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We're just under 24 hours away from the NFL Draft and that means its time to dust off that recliner and play armchair GM. This mock draft was conducted by 5 writers, splitting the 31 1st round picks and taking charge of their assigned franchises future. We felt that this was the most authentic way to conduct the draft and included some eye popping trades to fit the yearly trend. If your team is in the mix for a shiny first round pick that can make an impact right away (Sit this one out 49er fans) then buckle up, here is our final Mock Draft for the 2023 class.
Copyright: 2022 Todd Kirkland
* indicates a trade conducted on our end for the pick being selected
1st Overall Pick: Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young - QB - Alabama
As much as we want this to be a spicy headline grabber, Bryce Young just makes too much sense here for the Panthers. He’s an incredibly intelligent QB who has had dominate college performances and has a true #1 feel to him. Young extends plays with his legs but doesn’t look to run, is incredibly accurate, and has more arm talent than the media wants to let on. Get excited Raleigh, you're bringing in a gamer.
2nd Overall Pick: Houston Texans
Will Anderson Jr. - EDGE - Alabama
In a way it's fitting we see two straight Alabama players to begin the draft after a disappointing season by Saban’s metrics. Will Anderson Jr. was the 3rd highest favorite to take home the Heisman at the beginning of the year as an EDGE rusher, he was a phenom in 2021. He'll be labeled the safest pick in the top 5 of the draft due to his elite production (29 sacks in the last two years) and already fine tuned mechanics.
3rd Overall Pick: Tennessee Titans*
CJ Stroud - QB - Ohio State
CJ Stroud has been a volatile prospect to rank over the past few weeks. Ohio St. QB’s typically receive this treatment, but CJ Stroud has gone from potential #1 to possibly outside the top 12 within the last 10 days due to some testing and bias. The Titans are under a new regime in the front office and lets be honest, nobody is convinced they feel like they have something in Malik Willis. Stroud is athletic enough for the NFL and proved it against Georgia in the CFP, we're gonna stop the slip before it happens here.
4th Overall Pick: Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson - QB - Florida
Nobody had a better combine week than Anthony Richardson. He lit up the building with mesmerizing arm strength and an undeniable physical portfolio. Richardson is a project, the Colts absolutely know this and still take the risk with a new head coach who’s proven he can help an athletic QB ascend.
5th Overall Pick: Seattle Seahawks
Jalen Carter - IDL - Georgia
This pick might bring a tear to Dan Campbell’s eyes as Jalen would’ve been a perfect fit for the Lions. Instead he lands with Pete Carroll who also has proven he’s dedicated to re-tooling the trenches. The Seahawks are building a physical smash mouth team and Carter’s ability to pass rush from the inside is too valuable to pass up here.
6th Overall Pick: Detroit Lions
Devon Witherspoon - CB - Illinois
I know they just landed two promising corners in free agency, but they need an alpha, and Devon Witherspoon absolutely has the profile of a #1 corner. He’s physical with the tremendous ability to stick with defenders and win 50/50 balls. The Lions are going to love the fight in this corner despite his slightly undersized frame and walk away from the draft with a scary secondary.
7th Overall Pick: Houston Texans*
Will Levis - QB - Kentucky
Many experts are predicting the Texans to be between three players right now at #2 and Will Levis is one of them. With their draft capital still intact and a legit QB still on the board the Texans slide back in and take one of the most talented arms in the class. He’s had a bad draft process (Mayo in coffee and eating banana peels will do that) and struggled with turnovers but Demeco and co have time to develop him, 4 QB’s gone by 7 in this scenario.
8th Overall Pick: Atlanta Falcons
Tyree Wilson - EDGE - Texas Tech
Tyree Wilson is a very casual 6’6 / 275 and can utilize that massive frame in a plethora of ways. Wilson’s raw power is going to continue to be a problem at the next level. He very well could be a top 5 pick when it is all said and done but getting to be an instant cornerstone in a historically bad Falcons D-Line would be a dream scenario for Arthur Smith
9th Overall Pick: Chicago Bears
Peter Skoronski - OT - Northwestern
Come back home Pete. The kid from Park Ridge IL getting to stay and play for his hometown team who is desperate to improve their offensive line is a perfect fit. Skoronski is being seen as very versatile despite his long standing role at LT in college. His shorter arms and agile frame make him a candidate to be seen slide all over the O-Line, regardless of where he sticks the Bears are nabbing a starting lineman here.
