Hendon Hooker had a shot at being a top-10 pick but a torn ACL ended his final season at Tennessee. It also sends him down the board in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft.
Bowl games are just around the corner as the college football season comes to a close. As is always the case, it flew by way too fast but that also means we can look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft — as if we weren’t already.
In our latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft, Hendon Hooker slides due to his ACL tear suffered against South Carolina but still lands in Round 1. As is often the case, we use our latest NFL Power Rankings to determine the order so the Houston Texans are on the clock.
2023 NFL Mock Draft
1. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
The Houston Texans will face Deshaun Watson in Week 13, which will be a game full of storylines. One will be the fact that they chose to move on from Watson and landed a ton of picks from Cleveland but still have yet to replace him. That changes here as they bring in C.J. Stroud as the new face of the franchise.
2. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Carolina has two Round 1 picks at quarterback in Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Neither has been good for them. This feels like the easiest pick in the world as they add Bryce Young to finally give them a solid starter.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to struggle but there’s some hope. Then again, there always seems to be a glimmer of hope but nothing comes from it. Maybe that can change as they bolster their defensive line with Jalen Carter from Georgia.