch.
5.) Seattle Seahawks: Nolan Smith, OLB, Georgia
Seattle is impossible to mock draft for. They march to the beat of their own drum, especially in Round 1. Is it a reach? Absolutely. Smith missed most of his final season at Georgia due to injury, but fully healthy Smith blew the roof off of Lucas Oil Field at the combine. A pass rusher with his elite skill set is exactly what Seattle needs. This pick reminds me of the Bruce Irvin selection back in 2012.
6.) Detroit Lions: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
The Lions had the worst overall defense in 2022 and the second worst pass defense. In addition they just traded away a former Top 10 cornerback they missed on in the 2020 NFL Draft. They need to draft wisely here. With the free agency signings of Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley taking some of the pressure off Witherspoon, defensive coordinator (and former Pro Bowl cornerback) Aaron Glenn should get Witherspoon up to speed quickly.
7.) Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
Maxx Crosby has developed into one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, but there’s not much else. Chandler Jones was supposed to provide the double threat, but it seems age could be catching up to him. In a division where you face Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Russel Wilson twice a year you need all the pass rush help you can get.
8.) Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Atlanta needs a serious injection of talent, but at No. 8 it may be best to trade down. However we don’t mock draft trades. Taken this and coupled with a desperate-to-win owner in Arthur Blank, paired with a keen offensive mind in head coach Arthur Smith, Richardson could be the choice. Richardson put on a show at the NFL Combine, but as that event fades into the rearview, Richardson’s stock may be starting to slide.
9.) Chicago Bears: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Justin Fields was sacked 55 times, tied for the league lead, and had the highest sack probability at 14.7%. Fields showed last year that he has the tools to reach another level. Not to mention the Bears traded down to acquire more weapons for Fields (D.J. Moore) and pass on this year’s top QB prospects. Now they need to continue that show of faith in Fields and protect him. Skoronski is a Day One starter at tackle or guard and should be there for the next 10 years.
10.) Philadelphia Eagles: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
This is a luxury pick for the Eagles. After a creative deal during last year’s NFL Draft, the Eagles wound up with a Top 10 pick after reaching the Super Bowl. The Eagles love to draft the trenches and they could easily address that here. But with such a well built roster, why not address the one gap with a talent that has been cited as having a Hall of Fame ceiling?
11.) Tennessee Titans: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The Titans are absolutely in the mix to trade up to No. 3 and take a quarterback there. The Ryan Tannehill contract was crazy when it was signed and now the Titans really need to get out from under it. Levis could develop for a year behind Tannehill or take over midseason or impress in camp to the point that Tannehill is dealt in the summer. In any case, the rebuild starts on night one of the NFL Draft.
12.) Houston Texans: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio St.
Quarterbacks are overrated, acquiring JSN rounds out a stellar first round for Houston. The Texans added Robert Woods and Noah Brown in free agency, along with Nico Collins and a healthy John Metchie III, whoever is under center Week 1 will have a decent arsenal.
13.) New York Jets: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio St.
Whenever the Jets acquire Aaron Rodgers it will be imperative they keep him upright. Paris Johnson gives the Jets options, either a bookend to Mekhi Becton or he can shift inside and play as a guard. Johnson has the grit to thrive in a Robert Salah team and should be a Day One starter.
14.) New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Gonzalez steadily got better and should continue to get better playing for Bill Belichick. The Patriots had a Top 10 defense last year and Gonzalez brings some needed size to the position. Gonzalez has the versatility to excel in press or off coverage and can allow the Patriots to slide Jalen Mills back to safety/nickel.
15.) Green Bay Packers: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
The Packers and GM Brian Gutekunst seemingly hate the idea of drafting offensive weapons in the first round, but they are now in a position where they have to. They have no tight ends and a thin wide receiver corps. If Jordan Love is to succeed he needs pass catchers. Kincaid is the best on the board.
16.) Washington Commanders: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
The Commanders have been looking for answers along the offensive line ever since Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff left town. Charles Leno is a quality left tackle, but Cornelius Lucas could be upgraded on the right side. And neither are the long term answer for their respective positions. Wright can play on the left side or right and should be a Day One starter.
17.) Pittsburgh Steelers: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Jones plays with vintage Pittsburgh grit and toughness. Sometimes it works against him, but he should be Pittsburgh’s starter on the left side come Week 1. They invested a first in quarterback Kenny Pickett last year and this year they invest in protecting him.
