Following the Aaron Rodgers trade between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft takes on a new complexion. With the draft now just hours away, we make our final 2023 NFL mock draft predictions and take a look at the madness that could go down on Thursday night.
2023 NFL mock draft: Post-Aaron Rodgers trade madness
Debates have been flourishing since the day Carolina traded for this pick. It was C.J. Stroud for a bit, a few people thought it could be Anthony Richardson and thanks to a recent Reddit poster, Will Levis has now entered the conversation, but I’m sticking with my top guy in this class and going with Bryce Young here.
Rumors have been flying about the Texans passing on a QB at this spot in favor of a defender, which I think is a pretty feasible outcome seeing as first-time head coach and defensive specialist DeMeco Ryans could want to leave his mark as fast as possible. Tyree Wilson is an excellent pass-rusher who possesses excellent size at 6’6″ 275 pounds, as well as freakish 86-inch arms. Wilson wins with his athleticism, as he has the size and speed combination to play all over the defensive line, or to drop back into coverage if you need him to. He was also highly productive in 2022 as he finished the season with 37 tackles, 15 assists, 32 stops and QB hits, and 8 sacks.
(Projected Trade via AZ)
It’s no secret that the Colts love Will Levis, and in this scenario I have them jumping up one spot to ensure they get their QB of choice.
(Projected Trade Via IND)
Arizona trades back and still lands my top edge rusher in this class in Will Anderson Jr. There has been some recent debate about how well his frame will translate to the NFL, as he stands at 6’4 243 lbs, but just like his other size-challenged college teammate in Bryce Young, the production far outweighs any size concerns I would have. During his career, Anderson reached remarkable heights, as he finished 2nd in Alabama history for career sacks (34.5), single-season tackles for loss (34.5), and 3rd in single-season sacks (17.5). Anderson Jr comes into an Arizona team desperate for help along the defensive line and immediately produces at a high level as I see him making a Pro Bowl in his first NFL season
Do I have concerns about the off-field issues with Carter? Absolutely. But do I think he’s inherently a bad person? Absolutely not. I think he’s a 20-year-old kid who made a stupid mistake, just like we all have at one point or another. In my opinion, Carter is the best player in this class, on either side of the ball. Watching him play, it just looked too easy for him as he made first-round offensive linemen look utterly silly week in and week out. I’ve seen Jalen compared to All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, and if I’m John Schneider, the idea of walking out of the draft with that kind of talent is too good to pass up.
To put it bluntly, Devon Witherspoon is a dawg. He can stay in phase with anybody, while also showing a willingness, or even eagerness to make plays in the run game and deliver crushing blows to any ball carrier that comes into his path. Detroit made some nice offseason moves to fix their secondary, but after trading Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a 5th-round pick, I feel there is still a need for that true number-one guy. Devon Witherspoon can come in and immediately be a lockdown starter with a Jaire Alexander-level ceiling, which is pretty good if you ask me.
It didn’t make much sense when Las Vegas decided to release Derek Carr just to turn around and sign sexier Derek Carr — Jimmy Garoppolo, but I think this was their plan all along. Richardson may not be ready to start yet, but the potential is there, and the traits are too good to ignore. Let Richardson sit for a year or a few as he develops, and then when he’s finally ready to start you’ve got yourself a signal caller with the potential to be a perennial MVP candidate in the NFL.
Amidst reports that C.J. Stroud scored poorly on cognitive testing, there seems to be a budding belief that the Ohio State Quarterback could drop slightly in the draft. If he’s available at 8, Atlanta should sprint to the podium for him.
The Bears seem to finally have their quarterback, and now after trading for DJ Moore, they’ve also got a respectable set of receivers to pair with him. But they’re still weak along the offensive line, and being the former lineman Ryan Poles is, he’ll want to get that issue fixed as fast as possible. Draft Paris Johnson Jr here to pair alongside left tackle Braxton Jones and you’ve got yourself a great, young duo at your tackle positions.
What makes an offensive line great for years upon years? Staying ahead of the curve. It’s how teams like Philadelphia and Dallas always have good offensive lines, regardless of how much turnaround they face. Skoronski may not have the length to play tackle in the NFL, but he’s got more than enough skill to play anywhere else along the offensive line. This is a move for the present and the future.
(Projected Trade Via TEN)
After watching the top four quarterbacks go ahead of them, Tennessee opts to trade back with Baltimore and load up on more draft ammunition. With their newly acquired pick, Baltimore selects star Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez to fix their glaring need at the position.
Houston may not be getting their QB of the future this year like everyone thought, but what they do get is an edge rusher with tremendous upside, and in my opinion, the best wide receiver in this class. Whoever the quarterback of the future ends up being, he can rest assured knowing that he’ll have guys like JSN, Dameon Pierce, Dalton Schultz, and Laremy Tunsil there to make his life easier.
In comically ironic fashion, the Packers use their first pick received in the Aaron Rodgers deal to take a position they did not take once in the Rodgers era, or at all since Bubba Franks went 14th overall in the 2000 draft.
Predicting a Bill Belichick draft pick is about as hard as it gets, but I’ll do it anyway. Nolan Smith came out of the combine as potentially its biggest winner, as he finished with a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash, a 41.50-inch vertical leap, and a 1.52-second 10-yard split. By all accounts, Smith also killed the interview process and would be a nice addition to this New England front.
