With the NFL draft officially less than twelve hours away...we've got our final mock draft for you all. We've worked long and hard scouring the social medias to get as many accurate reports as we can for some of these teams and players, really looking forward to being able to see just how spot on (or not) we are with our picks. But while there's still time, let's get into things:
1. Carolina Panthers: QB Bryce Young- Alabama
It seems impossible at this point that Bryce Young is taken anywhere outside of the top two picks. We've got him going #1 to pair down in Carolina with alleged quarterback guru Frank Reich. We'll see how the duo fares with an offense that'll look very different from a season ago.
2. Houston Texans: QB Will Levis- Kentucky
Rumors began swirling about three days ago that Levis was the apple of Nick Caserio's eye with the second selection, so we're mocking the Kentucky quarterback to Houston. He's a prototypical prospect in every measurable, but his inconsistent production and iffy pro day have raised some red flags. We'll see if he can help turn things around in H-Town.
3. Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Will Anderson- Alabama
Our last mock had Arizona moving down from #3, but recent reports suggest that this pick might not be quite as highly valued as the media is playing it out to be. So we'll have them take the BPA in Will Anderson here. Arguably the top player in the entire class, Anderson will add a true blue chip talent to a pretty barren roster. They still will likely move Deandre Hopkins too over the weekend, helping them to acquire a few other picks to help their rebuild.
4. Indianapolis Colts: QB CJ Stroud- Ohio State
Word on the street is the Colts had been all in on Will Levis. Maybe they were overheard speaking a little too highly of the Wildcat, who we no longer have available on the board here. CJ Stroud is my QB2 of this class, so I love the value Indy gets while staying put at four. Can Stroud be the one to break the Ohio State quarterback curse?
5. Seattle Seahawks- DT Jalen Carter- Georgia
Seattle has a good young defensive core that would really benefit from a game wrecker like Jalen Carter smack in the middle of their D-Line. The quarterback rush allows one of the true top talents in this draft to fall to them, and Pete Carroll will happily scoop him up. Carter would fit right in with Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones up in the Pacific Northwest, elevating that unit to one of the stronger ones in the league.
TRADE:
Tennessee receives: 2023 6th pick, 2023 159th pick
Detroit receives: 2023 11th pick, 2023 41st pick, 2024 1RP, 2025 4RP
6. Tennessee Titans (via DET)- QB Anthony Richardson- Florida
Last mock, we had Tennessee trade up to three to get Richardson. Due to some varying bits of information on the Gator, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility they'd be able to get their guy at eleven honestly. But jumping ahead of Las Vegas to six seemed prudent, as the Raiders could conceivably take the high upside, yet raw QB to let him sit behind Jimmy G for a year. If necessary, Richardson could sit behind Tannehill for the final season of his contract before moving into the driver's seat down in Nashville.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: CB Christian Gonzalez- Oregon
Nate Hobbs is a solid cornerback for the Raiders, but this team faces Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice a season. Solid ain't always enough, so in comes Christian Gonzalez to the silver and black. He's big, fast and aggressive and should be able to matchup one on one with any wideout in the division. Huge upgrade for Las Vegas' secondary.
8. Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Tyree Wilson- Texas Tech
Arthur Blank and Terry Fontenot would be thrilled about this development...a premier edge rusher falling to a team that's finished 31st and 32nd in the league in sacks the last two seasons. For reference on how bad the Falcons have been at getting after the opposing QB, they've totaled 68 sacks the last three seasons. Philly notched 70 last year alone... Wild incompetence by Atlanta's pass rush. Brighter days ahead though with this Tyree Wilson pick!
9. Chicago Bears: OT Paris Johnson Jr- Ohio State
No change in this pick from any of our previous mocks. Chicago's going to do it's very best to maximize Justin Fields' supporting cast over the next season or two to see just exactly how good the kid can be. Paris Johnson Jr. is atop my board for offensive tackles and should be an anchor on the Bears' line for years to come.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Calijah Kancey- Pittsburgh
Philly will definitely miss Javon Hargrave, but they'll find an outstanding replacement for him with the 10th pick. Calijah Kancey has a relentless motor to complement his immense skillset and should fit right in on an incredibly talented defensive line.
