The 2023 NFL Draft is just about here. What kind of madness can we expect in the top 100+ selections? We’re going to explore some fun possibilities in this 2023 NFL mock draft. It feels like, as of right now, very little is known beyond the first overall pick. Some are not even sold about what direction the Carolina Panthers are going with that, either.
For now, let’s take a look at three rounds of mock draft madness without any trades, and what directions teams could go.
2023 NFL mock draft: Predicting the first three rounds
1. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
The Carolina Panthers seem to have come to a final decision with the first overall pick in the draft, although it’s hard to imagine they hadn’t already come to that conclusion when they pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears weeks ago. At the same time, the Panthers really gave themselves the luxury of going through the entire process, meeting with all of the prospects, having them all into their facilities, and getting to know them with the luxury of knowing they had their pick of the litter.
I think Bryce Young feels like the safest bet at this point based on all of the information that’s currently out there. It’s hard to imagine a rookie QB stepping into a better overall situation than this one.
2. Houston Texans: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Houston Texans are poised to shock a lot of people when the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off, and some are still refusing to believe the rumors that this Texans team will pass on quarterbacks. Will they actually do that? I mean, it’s not impossible. Houston is not in a position right now to say they absolutely have to be married to a certain player with that second-overall pick at the QB position. If there’s not conviction among the coaching staff and front office, then why not give DeMeco Ryans as much talent to make that Houston defense as good as possible as quickly as possible?
Tyree Wilson would be a bit of a surprise pick but he’s been really rising in recent weeks thanks to his combination of intangibles, athleticism, length, and ability to move around the defensive front and make an impact.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
Would the Arizona Cardinals be trying to trade down from this slot? Maybe. I also can’t help but think they would simply take the best player available here which is clearly Will Anderson Jr. But the Cardinals could very easily justify trading down and saying, Will Anderson Jr. is good, but Christian Gonzalez and another handful of picks is better. The Cardinals aren’t in a position in this draft to just stay put here. They need to accumulate picks for one of the worst rosters in the league.
With that said, if they do stay put, there’s no doubt that Will Anderson Jr. would be a huge help. But Jonathan Gannon is a defensive backs guy, so we’ll see.
4. Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The rumors about the Indianapolis Colts absolutely loving Will Levis simply refuse to go away. Levis is about as polarizing as they come in the NFL Draft this year, but he’s certainly got the physical attributes, the arm talent, the athleticism, and the smarts to play QB at the NFL level. Perhaps a recent endorsement from Peyton Manning will tip the scales for the Colts. We all know that Jim Irsay is the driving force behind this pick and Will Levis seems to be very on-brand for Irsay.
5. Seattle Seahawks: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
What do the Seahawks do in this situation? They probably won’t be picking in the top five next year. There have to be some teams out there who believe in CJ Stroud as a top-flight prospect, right? The Seahawks have to be prepared in every scenario. I don’t think Jalen Carter is a better pick here than CJ Stroud. The deal Geno Smith got is effectively a one-year pact for Seattle, so adding Stroud here is just good business.
I can’t think of a single good reason the Seahawks would pass on Stroud if he’s sitting there at five overall.
6. Detroit Lions: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
There were some rumors that the Detroit Lions were taking Jalen Carter off their board, but the more the process has gone along, the more smoke there is to Carter not lasting beyond this slot. I think Detroit has the type of culture that could be a good fit for Carter in terms of — if you really think there’s legitimate cause for concern going forward, this might be the best coaching staff (full of former players) for him to land with.
