With the NFL draft now less than a month away, we've finally put together our first mock. There's no trades for this one, so we're just going off of how the board falls.
The Panthers made a surprising move a few weeks ago, zending DJ Moore and a bevy of picks to the Bears for the right to choose first overall. Oddly enough, it still remains to be seen whether they'll even end up choosing there themselves. But they paid up for the right to, and with the first overall selection...
1. Carolina Panthers: QB Anthony Richardson- Florida
Not who I'd take with this pick here, but it feels like Richardson is the hot name shooting up draft boards after a dazzling combine. Wouldn't be a surprise to have Reich request a more traditional quarterback with this pick, but if the Florida QB continues to impress, it'd be hard to pass up on him. Easily the highest ceiling of the position's draft class.
2. Houston Texans: QB Bryce Young- Alabama
My favorite signal caller in the 2023 draft hails from Tuscaloosa. I understand the concerns with his size, but he's too complete of a player not to be able to glaze over that fact. Comes off as a great kid too, we'll see how Houston is able to set him up for success.
3. Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Will Anderson- Alabama
If you'd read posts of mine from the previous NFL season, you know I'm not on board with Kyler Murray under center. That being said...the Cards won't be moving on from him in this draft, meaning they could actually end up with the true BPA in Will Anderson. This team is really lacking in elite talent across the board and would surely benefit from adding a blue chip stud like Anderson.
4. Indianapolis Colts: QB CJ Stroud- Ohio State
What a coup for Jim Irsay to potentially end up with the best quarterback in this class while holding put at four. Given Arizona's laundry list of needs, it's very possible they'd need to move up to three to secure Stroud, but with no trades in this mock, we'll have them get their guy here. The former Buckeye would be walking into a situation with virtually no competition to start and a few nice pieces to work with in Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor.
5. Seattle Seahawks- EDGE Tyree Wilson- Texas Tech
The more tape on Tyree Wilson that I watch, the more I think he may be a superior player to Will Anderson. Lofty, lofty praise to even have it in consideration. The dude has a limitless motor, really good hands and can generate pressure from anywhere. He'll be an absolute game wrecker playing up in Seattle.
6. Detroit Lions: DT Jalen Carter- Georgia
This is a phenomenal draft to have a top ten pick and no need for a quarterback. Detroit should have their pick of some combination of Jalen Carter, Will Anderson and Tyree Wilson; all of whom could've reasonably been chosen #1. Combine concerns may have the Lions pass on the stud Georgia defensive tackle, but I think they'd be stupid to do that. Tape don't lie, Carter's a monster.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Will Levis- Kentucky
Not nearly as high on Will Levis as many national pundits seem to be. His tape hasn't screamed top ten pick and I thought he was underwhelming at the combine. But there's plenty of potential in his arm/frame, so much so that the Raiders will take the dive and take the Wildcat seventh overall. Jimmy Garoppolo gives them a nice bridge if Levis isn't ready for week one. Given his injury history, wouldn't be shocking to see the rookie get a little burn at some point.
8. Atlanta Falcons: CB Christian Gonzalez- Oregon
Felt like Devon Witherspoon was the CB1 of this class, until I put on the Christian Gonzalez tape...the kid is fast, aggressive, and fucking big (6'1", 200). Pairing him with AJ Terrell makes for a potentially dominant duo down for the Dirty Birds.
9. Chicago Bears: OT Paris Johnson Jr- Ohio State
Rarely do we see the #1 pick getting moved over a month out from the draft, but Chicago is locked in on Justin Fields and wanted to surround him with the best chance to succeed. A reliable star at wideout in DJ Moore will certainly help with that mission, as would solidifying the his blind side. Paris Johnson Jr. is a massive man with some excellent film that'll impossible for the Bears to pass on. First OT off the board.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: EDGE Lukas Van Ness- Iowa
Losing Javon Hargrave in free agency to NFC rival San Francisco was definitely a large (and expected) loss for the Super Bowl runner ups. What a better way to replace him than with their pick of the draft's second tier of edge rushers. In this case, I think it'll be Lukas Van Ness getting his name called. While not a premier talent, he's a three-down lineman with positional versatility on the D-line, something Philly loves. Nice addition to their already strong depth in the trenches.
