MOCK NFL DRAFTS
| Pick | Team | Pos | Player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 |
|
QB |
||
| If you saw the way the Panthers staff looked at and interacted with C.J. Stroud at his pro day, you would probably agree that he looks like the favorite to be their selection with the first pick. And I don’t blame them. He’s arguably the safest quarterback option in this class, and he doesn’t seem to have much room to bust. He would be the franchise guy that Carolina has been missing for so many years, and his addition to this team could instantly make them the favorites to win a lackluster NFC South. | ||||
#2 |
|
QB |
||
| At this pick, Houston will take whichever of the ‘big two’ quarterbacks that Carolina doesn’t, and in this case, that’s Alabama’s Bryce Young. Much of the draft community seems to agree that he’s the top quarterback in this class, and while he may be a riskier option than C.J. Stroud because of his frame, he has an “it” factor that can help Houston turn around their organization on day one. | ||||
#3 |
|
LB |
||
| Call this pick predictable if you want, but this is what I think the Cardinals will end up doing if they stay put at pick three. Will Anderson is a consensus top-three player in this year’s class, and with Arizona not needing a quarterback, they shouldn’t have anything holding them back from taking him here. They desperately need to rebuild their defense, and this pick would be the perfect start in repairing it for the future. | ||||
#4 |
|
QB |
||
| I know the Colts won’t leave the draft without a quarterback, but I have some questions about what their plans actually are. At pick four, it seems unlikely that they’ll get one of the pro-ready quarterback prospects, so that will leave them with somebody like Anthony Richardson. He’s obviously a great prospect with sky-high potential, but are they going to start him in year one? Or will they opt to have another year of sub-par veteran quarterback play while he develops? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but it’ll be interesting to see what they decide to do come April 27th. | ||||
#5 |
|
CB |
||
| I don’t know how hot of a take this is within the draft community, but I think Joey Porter Jr. is one of the best players in this class, and I get the feeling that teams will agree with that. He’s outstanding in press coverage and man coverage, both of which are something modern NFL teams covet. Seattle could choose to take Jalen Carter here instead, but they’ll instead opt to take a corner to play opposite of Tariq Woolen after spending a bunch of money at the defensive tackle position in free agency. | ||||
#6 |
|
DL |
||
| Carter has seen his stock fall after a sub-par performance at his pro day, and the Lions will be able to capitalize on that fall and grab him without having to trade up. The concerns about him are real, but on the flip side, the talent he possesses is elite for a defensive tackle prospect. He will need some fixing up at the NFL level, but if anyone can unleash his true potential, it’s Dan Campbell and Co. up in Detroit. | ||||
#7 |
|
QB |
||
| This pick seems like a good fit to me. The Raiders just signed Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, but he’s obviously not their long-term solution at the quarterback position. By taking Levis, they can allow him to develop for a year or two behind an experienced veteran quarterback, which he will certainly need coming out of college. The Raiders have been stuck in a cycle of mediocrity for years, but a bold move like this could be what the team needs to make them eventual contenders in a loaded AFC West. | ||||
#8 |
|
WR |
||
| Drafting a wide receiver in the first round would be extremely uncharacteristic for the Packers, let alone trading up into the top ten for one. With Aaron Rodgers likely leaving the team, however, I feel like Green Bay will be aggressive to set Jordan Love up for success. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been rising extremely fast over the past couple of weeks with an outstanding combine performance and a solid pro day, and pairing him with Christian Watson would give Green Bay one of the best young WR tandems in football. | ||||
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|
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#9 |
|
OT |
||
| Chicago believes that they’ve found their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields, and now it’s time for them to back that up by investing in his long-term health. A franchise left tackle would be a great start in protecting him, and who better to do it than his former teammate in Paris Johnson Jr.? He has a high athletic ceiling and some rare technical traits, and he would be an instant difference maker on a subpar Bears’ offensive line. | ||||
#10 |
|
LB |
||
| The Eagles lost key players all over their defense in free agency, and they’ll need to do some retooling in the draft to get this defense back to where it was last year. Fortunately for them, Tyree Wilson will fall to them at pick ten in this scenario. He’s one of the most physically imposing edge prospects, standing at 6’6/275 lbs with 33 5/8" arms and some serious lower body strength to compliment all of that. Many scouts view him as one of the best overall players in this class, and his presence on this defensive line would go a long way in helping this team recover from multiple key free-agency losses. | ||||
#11 |
|
OT |
||