Carter is considered by many to be the best overall talent in this draft. In this scenario, he’d be joining Aidan Hutchinson on a revamped Detroit Lions defensive front.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
There have been some rumors about the Raiders looking at QBs here, but I think Josh McDaniels only has eyes for Jimmy Garoppolo. The Raiders need help in a variety of areas on their roster but most pressing is in the defensive backfield. It’s going to simply be a matter here of which guy they have ranked as CB1 from this class. I like Devon Witherspoon and his physical style of play getting added to the Raiders secondary.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
There are a lot of directions the Falcons could go with this pick, but it doesn’t really add up that they won’t simply try to make a deal for Lamar Jackson. Or maybe they just really dislike the QBs in this class? Or maybe Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith have done the best job of lying this offseason and they’re poised to go Anthony Richardson or Will Levis here. If the Falcons are really riding with Desmond Ridder, though, I don’t think there’s a better pick in this draft for them than Bijan Robinson. They need offense creators and they need a running game they can lean on. Robinson is it.
9. Chicago Bears: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
The Chicago Bears put a hefty amount of confidence behind Justin Fields this offseason, trading the no. 1 overall pick and their shot at any QB in this draft class. There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as it works out, right? The Bears definitely need it to work out after they lost a whopping 14 games last season. Fields took some steps forward, the Bears invested in talent already, and now they need to fortify the offensive line. Build a wall around fields. Paris Johnson Jr. seems as likely as anyone to be picked in this slot, but Bears fans should riot if it’s not a lineman.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
The Philadelphia Eagles begin to reload their roster after making it to the Super Bowl last season by adding one of the top defensive players in college football over the last couple of years. Philly went after a couple of Georgia Bulldogs in the 2022 NFL Draft when they landed Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean for their defensive front seven, why not add another? Imagine trying to mount a fourth quarter comeback with players like Nolan Smith and Haason Reddick bearing down on your QB.
11. Tennessee Titans: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
What are the Tennessee Titans cooking up for the 2023 NFL Draft? There have been some rumors that they might want to move up from the 11th overall pick, perhaps to take this guy right here. Anthony Richardson is an obvious potential target but so is Will Levis of Kentucky. Although Levis doesn’t seem to be unanimously beloved by NFL Draft people, it does seem like actual NFL people like him. But I digress…Anthony Richardson is the pick here. The 10/10 on the RAS scale, the biggest arm in the draft, and the guy with the highest ceiling goes to Tennessee.
12. Houston Texans: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
The Houston Texans landed a big, long, athletic difference-maker on the defensive front with that top pick, and here they add another stellar cornerback prospect to pair up with former top pick Derek Stingley Jr. Houston obviously wants to make sure it’s got pieces in place and if they’re not going to go after a quarterback in this draft, they might as well look to some other premium position groups. Cornerback certainly fits the bill, and getting Gonzalez in that defensive backfield could help Houston make a significant leap on that side of the ball in 2023.
13. Green Bay Packers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
It would be ironic to see the Green Bay Packers take a skill player immediately after Aaron Rodgers leaves in a trade. The Packers have become notorious and infamous for not bringing in talent through the first round of the NFL Draft at the skill positions. It didn’t stop Aaron Rodgers from winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, but it was a serious point of contention between Rodgers and the Packers’ front office. Here, Jordan Love gets a reliable slot weapon who’s going to always be open.
14. New England Patriots: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
The New England Patriots pass on everyone’s favorite Patriots mock draft pick — Peter Skoronski — to go with someone a little bit more “raw” at the position in Broderick Jones. Not that Skoronski. can’t or won’t be the pick, but I think the Patriots need someone who projects better to the left tackle position over the long haul with the requisite length to play against NFL edge guys. Jones has that, Skoronski does not. Out goes one former first-round tackle out of Georgia (Isaiah Wynn) and in comes another.
15. New York Jets: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
The New York Jets might only get one or two years with Aaron Rodgers at the QB position. They can’t be messing around with guys on the offensive line getting hurt and not having proper depth behind them. Don’t be shocked if the Jets — who had a top-10 defense last year — just spend the majority of their picks on offensive linemen to make sure Rodgers has the most talent in front of him as humanly possible.
The Jets have invested here in recent years, to be clear, but when injuries took their toll last year, the line obviously struggled badly. Getting Darnell Wright in the building gives this team a big, powerful right tackle and they can decide where to slot him with Alijah Vera-Tucker coming off of injury.