11. Tennessee Titans: OT Peter Skoronski- Northwestern
Big hole to fill on the offensive line after letting Taylor Lewan walk this offseason. Enter Peter Skoronski, our second ranked OT. He's a big, bad man with a safe floor and the skills to be the top tackle selected in this class. Dude even looks a little like Lewan... plug and play starter for the Titans, ideally at LT.
12. Houston Texans: WR Jordan Addison- USC
New quarterback, check. Time for a new toy for him to play with. If the board falls this way, Houston will have their pick of any receiver in the draft they feel would fit their scheme best. It feels like Jordan Addison is a perfect replacement for the recently traded Brandin Cooks. Could be the making of a really respectable little offensive unit down in H-Town.
13. New York Jets: OT Anton Harrison- Oklahoma
Speaking of new quarterbacks...I'd like to think the Jets have Aaron Rodgers fully secured under center by the time they're drafting. With a loaded defense and a stable of offensive weapons, all New York needs to do is secure the offensive line. Anton Harrison at left tackle would be a cornerstone of that.
14. New England Patriots: DE Bryan Bresee- Clemson
Might be setting myself up to get flamed for this, but Bryan Bresee's tape appeals to me a little more than his teammate Myles Murphy. I think he'd fit in nicely on the New England front seven with Dietrich Wise. While he may not be the raw pass rusher Murphy is, he has a skill set that could make him a productive three-down player.
15. Green Bay Packers: DT Calijah Kancey- Pittsburgh
This pick felt like a tight end or wide receiver...some kind of pass catcher to help Jordan Love acclimate to the starting role. But Green Bay simply doesn't do that in round one. Kenny Clark has two years left on his deal and could really benefit from an advanced talent working along side him in the trenches. Kancey does a lot of things well and could be hard to take off the field if he lives up to the hype.
16. Washington Commanders: CB Devon Witherspoon- Illinois
What a value to fall to the Commanders here at 16. Devon Witherspoon is a dog at cornerback. He plays great coverage, is plenty fast and a very sure tackler for his size. He'll be a welcome addition to a squad that matches up against AJ Brown and CeeDee Lamb twice a season.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Broderick Jones- Georgia
Some more great value trickling down the draft, with Broderick Jones walking into a tremendous opportunity in Pittsburgh. He'll easily be penciled in as the day one left tackle for this offensive line that's been a weak point for years. While he currently has some flaws to his game, he's way too appealing of a project for the Steelers to pass up on here.
18. Detroit Lions: TE Dalton Kincaid- Utah
Didn't love mocking Kincaid to the Lions for a couple of reasons, but he could be a fun luxury pick up in Motor City. He'll be 24 at the beginning of the season and is recovering from a back injury, which are two huge red flags. But he's easily the best pass catching tight end and could be a fantastic addition to a dynamic Detroit offense.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: S Brian Branch- Alabama
Whether it's by trade up or trade down, I don't think there's any way the Bucs actually pick at 19. For the sake of this draft though, we'll have them take the first safety on the board in Alabama's Brian Branch. Tampa is desperately thin at the position and could very conceivably stumble into this year's top option.
20. Seattle Seahawks: OG O'Cyrus Torrence- Florida
A strong 2022 draft allow, the #5 pick and Geno Smith's emergence allow this to be kind of a pure BPA pick. Many pundits have a receiver being the move here, but I think Seattle would benefit from upgrading some other areas while they still have Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf under contract. A ferocious guard like O'Cyrus Torrence would really shore up their interior line, affording more time for Geno and wider running lanes for Kenneth Walker to explode through.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: DL Myles Murphy- Clemson
The ever-disappointing LA Chargers. With the drama surrounding Austin Ekeler's contract, this has been an increasingly hot landing spot for RB1 Bijan Robinson. Keep an eye on those developments in the coming weeks, but for now we actually have the Chargers taking a sliding Myles Murphy. While technically an edge rusher, Murphy seems more than capable of playing all along the defensive line. This versatility should pair nicely with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa when getting after opposing QBs, helping shore up a bad run defense in the process.
