There are now only four weeks remaining in the 2022 NFL season, which means that many teams are about to enter offseason mode. 2023 NFL Draft talk is certainly heating up as players at the college level decide whether they’re going to head to the professional level or try one last time to improve their NFL Draft standing by entering the transfer portal. In other words, we’re firmly in the middle of 2023 NFL mock draft season.
Mock drafts are historically less accurate than the average person’s NCAA March Madness bracket, but they serve as an opportunity to do a number of things that make the exercise far from pointless.
- Mock drafts explore possibilities
- Mock drafts highlight prospects
- Mock drafts explore and reflect team needs (as well as tendencies)
- Mock drafts highlight rising and falling players in the pre-draft process
If you know who to follow and who to listen to out there, mock drafts can be rather educational even if they’re inaccurate in the long run. With all of that being said, let’s look through a brand-new 2023 NFL mock draft scenario with some twists and turns throughout.
Note: There are only 31 selections because the Miami Dolphins had to forfeit a 1st-round pick
Latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Bryce Young and Will Levis go back-to-back
1. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Heading into the 2022 NFL season, I think there was at least a reasonable argument to be made that the Houston Texans needed to give the year and keys to the offense over to Davis Mills. There was some continuity on the coaching staff with Lovie Smith taking over as head coach and Pep Hamilton returning for another season after helping Mills to an impressive rookie year. After year two of Mills in Houston, I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s time to move on.
Bryce Young is going to be a hotly contested prospect for some because of his lack of ideal size for the position but as we’ve seen, teams are able to not only get around that in today’s NFL, they can excel and succeed with smaller quarterbacks. One thing that would be nice for Bryce Young as he acclimates to the NFL? He will have former Alabama teammate John Metchie III with him in Houston.
2. Seattle Seahawks: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The Seattle Seahawks started off the 2022 season white hot and looking like they would be laughing at Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos all the way to the playoffs. Now, the Seahawks find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff race in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers pulling away and the unfortunate reality of every team in the NFC East also having a winning record this season.
Seattle is going to have a massive 2023 offseason, perhaps bigger than the one in 2022 which included trading away team legend Russell Wilson and cutting another in Bobby Wagner. The Seahawks will have to decide whether or not to franchise tag or re-sign Geno Smith for his market value, which will undoubtedly exceed $20 million per year. Here with the no. 2 overall pick, they take the physical freak in Will Levis, who might not yet be a great sum of all his parts, but certainly someone the team could justify with his talent.
3. Chicago Bears: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
The Chicago Bears will look in a variety of directions with this selection, but thankfully — and unlike a few months ago — the discussion won’t revolve around whether or not they need to dip into the quarterback well again. Justin Fields has proven he is the guy for the future of this team, at least for 2023, and the Bears will have a monstrous offseason ahead trying to give him the best supporting cast possible.
Armed with more cap space than any other team and a top-five pick, the Bears will be able to reload quickly and I don’t think they have a better situation at pick no. 3 than this. Will Anderson Jr. has the potential to wreck games off the edge in the NFL and he’s the type of closer you want to go after with this kind of prime NFL Draft real estate.
4. Detroit Lions: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
The biggest question facing the Detroit Lions in 2023 is going to be whether or not they’re buying Jared Goff as a long-term option at the QB position. In this 2023 NFL mock draft scenario, I’m going with my gut and saying the answer to that is “yes”. And by long-term, I mean that Goff will, of course, simply be the guy for 2023. Goff is under contract through 2024 and he counts a pretty penny against the salary cap. The Lions don’t need to do anything to his contract for the time being so they’re still playing with house money.
In the meantime, they can bank on repeated success from the offense while adding elite level prospects to a defense that has been among the league’s worst (but improving) here in 2022. Some people (a lot of people) feel like Georgia’s Jalen Carter is the best player in this year’s draft.
5. Philadelphia Eagles: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
The Philadelphia Eagles might be Super Bowl favorites with a top-five pick in next year’s draft. Fortune favors the bold, I guess. Howie Roseman made a couple of trades during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft that should have him in line for Executive of the Year in the NFL this year.
