2023 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2

April 10, 2023

Here’s the second round of our 2023 NFL Mock Draft.

32 – Pittsburgh Steelers (CHI): Georgia Tech DL Keion White

Pittsburgh needs to add some youth and depth to its defensive line. White is on the older side as a prospect as he’s already turned 24 but he was a game-wrecker in college and tested out very well at the Combine. The Steelers would be a good scheme fit for him.

33 – Houston Texans: LSU DE BJ Ojulari

It’ll be interesting to see how much of the San Francisco model new Texans HC DeMeco Ryans imports. Schematically the Texans will probably look a lot like the 49ers, so it only makes sense that would impact the players Houston looks for. And one of the major tenets the 49ers have used to build their roster is dedicating significant resources to the defensive line almost every year. I’d expect the Texans to use one of their first three picks on a defensive lineman and there are a lot of ways they could go here. Ojulari gives them a speed rushing dynamic and has been to Houston for a top 30 visit.

34 – Arizona Cardinals: South Carolina CB Cam Smith

Honestly you could throw a dart at the draft board and find a useful player for the Cardinals. They have a ton of needs. Smith is getting some first-round buzz and would be a big upgrade for Arizona at cornerback.

35 – Indianapolis Colts: Florida G O’Cyrus Torrence

The disintegration of the Colts’ offensive line was the first and biggest domino to fall in their collapse last season. After taking a quarterback in the first, this next pick is almost assuredly going to be spent giving him someone to throw to or to protect him. Torrence could end up in the first round, as he’s a mauling prospect who proved himself against SEC competition this past fall after transferring from Louisiana.

36 – Los Angeles Rams: Kansas State DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah

There’s a good chance this pick will be an edge rusher, it’ll just be interesting to see what the Rams value as most of the prospects in this range have warts to their game in one way or another. Anudike-Uzomah is a high-effort player who has plus-level agility for the position.

37 – Seattle Seahawks (DEN): Clemson LB Trenton Simpson

The Seahawks should eventually get starting inside LB Jordyn Brooks healthy and Bobby Wagner will hold down the fort this year at least. They’ll need a long-term running mate for Brooks, however, and Simpson has tremendous athleticism to be a chase-and-hit weakside linebacker in Seattle’s system.

38 – Las Vegas Raiders: Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

Realistically it’d probably be a surprise if Mayer slipped this far, but if that were to happen the Raiders wouldn’t be able to pass him up despite their other needs on defense. Mayer has been overtaken as the clear-cut consensus top tight end in this class but he still does a little bit of everything at a high level even if he’s not the most explosive.

39 – Carolina Panthers: Georgia CB Kelee Ringo

A lot of mocks will have Carolina going after an offensive skill position player here but they’ve set themselves up in free agency to be able to take the best player on their board. Looking at their pre-draft visits and meetings, it’s obvious they’re doing their homework on this cornerback class, and it makes sense because outside of Jaycee Horn they have some major question marks long-term at the position. Ringo would be a better fit in Carolina’s system than others. He’s outstanding from a size/speed perspective but stiff-hipped, which could expose him in man-heavy schemes.

40 – New Orleans Saints: Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

Hyatt had a mega-productive season in the SEC last year, averaging over 100 receiving yards a game and scoring 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He’s an outstanding deep threat who is coming into the league at a time when speed is a premium, and it’s why he could conceivably go 15-20 picks higher than this. However, Hyatt didn’t run the full route tree at Tennessee and his 40 time of 4.4 flat — while still fast — was a little underwhelming for a guy whose speed is supposed to be his best asset. So there’s some unpredictability to his draft range. New Orleans needs help at receiver and Hyatt would fit in well with their current group. He’s taken a top 30 visit with the Saints.

41 – Tennessee Titans: TCU G Steve Avila

After stopping Levis’ slide down the board in the first round, the Titans address their offensive line which is undergoing a near total makeover this offseason. Avila isn’t a sexy pick but sometimes teams just have to swing for singles and doubles. He’d plug in right away at one of the guard spots and probably allow the Titans to forget about it for a few years as long as he stayed healthy.