16. Washington Commanders: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
The Washington Commanders brought in Eric Bieniemy to call plays for their offense in 2023. Will it be Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett taking the lion’s share of snaps under center this year? Nobody knows at this point. What is clear is that this Washington team is ready to make a leap offensively, but I think they are missing that key piece at tight end. Nobody should be expected to come in and be “Travis Kelce” for Bieniemy now that he’s in Washington, but you can’t help but think Michael Mayer could thrive in that role.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t pass up on the opportunity to take a legacy player here in Joey Porter Jr., which has been my favorite mock draft selection for the Steelers up to this point. It’s just too obvious not to happen, right? I think this one has been relatively spoken into existence at this point. Joey Porter Jr.’s dad obviously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers years ago, and he was a key piece to their dominant defense. Now, you get some of that flavor of toughness and ‘edge” at the cornerback position from his son.
18. Detroit Lions: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
The Detroit Lions took a relatively “risky” pick earlier in Jalen Carter, and here they go with one of the safest players in the class. At least, as “safe” as a draft pick can be. The whole thing is a crapshoot. Peter Skoronski projects as a tackle/guard at the next level and I think he’s going to start for you for a decade, probably at the guard spot. The Lions have done so well to build in the trenches the last handful of years and Skoronski keeps them on-brand.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
There’s a mini reload happening with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now, but it’s not as bad as some people are making it out to be. This team lost Tom Brady, which is obviously massive. They cut left tackle Donovan Smith, and that move could significantly impact this pick as well. But there are more EDGE guys on the board worth taking here than offensive tackles, and Lukas Van Ness is the type of EDGE the Bucs seem to covet. He has size, length, strength, and positional versatility.
20. Seattle Seahawks: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
After taking the opportunity to land CJ Stroud early on in this NFL mock draft, I think this kind of scenario gives you a really good idea of where the Seahawks could be sitting in terms of passing on EDGE guys early on and trying to cash in later. Not that they are the same player, but if the Seahawks really liked what they saw in Tyree Wilson, they might be inclined to also really like Myles Murphy. Murphy would be joining a defensive front that already added big-money free agent Dre’Mont Jones earlier this offseason.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
The Los Angeles Chargers made a big change in the 2023 offseason by firing offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and bringing in former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in the same role. Having Moore in the building means we’re going to see a lot more three-wide sets for the Chargers going into the future and they need the personnel to be able to do that. Of course, tight end is part of that, but the Chargers don’t really have the receiver depth to sustain any long-term losses at the position as we saw last year when Keenan Allen missed some time.
22. Baltimore Ravens: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
The Baltimore Ravens haven’t exactly had the greatest offseason thus far, but that could change in a hurry if they are able to get Lamar Jackson locked in to a long-term deal. Jackson is already going to be joined by Odell Beckham Jr. on this roster and many people feel like this pick should be a receiver, but the Ravens were apparently hot on the trail of Darius Slay in free agency before he decided to go back to the Philadelphia Eagles. Since they missed out on Slay, why not take the super-talented local product Deonte Banks out of Maryland?
23. Minnesota Vikings: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
The Minnesota Vikings brought in defensive back Byron Murphy in free agency to upgrade a secondary which has been a major focus for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in his first two years with the team. Here, they land arguably the cornerback with the best ball skills in this draft in Emmanuel Forbes, a late riser in this process whose ability to create turnovers and knock the ball away is really impressive. Perhaps the Vikings at 23 won’t be his ceiling, either…
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
I think if you poll 100 Jacksonville Jaguars fans in the hours leading up to the NFL Draft, maybe 90-95 percent of them would want Brian Branch in this slot. Branch is a versatile defensive back who can slot in immediately as a safety, nickel, dime — whatever. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s physical, and he’s aggressive. I think he would be a great piece to this Jaguars team which is clearly ascending at a rapid rate heading into the 2023 season.
