Every NFL mock draft is bound to look worse than your March Madness bracket already does. Predicting the NFL Draft is really an inexact science, but there are some people who make mock drafts that when they write something, you pay attention. You pay attention when someone like NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah makes a mock draft because DJ is absolutely connected around the league, he knows how teams operate better than most analysts, and he was an executive himself in the league, so he thinks like one.
That’s why, when Daniel Jeremiah puts out a mock draft that includes a couple of shocking quarterback picks, you raise your eyebrows and say, “Hmm…” instead of just jumping into the comments section to tell him what kind of dumb picks he’s predicting.
In Jeremiah’s latest 2023 NFL mock draft, he has Kentucky quarterback Will Levis falling out of the top five, out of the top 10, and barely sneaking into the top 20 at the 19th overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His justification for the pick:
"If Levis started to fall, I believe a team like Tampa Bay would trade up to get him. In this scenario, he falls right into their lap. Levis would compete with Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask for the starting job.Daniel Jeremiah (Mock Draft 3.0)"
Just a handful of picks later, DJ has arguably his most shocking pick of the entire scenario. He has the Minnesota Vikings taking Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and had this to say about the pick…
"The Vikings have been doing their homework on this quarterback class. Hooker is well-liked around the league and he could sit for a year behind Kirk Cousins before taking over and ushering in a new era for Kevin O’Connell."
The idea of this scenario playing out is so fascinating. Will Levis falling out of the top-10 picks would be very intriguing because of his raw talent and ability at the most important position in the game. It seems like a lot of people have really liked Hendon Hooker throughout this process, but the injury he suffered late last season obviously has raised questions about his NFL Draft projection.
Clearly, though, if you believe a guy can be your franchise QB in the future, you don’t just play the “value” game just to play it. You go and get your guy and make it happen. If the Vikings took Hendon Hooker, it might go down as the most shocking pick in the first round of the draft.
Needless to say, those picks are undoubtedly the most interesting among Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft, but there are even more to look at and consider with Bijan Robinson going to the Patriots as another controversial pick.