This pick just makes too much sense. Even if the trade for Aaron Rodgers never happened, this would be the pick. You can have all of the skill players you want, but if your lineman can’t block, or stay healthy, it doesn’t matter. Make Aaron’s life as easy as possible by drafting a great lineman, and then, when he retires, your next signal-caller is already set up with a formidable offensive line.
(Projected Trade Via WAS)
The Chargers trade Austin Ekeler to the Washington Commanders and get back a younger, cheaper, and more versatile replacement in Texas stud RB Bijan Robinson.
The Steelers love family. It’s why they have two Watt brothers on the team, and why they drafted Kenny Pickett 54 spots ahead of the next quarterback in last year’s draft, even if all signs point to the fact that they could have waited. Joey Porter Jr. is the son of former Steelers great linebacker, Joey Porter Sr, and when you watch Junior play, he feels like a Steeler. He plays with that ferocity one has come to expect from a player in the black and gold, and he can fit into any scheme. Not only does this pick make sense from a family perspective, but it also makes sense from a team-building perspective, almost as if destiny aligned perfectly for this pick to be made possible.
Continuing on the theme of defense, I have Detroit taking Calijah Kancey here. Kancey is a pass rush specialist too quick and agile for guards, and too small for tackles to get solid leverage on. Last season’s 29th-ranked defense just got a whole lot better, and now this team is starting to look really good in a weak NFC conference, and a weak division.
Michael Mayer can truly do it all. He can line up in-line, or outside, he can block, he can make plays in the open field, and he is the definition of reliable, in fact, there may not be a better short-yardage/red zone target in this class.
Zay Flowers reminds me a lot of Tyler Lockett, which is who he’ll eventually be replacing in this scenario. If you want to maximize the time in which you have this born-again version of Geno Smith, then help him out by getting him as many weapons as possible. An offense with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Kenneth Walker Jr, and now Zay Flowers is one that I can see making serious noise in a suddenly porous NFC West division.
(Projected Trade Via LAC)
Banks quickly became one of the highest risers in this draft process and for good reason. He put out great film this season, and then went and doubled down on it at the combine. Washington managing to trade for Austin Ekeler, while still landing a defensive back as talented as Banks is a win all-around.
(Projected Trade Via BAL)
Tennessee didn’t get their signal caller or an offensive lineman, but they do get a great defender in Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness here who comes in and makes one of the league’s most underrated defensive lines even better.
I know there’s been plenty of speculation about Minnesota taking Hendon Hooker this year, but I just wouldn’t do that. Instead, pairing arguably the best receiver in the entire league with a player of Addison’s potential feels like a much safer, and smarter pick.
Jacksonville lucks out here, as they have the luxury of going best player available, at a position of need. Branch’s combine may have been disappointing, but you have to take the combine with a grain of salt and remember just how good Branch was in college. He’s the best pure tackler in this class and has the range and intelligence to cover anybody and take away passing or rushing lanes.
Two years ago we saw one of the best centers in the league fall to the second round because it isn’t considered a valuable position, and while that may or may not be true, the New York Giants would be doing themselves an immense favor by adding a player like John Michael Schmitz to an offensive line that already features All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, and second-year right tackle Evan Neal.
Demarcus Lawrence is approaching the wrong side of 30, and Dallas will have to look for his replacement sooner or later. Murphy is an excellent run defender with pass rush upside who can sit and refine his skills for a year or two, or play in a rotational role and make this Dallas defense that much scarier.
Buffalo’s offensive line was flat-out bad last season, and that cannot continue if they want to maximize the opportunity they’ve been given with the sheer talent this team has. Take some weight off of Josh Allen’s shoulders and let him do what he does best.
Cincinnati drastically fixed their offense in what feels like record time, but they aren’t done yet. To me, Darnell Washington projects as a Marcedes Lewis prototype with better receiving upside. Getting Joe Burrow another target to throw to while simultaneously getting another offensive tackle, in essence, feels like the perfect scenario for this organization.
If you just look at his production and film from this past season, you would be hard-pressed to consider Bresee a first-rounder, but football is much deeper than that, and there’s a mental side that people don’t see. Bryan’s 15-year-old sister, unfortunately, passed after a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer early in the season, and he also battled injury problems, but Bresee is not at all a “bad” player. He would provide nice depth and size on this Saints defensive line, as they approach a post-Cam Jordan era.
For a more in-depth read about Bryan Bresee’s journey, check out this story.
(Projected Trade VIA PHI)
Atlanta got their quarterback. Now they trade back into the first to add a boundary mate for cornerback A.J. Terrell, building upon their defensive-focused offseason revamp.
Apparently, Quentin Johnston did not receive an invite to the draft in order to avoid an awkward moment due to the fact that many around the league believe he will fall out of the first round, but this opportunity is too good for Kansas City to pass up. This offense has been whittled down to the bones as far as receiving options, and just because Patrick Mahomes can make magic happen with (or without) anything doesn’t mean he should be asked to. Johnston provides prototypical X-receiver size paired with the quickness and agility to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally.