2023 NFL mock draft: CJ Stroud, Will Anderson top a loaded first round
![Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter vs. the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2022.Syndication The Columbus Dispatch Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud celebrates after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter vs. the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2022.Syndication The Columbus Dispatch](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/53be3dc6b302f0b2cb5e16a7efa12714941a2c9be517d64e639403006b88069f.jpg)
2023 NFL mock draft, seventh overall pick
Carolina Panthers: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
Pick Analysis. Clemson. Bryan Bresee. 7. Scouting Report. DL. player. 87
The Carolina Panthers desperately need to make a trade for either Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo to save them from this situation in 2023.
This coaching staff is on thin ice. At least, that’s the perception from the outside looking in.
Taking a defensive lineman with a top 10 pick would not necessarily be a great look for the Panthers but I think we’re either going to see a veteran come in or the team actually just buy into Matt Corral for a bit.
Bryan Bresee missed most of last season with a torn ACL but most everyone expects the 6-foot-5, 300-pound star prospect to come back with a vengeance in 2022.
2023 NFL mock draft, eighth overall pick
Chicago Bears: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
EDGE. Georgia. 8. 57. Nolan Smith. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
The Chicago Bears did well the last time they used a top-10 draft pick on a Georgia Bulldogs defensive player.
Perhaps history could repeat itself in 2023.
Nolan Smith returns to Athens for his senior season and the former top recruit has plenty to prove.
He has just begun to find his groove as an edge player and was a hugely impactful playmaker for the Bulldogs last season with three forced fumbles and an interception.
There’s plenty of room for growth still, and we could see Smith go from a day two prospect to a top-10 pick with a big 2022 season.