2023 NFL Mock Draft With Analysis – 4/25/23

I will type up one more last minute mock drat sometime on Thursday, but this will be my last analysis for the 2023 draft! Please enjoy!

Pick	Team	Player	Stats	Commentary
1	Carolina Panthers	QB Bryce Young, Alabama – 5’10, 204 lbs	245-380, 3328 yards, 32 TD, 5 INT	From CHI This pick will obviously be a quarterback. Carolina has given little indication on which player it will be. I am going to go with Bryce Young, since he is widely considered to be the best and most NFL ready quarterback in this class. Despite his size, he has a great arm, is accurate and a real team leader.
1	Houston Texans	QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State – 6’3, 214 lbs	258-389, 3688 yards, 41 TD, 6 INT	Other mocks will try to get cute with Anthony Richardson or even a non-quarterback here. That would be a gut punch for Texans fans. They made a great head coach hire with DeMeco Ryans. Give him a quarterback to build around. CJ Stroud is right there with Bryce Young in the eyes of many. He has a lot of experience in an NFL style offense and would finally help the franchise turn the page on the Deshaun Watson era.
3	Arizona Cardinals	EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama – 6’4, 253 lbs	51 tackles, 10 sacks, 1 INT	With Anthony Richardson still on the board, the Cardinals could probably get a nice haul for this pick. If they stand pat, Will Anderson Jr. is the only player that makes sense. He might be the top prospect in this entire class. He is a pass rushing terror who would give the Cardinals a much needed backfield wrecker.
4	Indianapolis Colts	QB Will Levis, Kentucky – 6’4, 229 lbs	185-283, 2406 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT	Let it be known that I am not a Will Levis fan. He looks great in shorts and a t-shirt, but is a 24 year old project who could not beat out Sean Clifford at Penn State and really struggled quite a bit at Kentucky. But scouts always seem to look past production when a huge arm is in play. The Colts will have to take a chance on one of two talented but flawed quarterbacks here.
5	Seattle Seahawks	QB Anthony Richardson, Florida – 6’4, 244 lbs	176-327, 2549 yards, 17 TD, 9 INT	This would be an ideal landing spot for Anthony Richardson. The talent is obvious, but he is so young and so raw, he needs to sit and learn. The Seahawks are a rare playoff hopeful with a top five pick and a need for a young quarterback. He could sit behind Geno Smith for a year or two and take over when ready.
6	Detroit Lions	DT Jalen Carter, Georgia – 6’3, 314 lbs	30 tackles, 3 sacks	Jalen Carter had a less than ideal pre-draft process, but he is simply too talented to fall out of the top ten. The Lions are another team with playoff aspirations to have a top ten pick. Adding Carter to a defense that already features Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston would be quite exciting.
7	Las Vegas Raiders	CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon – 6’1, 197 lbs	51 tackles, 4 INT	The Raiders are my early pick to have the first overall selection in the 2024 draft. Caleb Williams anyone? For now, this is a roster that, as usual, needs everything. That is what happens when you whiff on nearly every one of your first round draft picks for years. Christian Gonzalez is my CB1, thanks to a nice mix of size, production and talent.
8	Atlanta Falcons	HB Bijan Robinson, Texas – 5’11, 215 lbs lbs	258 rushes, 1580 yards, 18 TD	The first surprise of my mock, but is it? Despite what people think, ultra talented three down running backs are still taken in the top fifteen. The Falcons added quite a few bodies on defense, and they do not pass on a blue chip defensive prospect to take Bijan Robinson here. Atlanta is using the draft to rebuild their skill positions on offense, and Robinson will help make life easier for Desmond Ridder.
9	Chicago Bears	OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State – 6’6, 313 lbs	N/A	From CAR I have not moved off of my Paris Johnson Jr. to Bears pick for months. If Chicago is going to truly build around a running quarterback, they need to do everything they can to protect him.
10	Philadelphia Eagles	DE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech – 6’6, 271 lbs	61 tackles, 7 sacks	From NO I like Tyree Wilson, but do not think he is a real blue chip prospect. This would be a better draft range for him to be selected. The Eagles like to employ a deep rotation of defensive lineman, and Wilson would be an upgrade over Derek Barnett.
11	Tennessee Titans	OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern – 6’4, 313 lbs	N/A	The Titans will probably give this group one more run before the inveitible rebuild. This is a run first team with a weak offensive line – a bad combination. Peter Skoronski is probably a guard at the next level, but could be an elite one.
12	Houston Texans	WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State – 6’1, 196 lbs	5 rec, 43 yards	From CLE CJ Stroud is the new face of the Texans, but the team traded Brandin Cooks and needs more receiving talent. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 15 receptions in two years with a 95 catch season sandwiched in the middle. He has regained most of his pre-2023 season draft value, and has the talent and route running ability is there to be a prototypical WR2/slot at the NFL level.
13	Green Bay Packers	DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa – 6’5, 272 lbs	36 tackles, 6.5 sacks	From NYJ This might be a bit too high for a tight end or wide receiver. Green Bay also needs a long term pass rusher to play opposite Rashan Gary. Even though Lukas Van Ness did not start a game in college, he is a great pass rusher. He could also bulk up and play 3-4 end if need be.
14	New England Patriots	CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State – 6’3, 193 lbs	27 tackles	Devon Witherspoon might be the better cornerback available, but Joey Porter Jr. looks the part of a big New England cornerback. If you were watching your television without glasses you would think you were looking at Stephon Gilmore size wise.