42 – New York Jets (CLE): C John Michael Schmitz

I nearly just went ahead and slotted the Packers here, as it seems like there’s a great chance this pick is headed to Green Bay in exchange for a certain quarterback. Then again, I’d have penciled Beckham to the Jets just a few days ago, so it’s a reminder nothing is ever done in the NFL until it’s done. If the Jets hold onto this pick, they could continue to address the offensive line which currently has a void at center.

43 – New York Jets: Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave

The Jets have been looking into adding a more explosive element to their tight end group and Musgrave would fit the bill there. At 6-6 and 250+ pounds, he was one of the few players at Senior Bowl practices to top 20 miles per hour on the GPS tracking. He’s also a strong blocker.

44 – Atlanta Falcons: Northwestern DL Adetomiwa Adebawore

The Falcons need to keep rebuilding their defensive line and Adebawore fits the size profile they seem to be looking for. He played on the edge in college but at 6-2, 280+ pounds and blessed with absurd athleticism, the Falcons could play Adebawore anywhere on their front they wanted. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, hit 37 inches in the vertical and 10-foot-5 in the broad jump.

45 – Green Bay Packers: TCU WR Quentin Johnston

This would qualify as an enormous slide, even if the Packers take him with a pick from the Jets a little earlier. The consensus big board that compiles rankings from across the NFL draft analysis industry has Johnston rated as the No. 13 overall player. So perhaps I’m too bearish on him. He’s athletically gifted but he has major issues to correct with his hands and has other areas of his game that need polishing. For the Packers, however, his size would be appealing as a yards-after-catch threat.

46 – New England Patriots: North Carolina WR Josh Downs

Giving QB Mac Jones the tools to either sink or swim on his own will be important in 2023. The Patriots have size and speed in their receiving corps right now but they don’t have one of the classic, shifty route runners the team has become known for. Downs is probably a slot-only receiver in the NFL due to his size but he runs crafty routes and catches everything in his vicinity.

47 – Washington Commanders: Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison

Harrison has the movement skills to settle in as a starting left tackle but he needs to get stronger. He wouldn’t have to start right away for Washington as they have veteran Charles Leno and a roster that aside from quarterback has a lot to work with.

48 – Detroit Lions: Michigan CB DJ Turner

Although the Lions added a lot in free agency at cornerback, they only have one notable player under contract beyond this season and they just traded away Jeff Okudah. They can go local with Turner, who blazed a 4.26 second 40-yard dash to pace all players at the 2023 Combine.

49 – Pittsburgh Steelers: Florida DT Gervon Dexter

The Steelers double-dip on the defensive line here in the second round after leading off the day with White. Dexter is a mammoth interior defender at 6-6 and 310 pounds, but he has athleticism belied by his size. If he learns to time the snap count better, he could be a headache for opposing offenses.

50 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Notre Dame DE Isaiah Foskey

The Bucs are still waiting for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to put it all together and their other starting edge rusher, Shaquil Barrett, tore his Achilles last season. Foskey’s getoff is among the best in the class and he has good-level length and athleticism. He just needs to develop more technical skills but when it comes to finding quality NFL pass rushers, it’s more important to have that athletic foundation. Pass-rush moves can be taught, athleticism usually is what it is.

51 – Miami Dolphins: Iowa TE Sam LaPorta

Mike Gesicki was not a good scheme fit for Miami’s offense last season so the Dolphins can try to find a better fit for their offense in the draft now that free agency has been plucked bare. LaPorta wouldn’t have been able to get on the field at Iowa if he wasn’t a competent run blocker. But it’s his athleticism and receiving skills that will catch the attention of NFL teams.

52 – Seattle Seahawks: North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch

Mauch played nearly his entire career at left tackle for the Bison. But he’s being viewed as a candidate to transition inside to guard or even center at the NFL level. Seattle could use help at either spot and will appreciate Mauch’s grit.