11. Detroit Lions (via TEN): CB Devon Witherspoon- Illinois
Devon Witherspoon has been heavily linked to Detroit with the sixth pick throughout the pre-draft process, so it'd be a steal for them to snag arguably the top corner while picking up some additional high picks from Tennessee. Witherspoon would join Cameron Sutton as a clear cut starter on the team that's needed help in the secondary forever. Linking back up with his former Illini teammate Kerby Joseph makes for a great storyline too.
12. Houston Texans: WR Jordan Addison- USC
Dalton Schultz was a nice free agent addition, but whoever the Texans end up taking #2 overall is going to need some improvements at receiver to maximize their chances of success. Jordan Addison is my top receiver on the board and I've got him going down to H-Town to help lay the foundation for their new offense.
13. Green Bay Packers: TE Dalton Kincaid- Utah
While I'd dismissed wide receiver being a possibility here with how Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson progressed last year, it's always felt like tight end could be in play for Green Bay. With Jordan Love now officially locked in as the starting quarterback, what better way to ease him in then by getting him the best pass catching tight end in the draft. Kincaid's a smooth route runner with soft hands and was recently cleared of all his medical red flags. He should be a nice piece in the Packers' new-look offense.
TRADE:
Tampa Bay receives: 2023 14th pick
New England receives: 2023 19th pick, 2023 82nd pick, 2024 2RP
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via NE): OT Peter Skoronski- Northwestern
After releasing Donovan Smith, Tampa has a huge hole to fill at the left tackle spot, literally and figuratively. With a run of offensive tackle needy teams incoming, we have the Bucs trading ahead of New York, Washington and Pittsburgh to secure arguably the best LT in the whole draft. There's some questions on if Skoronski's ideal pro fit is at tackle or guard, but he's a pick with a safe floor who should start right away.
15. New York Jets: OT Broderick Jones- Georgia
Aaron Rodgers is finally a Jet, really rounding out one of the more complete rosters in the league. They're now in need of some reinforcements on the offensive line to keep their franchise QB upright. I personally like Anton Harrison more than Broderick Jones here, but I'm not the one making these picks. So I've got the former Georgia Bulldog headed to Gang Green.
TRADE:
Baltimore receives: 2023 16th pick
Washington receives: 2023 22nd pick, 2023 199th pick, 2024 2RP
16. Baltimore Ravens: CB Joey Porter Jr.- Penn State
The Odell Beckham Jr. signing makes cornerback, not receiver, the Ravens' biggest need. We have them jumping in front of divisional rival Pittsburgh here to select the son of one of the Steelers' greatest players, Joey Porter Jr. The Penn State alum would walk into a situation that could have him starting opposite of Marlon Humphrey as early as week one. Could be a nice duo in Baltimore.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Anton Harrison- Oklahoma
Offensive line always feels like it's a concern in Pittsburgh, so we've got them taking a load of a left tackle in Anton Harrison at 17. They also have pick 32 in this draft, so depending how their board stacks up, I could see the Steelers making a move for cornerback with this pick then taking a tackle like Darnell Wright later on.
18. Detroit Lions: EDGE Nolan Smith- Georgia
It's always felt like this could be a bit of a luxury selection for Detroit, but after acquiring even more picks by moving from 6 to 11, they can absolutely take their favorite player here. Cue Nolan Smith. The edge rusher from Georgia has arguably the highest ceiling of any player in this class and would greatly benefit from having Aiden Hutchinson regularly take on opposing teams best blockers. Could be the makings of a modern day Aldon-Justin Smith.
19. New England Patriots (via TB): DE Lukas Van Ness- Iowa
Lukas Van Ness just plays like a Patriot... I've seen him go as early as eight and as late as the second round, so it seems there's no real consensus on him. But he's a high motor and versatile down lineman who should have ample opportunity to succeed up in New England.
TRADE:
New York receives: 2023 20th pick
Seattle receives: 2023 57th pick, 2023 240th pick, 2024 2RP + 6RP
20. New York Giants (via SEA): Jaxon Smith-Njigba- Ohio State
I mocked Smith-Njigba to the Giants at 20 in my last draft, but had them giving up the 25th pick to move up and get him. It feels like they might get a little greedy with this first round though, so I like them to trade a second and some other assets to keep their original pick while still moving up to 20 and getting their guy. A depth chart of JSN, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins offers much more optimism than it's current state. He'd hop right into the WR1 spot for the G-Men.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: RB Bijan Robinson- Texas
I couldn't resist any longer...there's been enough rumors swirling that Bijan Robinson won't get past the Chargers, so we finally bit. If they end up trading Austin Ekeler, Bijan hops right on into a starting role on one of the more dynamic offenses in the NFL. If Ek sticks around, expect to see a bit more of him in the slot as he and Robinson split bell cow duties for this explosive group.
