2023 NFL Mock Draft: Baker Mayfield replaced by Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers replace Baker Mayfield and the Houston Texans give up on Davis Mills in our latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The NFL season often feels like it flies past us in the blink of an eye, and that’s the case again this year. After a long offseason, we’re already in Week 4 and while we’re not trying to wish the games away, we’re also already thinking about the future — which brings us to our latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft.

A lot can change between now and the end of the year, so instead of trying to guess who will end up with what pick, we’ll let our latest NFL Power Rankings do that work for us as they determine this order. Because of that, the Las Vegas Raiders who are No. 32 start with the top pick.

2023 NFL Mock Draft

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Will Anderson, Jr., EDGE, Alabama

When this season began, the Las Vegas Raiders were expected to be a good team with the only concern being how they would fare in the toughest division in the NFL. So far, they’ve only had one divisional game and are still sitting at 0-3.

What’s worse is, every team they’ve faced so far is sitting at 1-2, including the Los Angeles Chargers. That means three of the teams with the worst record in the entire NFL have only avoided a dreadful 0-3 start thanks to their defeat of the Raiders.

Rather than making this about how bad of a decision it was to hire Josh McDaniels despite a litany of red flags, we’ll just look ahead to the draft and fill a need by bringing in Will Anderson, Jr. from Alabama.

Vegas paid Chandler Jones a lot this offseason to start opposite Maxx Crosby and through three games, he’s been graded low by PFF and has no sacks to date. It might make more sense to move on and go with the explosive Anderson who would solve their second EDGE spot better than a new veteran being added each year.

2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Davis Mills continues to be better than expected but that doesn’t mean he’s the answer for the Houston Texans. They loaded up on draft picks in the Deshaun Watson trade and the only way to come out of that looking like a winner is to actually replace him with a franchise quarterback.

Here, they don’t use the pick they got from Cleveland to do this, but instead, use their own to add C.J. Stroud from Ohio State. Stroud was a beast in 2021 with 44 touchdowns against just six picks and is off to another hot start in 2022.

In four games, he has a 16-to-1 touchdown-to-interception mark and has thrown for 1,222 yards. He’s the best prospect in this class and will likely go No. 1 overall unless the real draft falls the way this mock did and a team with an established veteran is picking first.

3. New York Jets: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

With Sheldon Rankins hitting free agency, the New York Jets will want another starter next to Quinnen Williams. That’s why they add Jalen Carter from Georgia who is a 6-foot-3, 310-pounder from the defensive powerhouse that littered the first round in 2021.

Even with several stars on the line last year, Carter stood out as a powerful lineman and Robert Saleh will be thrilled to continue building one of the more impressive D-lines in the league with this addition.

4. Washington Commanders: Kelee Ring, CB, Georgia

The Washington Commanders should be looking for a new quarterback but they made a sizable investment in Carson Wentz. That means they’re going to have a guy who does just enough to make his team think they’re not desperate at the position while never making them legit contenders.

With that being said, they are able to bolster their secondary in a big way with Kelee Ringo — another Georgia product. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Ringo has gone against the best the SEC has to offer and should develop into a true No. 1 corner in the NFL.

5. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

Baker Mayfield had a huge opportunity in front of him this season as he won the starting job with the Carolina Panthers. Sadly, after just three games, it sounds like all the issues we saw in Cleveland traveled south with him.

Receivers are being accused of not getting open — and D.J. Moore seemed less than thrilled when asked about this recently. While Mayfield seems to have the swagger and marketability to be a star, something just isn’t working. That’s why Carolina takes the chance to add Bryce Young and runs with it.

There will be those who have Young ahead of Stroud but he feels like the No. 2 quarterback in this class. Having said that, he would have been head and shoulders ahead of any signal-caller a year ago, so this is a huge win for the Panthers.

6. Detroit Lions: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

Want to know how to tell a team is bad? Look for one with a losing record that’s still considered a surprise.

That’s the case with the Detroit Lions who are last in the NFC North with a record of 1-2. Despite their losses, they’re being praised because Jared Goff doesn’t look “that bad,” and they’ve been close.

Having said that, they have added some good young talent lately, and they get a potential shutdown corner in Cam Smith with their first of two picks in this opening round. Smith is listed at 6-foot-1 and roughly 190-pounds and has six picks over the past three seasons. He should help the Detroit defense take a step forward.

7. Seattle Seahawks: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

Personally, I don’t see the hype around Will Levis but that doesn’t mean someone won’t overvalue him if they’re desperate enough for a quarterback. One team that could be that desperate is the Seattle Seahawks who have to endure a full season of Geno Smith — unless they want to turn to Drew Lock.

Levis has NFL size at 6-foot-2 and 222-pounds but he has a couple of giant red flags like eating bananas with the peel left on and putting mayo in his coffee. While yours truly can’t look past this egregious behavior, the Seahawks are the team that could convince themselves that he can be a starter despite being older than most prospects and having the taste buds of a trash panda.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

At some point this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to see what Kenny Pickett has since it’s clear Mitch Trubisky isn’t it. Pickett might not be elite at this point but it would be better to start getting him reps — and it’s not as if he can be worse.

Having said that, they do need to improve the offensive line in front of him which is what they do at No. 8, bringing in Paris Johnson from Ohio State. Johnson has played all over the line for the Buckeyes and can help Pittsburgh no matter where they decide he fits best.

9. Atlanta Falcons: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

There were two big-name receivers from Ohio State that made it into the first round this past season but Jaxon Smith-Njigba was able to put up numbers even they couldn’t match. He’s not exactly a burner and doesn’t have elite traits, but he just gets open and hauls in anything within his reach.

The 6-foot-0, 197-pound Smith-Njigba had 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago. He’s dealing with a hamstring issue right now but once he’s back to 100 percent, he should cement himself as the best wideout in this class.

For the Atlanta Falcons, this would be the second season in a row they landed the first receiver after taking Drake London in 2022. Doing so turns one of their biggest weaknesses into a massive strength.

10. Arizona Cardinals: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

Right now, the Arizona Cardinals’ defense is struggling on the defensive line. After their first three games, only one player has recorded any sacks at all — with J.J. Watt leading the way with just two. Not only is Watt often missing time due to injury but he’s also turning 33 and hitting free agency in 2023.

The Cards didn’t do enough to replace Chandler Jones and it’s time they did add some youth capable of getting after the quarterback. They do exactly that by adding Myles Murphy from Clemson. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 275-pounds, Murphy had eight sacks in 2021 and is one of the top EDGE prospects in the nation.

11. Indianapolis Colts: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

The Indianapolis Colts got something out of Xavier Rhodes in 2021 and now have Stephon Gilmore as their latest veteran cornerback. While that has been working, it would be smart to get some youth to develop across from Gilmore.

One player that would be a solid fit is Christian Gonzalez from Oregon. A Colorado transfer, Gonzalez is well-built at 6-foot-2 and 200-pounds. The one knock on his play is the lack of turnovers, but he did get his first pick this season — although it was on a major overthrow.

https://twitter.com/oregonfootball/status/1568773590946037762?s=20&t=OguZErCd9AptQIwRRRoMAg

Still, he has all the tools to be a success at the next level and as long as he keeps developing this season, he should have no problem jumping up draft boards.

12. Chicago Bears: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU

This one might be a pipedream since the Chicago Bears seem to hate Justin Fields and have no intentions of helping him out. But if they do finally realize no quarterback can succeed by playing 1-on-11, they would do well to add LSU wideout Kayshon Boutte with their selection in Round 1.

Boutte is a player that hasn’t had his stats match up to his talent, which is a bit concerning. However, he’s shown an ability to make contested catches and did score nine touchdowns a year ago.

Fields has struggled mightily in his first two seasons but with the talent — or lack thereof — around him, it might not all be his fault. Of course, we won’t know that until he’s given a fair shot.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints): Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

In one of the weirdest pre-draft trades, the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints swapped picks last season and the Saints sent this selection to Philly despite having no clue who would be on the board for them to target.

Now for the second season in a row, the Eagles have multiple picks in Round 1 and they start this one out by adding Nolan Smith from Georgia. They already brought in Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in 2022, and now they add another playmaker from the Bulldogs’ elite defense.

14. New England Patriots: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Nelson Agholor continues to be the No. 1 wideout for the New England Patriots, and even though he’s improved since leaving Philadelphia, that’s still not ideal. Bill Belichick has typically avoided receivers in the first round and when he did take one — N’Keal Harry — that player ended up being a bust.

Despite their issues at the position, Jordan Addison might be too good to pass up. He’s slight at just 175-pounds but Addison already has six touchdowns in four games for USC. Not a bad start at all after posting 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns at Pitt a year ago.