25. New York Giants: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The New York Giants should have some fascinating decisions to make on draft night with this pick. Would they take someone like Quentin Johnston or Zay Jones? Would they get to this point and call the Broncos up again about trading for Jerry Jeudy? One way or another, even after all the guys they brought in and brought back this offseason, you can’t help but think there’s something brewing at receiver for this Giants team. Quentin Johnston, if nothing else, is a big-bodied target who could hopefully come in and make plays for them right away.
26. Dallas Cowboys: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Jerry Jones had to make the difficult but correct decision to move on from running back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason as a post-June 1 cut. Despite the fact that he made the right call there, the Cowboys also have a bit of a problem in the backfield. Projected starter Tony Pollard is coming off of a significant injury suffered in the playoffs, and also is in a contract year yet again. There are two backs in this class that I think the Cowboys would love to have in round one and Gibbs is obviously one of them, Bijan Robinson being the other. Gibbs does everything at the position and will help keep Pollard fresh when he works his way back from the injury.
27. Buffalo Bills: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
For the longest time, I have had the Bills rolling with an offensive lineman here but if Zay Flowers is on the board, I could see there being some jockeying from teams like Buffalo and Kansas City to get him. Flowers doesn’t have ideal size, but he is a true burner deep down the field and a playmaker. He’s going to be able to run under some of those 60-yard bombs from Josh Allen and I think with Gabriel Davis coming up on his contract year, you get out ahead of that need by bringing in a playmaker who can help you regardless if Davis is there beyond this season or not.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
What are the Bengals going to do with Jonah Williams during the 2023 NFL Draft? That should be an interesting storyline to watch. Some team might bite on a deal there on day 2 or 3, but in round one, the Bengals might want to focus on the best tight end available. They had Hayden Hurst last year and added Irv Smith Jr. this year, but the Bengals could undoubtedly find themselves a more dynamic option at the position. Michael Mayer may be the favorite here but Dalton Kincaid, even with some injury concerns, is possibly the better overall player.
29. New Orleans Saints: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
A really popular pick here lately has been the defensive line. Specifically, guys like Bryan Bresee of Clemson and Calijah Kancey of Pittsburgh. I think there’s a decent chance we see the Saints roll with someone on the defensive front, but what if they zig when everyone thinks they’re going to zag? Jalin Hyatt took a pre-draft visit to New Orleans and with this year being a thin WR class, perhaps we will see the Saints try to lock in one of their top guys at the position before some other team swoops in and takes him.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
Another player who has been picking up some first-round steam in recent weeks has been DJ Turner, the cornerback out of Michigan. After his stellar workout at the Scouting Combine, he could be on the radar of a team like the Eagles, who have a couple of older guys at the cornerback position. As we saw last year, there’s nothing wrong with that, but the Eagles did dodge a bullet not losing one or both of them in the 2023 free agency cycle. DJ Turner could add some much-needed youth and big-time athleticism to this position for the reigning NFC champs, who already landed some big-time speed off the edge earlier in this NFL mock draft in edge rusher Nolan Smith.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
The Kansas City Chiefs round out the first round of this NFL mock draft with offensive tackle Anton Harrison, an athletic specimen out of Oklahoma who could pencil into the starting right tackle slot in his rookie season. The Chiefs said goodbye to Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie — their bookend starting tackles — in free agency. They say hello to the new duo of Jawaan Taylor (playing left tackle) and Anton Harrison, a player the Chiefs might actually have to trade up for given the supply and demand at tackle in this draft.