10th Overall Pick: New England Patriots*
Paris Johnson Jr. - OT - Ohio St.
The Patriots make a surprise trade up here to get their top OT on the board who checks all the boxes for a 1st round tackle. Paris has an excellent blend of size, speed, and length with extremely quick feet to stay active in the passing game. His frame and ability to instantly be a top lineman on this team make him a great candidate to land in the top 10.
11th Overall Pick: Arizona Cardinals*
Darnell Wright - OT - Tennessee
Outside of Will Levis this is the first true eyebrow raiser and it shouldn’t be. Kelvin Beachum wasn’t bad by any means last year, but prospects this good on the right side don’t come along every day. Beachum also is 33 and has played full seasons at Left Tackle before. The Cardinals need to finally commit to their O-Line through the draft and this new regime will let Kyler know what their priority is right away.
12th Overall Pick: Las Vegas Raiders*
Christian Gonzalez - CB - Oregon
The Raiders have a need at every defensive position so locking down a top corner is a great pick. Gonzalez is probably the best press corner in this draft and has the length and speed Patrick Graham loves. McDaniels and Ziegler are primed to go with the best player available and after trading back they are able to grab a guy they were probably going to take at 7. Picking up draft capital for a team with depth needs on defense and the offensive line is the smart play.
13th Overall Pick: Green Bay Packers
Jaxson Smith-Njigba - WR - Ohio St.
It genuinely feels like every couch GM on the planet wants to see this happen. After neglecting to get Aaron Rodgers an offensive weapon in the 1st round during his whole tenure they start out fresh with Jordan Love and snag the best WR in this class. Smith-Njigba has been touted as the top dog out of the rich Ohio St receiver room over the past few years, his elite release package and route running separate him on the draft board and on the field.
14th Overall Pick: Philadelphia Eagles*
Nolan Smith - EDGE - Georgia
After a draft back, the Eagles look towards the future and draft Brandon Graham’s replacement. Nolan Smith has the high motor and team first mentality that the Eagles look for. Smith will fit in with the Eagles right away as he lines up next to former bulldog Jordan Davis. With guys like Brandon Graham and Hassan Reddick in the mix, Smith can sit back and ease his way into the NFL.
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15th Overall Pick: New York Jets
Broderick Jones - OT - Georgia
The starting left tackle for the back to back champs finds himself in a wonderful position to now protect a first ballot hall of famer on an ascending potential playoff team. Broderick Jones is an explosive tackle who finishes defenders into the ground and uses his elite athleticism to stay in front of the best outside rushers in the country.
16th Overall Pick: Washington Commanders
Joey Porter Jr. - CB - Penn St.
If that name looks familiar you are indeed correct, and yes its a shame he didn’t last one more pick. Joey Porter Jr. has a long frame for a corner and uses that frame to be physical in press coverage. He can run stride for stride with X receivers and use his length to finish at the point of catch. He isn’t a “Ballhawk” like some of the other top corners but he is definitely a Ron Rivera guy.
17th Overall Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Deonte Banks - CB - Maryland
The Steelers have been linked to Banks over the past few months including hosting him on multiple visits, they also desperately need to add one of the drafts consensus top 4 corners here. Banks has a ton of experience at corner with 30 college games under his belt, his style is going to heavily rely on the ability to press and use his length to fend off routes past 15 yards.
18th Overall Pick: Detroit Lions
Dalton Kincaid - TE - Utah
Kincaid to the Lions just feels so right. They need a guy who can work up the seams and take the top off secondaries while Jameson Williams is out serving his suspension. He’s a polished receiving Tight End who isn’t afraid to get dirty in the trenches. Kincaid’s ball skills and combination of size and body control make him a promising target for Jared Goff.
19th Overall Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brian Branch - S - Alabama
Watching Brian Branch at Bama was like watching CJ Gardner Johnson with the Eagles this season. He can play inside as a slot corner or can play center field in he backend of the defense. The Bucs lost a lot of defensive depth in the secondary so Branch fills a need and even offers an upgrade to an aging defense.
20th Overall Pick: Dallas Cowboys*
Bijan Robinson - RB - Texas
Jerry Jones is salivating thinking about the jersey sales with this pick.. And with what the pick will produce right away for Dallas. Bijan is the best running back prospect we’ve seen since Saquan Barkley and has top 10 grades on a lot of teams' boards. He ran for 1,500+ yards last year, forces missed tackles like it is second nature, and is tremendous in the passing game. This is a no brainer for the Cowboys to trade up slightly to ensure they get their guy.
