Presenting NFL Trade Rumors’ second 2023 NFL Mock Draft of the offseason.
There are only 31 picks in the first round this year as the Dolphins forfeited their pick this year for tampering.
2023 NFL Mock Draft
1 – Carolina Panthers (CHI): Alabama QB Bryce Young
It remains to be seen where the Panthers will go with the No. 1 pick, even though they traded up with the Bears a few weeks ago. Although, it appears as though Young and Stroud are the favorites to be selected at the top of the draft.
Stroud checks a lot of boxes that will surely give the Panthers something to think about and while there are size and durability concerns with Young, he possesses a great feel for the game and a knack for routinely making plus plays down the field.
2 – Houston Texans: Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
This isn’t a bad year to be picking No. 2 overall and in need of a quarterback. Houston will have some options here as they can either make this simple and take which of Stroud or Young falls to them or they can aim high and take a chance on Anthony Richardson.
Stroud has really impressed during the draft process and checks a lot of boxes as a quarterback.
3 – Arizona Cardinals: Alabama DE Will Anderson
This is the prime spot to watch in round one for a potential trade up involving a quarterback. It remains to be seen whether a team like Seahawks, Raiders or Titans are willing to jump ahead of the Colts at No. 4 overall.
However, should the Cardinals hold on to the pick, getting a premier player at a premium position that happens to be an obvious need is an amazing outcome for Arizona.
4 – Indianapolis Colts: Florida QB Anthony Richardson
The Colts really need to get out of the retread cycle at quarterback and find someone they can build around in the years to come. The Colts have gone with veteran pocket passes the last few years, but they emphasized the importance of athleticism at quarterback last year after benching Matt Ryan.
Richardson has huge upside and while there are some deficiencies to work around, he could really move the Colts’ struggling offense in a new direction.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares Richardson to Cam Newton.
5 – Seattle Seahawks (DEN): Georgia DT Jalen Carter
Carter is considered by a number of draft experts to be the most talented player in this year’s draft. However, there are some obvious concerns regarding Carter that have led to buzz he could drop in round one.
Seattle has done a lot of work on quarterbacks this year, but taking Carter here could go a long way toward rebuilding their defensive front for the years to come.
6 – Detroit Lions (LAR): Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
The Lions are a really intriguing team right now for a number of reasons. They should open as the favorites to win the NFC and they get another high pick to add to their young and talented roster.
Detroit has just a handful of roster holes right now, but one area where depth could pay off is at cornerback. They signed Emmanuel Moseley and Cameron Sutton in free agency, but Moseley got just a one-year deal and it remains to be seen what will happen with Jeff Okudah.
Gonzalez put up some impressive numbers at the combine and would give the Lions an impressive outside corner to add to their secondary.
7 – Las Vegas Raiders: Kentucky QB Will Levis
The Raiders signed QB Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, but they’ve done plenty of work on quarterbacks this year.
Levis is generally considered to be the fourth-best quarterback in this year’s class, but I’m sure they are some teams that are much higher on him. Levis could sit behind Garoppolo until he’s ready to play and wouldn’t be a big change in terms of his style of play.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares Levis to Jay Cutler.
8 – Atlanta Falcons: Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
The Falcons desperately need help at edge rusher. Right now, they have Lorenzo Carter and a lot of question marks beyond that.
There has been some real buzz regarding Wilson, due to his length and athleticism. He possesses an all-around game and would be a great addition to the Falcons’ defense.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Ezekiel Ansah.
9 – Chicago Bears (CAR): Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski
The Bears have needs at OL, EDGE and DL so they could go a number of ways at No. 9. It wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to trade back again from here for more picks.
Although, should they keep the pick, addressing the offensive line would make a good deal of sense to me. There has been some talk about Skoronski playing guard, but he held up great at left tackle for Northwestern and could serve as the Bears’ long-term solution at the blindside.
10 – Philadelphia Eagles (NO): Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
The Eagles have, arguably, the deepest roster in the NFL, so it’s quite the luxury to have a top-10 pick to work with.
Philadelphia doesn’t need a player to step in and be a starter right away, so it would make sense for them to add key depth at position. Darius Slay and James Bradberry will obviously serve as starters for them, but they’re both in their 30s and Witherspoon could work his way into a larger role.
11 – Tennessee Titans: Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
I nearly gave the Titans an offensive lineman here, but Tennessee’s receiving corps is one of the worst in the NFL.
Some view Smith-Njigba as more of a slot receiver, but he has the ability to work outside and play opposite Treylon Burks.
12 – Houston Texans (CLE): Clemson DE Myles Murphy
The Texans are still in need of pass rush help and this is a good point in the draft to address a premium position.
Murphy offers both size/traits and was a consistently productive player at Clemson. He will need some work at the next level, but there is high upside here.
13 – New York Jets: Ohio State OT Paris Johnson
The Jets are still working to get their offensive line solidified and while they have made attempts in the past to shore things up, particularly at left tackle, there are questions about Mekhi Becton and where he’ll play moving forward.
Johnson is an impressive athlete who could give the Jets a long-term solution at left tackle, even if he starts out playing right tackle for New York.
14 – New England Patriots: TCU WR Quentin Johnston
The Patriots have been linked to potential receiver options this offseason including DeAndre Hopkins, but as of now, there are some real questions about the unit even after adding Juju Smith-Schuster.
Johnson is an impressive athlete who would give them a receiver capable of stretching the field as a vertical threat.
15 – Green Bay Packers: Georgia OT Broderick Jones
Green Bay’s most obvious need is at tight end and while this is a great class for tight ends, there’s a case to be made for waiting until round two before addressing the position.