53 – Chicago Bears (BAL): Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey

This is a lot lower than Kancey has been going in recent mocks. He set numerous records for his position at the Combine in February, and between his playing style and the jersey he wears, there have been comparisons to Rams DT Aaron Donald. That’s a little unfair to Kancey. He’s a disruptive pass rusher and that has a lot of value in the NFL. But he’s a liability against the run right now and his lack of length will be a big issue against NFL blockers. To me, he makes a more sense as a situational pass rusher, and I’d probably have him even lower on my board. He’s the type of player a team like the Bears might place a higher premium on, however.

54 – Los Angeles Chargers: Auburn DE Derick Hall

Los Angeles needs to start looking ahead at edge rusher, as OLB Khalil Mack‘s contract will make him difficult to keep beyond this year. They could also use a lift off the bench behind Mack and OLB Joey Bosa. Hall has good length and the straight-line athleticism to play in space on the edge.

55 – Detroit Lions (MIN): Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker

With the pick the Lions got from the Vikings in the T.J. Hockenson trade, they land a replacement tight end and double dip with local prospects in the round. Schoonmaker didn’t get a ton of work as a receiver in a run-oriented Michigan offense but he tested quite well at the Combine. He’s already an experienced and effective run blocker, which could help him get on the field right away for Detroit.

56 – Jacksonville Jaguars: Texas A&M DB Antonio Johnson

Johnson would fit in as a nickel defender for Jacksonville moreso than a safety, although in time he could end up playing either. He’s tall and has outstanding length for a defensive back, but as you can guess, he can be a little stiff, which is why his best role is probably close to the line of scrimmage.

57 – New York Giants: Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott

Speed and separation ability seems to be at the top of the list for the Giants when it comes to what they value at wide receiver, and Scott has that in bunches. He runs a 4.37 second 40-yard dash and is a polished route runner who can give off Tyler Lockett vibes at times. If the Giants miss out on a receiver in the first round, Scott is a decent consolation prize.

58 – Dallas Cowboys: Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman

Big-bodied and productive in the SEC the past two seasons, Tillman would give the Cowboys someone in the pipeline to ensure they don’t get caught shorthanded at receiver again like they did last season.

59 – Buffalo Bills: Iowa LB Jack Campbell

After losing LB Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, the Bills weren’t really able to find a replacement in free agency, so it’s fortuitous Campbell is available here. He’s long like Edmunds and has that throwback size at 6-5 and nearly 250 pounds. But he’s highly athletic for his size, with a 4.65 40-yard dash and a hard-to-believe 6.74-second three-cone drill — which as an aside might be one of the most predictive Combine drills that nobody does because the stop-start drill comes the closest to mirroring what’s actually asked of players on a football field.

60 – Cincinnati Bengals: Ohio State OT Dawand Jones

Cincinnati locked up the blind side with Orlando Brown Jr. but there are still some questions about the right side. Jonah Williams is in the final year of his deal and has requested a trade. Veteran La’el Collins is coming off a torn ACL and is a potential cap cut at some point this offseason. At 6-8 and 374 pounds, Jones would form the largest, most imposing tackle tandem in football along with Brown (6-8, 345).

61 – Chicago Bears (SF, via CAR): Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron

There are questions about whether Bergeron would be a better fit inside at guard at the NFL level as opposed to tackle but he has the kind of movement skills that fit Chicago’s wide zone offense.

62 – Philadelphia Eagles: UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet

Charbonnet is a perfect fit for a team like the Eagles that was one of the most effective rushing teams in football. He’s a sturdy, three-down back in a class that doesn’t have many of them. Charbonnet has outstanding vision, better athleticism than you think and capable hands to work in the passing game.

63 – Kansas City Chiefs: USC DE Tuli Tuipolotu

He’s a bit of a tweener in terms of his size, as he doesn’t have the length you’d want to see in an edge rusher or the bulk to play full-time on the interior. But Tuipolotu is young, relentless and was productive in college. Kansas City needs to bulk up its defensive line and it’s worth taking a shot on Tuipolotu at this point.