For his career, Addison averages 14.3 yards per catch but is at 16 over the past 18 games. His ability to stretch the field will be huge for a Pats offense that isn’t able to be consistently explosive.

15. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

With Taylor Lewan injured, it’s become obvious just how much help the Tennessee Titans need on the offensive line. Peter Skoronski is the No. 1 tackle on some boards but even if he’s not the first taken — which is what happens in this mock — he’s still a day one starter that could fix their concerns at right tackle.

16. Los Angeles Chargers: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

The Los Angeles Chargers could go a couple of ways with this pick. They could use some help at wide receiver since they’re so thin behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. But the fact that Bryan Bresee is still on the board might be too tempting.

L.A. is led by a defensive-minded coach in Brandon Staley and he would be thrilled to add Bresee to a team that already has Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa on the line. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 300-pounds, Bresee can move all around the line and has the power and athleticism to be a real problem for opposing offensive lines.

17. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco 49ers): Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame

One of the final undefeated teams, the Miami Dolphins suffered their first loss of the season on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 4. They’re also now under a microscope — and not just for being stripped of a draft pick which has the first round trimmed down to 31 this coming year.

Miami is taking heat for allowing Tua Tagovailoa to take the field despite what looked like an obvious head injury just four days prior to the game. Sadly, he was hurt again and it was very ugly this time.

We won’t dive too deep into that here but instead will add more help in the secondary with Brandon Joseph from Northwestern. A borderline first-rounder in 2022, Joseph decided to return for one more year and moves up draft boards because of the growth he’s shown.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

It seemed as though the Cincinnati Bengals fixed their offensive line this offseason. They added Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, and La’el Collins in an effort to keep Joe Burrow safe in the pocket. The result was a worse performance than we saw a year ago as Burrow was sacked 13 times in the first two games of the season.

Since then, they have improved with just three sacks allowed. Having said that, the struggles in Weeks 1 and 2 are still fresh in the mind which is why they go for Broderick Jones from Georgia. At this point, they would rather have too many good linemen just to ensure the problem is actually fixed for good.

19. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

They added their franchise quarterback with their first pick and now the Houston Texans use the pick obtained from the Cleveland Browns on Michael Mayer from Notre Dame. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Mayer isn’t a deep threat by any means but he’s by far the best tight end in this class.

Houston hasn’t had a consistent option at the position since Owen Daniels and Mayer could be even better than he ever was. They’ve gone through some lows in recent years, but if these two picks work out, it could be a huge step in the right direction for this franchise.

20. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos): Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

After losing Bobby Wagner this year, the Seattle Seahawks need a new playmaker in the middle of their defense. That’s what Trenton Simpson would bring to the table for them.

He’s a capable defender in the run game and isn’t a liability in coverage. On top of that, he’s talented enough to get after the quarterback when used on the blitz. He’s not ready to be compared to Wagner but he would be a huge help for this defense that needs more explosion.

21. New York Giants: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

The New York Giants will surely be drafting much higher than this but in our latest Power Rankings, they were still a 2-1 team that hung with the Cowboys. The problem is, they have yet to play a really good team and they’ll end up falling off quite a bit when that does happen.

They’ll also know by then that Daniel Jones isn’t the answer — although they should already know this. That opens the door for Anthony Richardson, a dynamic athlete from Florida.

Richardson needs to be more consistent but he’s still a threat with his legs and has much more potential for success than Jones. Brian Daboll was part of Josh Allen’s success and could be integral to Richardson maximizing his talent.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

After an 0-1 start, the Dallas Cowboys have done a good job winning their past two games even without Dak Prescott. The hope is he will be back before too much longer but Cooper Rush has proven capable of keeping their heads above water.

It would be even easier for him ‚— and Prescott when he returns — if they had more help at wide receiver. After foolishly sending Amari Cooper to the Browns, they’ve been without much depth as Michael Gallup and James Washington each have yet to play this year.

Here, they add more talent to the corps with Quentin Johnston from TCU. He has great size and speed, making him an ideal option as a No. 1 target down the road when they decide to trade CeeDee Lamb for a late-round pick and extend Ezekiel Elliott again. That was a joke. Maybe.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars: O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

A huge leap has been made by the Jacksonville Jaguars this season, thanks in large part to Trevor Lawrence finally having a coach who knows how to scheme plays in the NFL. He’s proving that he’s the guy they need to build around and one thing he needs is a better offensive line.