22. Baltimore Ravens: WR Zay Flowers- Boston College
This pick has to be a cornerback or receiver. The Ravens are in purgatory right now due to the Lamar Jackson contract situation and have been unable to fortify their two major areas of need as a result. Zay Flowers is a do-it-all receiver who'd pair nicely with Mark Andrews to stress defenses out in the passing game. Just a matter of finding out who's passing him the ball...
23. Minnesota Vikings: WR Quentin Johnston- TCU
This was another tempting potential landing spot for Bijan Robinson, with Dalvin Cook not getting any younger and a cut candidate after the season for a meager 3.1 dead cap penalty. But the Vikes would be wise to fill that role later in this deep running back draft, choosing speedy wideout Quentin Johnston here instead. Justin Jefferson is the clear and obvious alpha on this team, but every Batman needs a Robin. Johnston would consistently pull safety help off of the WR1 and TJ Hockenson, giving this offense a dynamic, new weapon.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Joey Porter Jr- Penn State
As good of a story as the Jaguars were last season, their pass defense was a sieve far too regularly, finishing 27th in the league. And that was playing in the AFC South, where they played six games a season vs. Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill and Davis Mills. If Joey Porter Jr. falls to 24, it'd be an immense value for Jacksonville as they try and build up a defense to match their emerging offense.
25. New York Giants: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba- Ohio State
Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins were the top two receivers on this team in 2022. Acceptable depth, but not the guys you want headlining that room. JSN is arguably the most complete wideout in this class, even if none of his measurables particularly jump off the page. He'll hop right into the WR1 spot for the Giants.
26. Dallas Cowboys: RB Bijan Robinson- Texas
Finally, Bijan finds his home. Dallas has traded for Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore this year, filling some key holes on the current roster. That affords them to go BPA at 26, which is easily Robinson. As great as Tony Pollard was last season, he's still only on a one year tag. He and the former Longhorn would team up for an outstanding 1-2 combo next season before handing over the RB1 reins to Robinson.
27. Buffalo Bills: OT Darnell Wright- Tennessee
Buffalo's entering a weird spot in their team's trajectory. The defense is aging, Josh Allen's fallen a bit short in some key moments and star receiver Stefon Diggs hasn't been the happiest of campers. Definitely need to find some foundational pieces in this draft to fill some developing roster holes. Darnell Wright would be a nice start for that, immediately popping in at RT with the potential to turn into the LT when Dion Dawkins contract runs out after the 2024 season.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: TE Michael Mayer- Notre Dame
RT would be potentially in play here as well, but with the departure of Hayden Hurst and uncertainty surrounding Tee Higgins' future with the team, getting Joe Burrow a big pass catcher would be good value at 28. Mayer is a three-down tight end who should log a ton of snaps for Cincy.
29. New Orleans Saints: EDGE Nolan Smith- Georgia
Maybe the highest ceiling of any player in this whole draft belongs to edge rusher Nolan Smith. His 4.39 40-time has put him head and shoulders above many similar prospects, but his small frame and inconsistent production sinks him down toward the end of the round. Dennis Allen can't let a prospect of his caliber get past them though, especially at this point in the first.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: C John Michael Schmitz- Minnesota
Not a sexy pick, but Jason Kelce isn't getting any younger. John Michael Schmitz is a really technically sound center who would probably benefit from a year behind the future Hall of Famer. He can add some muscle in the meantime and provide quality depth for the Super Bowl runner ups.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Josh Downs- North Carolina
Almost went right tackle with this one, still may when we put another one of these out, but I like the thought of a Patrick Mahomes- Josh Downs connection. He's a shifty guy who could cause trouble underneath while Marques Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore take the top off the D. I know Mahomes can elevate anybody, but I just can't see KC rolling into next season with MVS, Moore and Kadarius Toney as their top three receivers.
The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first round pick this season*
Stephen Ross is a scum bag
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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