| It will be interesting to see how the Titans plan to approach this season. There’s been rumors that they’re looking to trade Derrick Henry, and that would indicate a likely rebuild. However, they’re still holding onto him and veteran QB Ryan Tannehill at the moment, so they may just choose to let it ride. Either way, they’ll need help on the offensive line. Longtime left tackle Taylor Lewan was released this off-season, so they’ll need someone to come in who can protect the QB’s blind spot. Skoronski had a terrific career as a left tackle at Northwestern, and while some fear that his short arms may relegate him to the interior of the offensive line in the NFL, it wouldn’t surprise me if Mike Vrabel is able to maximize his talents on the outside. | ||||
#12 |
|
DE |
||
| Ogbonnia Okoronkwo leaving Houston in free agency this year really hurts. He was an underrated player and may have been one of the best players on their defense last year, but now he’s gone and the Texans will need a replacement. Clemson’s Myles Murphy has seen his stock drop a bit over the last couple of weeks after some underwhelming testing at the combine, but he still possesses rare physical and athletic gifts. Houston would be well off grabbing a high-potential defensive end to act as a cornerstone for their rebuilding defense over the next couple of seasons. | ||||
#13 |
|
OT |
||
| This may surprise some, but in this scenario, the Packers will use the pick they get in exchange for Aaron Rodgers on a new left tackle. Broderick Jones has been one of the most productive players at the tackle position in all of college football over the course of his career, and the left-tackle position will be a big position of need for the Packers in the not-so-distant future. It wouldn’t hurt to let Jones sit for a while before throwing him into the fire, and I have little doubt that Green Bay could turn him into a perennial Pro-Bowl player. | ||||
#14 |
|
CB |
||
| The Patriots need more size and physicality within their cornerback room, and while Witherspoon isn’t exactly a ‘big’ guy, he plays hard and would be their tallest cornerback on the roster. Beyond that, he’s excellent in man and press coverage, both of which Bill Belichick historically adores in his defensive backs. He’s a true lock-down cornerback that could become a Pro-Bowl caliber player, and it’s easy to see him having an exceptional career with a team that has a perennially-great defense like the Patriots. | ||||
#15 |
|
CB |
||
| If the draft falls this way, Atlanta will be thanking their lucky stars. Not only do they get to trade back from pick eight and acquire more picks, but they will also get the player they may have taken in the top ten anyways if they didn’t move back. Christian Gonzalez is considered by many as the top cornerback in this class because of his fluid hips and lock-down film at Oregon, and it’s clear that pairing him up with A.J. Terrell would create one of the best young cornerback duos in the NFL. | ||||
#16 |
|
OG |
||
| It’s hard to pinpoint the main area of need for the Commanders this off-season, but if I had to pick one, I’d say it’s the offensive line. They haven’t had any impact players on the interior since Brandon Scherff left a couple of years ago, and that’s what they’ll look to fix by taking Torrence. He had an insanely impressive season at Florida last year, and he seems close to being the consensus top interior lineman in this year’s class. | ||||
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|
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#17 |
|
DL |
||
| Straight out of a fairy tale, the Steelers will keep Calijah Kancey in Pittsburgh by taking him with their first-round pick. They need help at the position, and after a stellar performance at the combine, Kancey is drawing comparisons to three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Mike Tomlin would almost certainly be able to maximize his talents despite him being undersized, and this could end up being a perfect fit for both parties. | ||||
#18 |
|
TE |
||
| The Lions did a good job of shoring up their secondary during free agency, so that’ll give them the flexibility to go with an offensive pick at this draft slot if they want to. Here, they’ll take Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer. He’s one of the most pro-ready and refined prospects in the draft this year, and his presence as a pass catcher would add another dimension to this already-elite Detroit offense. | ||||
#19 |
|
LB |
||
| With needs all over the field, Tampa Bay will opt to shore up the defensive line with one of the hottest off-season risers in Nolan Smith. Teams are enamored with his speed and athleticism after he logged a 4.39 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, and it’s certainly possible that he will be taken with a top-20 pick after a performance like that. He needs some work refining his technique, but he could be a high-impact player for the rebuilding Buccaneers in short order. | ||||
#20 |
|
DT |
||
| The Seahawks passed on taking Jalen Carter earlier in this draft, so I think they would be happy to pick up Bresee as a developmental player later in the first round. He possesses a lot of the elite potential that Carter does, and while he comes with more risk, he could develop into being a high-quality starter in the NFL. They spent a lot of money at the defensive tackle position in free agency, and adding Bresee will complete their rebuild on the interior of the defensive line. | ||||
#22 |
|
RB |
||