Tackle is an option but they go with O’Cyrus Torrence from Florida here. Ben Bartch hasn’t been great and Torrence would be an instant upgrade at left guard.

24. Baltimore Ravens: Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to secure Lamar Jackson long-term and while he’s The face of the franchise, they’ve always been known for their defensive prowess first. That’s why they make sure to keep adding talent to their secondary as they bring in Clark Phillips III from Utah. At 5-foot-10 and 191-pounds, he doesn’t have the great length that so many defensive coordinators covet but he has the versatility to play on the boundary as well as in the slot.

Phillips has broken up 15 passes in his career thus far and has four interceptions as well. He should be able to contribute right away and keep this secondary strong.

25. Minnesota Vikings: Antonio Johnson, DB, Texas A&M

Secondary help has been a constant need for the Minnesota Vikings for several years now, and they again look to build up that group with the addition of Antonio Johnson from Texas A&M. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, Johnson is a playmaker for the Aggies that could play either safety or cornerback.

For the Vikings, it would be most likely that he played safety, especially if Andrew Booth develops into a starter for them. From that position, he’s a problem for offenses evidenced by his 8.5 tackles for a loss from a season ago.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida

For the past couple of seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been drafting defensive line help. They brought in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in 2021 and Logan Hall this past season. They also know they won the Super Bowl in 2020 not only due to Tom Brady running the offense, but their defensive line made life miserable for Patrick Mahomes that night.

This is why they continue to stockpile talent on a line that had gotten old — but is suddenly young again. Here, they add Gervon Dexter from Florida who is all of 6-foot-6 and 303-pounds. He’s a force in the middle of the Gators’ line and would be a huge weapon for Todd Bowles with the Bucs.

27. Kansas City Chiefs: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

George Karlaftis was a steal for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and they got another here in Isaiah Foskey. Despite taking a defensive end last year with their first pick, there’s still a need for the Chiefs since Frank Clark has continued to be a disappointment. That’s why Foskey would be welcomed with open arms.

The 6-foot-4, 257-pounder had 10 sacks in his junior campaign and can win with speed or power off the edge.

As long as Patrick Mahomes is in Kansas City, they’re going to be able to outscore any team on any given Sunday. Adding another talented edge player would mean they won’t have to.

28. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams): Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

More secondary help for the Detroit Lions and while it might feel like overkill, they’re actually in need of more help at safety than they are at cornerback. That’s why Jordan Battle is brought in as they look to slow down the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers offenses, which is something they have to do in order to contend in their division.

Battle is another player who elected to return for another season and as long as he continues to perform as well as we’ve seen thus far, he should be able to sneak into the backend of Round 1.

29. Green Bay Packers: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

After years of not drafting a surefire second receiver alongside Davante Adams, the Green Bay Packers decided to send Adams to the Raiders. Then with the draft pick they got in return, they made sure to use that on defense. Which is also what they did with their own selection.

Eventually, they added Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs but they have to eventually land a top-tier talent. Don’t they?

While they might disagree, we do what we want in these mocks which is why Josh Downs lands with the Pack. He’s everything they need on offense, which means they’ll probably ignore him if he’s there and take a linebacker.

30. Buffalo Bills: Joey Porter, Jr. CB, Penn State

Adding Kaiir Elam has helped but the Buffalo Bills secondary is still a work in progress. It’s even worse in 2022 due to all the injuries, especially at safety, which is why it’s so important to take the best player available at either corner or safety in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Here, the top safeties are off the board but Joey Porter, Jr. from Penn State is available. The son of former Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher Joey Porter, the younger Porter is a lengthy 6-2 and continues to grow as a player. He could end up being a steal should he be around this late.

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

The final undefeated team in the NFL after the Dolphins lost on Thursday Night Football is the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s been a bit of a surprise just how good they’ve been, even though everyone knew they had talent. What we didn’t know was that Jalen Hurts was ready to take a giant leap forward this season.

With his play skyrocketing, this team looks dangerous. What could make them even worse is adding Bijan Robinson as a potential No. 1 running back. Their passing game is already vastly improved, they landed a talented pass rusher earlier in this mock, and now they add a potential 1,000-yard back. At this point, it would feel like a huge challenge trying to slow them down.