MOCK NFL DRAFTS
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 |
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QB |
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| The Texans fumbled away the first overall pick when they beat the Colts on a late-game hail mary, so they’ll have to negotiate a pre-emptive deal with the Bears to avoid anyone else jumping them for Bryce Young. The Alabama product is striking many as a generational prospect at the position despite his lackluster size, so the Bears shouldn’t have any issues trading down in this draft. | ||||
#2 |
|
LB |
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| The Bears could try to trade down again on draft night, but teams will be more willing to wait on quarterback with the top option being taken first overall. Instead, Chicago will opt to take the best player on the board in Will Anderson Jr. He has the athleticism and proven college production that all teams want in a young edge, and he would become a cornerstone of the Bears’ defense for years to come if this pick is made. | ||||
#3 |
|
QB |
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| A trade is made for the third-overall pick, and in this scenario, it’s mutually beneficial. The Falcons have no semblance of a franchise quarterback on their team, and the Cardinals need more assets to try to repair their broken roster. For the Falcons, Stroud is clearly the best quarterback left on the board. He has a high floor and projects to start on day one, and he would be an instant upgrade from Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, or whoever else Atlanta would otherwise try starting at quarterback. | ||||
#4 |
|
QB |
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| I don’t think the Colts have Will Levis at the top of their draft board, but they’ve been backed into a corner with how this draft has fallen. Two quarterbacks went in the three picks ahead of them, and GM Chris Ballard understands that they can’t leave this draft without a viable young quarterback. As a result, they’ll have to reach down the board for Levis, who has all the physical tools necessary to be great but remains very raw coming into the NFL. | ||||
#5 |
|
DL |
||
| This scenario is nearly perfect for the Seahawks. They get arguably the best defensive tackle prospect we’ve seen in multiple years in Jalen Carter without having to trade out of this pick, and he would also fill a major position of need for them. With Tariq Woolen, Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, Kenneth Walker, and now Jalen Carter, Seattle would have arguably the best foundation of young talent of any team in the entire NFL. | ||||
#6 |
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CB |
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| There’s a lot of debate surrounding who the CB1 is in this draft class, and it may very well just be Joey Porter Jr. He has elite length and plays with a rare amount of aggression at the position, and Detroit has proven that they aren’t shy to use a premium pick on a defensive back over the past few years. He would be a day-one starter and fill a major position of need for this up-and-coming Lions’ defense. | ||||
#7 |
|
OT |
||
| I don’t personally think this would be the right move for the Raiders, but there’s no denying that Broderick Jones has been one of the top risers for the draft this off-season. Teams are enamored with his ability to pull and his enthusiasm block at the second level, and he will be an appealing option for any team that has a need at left tackle, especially teams that tend to be more run-heavy. The Raiders fit that bill entirely, and they’ve also shown that they aren’t scared to take ‘their guy’ rather than the consensus pick (looking at you, Alex Leatherwood). | ||||
#8 |
|
OT |
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| It’s tough to say exactly what the best move is for the Cardinals at this point, but I feel pretty confident that they should opt to take a prospect on the safer side of the spectrum. They have a lot of holes in their roster, so if they take a high-risk high-reward type guy, they could set their rebuild back multiple years if he doesn’t work out. That leaves me with Skoronski to give them. He’s a safe lineman prospect with the versatility to play almost anywhere on the line, and he would help up what has been a very shaky unit for Arizona. | ||||
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#9 |
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OT |
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| The Titans see this run on offensive lineman happening, and they know they’ll have to trade up to get a guy they want to fill that position for them. Paris Johnson Jr. is arguably the best of all of them, possessing elite size (6’6″/310 lbs) and proving to have multi-position versatility in his time at Ohio State. He has the highest ceiling of any lineman in this year’s draft, and the Titans would be well off getting this position addressed for the foreseeable future. | ||||
#10 |
|
DT |
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| After a devastating loss in the Super Bowl, the Eagles have an interesting off-season ahead of them. They lost both their offensive and defensive coordinator, and they’re also set to see many veterans possibly walk away in free agency, especially on the defensive line. That’s where Bryan Bresee comes in. He’s a dynamic young talent on the interior of the defensive line, and a pairing of him and Jordan Davis would solidify this unit and likely the entire defense as a force to be reckoned with for however long their Super-Bowl window is open. | ||||
#11 |
|
QB |