| Let’s experiment with another possible scenario. Austin Ekeler has been granted permission to seek a trade from the Chargers, so if that happens, they could be in prime position to grab Bijan Robinson without moving out of their pick. He’s widely regarded as one of the best running back prospects to come out of college in years, and he would be an effective and cheap replacement for Austin Ekeler for the Chargers. | ||||
#23 |
|
WR |
||
| Baltimore has been looking for help at the wide receiver position for multiple consecutive years at this point, and in this scenario, they get it. Johnston would bring some serious size and speed to the receiving room in Baltimore, and while this pick largely depends on the future of QB Lamar Jackson, I don’t see a world where an early investment in a receiver isn’t beneficial for the Ravens. | ||||
#24 |
|
LB |
||
| The end of an era. Eric Kendricks has officially been cut by the Vikings, and they will need to look for a cheap replacement for him. They should look no further than Trenton Simpson. Not only does he play with an active motor and high intensity, but he also has an elite athletic profile. He ran an official 4.43 40-yard dash despite standing at 6’3”/235 lbs, and he has shown real potential as a pass rusher and a coverage guy. He’s viewed as a ‘tweener’ by some, but his versatility and athleticism will likely enable him to be an impact player wherever he goes. | ||||
#25 |
|
OT |
||
| Jacksonville’s offense is set at just about every position except for the offensive line, and that’s exactly what they’ll address here. Darnell Wright was an elite right tackle for the Vols last season, and the NFL draft community seems to be catching on to just how talented this guy is. He has smaller hands than you’d like for an outside lineman, but his college production and technical refinement are enough for me to look past that. | ||||
|
|
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#26 |
|
WR |
||
| New York isn’t done at the wide receiver position, despite signing Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard to new deals. In this scenario, they strike gold by getting Zay Flowers in the back of the first round. He has elite quickness, is ultra competitive, and possesses the natural ability to turn a short play into a big gain. The Giants have been missing that over the past few seasons, and adding Flowers along with newly-acquired TE Darren Waller would give the Giants a real chance to win this division in 2023. | ||||
#27 |
|
WR |
||
| Dalton Schultz is gone and Odell Beckham Jr. seems to be a far-fetched dream for the Cowboys. They will obviously need to get a new pass catcher or two before the season starts, and who better than Jordan Addison from USC? He’s one of the quickest receivers in this class and had outstanding college production in his time at Pittsburgh and USC. His presence on this offense would be the perfect compliment to CeeDee Lamb, who has emerged as one of the best young receivers in football over the past few seasons. | ||||
#28 |
|
CB |
||
| The Bills used a first-round pick on Kaiir Elam last year, and I don’t think they’ll be afraid to double up. Cornerback is a big position of need for them, especially when you consider Tre’Davious White’s age and health concerns. This pick isn’t flashy and won’t get the Bills over the hump immediately, but cashing in on Smith’s fall in the draft would prove to give Buffalo value that they can’t pass up. | ||||
#29 |
|
TE |
||
| Hayden Hurst is officially gone from the Bengals, so they'll need to bring in some young talent to help fill the void that he leaves. By picking Darnell Washington, Cincinnati would be setting themselves up for an interesting experiment. He’s a physical and athletic anomaly, standing at 6’7"/265lbs and still running a 4.64 40-yard dash and a 4.08 short shuttle at the combine, and he could either completely bust or elevate this offense further than anyone could ever imagine. | ||||
#30 |
|
DL |
||
| I’m personally not the biggest fan of Lukas Van Ness, but the hype around him is real and he could go in the first round. In this scenario, the Saints will be the team to take him. They need a lot of help on the defensive front after losing multiple key players in free agency, and Van Ness would be effective in fixing that with his multi-position versatility on the defensive line. I’m not sold that he’s going to be a great player in the NFL, but it’s hard to deny that he could become a good player with proper development and coaching. | ||||
#31 |
|
RB |
||
| Miles Sanders’ time in Philadelphia is over, and now it’s time for the team to start looking for a viable replacement for him. I’m sure they will still view themselves as Super-Bowl contenders for next season despite losing multiple key players, so I don’t think they’ll hesitate to invest some heavy draft capital into a running back. Here, it’s Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama. He excels as a pass catcher and is also a very capable rusher, and he could end up adding another dimension to Philadelphia’s offense that they didn’t have with Miles Sanders last year. | ||||
#32 |
|
WR |
||
| The Chiefs obviously had an awesome season despite trading away Tyreek Hill before the season, but it was still pretty evident that they missed him. Patrick Mahomes didn’t have any reliable targets outside of Travis Kelce, and he’s only getting older. So, in this scenario, Kansas City will grab Jalin Hyatt, whose on-field speed is arguably the best in the entire draft. He’s not going to come in and be as productive as Tyreek Hill was on day one, but he could help give this offense that down-field threat that they were missing last year. | ||||