22. Washington Commanders (via BAL): CB Deonte Banks- Maryland
The Commanders missed the run on offensive tackles at 16, so a trade down for additional assets was a smart move. They should still have a pick of quality corners with their new pick, including local talent Deonte Banks. The University of Maryland grad won't have far to travel down route one to join his new organization.
23. Minnesota Vikings: WR Quentin Johnston- TCU
Quentin Johnston screams Breshad Perriman to me...like, his ceiling is Torrey Smith. Which is fine, I guess, just not what you want from your 23rd pick. Minnesota would be a great landing spot for him, as Justin Jefferson will command the opposing teams top cornerback more often than not. The TCU speedster keeping safeties honest could really make this a dangerous receiving core. Hendon Hooker is in play here too.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Cam Smith- South Carolina
The Jaguars were an inspiring unit last season, but gave up the 5th most passing yards in the league. And that was playing in the AFC South, where they played six games a season vs. Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill and the Davis Mills/Brandon Allen/Jeff Driskel platoon. Cornerback has to be the move here, and Cam Smith is a solid player who'll have a chance to start right out of the gate for Jacksonville.
25. New York Giants- C John Michael Schmitz- Minnesota
Word on the street is the Giants love some John Michael Schmitz. That makes two of us, as the Minnesota center is my second ranked interior lineman. Originally had him sneaking into the end of the first, but I think he'll go a bit higher here to the G-Men. He doesn't scream plug and play, but he's a fundamentally sound player with Pro Bowl upside.
26. Dallas Cowboys: TE Michael Mayer- Notre Dame
With Dalton Schultz's departure to Houston, Dak Prescott is in need of a new safety blanket. Dallas has been heavily linked to Michael Mayer over the last few weeks, leading one to believe this is the Notre Dame tight end's floor. Potential to be a productive, three-down piece down in Big D.
27. Buffalo Bills: WR Zay Flowers- Boston College
Offensive line or safety could be in play for Buffalo here, but they're sneakily thin at receiver as well. Given Stefon Diggs public resentment toward the team after their most recent playoff exit, it feels like an addition to the room may be in order. Zay Flowers is as complete a wideout as any in the draft, but he'll need to figure out his drop problem if he's going to be a star. Perfect offense to shine in though with the Bills.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Dawand Jones- Ohio State
Cincy is in a weird spot with the 28th pick. Do they load up at receiver with Tee Higgins' nearing departure? Maybe they're looking at Joe Mixon's replacement, especially given the running back's offseason issues... Reinforcements at any level on the defense are very much in play too. But we'll have them keep things in-state with Ohio State's Dawand Jones. Jones was never going to beat out teammate Paris Johnson for the left tackle spot, but he could potentially work his way to the side of the line by the time Orlando Brown Jr.'s contract is up. He's a prototypical fit at RT who should help keep their franchise QB upright for years to come.
29. New Orleans Saints: LB Drew Sanders- Arkansas
Rumors were circulating heavily that this is a popular trade up spot for Hendon Hooker. I just can't foresee a team making that move here though, so we're taking a versatile linebacker down to the City of Easy Living. Drew Sanders can play inside and out, rushes the passer and is decent in coverage. Dennis Allen is a defensive mind who'd really welcome that versatility to his group.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: S Brian Branch- Alabama
O'Cyrus Torrence is definitely in play here as well, which would have Landon Dickerson bump to center after the season. But Brian Branch seems like a bit more of an immediate help on the back end of a talented secondary, so we have him going to Philly with the 30th pick.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Myles Murphy- Clemson
Frank Clark is still a free agent, so the door isn't completely shut on a reunion. But he's no spring chicken, and would probably benefit from being more of a rotational piece at this point in his career. Myles Murphy could offer him such a luxury. He's a solid player with plenty of room to continue rounding out his skill set in a Steve Spagnuolo defense that plays to their guy's strengths as good as any other.
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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