First of all, he traded a first-round pick straight up for AJ Brown of the Tennessee Titans. That trade has proven to be an incredible and franchise-altering one in terms of the overall trajectory of this Eagles team. Roseman also swung a fun trade with the New Orleans Saints, giving them two picks in the teens last year in exchange for the pick he used to trade for Brown as well as a future 1st-round pick.
That pick, in this 2023 NFL mock draft scenario, ends up being a potntial building block off the edge in Myles Murphy out of Clemson. This is a luxury nobody in the Eagles organization could have expected when they made the deal in 2022. I could also see this pick being a corner, perhaps local product Joey Porter Jr. or Georgia’s Kelee Ringo.
6. Arizona Cardinals: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Speaking of Kelee Ringo, he flies off the board here as the CB1 of the 2023 NFL Draft class and a player the Arizona Cardinals can sort of reload their secondary around. The Arizona Cardinals are one NFL team that could be in big trouble already for the 2023 season.
Given the fact that general manager Steve Keim has stepped down for health reasons and Kyler Murray just went down last weekend with a torn ACL, the lack of talent and depth at the cornerback position for this Arizona team seems a bit of an afterthought. As this team builds the roster for the future, however, a player like Ringo can really help them, especially if they have to alter plans at QB in 2023.
7. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
The Indianapolis Colts are one of a wide variety of teams in flux for the 2023 season. Who is going to be this team’s head coach? How many prospective head coaches are going to want to work for Jim Irsay given what has transpired the last few years?
Will Irsay demand a veteran QB again?
If the Colts are staring this possibility in the face, I think the idea of CJ Stroud is similar for this team as Justin Fields would have been for the Bears in 2021, at least roster-wise. The Colts have the pieces offensively and defensively to adequately support a rookie QB, but they would obviously need the right coach and scheme in place to help Stroud transition to the NFL seamlessly.
8. Las Vegas Raiders: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Could the 2023 offseason be drama-filled for the Las Vegas Raiders? I think the team is going to stick with Josh McDaniels, but will it break up with Derek Carr? Will Carr force the issue?
That would certainly be odd after the Raiders landed Carr’s old college buddy Davante Adams in one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the 2022 offseason.
Whether or not Carr is on the roster, upgrading the secondary is non-negotiable for Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The Raiders have had so many failed signings and picks back there, but someone like Joey Porter Jr. should be able to come in and give them consistent production right away.
9. Carolina Panthers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The Carolina Panthers need a head coach. They need a long-term solution at quarterback. They were sellers this year before the NFL trade deadline and gave away one of the most valuable pieces in running back Christian McCaffrey, who could help the 49ers reach the Super Bowl.
The Panthers aren’t in total rebuild mode on both sides of the ball, but offensively, they need a lot of new pieces. Robbie Anderson is gone. Terrace Marshall has not worked out. The Panthers get a receiver here in Quentin Johnston who can dominate at the catch point with his size and overall catch radius. Whoever the QB is will love throwing to this guy as well as DJ Moore.
10. Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Atlanta Falcons have proven themselves to be resilient at points during the 2022 season, but it hasn’t quite been enough to get this team on pace for a winning record. It would be slightly shocking if it happened, but the playoffs are actually not out of the realm of possibility despite the Falcons’ inconsistencies. We’ll see how Desmond Ridder does being thrust into the starting role this coming weekend.
One area the Falcons must upgrade — besides potentially QB again in 2023 — is off the edge. Tyree Wilson has 27.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks over the last two years for Texas Tech. This guy comes off the edge with bad intentions, strong hands, and great length. He can move around the defensive formation and give the Falcons a huge boost on that side of the ball.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Over the course of the 2022 NFL season, one of the least-celebrated but most positive developments for the league and just football fans in general has been the development of Trevor Lawrence. In the second half of the season and since throwing a game-ending interception in London against the Denver Broncos, Lawrence has been on fire.
Head coach Doug Pederson has come in and turned the look of that offensive unit around in Jacksonville and heading into Week 15, the Jaguars actually have a shot at making the postseason if the Titans continue to flounder. One thing Lawrence needs is a true no. 1 receiver and Jordan Addison could be the Stefon Diggs to Lawrence’s Josh Allen.
