2023 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks return to power in way too early mock
By Randy Gurzi
Pick Analysis. North Carolina. player. Scouting Report. WR. Josh Downs. 21. 26
21. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
One of the biggest winners of the weekend was the Baltimore Ravens, who seemed to hit a home run on every single pick. They landed stud players such as Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, and even David Ojabo ‚— who might be a redshirt in 2022 but will end up being a star when healthy.
Still, they did make a move that hurt some of their depth as they traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals for their first-round pick. This shows they have immense faith in Rashod Batemen but they could still use more depth at receiver.
Enter Josh Downs from North Carolina. Downs is slightly undersized at 5-foot-10 and 180-pounds but he proved in 2021 that he can still get it done for his team. He had 101 receptions for 1,335 and eight touchdowns. He’s a deep threat who can also create after the catch and would be a perfect complement to Bateman.
player. Pick Analysis. RB. Texas. 22. Scouting Report. Bijan Robinson. 10
22. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
This past season, not one running back made it into Round 1 but in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, two of them make it. Here, the Houston Texans use the pick added in the Deshaun Watson trade with Cleveland to add Bijan Robinson from Texas.
In his sophomore campaign, Robinson put up 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns and added another 295 as a receiver. The Texans added their starting quarterback earlier, and now they get him a runner to help carry the load on offense.