2023 NFL mock draft: Second-round predictions
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
33. Houston Texans: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
34. Arizona Cardinals: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
35. Indianapolis Colts: Matthew Bergeron, OL, Syracuse
36. Los Angeles Rams: Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State
37. Seattle Seahawks: Calijah Kancey, DL, Pittsburgh
38. Las Vegas Raiders: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
39. Carolina Panthers: Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
40. New Orleans Saints: Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan
41. Tennessee Titans: O’Cyrus Torrence, OL, Florida
42. Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
43. New York Jets: Steve Avila, OL, TCU
44. Atlanta Falcons: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
45. Green Bay Packers: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
46. New England Patriots: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
47. Washington Commanders: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
48. Detroit Lions: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
49. Pittsburgh Steelers: Keeanu Benton, DL, Wisconsin
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jartavius Martin, DB, Illinois
51. Miami Dolphins: Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
52. Seattle Seahawks: John Michael Schmitz, OL, Minnesota
53. Chicago Bears: Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE, Northwestern
54. Los Angeles Chargers: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
55. Detroit Lions: BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
56. Jacksonville Jaguars: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
57. New York Giants: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
58. Dallas Cowboys: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
59. Buffalo Bills: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
60. Cincinnati Bengals: Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion
61. Chicago Bears: Joe Tippmann, OL, Wisconsin
62. Philadelphia Eagles: Marte Mapu, LB/S, Sacramento State
63. Kansas City Chiefs: Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma
Second-round pick highlights
The Houston Texans ultimately do land a QB in this NFL mock draft scenario, drafting Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker. The latest rumors have Hooker landing in round one after some team trades up for him. Would the Texans do that? Houston might be playing with fire if they want to try to get two different players at the 2nd and 12th picks overall, leaving Hooker on the board. If he’s their guy, they should probably just take him at 12, but you never know what kind of hubris teams will operate with.
And how about the Detroit Lions coming away with both tight end Darnell Washington and pass rusher BJ Ojulari in this round? Their insane haul continues.
2023 NFL mock draft: Third round predictions
64. Chicago Bears: Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State
65. Houston Texans: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss
66. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
67. Denver Broncos: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
68. Denver Broncos: Chandler Zavala, OL, North Carolina State
69. Los Angeles Rams: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
70. Las Vegas Raiders: Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC
71. New Orleans Saints: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
72. Tennessee Titans: Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
73. Houston Texans: Gervon Dexter, DL, Florida
74. Cleveland Browns: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
75. Atlanta Falcons: Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
76. New England Patriots: Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
77. Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
78. Green Bay Packers: Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
79. Indianapolis Colts: Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
80. Pittsburgh Steelers: Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
81. Detroit Lions: Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
82. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
83. Seattle Seahawks: Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
84. Miami Dolphins: Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
85. Los Angeles Chargers: Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State
86. Baltimore Ravens: Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
87. Minnesota Vikings: Siaki Ika, DL, Baylor
88. Jacksonville Jaguars: KJ Henry, EDGE, Clemson
89. New York Giants: Luke Wypler, OL, Ohio State
90. Dallas Cowboys: DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas
91. Buffalo Bills: Tyler Steen, OL, Alabama
92. Cincinnati Bengals: Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
93. Carolina Panthers: Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama
94. Philadelphia Eagles: Izzy Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
95. Kansas City Chiefs: YaYa Diaby, EDGE, Louisville
96. Arizona Cardinals: Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
97. Washington Commanders: Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
98. Cleveland Browns: Zacch Pickens, DL, South Carolina
99. San Francisco 49ers: Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma
100. Las Vegas Raiders: Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green
101. San Francisco 49ers: Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
102. San Francisco 49ers: Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
103. Chicago Bears: Garrett Williams, DB, Syracuse
Third-round pick highlights
I always love it when teams double or even triple-up at certain position groups in the NFL Draft, and the Chicago Bears are just obliterating their need to upgrade the offensive line in this NFL mock draft scenario. Imagine landing Paris Johnson Jr., Joe Tippmann, and Cody Mauch all in this one NFL Draft. That would be a job well done by Bears GM Ryan Pace.
And leave it to the San Francisco 49ers to come away with tremendous value despite not picking until the 99th overall slot. They have three of the final five picks in the round, and I think these three selections of OT Wanya Morris, RB Tyjae Spears, and WR Jayden Reed leaves the 49ers with a tremendous haul overall.