15	New York Jets	TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame – 6’5, 249 lbs	67 rec, 809 yards, 9 TD	From GB This may be a bit high for Michael Mayer, who is not an athletic marvel like other top fifteen tight ends, but Aaron Rodgers is officially a Jet, and I think the team is going to try to surround him with as many skill position players as possible. Mayer is a solid blocker and is a possession king. He would be a nice safety valve for Rodgers.
16	Washington Commanders	CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – 6’0, 181 lbs	42 tackles, 3 INT	Easy choice for the Commanders here. Devon Witherspoon is not the biggest or the fastest, but he is unquestionably the most technically sound cornerback in this class. He only allowed 22 receptions on the season, and should be an immediate plug and play option for Washington.
17	Pittsburgh Steelers	OT Broderick Jones, Georgia – 6’5, 311 lbs	N/A	Offensive line is unquestionably the biggest need area on the Pittsburgh roster. Broderick Jones lacks experience and is too aggressive at times, but has a load of talent and should develop into a very solid right tackle in time.
18	Detroit Lions	OLB Nolan Smith, Georgia – 6’2, 238 lbs	18 tackles, 3 sacks	Detroit continues to reshape its defense with two Georgia defenders. Nolan Smith is uber talented and versatile, and could play any linebacker position on Detroit’s 3-4 defense.
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee – 6’5, 333 lbs	N/A	Tristan Wirfs is moving to left tackle, and Darnell Wright is about as prototypical a right tackle only prospect as there is. Whenever the Buccaneers do add their next quarterback of the future, he should be adequately protected.
20	Seattle Seahawks	CB Deonte Banks, Maryland – 6’0, 197 lbs	38 tackles, 1 INT	Seattle took a home run swing with their first pick, but need to go defense the rest of the way. Deonte Banks has great size and ran a blistering 4.35 40 yard dash. Tariq Woolen is a future star, and Banks would be a great running mate.
21	Los Angeles Chargers	DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh – 6’1, 281 lbs	31 tackles, 7 sacks	Calijah Kancey has drawn Aaron Donald comparisons due to college and size. Of course, he is not Donald, but he is fresh off running a 4.67 40 yard dash, showing off his tremendous athleticism. He should be strong enough to hold up as a 3-4 defensive end, and his supreme pass rushing ability is a plus. The Chargers have struggled to transition to a 3-4 defense.
22	Baltimore Ravens	WR Jordan Addison, USC – 5’11, 173 lbs	59 rec, 875 yards, 8 TD	Baltimore signed Odell Beckham Jr., but is it tough to count on him to stay healthy all season. Rashod Bateman has also dealt with non-stop injuries. They need more. Jordan Addison is not a burner, but has reliable hands and should be a solid possession type.
23	Minnesota Vikings	WR Zay Flowers, Boston College – 5’9, 182 lbs	78 rec, 1077 yards, 12 TD	The Vikings have done little to fill the receiver position opposite All World Justin Jefferson, but this is a good spot to take a WR2, and there should be many available. Zay Flowers is undersized, but shifty and catches everything thrown his way.
24	Minnesota Vikings	SS Brian Branch, Alabama – 6’0, 190 lbs	90 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT	The Jaguars are finally in a position to draft for need, and the secondary needs some help. Brian Branch is listed as a safety but can play corner as well. He is strong, a great tackler and can keep up with most receivers. The Jaguars could use him like the Cowboys used Byron Jones early on before he settled into one position.
25	New York Giants	OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida – 6’5, 330 lbs	N/A	The Giants are in real position to win a wide open NFC, and have attacked need areas hard. O’Cyrus Torrence is a plug and play offensive guard, and should beat out Mark Glowinski at right guard.
26	Dallas Cowboys	DE Myles Murphy, Clemson – 6’5, 268 lbs	40 tackles, 6.5 sacks	Myles Murphy slips a little bit for me because his motor can run hot and cold, and he is not the athletic freak that someone like Chase Young is. But he is only 21 years old and has the ability to be a three down lineman. He would be a nice rotation piece for the Cowboys.
27	Buffalo Bills	HB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama – 5’9, 199 lbs	151 rushes, 926 yards, 7 TD	The Bills need to keep adding to the skill positions, because right now Stefon Diggs is the only player you can count on. James Cook is stretched as a starter. Jahmyr Gibbs is undersized but can find the holes and catches passes like another receiver.
28	Cincinnati Bengals	TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah – 6’4, 246 lbs	70 rec, 890 yards, 8 TD	The Bengals have a great receiver trio, but may have to make a decision on a couple of them soon. Dalton Kincaid is over matched as a blocker, but would be another elite receiving option.
29	New Orleans Saints	DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson – 6’6, 298 lbs	15 tackles, 3.5 sacks	Bryan Bresee was a monster as a freshman at Clemson, but has struggled with a variety of issues his past two years, and his stock as suffered as a result. Still, there was a reason he was formerly the top overall prospect in the country, as he offers rare pass rushing ability from the interior. The Saints signed a few rotational pieces, but still have a huge hole at defensive tackle.
30	Philadelphia Eagles	C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota – 6’3, 301 lbs	N/A	The Eagles are deep enough that they can afford to draft for the future here. John Michael Schmitz is the best prospect no one knows about. He could fill in all along the interior of the offensive line before taking over for Jason Kelce in a year or two.
19	Kansas City Chiefs	DE Keion White, Georgia Tech – 6’5, 285 lbs	54 tackles, 7.5 sacks	Kansas City said goodbye to Frank Clark and need more defensive linemen. Keion White has great size and can rush the passer as well as hold up against the run.