12. Houston Texans: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
After landing their quarterback of the future earlier on in this 2023 NFL mock draft scenario, the Houston Texans now come away with a cornerback to pair up with 2022 first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr. The Texans are reaping the benefits of trading away a big-name quarterback with the picks they acquired in the Deshaun Watson move, and the fact that they can come away from two drafts in a row with multiple first-round picks at the cornerback position while still getting a QB of the future?
This is something Nick Caserio and his staff would have to be thrilled about. Gonzalez was projected as a first-rounder all along but he’s had a tremendous season at Oregon, picking off four passes and showing off his elite ball skills.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
The future of the Pittsburgh Steelers will be fascinating to monitor. We saw Pittsburgh move on from Chase Claypool and pick up a nice draft pick in return, but we don’t know if Kenny Pickett is the guy this organization is going to be sold on going forward. Whether or not they’re sold on Pickett, they might be stuck with him in 2023 barring the unforeseen, so they might as well make life better for him. Right?
Adding a talent like Peter Skoronski to the offensive line can only help a team like Steelers up front where they could slide him into any number of positions.
14. Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
The Christian Watson pick seems to be paying off for the Green Bay Packers of late. Although general manager Brian Gutekunst has been notorious for not adding offensive talent in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, he moved up this past year to grab the North Dakota State star. Frankly, things got off to a really poor start for Watson but he’s turned it up as the season has gone along. Since the start of November, he’s got multiple 100-yard games and a whopping seven receiving touchdowns.
Now, the Packers need more weapons offensively. I am not sure you could say they were bamboozled by Robert Tonyan in the 2020 season with his double-digit touchdowns but the team hasn’t made a substantial investment there, and that’s exactly what Michael Mayer out of Notre Dame would be. The Packers are in a window with Aaron Rodgers. Either put the pieces around him or move on in the offseason.
15. Detroit Lions: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
After using a top pick on Aidan Hutchinson last year and then grabbing Jalen Carter early on in this draft, you still want the Detroit Lions to go after more defensive line help? Absolutely. You’ve also got to play the board if you’re the Lions, and while they could go with a best player available approach offensively and maybe grab another offensive lineman, I think the obvious area they need to upgrade is the defensive front.
Bryan Bresee can cause a ton of issues on the defensive front with his combination of length, explosiveness, and pass rush abilities. The young trio of Hutchinson, Carter, and Bresee along with 2022 second-round pick Josh Paschal could give the Lions an enviable group for the present and future.
16. Los Angeles Chargers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Los Angeles Chargers have to understand something — with Justin Herbert, they’ve got it good. I don’t know what is going to happen as far as the fate of this team regarding the 2022 playoffs, or what that could mean for head coach Brandon Staley, but I do know that the Chargers consistently have injury issues on both sides of the ball and this year, they’ve been particularly snake-bitten at the wide receiver spot. It would be more than a luxury to have someone like Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Los Angeles.
It could make their offense downright deadly. This is a team that has consistently underwhelmed in December and consistently underwhelmed late in games. Not to be overly hyperbolic, but a player like Smith-Njigba could just make everyone in this Los Angeles offense better. Not to mention, he’s a playmaker in his own right.
17. Seattle Seahawks: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
The Seattle Seahawks have to be thrilled with their 2022 rookie class as a whole, especially because the jury is still out on some of their best picks that haven’t made their way into the regular rotation just yet for one reason or the other. In particular, a couple of picks at the cornerback position — Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen — have paid off in a big way this season.
Woolen is among the NFL leaders in interceptions with six. Bryant has four forced fumbles. Although the Seahawks are sliding a bit right now and although the defense hasn’t been good most of the season as a whole, those two have helped them get takeaways and more chances for their offense to win some close games.
Cam Smith out of South Carolina could give them a really great, young trio out there and physically — 6-foot-1, 187 pounds — he seems pretty on-brand for what the Seahawks look for in terms of guys with a lot of length.
18. New York Jets: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
Injuries have created a murky picture of what the New York Jets’ offensive line should actually look like here in 2022, but I think this is one of the more improved units in the league this season. Could they still stand to upgrade? I think given the injury issues of Mekhi Becton, unfortunately, that’s going to be a necessity in 2023.