18.) Detroit Lions: Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa
Van Ness’ ceiling on draft night is Top 10, but if he slides past the Eagles he could have to wait awhile. For the sake of this mock draft, the Lions couldn’t be happier. Pairing Van Ness with last year’s first-rounder Aidan Hutchinson would be a dream scenario.
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
This is the point in the draft where Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker starts entering the mix, however the roster is a bit of a mess despite winning the Super Bowl just three years ago. They need help at most positions and with the trenches picked through at this point in the mock draft – the Bucs go with Mayer, an instant upgrade to the TE position.
20.) Seattle Seahawks: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
Seattle’s scouting department hit the jackpot last year when they drafted bookend tackles (Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas). The year prior they rounded out the interior by pairing Damien Lewis with Gabe Jackson. That leaves one critical position left to address along their offensive line. Schmitz, a Rimington Trophy finalist, should be the final piece to making the Seattle o-line one of the best in the league.
21.) LA Chargers: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Yes, the Chargers already have Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, however Allen is getting up there in age and both are injury prone. Behind them there isn’t much depth. The Super Bowl suggested that perhaps the best strategy to beat Patrick Mahomes (division rival of the Chargers) isn’t to try and lock him down (you can only do that for so long), but rather outscore Mahomes and the Chiefs. Addison helps the scoreboard.
22.) Baltimore Ravens: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn St.
What a turn this would be. The son of a Steelers legend playing for the despised division rival Ravens. After years of great football with Jimmy Smith, Marcus Peters, and Marlon Humphrey, only Humphrey remains on the team. Adding Porter would not only sure up the space opposite Humphrey, but also gives the Ravens another core youngster to build the secondary around following last year’s first rounder, safety Kyle Hamilton.
23.) Minnesota Vikings: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
The Vikings could go a number of ways, however Minnesota had the second worst total defense and second worst pass defense in the NFL last year. Banks has the physicality and motor to thrive in the NFC North and helps continue to the youth movement in the secondary that started with last year’s picks Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.
24.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Branch, S, Alabama
Why Branch is listed as a safety nobody knows. Branch played primarily in the slot at Alabama and should thrive there in the NFL. Branch is a versatile piece who can excel on all four downs and even provide some scare to opposing QBs as a blitzer.
25.) New York Giants: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
The long, expensive nightmare that was Kenny Golladay is over. The team resigned Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, but injuries and inconsistency have plagued this group for a long time. Flowers is a smaller sized weapon, but he leaves BC as the school’s career leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
26.) Dallas Cowboys: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt
Dallas would be wise to turn to division rivals Philly to get an idea on how to take the next step: load up along the defensive line. The Cowboys have lagged in developing defensive tackles and that is shown in their 22nd ranked rush defense. Kancey, while undersized, can help in the run game and is a terror as a pass rusher.
27.) Buffalo Bills: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Solid, but unspectacular is a far way to sum up veteran Dawson Knox. Washington is a goliath. Stuck in a timeshare at Georgia, Washington was mostly used as a blocker but when given his chance at the NFL Combine, Washington showed how freakishly athletic he is. He will be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
28.) Cincinnati Bengals: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi St.
The Eli Apple renaissance was short lived. Now the Bengals need to address the position quickly. The Bengals were wise to take Dax Hill last year as the eventual heir to Jesse Bates’ safety role. Now it’s on Forbes to usher in a new era at corner. The big knock against Forbes is his size, but his production (20 PBUs and 14 interceptions) in the SEC speaks for itself.
29.) New Orleans Saints: Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
Cam Jordan isn’t getting any younger, Marcus Davenport is in Minnesota, and Peyton Turner can’t stay healthy. A lot is needed in the pash rush department down in New Orleans. Murphy had steady solid production at Clemson and would learn a lot playing opposite franchise legend Jordan.
30.) Philadelphia Eagles: O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
Philly lost Isaac Seumalo in free agency and need to find a replacement. In this mock draft the Eagles already landed Bijan Robinson, so snagging Torrence to help pave the way while addressing the need is a win-win. Not to mention they get another piece to protect Jalen Hurts and his new contract.
31.) Kansas City Chiefs: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The Chiefs like their weapons to be fast and Johnston has wheels. Matched with his size, he could be an ideal weapon for the Chiefs, especially after losing Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency.
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