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| Anthony Richardson is a polarizing prospect for sure, but the Panthers are the type of team to take a leap of faith with his potential. They’ve been living as a sub-par franchise for the better part of a decade, and they will need to make a major move if they want to change that. This would be that move. Richardson has the strongest arm of anyone in this class, and he also plays with Cam Newton-esque rushing ability. He absolutely has one of the highest ceilings of any player we’ve seen enter the draft in years, but this pick could also come back to haunt Carolina if he doesn’t reach his potential. | ||||
#12 |
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LB |
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| Houston is going to be embracing the rebuild this year, so they shouldn’t have any problems taking a high-upside guy that may take some time to develop. Tyree Wilson is that guy in this scenario. He has elite measurables as an edge rusher, and he played with enough power and technique at Texas Tech to warrant him being picked in the top-15 this year. | ||||
#13 |
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LB |
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| Simpson is a guy that I think could go much earlier than people expect on draft night. He measures in at around 6’3″/240 lbs, and he still projects to run a sub-4.4 40 time despite his size. He has true sideline-to-sideline speed, and he has also proven to be more than capable as a coverage guy or edge rusher. He reminds me of Micah Parsons with his versatility and athletic profile, and while he likely won’t be as good, he would still be the icing on the cake for an already-solid young New York defense. | ||||
#14 |
|
DE |
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| In this scenario, Murphy drops down the board a little further than most people think he will, and Bill Belichick will pounce on the opportunity to grab him before anyone else can. He’s arguably the best player left on the board, and while New England doesn’t have a major need on the edge, Murphy’s talent and athletic profile will be enough to convince the Patriots to take and develop him into an elite defensive end at the NFL level. | ||||
#15 |
|
WR |
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| There’s a lot of debate and disagreements about who the best wide receiver in this class is, but I think that on draft night, team’s won’t overthink it. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was setting receiving records at Ohio State while playing on the same team as Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in 2021, and while it would be uncharacteristic, I could see the Packers grabbing him if given the opportunity, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to stay in Green Bay. | ||||
#16 |
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CB |
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| The Commanders could go down multiple different routes with this pick, but in this scenario, they will choose to play it safe and address a position of need. Their secondary has been suspect for the past few seasons, and they’ve been without a true lockdown guy for multiple years. Witherspoon can be that guy. He’s been one of the biggest risers on draft boards since the end of the season, and that’s because of his abilities in coverage and willingness in run support. He’s an all-around tool that can elevate an entire defense while shading the other team’s top receiver. | ||||
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#17 |
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CB |
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| Like Washington, Pittsburgh has a need at the cornerback position, and they fortunately get Gonzalez to fall to them at this pick. He has a nearly ideal frame for the position, standing at 6’2″/200 lbs with long and strong arms to go with that. He has a nice mix of floor and upside as a prospect, and the production he had at Oregon should be enough to get him selected with a relatively high pick in the first round. | ||||
#18 |
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WR |
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| Some think of Johnston as the clear-cut WR1 for this year’s draft, but I’m just not sure if NFL scouts will agree with that. He has a big frame and elite speed, but he has failed to show that he can really utilize that frame on contested catches. He is dangerous in space, however, and he does have the highest athletic potential of any receiver in this class. That potential will lead to Detroit selecting him with their second pick in the first round, and they could have a dangerous young receiving tandem with Johnston and Amon-Ra St. Brown if he can develop well in the NFL. | ||||
#19 |
|
OG |
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| The Buccaneers are officially in trouble. Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement, and that leaves Tampa Bay without a starting quarterback for a roster that already has some major issues. They’ll have no choice but to enter a full rebuild, so they’re just as well off taking Torrence as any other prospect left on the board. He should help to solidify the interior of their offensive line in his first year, and his presence on the offensive line would help give the Bucs a solid foundation for their upcoming multi-year rebuild. | ||||
#20 |
|
S |
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| The Jamal Adams experiment hasn’t worked out for the Seahawks so far, and his $15+ million cap hit could lead to him getting traded or cut at some point. In that case, they will need to bring in somebody young and cheap that can help to fill the void that Adam’s departure would leave. Brian Branch is the perfect candidate for that. Some think he’d be best utilized as a slot corner, but many also think that he would be a perfect strong safety with his big body and exceptional tackling skills. | ||||
#22 |
|
WR |