21st Overall Pick: Los Angeles Chargers
Jordan Addison - WR - USC
Addison was highly touted as the best WR in this draft last season and after transferring to USC he showed that he can be a reliable option. Addison is on the smaller side but can play both inside and out and has some YAC ability in him as well. The Chargers need to get new life into its oft injured WR core and pairing up Addison with Herbert should give them a great duo for years to come.
22nd Overall pick: Baltimore Ravens
Lukas Van Ness - EDGE - Iowa
The Ravens always seem to get lucky on draft day and Lukas Van Ness falling to them at 22 would instantly give them an upgrade on the Edge. The Ravens have been stuck in the Lamar Jackson saga so they haven’t really made moves on the defense but getting Van Ness here gives them a high motor building block for their defense.
23rd Overall Pick: Minnesota Vikings
Zay Flowers - WR - Boston College
Zay is a smaller receiver he sneakily reminds me a lot of Elijah Moore. He’s a 3 level threat with twitch and home run speed. The route running is being admired among the best in this class and I’ve seen him mocked as high as #12 overall. He’s a YAC threat on every play and a perfect compliment to Justin Jefferson.
24th Overall Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars
Emmanuel Forbes - CB - Mississippi State
The Jags have always thrown money at their secondary through free agency but have yet to fine an impact starter. Forbes is a skinny ball hawking corner who can run with the best of them. If Forbes can mold into the player his film suggests he can be, Jacksonville might have just found its answer.
25th Overall Pick: New York Giants
Quentin Johnston - WR - TCU
The Giants stop the slide here for Quentin Johnston who months ago was considered the top WR in this class. He’s the most physically imposing WR with a 1st round grade at 6’4 / 212 and a blazing 4.3 40. He has no problem throttling that speed down to find a soft zone and then accelerate again to dominate after the catch, great pick here for the $40 million dollar man Daniel Jones.
26th Overall Pick: Seattle Seahawks*
O’Cyrus Torrence - G - Florida
Seattle already got its defensive anchor so its time to bolster up the offensive line for Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker. Torrence is a technically sound guard who can hit the second level and continues to find work. The NFC West still has some great players on the defensive line and Torrence is a great counter to those studs.
27th overall Pick: Buffalo Bills
Calijah Kancey - DT - Pittsburgh
The Bills need a DT who can rush the passer. The Playoff game against the Bengals exposed the Bills defensive front so grabbing another pass rusher to add to a healthy Von Miller needs to be at the top of their list. Kancey is much better against the pass as he’s a little small for his position but if he can get a little stronger he’s fluid enough to make an impact in the run game.
28th Overall Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Michael Mayer - TE - Notre Dame
Mayer is a force as both a receiver and blocker, something the Bengals would love to have in their system. Mayer will get his nose dirty with the best of them and has the redzone upside to be a consistent drive finisher for the Bengals. He won’t make you miss frequently like some of the other top prospects but he’s efficient and can impact the game in so many ways.
29th Overall Pick: New Orleans Saints
Felix Anudike-Uzomah - EDGE - Kansas St.
Something to know and love about the Saints, they absolutely don’t care about consensus rankings and always draft who they like. In this scenario they get a guy with an incredible motor and explosive first step. He’s athletic enough to beat tackles with superior bend and physical enough to finish every play. Great piece to add on the D-Line in the back end of the first.
30th Overall Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
Anton Harrison - OT - Oklahoma
Surprise, surprise. Two first round picks and two lineman for the Eagles. Eagles again look towards the future with Anton Harrison. Harrison has the intangibles you look for in a player with his patience and football IQ. He will have the privilege of improving his agility and focus on the basics as he will not be asked to step into the line immediately. If Jeff Stoutland can make a rugby player a star tackle in the NFL, the same can be done with Harrison.
31st Overall Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Bresee - IDL - Clemson
The Chiefs seem to always grab a steal and this year is no different. Bresee is explosive and just a flat out disruptor on the line, his goal is to cause chaos with his effortless athleticism. He is versatile and a former #1 overall recruit who’s biggest knock is staying on the field. He’s had a hard time achieving that over the last few years and if he had stayed healthy we would likely be looking at a top 10 pick.
*Website we sourced data / team needs / film from:
- The entire team || Upside Play
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