The Ohio State Buckeyes just so happen to have a number of NFL-ready offensive linemen (go figure) and this is a school and talent pipeline that the Jets’ front office led by general manager Joe Douglas seems very comfortable tapping into.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Taking a running back in the first round is certainly not en vogue in today’s NFL, but with Bijan Robinson, that really doesn’t matter much. This guy is one of the top difference makers in the draft, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need a reset at the running back position. I think we’ll see Rachaad White back next year, of course, but other than that, the Bucs might say goodbye to everyone else.
With Tom Brady’s situation for 2023 very much in question, I think Robinson being added to this roster could serve multiple purposes. Either he’s going to be the guy the offense flows through with a new quarterback on the roster (bridge or rookie) or the Bucs will lean on him if Brady comes back and struggles once again.
20. Tennessee Titans: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
The Tennessee Titans are another team in the middle of the pack of the NFL right now whose future is just murky. They fired general manager Jon Robinson in the middle of the season, seemingly making a huge commitment to one of the best coaches in the game, Mike Vrabel. That’s not inherently bad, although firing Robinson obviously means you’re not thrilled with the product on the field.
And that’s coming after the Titans have really exceeded any and all expectations, at least from the outside, since benching Marcus Mariota in the 2019 season. This team needs to continue investing in what they do best, their true identity — a powerhouse running team. Broderick Jones out of Georgia knows a thing or two about paving running lanes. Derrick Henry will love this kind of pick.
21. New England Patriots: Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
Nobody finds smaller, scrappy-like cornerbacks like Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. They are seemingly a factory for guys who are smaller or unheralded coming out of college and can just flat-out work in Belichick’s scheme. Unfortunately, many of those players have not found that the grass is greener outside of New England, even if their wallets are a bit fuller.
Clark Phillips III seems like the kind of cornerback that Bill Belichick would love to have. He’s instinctive, he’s aggressive, and I think he can play inside or outside once he gets to the next level.
22. Washington Commanders: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
The man, the myth, Darnell Washington out of Georgia. I think over the course of the next few months, the buzz on this guy is going to grow to outlandish heights. He’s basically a “create-a-player” at the tight end position at 6-foot-7, 265-280 pounds, and averaging over 17 yards per reception.
This guy is big, long, dominant at the catch point, physical as a blocker, and he’s somewhat of a true throwback at the position. Although teams certainly like to be able to use tight ends as receivers in today’s game, Washington gives you the ability to get a little old school and line him up in-line without being at a disadvantage.
23. New York Giants: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
The New York Giants have certainly been one of the NFL’s top surprises here in the 2022 NFL season. Hiring Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen away from the Buffalo Bills has turned out to be exactly what this franchise needed, and the Giants have been a much more formidable squad under Daboll and his staff than any of the other recent regimes before them. Daniel Jones hasn’t exactly taken a step forward, but the Giants have a shot to make the playoffs.
That’s saying a lot. The defense has largely been the backbone for this team and perhaps the timing is just right for Daboll and Schoen to take a swing at another talented QB who needs them to work their coaching magic. Richardson is considered raw but the Giants have two of the guys that saw firsthand the development of Josh Allen, who was also pretty raw (to say the least) coming out of Wyoming.
24. Denver Broncos: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
The Denver Broncos have been an absolute dumpster fire in the 2022 season. They are among the league leaders in players on injured reserve, they lead the league in penalties, they are probably going to have a one-and-done head coach in Nathaniel Hackett, and they have made a four-to-five-year-long bed with Russell Wilson. That last part didn’t seem like a bad thing four months ago, but Wilson’s play took a nosedive in 2022.
I’m of the opinion that Wilson’s dropoff in 2022 is an outlier, not his new norm, so the Broncos should do whatever they can to support Russ in 2023. Adding to the offensive line will be among the top priorities. Although receiver is a sneaky fit here as well, the Broncos grab an athletic and powerful tackle in Anton Harrison, who will likely play on the right side with Garett Bolles coming back from a broken leg at left tackle in 2023.
25. Baltimore Ravens: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
The Baltimore Ravens always seem to get the best bang for their buck in the NFL Draft. Every single year. I think Isaiah Foskey sitting there, staring them right in the face in the mid-20s of the 2023 NFL Draft would be right about on-par with what we typically see from Eric DeCosta and his crew.