If it were up to me, I’d be looking to either bolster their offensive line or add another edge rusher, which is why I went with an offensive tackle here.
Jones is a high-upside player and the Packers clearly scout Georgia pretty hard, given that they’ve taken players from there in the first round of the last two drafts.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Andrew Thomas.
16 – Washington Commanders: Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
Washington was a candidate to draft a cornerback high last year and the position still stands out as an obvious need.
Porter is a long, physical and athletic corner who could use some refinement, but would give Washington’s secondary an impressive player to work with in the years to come.
17 – Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Darnell Wright
Offensive tackle stands out as a clear area of need for the Steelers entering the draft.
Wright is a large upside prospect who possesses impressive athleticism for his size. There has been some growing buzz about him since the Combine and at this point in round one, there figures to be a drop-off at the position.
18 – Detroit Lions: Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
I gave the Lions a cornerback earlier, but this seems like a great point to match the best available players and a position of need.
Tight end really sticks out when you look at the Lions’ depth chart. Mayer is a well-rounded prospect who has been talked about as the best tight end prospect in this year’s class for some time now.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Jason Witten.
19 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alabama S Brian Branch
The Buccaneers’ secondary is undergoing a bit of an overhaul this offseason. They did recently sign Ryan Neal, who is a pretty decent player to be adding at this point in free agency.
Even so, safety remains a question moving forward and here they get the consensus top prospect at the position. While his testing numbers weren’t amazing, his production and play-making at Alabama would be a great fit for a lot of teams.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Minkah Fitzpatrick.
20 – Seattle Seahawks: Iowa DE Lukas Van Ness
I’m sticking with another defensive line upgrade here for the Seahawks. Van Ness is an intriguing prospect, as he didn’t start at Iowa, but is a high-upside prospect who displayed impressive athleticism at the Combine.
The Seahawks wouldn’t need to rush him, but he should be able to be at least a rotational edge rusher out of the gate before taking on a much larger role from there.
21 – Los Angeles Chargers: USC WR Jordan Addison
It seems like the Chargers always have receivers ready to step in and take on a larger role, but that appears to have changed this year, as their depth behind veterans Mike Williams and Keenan Allen is questionable.
Addison is a fun player who would give the Chargers a crafty route-runner and a long-term prospect to take over for Keenan Allen.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Tyler Lockett.
22 – Baltimore Ravens: Boston College WR Zay Flowers
Another year, another Ravens’ squad in need of receiver help. It remains to be seen whether Lamar Jackson will be throwing to receivers in Baltimore, but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade their receiver help either way.
Flowers is a bit undersized for the position, but he’s an exciting player who could give the Ravens a big-play threat element to their new offense under Todd Monken.
23 – Minnesota Vikings: Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt
The Vikings have, arguably, the best receiver in the NFL on their roster, but depth beyond that remains a question.
Hyatt could give the Vikings an impressive tandem of receivers in the long run, as he possesses very good speed and athleticism.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to DeSean Jackson.
24 – Jacksonville Jaguars: South Carolina CB Cam Smith
Getting a player like Cam Smith is pretty good at this point in the draft. He’s a long corner with good athleticism and ball skills, which would be a great addition to the Jaguars’ secondary long-term.
25 – New York Giants: Georgia DE Nolan Smith
Smith could very well come off the board much higher than this, but his profile could lead to some teams passing in favor of players they can easily project.
Smith had a great combine from a testing perspective, but didn’t produce high-end statistics at Georgia. He can rush the passer and play in space, so there’s some versatility to his game.
26 – Dallas Cowboys: Clemson DT Bryan Bresee
Bresee has great athleticism and would be a solid addition to most defensive lines. He can take on double teams and still get some interior penetration.
The Cowboys have been trying to solidify their interior defensive line for years now and Bresee is the kind of prospect who could possibly do just that for Dallas.
27 – Buffalo Bills: Texas RB Bijan Robinson
The Bills went out and signed Damien Harris in free agency, but they signed him to just a one-year contract. They also have James Cook, who flashed late last season on their roster, but getting one of the best running back prospects in several years this late is just too good to pass up.
Buffalo has been trying to get a consistent rushing attack going and Robinson could do that and more for the Bills’ offense. It would not be shocking if we were talking about Robinson being a top-5 running back in the NFL heading into his second season.
28 – Cincinnati Bengals: Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
The Bengals went out and signed Irv Smith Jr. recently, but Kincaid would give them another intriguing receiving threat from the tight end position long-term.
Kincaid could step in a fill the role Hayden Hurst had last year.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Zach Ertz.
29 – New Orleans Saints (SF, via MIA & DEN): Michigan DT Mazi Smith
The Saints’ roster isn’t in that bad of shape and they should be able to compete for the NFC South title this year. One area where they could use some depth is at interior defensive line.
Smith has both size and quickness to offer teams. It wouldn’t be surprising if he comes off the board in late round one or earlier round two.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Dontari Poe.
30 – Philadelphia Eagles: LSU EDGE B.J. Ojulari
Once again, the Eagles can draft for depth moving forward, due to the strength of their roster.
Ojulari needs some refinement to his game, but rushing the passer is his clear strength. The Eagles will need some more depth down the road and getting Ojulari to come in as a rotational player early on could pay off in the long run.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Harold Landry.
31 – Kansas City Chiefs: Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV
The Chiefs parted ways with Frank Clark this offseason, which leaves their pass rush a little thin.
Foskey is an upside pick who could work his way into the rotations before taking on a larger role at a later point. He showed some solid athleticism at the combine, which included a 4.58 40-yard dash and a 125″ broad jump.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares him to Yannick Ngakoue.
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