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| I’ve been absolutely in love with this pairing throughout the entire draft process, and I’m sticking with it. The strong point in Addison’s game is his speed, and that’s exactly what the Chargers have been missing in their receiving core for the past couple of seasons. Los Angeles is confident that they have something special in Justin Herbert, so they need to back up that belief by investing in a fast young receiver like Addison. | ||||
#23 |
|
CB |
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| This pick should be a layup for the Ravens. Cam Smith is widely regarded as one of the best cornerback prospects in this class, and his fall past pick 20 would be perfect for a DB-needy team like Baltimore. His intense mentality brings the exact type of play that John Harbaugh has liked to build his defense around for over a decade, and chances are that Smith would likely develop into a very good player in the NFL if given proper coaching. | ||||
#24 |
|
LB |
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| Some would consider this pick a reach, but I feel it’s better classified as necessary. Minnesota will likely be looking to move on from either Eric Kendricks or Jordan Hicks (or both) to create some cap space this off-season, and they’ll need someone new like Drew Sanders to become the eventual leader of this defense. He plays with great football IQ and intensity, and he’s by far the best remaining linebacker on the board for Minnesota. His versatility as an edge rusher may also serve as a cheap fix for another position of need for the Vikings this year. | ||||
#25 |
|
DE |
||
| The Jags had a strong end to the season, so now they need to build off of that momentum for 2023. Grabbing a young edge defender would be a good idea for them, and somebody like Ojulari is a good option who could realistically be available at this pick. He’s far from a perfect prospect, but he could be a nice addition to the young core that is being built down in Jacksonville. | ||||
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#26 |
|
TE |
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| The Giants need somebody who can catch passes and somebody who can help block for Saquon Barkley, and luckily for them, Mayer falls to them at pick 25 to fill both of those roles. He had a stellar career at Notre Dame, and many are proclaiming him as the best tight end prospect since Kyle Pitts a few years ago. This selection won’t instantly turn New York into Super-Bowl contenders by any means, but he should be a helpful addition for this year with the chance to turn into an All-Pro type player down the road. | ||||
#27 |
|
WR |
||
| Ceedee Lamb is great, but he can’t do it all. Dallas’ passing attack took a noticeable step back after the team traded away Amari Cooper prior to the season, and they need another guy to help keep defenses on their toes. After a stellar career at Boston College, Flowers will be ready for just that. He’s on the smaller side of the spectrum for receivers, but he makes up for that with great route running, elusiveness, and body control. He would be a dominant slot player at the NFL level, and that could be enough to make Dallas’ offense one of the best in the NFL. | ||||
#28 |
|
C |
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| It seems more and more likely by the day that veteran center Mitch Morse will be cut sometime this offseason, and the Bills will need to address that position at some point in the draft. Luckily for them, they have a great pick to take the best center in the class in John Michael Schmitz. He had a great career at Minnesota and some really clean tape from last year, and he’s among the safest interior lineman prospects to come out of college in the last few years. | ||||
#29 |
|
RB |
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| This pick doesn’t seem to make much sense at first glance, but I think it would actually be a great decision for the Bengals. Joe Mixon is getting paid a lot of money and hasn’t been performing like an elite-level back, and the team will soon need to pay the likes of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins to keep their young core together. Not to mention, Robinson’s talent warrants more than a late first-round selection, so this pick would be a good value anyways. It may confuse some, but tough decisions like this need to be made by teams that want to remain in contention for a long time. | ||||
#30 |
|
TE |
||
| Derek Carr might find himself in gold and black next season, and that would mean that he needs some receiving options. Currently, the Saints have a ‘lackluster’ receiving core for next season, to put it nicely. Kincaid could help fix that issue. At Utah, he played with a high motor and above-average speed, and he has the soft hands necessary to make catches at all three levels of the field. In a loaded tight end class, Kincaid has arguably the highest receiving upside of any player left on the board. | ||||
#31 |
|
RB |
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| I don’t think the Eagles will go into the draft looking to grab a running back, but they might just end up coming out of the first round with a new guy. In this case, that’s Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama. He was one of the best backs in the nation this year, and his versatile skill set is something that NFL teams have come to covet in the modern era. Miles Sanders may be out of town soon, and Philly will keep their offense young and fast for years to come with a move like this. | ||||
#32 |
|
WR |
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| If you don’t watch college football very much or haven’t followed the daft process closely to this point, you might not know who Xavier Hutchinson is, but you need to. He’s a 6’3″/205 lb wide receiver out of Iowa State, and he was a First-Team All-American this year as well as a Biletnikoff Award Finalist for the Cyclones. He’s a prototypical X receiver with stellar route running and respectable hands, and he would be the perfect developmental wideout for Patrick Mahomes, especially if JuJu Smith-Schuster walks in free agency. | ||||