The Ravens have invested in the edge position in recent draft classes, but you can never have too many good pass rushers in the NFL and perhaps they’ll make a decision to go after a guy like Foskey here if they’re a little underwhelmed with what they’ve seen in the first couple of years from former first-round pick Odafe Oweh.
26. Cincinnati Bengals: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
The Cincinnati Bengals are making some of my bolder preseason predictions look bad this season. After making it all the way to the Super Bowl last year, I felt like the Bengals had the “team of destiny” feel and rather than accelerating their rebuild timeline (remember, this team picked 1st overall in 2020 and not far behind that in 2021) I felt this team just got hot at the right time.
No, they are just good.
The Bengals have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but the unit that doesn’t really get enough credit nationally is Lou Anarumo’s defense. They are arguably the reason why the Bengals are going to go very deep in January once again. Of course, the offense can’t be denied it’s due credit, either. In this 2023 NFL mock draft scenario, the Bengals go after one of the best players — Devon Witherspoon — one one of the best defenses in all of college football this past season.
Witherspoon has 23 passes broken up over the last two seasons including three interceptions in 2022.
27. Dallas Cowboys: O’Cyrus Torrence, OL, Florida
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the league’s most impressive teams in 2022. I don’t know what this coaching staff is going to look like beyond 2022, but the combination of Kellen Moore on offense and Dan Quinn on defense? Mike McCarthy deserves at least a little bit of credit for putting that together.
This team is arguably the league’s most balanced. The Cowboys can drop 50 points on you offensively and they can shut you out defensively. How do you project such a balanced team as far as a future NFL Draft? You take the best player available. For Dallas, improving in the trenches is never out of the question especially when you’re looking at a mauler on the interior line like O’Cyrus Torrence.
28. Kansas City Chiefs: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
The Kansas City Chiefs just went after George Karlaftis early in the 2022 NFL Draft and while they did make that investment, I don’t think it would prevent them from going after even more pass rush help. Playing in the AFC West, the Chiefs need closers off the edge and Verse has been exactly that for Florida State.
This guy — a transfer from Albany — has been a menace rushing the passer with 7.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 32 QB pressures. Kansas City doesn’t have a ton of needs on either side of the ball so taking a premier position like EDGE is not out of the question.
29. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
The Minnesota Vikings certainly have no issues right now at the wide receiver position. Justin Jefferson is a one-man wrecking crew out there at receiver and Adam Thielen is still effective. KJ Osborn has also developed into a key role player for the Vikings and even if you throw tight end into the mix, the team just made a big inter-division trade to pick up TJ Hockenson a few weeks back.
With that being said, adding another vertical speed threat like Josh Downs with this late of a pick is about as good of use as you can make of the 30th overall pick in the draft. You can line Downs up anywhere in the offense and his presence — a true vertical playmaker — will help open things up for Jefferson and the running game.
30. Buffalo Bills: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
The Buffalo Bills are one of the best all-around rosters in the league, but one area this team can obviously get better is at the running back spot. They’ll be banking on James Cook obviously taking a step forward in 2023 but if a player like Jahmyr Gibbs is sitting there at the end of the first round, you might seriously consider it.
The former Georgia Tech transfer has really proven himself as a dual-threat at the position, averaging over six yards per carry this season while adding over 40 receptions in the passing game and 10 total touchdowns offensively. Adding this kind of weapon could be scary for the Bills’ already stacked offense.
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
The rich continue to get richer. The Philadelphia Eagles could be in a prime trade-down situation right here if the right player entices another team (like Anthony Richardson, who is still available in this 2023 NFL mock draft scenario). I think that’s a distinct possibility given the state of this Eagles roster, or we could simply just see them make a strong position on their roster right now even stronger.
Look, clean bills of health don’t happen every single year in the NFL. Are the Eagles going to get 17 games out of both AJ Brown and Devonta Smith in 2023? Who knows? In any case, you have a chance here to get one of the most dominant receivers at the catch point in this class and a player who could add yet another wrinkle into your offense in Rashee Rice. Not to mention, this guy can block.