Josh Frey’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft (1.0)
Josh Frey
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It’s officially 2023 NFL mock draft season, and so, this week brings the first of our full first-round mocks of the offseason. In this first one, keep in mind that there are no trades, and everyone will be picking in their original spot.
1. Chicago Bears: Georgia DT Jalen Carter
Will Anderson is probably the most talented prospect in this draft class, but players that can wreak havoc from the interior of the defensive line remain a much harder breed to find. We watched Georgia defenders like Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, and Devonte Wyatt dominate headlines during the 2022 Draft process, but Jalen Carter may be the most talented out of them all. The Bears likely will trade this pick prior to the draft, but they should be ecstatic if they land Carter.
2. Houston Texans: QB Bryce Young
At some point, it’s probably best not to overthink a pick, especially this high in the draft. The Houston Texans are looking to make immediate big changes with new head coach DeMeco Ryans, and they need a new quarterback. There’s an argument to be made for C.J. Stroud, but in my mind, Bryce Young remains the most NFL-ready QB in this draft.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Alabama EDGE Will Anderson
Honestly, the Arizona Cardinals are set up perfectly for their first draft pick. J.J. Watt obviously retired last month, but even if the Bears remain in front of them, Arizona is in a terrific spot to grab one of the top two defensive linemen in this class. With the Bears going Carter at No. 1, they get an absolute specimen in Will Anderson.
4. Indianapolis Colts: Kentucky QB Will Levis
If I were to make a big board (it will happen at some point), I don’t think Will Levis would rank anywhere near No. 4, but he tracks with the sort of quarterback that the Indianapolis Colts like: stocky build, strong arm, and can move around a little bit. A lot can change between now and April, but this seems like the most likely direction for the Colts at this point.
5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN): Clemson DT Bryan Bresee
This assumes that the Seahawks are fine with bringing Geno Smith back at quarterback, which, they probably should be after the season he just had for them. This is also a team that needs help in the interior of the defensive line, especially with Poona Ford set to hit free agency. Because of that, Bryan Bresee and his ability to disrupt both the pass and run from the interior seems like a logical choice if they don’t trade down.
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR): Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson
The Lions could need some serious help at linebacker this offseason, but this feels too early, especially considering they have another pick in this round. Instead, they get to pair last year’s No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson with another talented EDGE rusher in Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson.
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
The Raiders are very clearly looking to move off Derek Carr at the quarterback spot, and with Tom Brady retiring, they don’t have a clear solution at the position right now. Enter C.J. Stroud, who would be my QB2 of this draft class.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Clemson EDGE Myles Murphy
The Atlanta Falcons pass-rush simply was nonexistent in 2022, ranking last in pressure rate and 31st in total sacks ahead of only the Chicago Bears. I have my doubts that Myles Murphy fixes that all by himself, but he’s at least a step in the right direction with Grady Jarrett on the interior of the defensive line.
9. Carolina Panthers: Ohio State OT Paris Johnson
Anthony Richardson is a popular choice here, and for good reason. Currently, the Panthers have 2022 third-round pick Matt Corral and Jacob Eason on the roster for QBs. That’s it. However, in an attempt to read the tea leaves, general manager Scott Fitterer liked Corral enough to trade up and draft him, and Carolina just hired “QB whisperer” Frank Reich as their head coach. I wonder if this organization has faith that Corral can be a starter for them, and so, why not go get him one of the best offensive tackles in the draft?
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO): Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
The rich continue to get richer. The Eagles are playing in the Super Bowl next weekend, and yet they still have a top 10 pick to play with. Because James Bradberry and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are both set to hit free agency this offseason, it makes sense that the Eagles would use this luxury pick to get a cheap solution that can play multiple positions in the secondary.
Christian Gonzalez scouting report
11. Tennessee Titans: Georgia OT Broderick Jones
More than anything, the Tennessee Titans need to fix their offensive line this offseason. Taylor Lewan is entering free agency, and Broderick Jones spent the past two college football seasons being the left tackle for back-to-back national championship teams. He could very well be the immediate solution.
12. Houston Texans (via CLE): TCU WR Quentin Johnston
The Texans already got their hopeful QB of the future earlier in the round, and now they give him a dynamic weapon to throw to in Quentin Johnston. It’s hard to imagine Brandin Cooks staying in Houston another season, and they need to fill that void at wide receiver.
Quentin Johnston scouting report
13. New York Jets: QB Anthony Richardson
The New York Jets are the latest team that really feel like they are “a quarterback away” from being a playoff contender. Zach Wilson hasn’t panned out the way that they hoped over his first two seasons, but they have oodles of young talent all over this roster. With Richardson falling this far, it feels like a good landing spot both for team need and to maximize a raw QB’s potential.
Anthony Richardson scouting report
14. New England Patriots: Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
It’s very likely that the Patriots will have to rebuild their secondary with guys like Devin McCourty, Jonathan Jones, and Jabrill Peppers all reaching the end of their contracts. They could also go safety with someone like Brian Branch or Antonio Johnson, but Joey Porter Jr. offers a very physically imposing skillset in the middle of the first round.
Joey Porter Jr. scouting report
15. Green Bay Packers: Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
Some folks may clamor for a wide receiver here, but for whatever reason, the Packers simply don’t take wide receivers in the first round. In fact, they haven’t done so since 2002 when they took Javon Walker out of Florida State. So, Green Bay fills another need on the offensive side of the ball by grabbing offensive tackle Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern.
16. Washington Commanders: Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
The Commanders might have looked to trade up after seeing Anthony Richardson fall out of the top 10, but without any trades in this mock draft, they opt to go get a lockdown cornerback to help rebuild their secondary.
Devon Witherspoon scouting report
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: USC WR Jordan Addison
Kenny Pickett showed flashes of being a quality starting QB during his rookie season, and now, to make things a little easier on him, the Steelers go get the shifty wide receiver out of UCS, Jordan Addison.
Jordan Addison scouting report
18. Detroit Lions: Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
The Lions traded away T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings during the season, and part of me suspects that one of the reasons behind that was the fact that this tight end class is extremely deep. With no tight ends coming off the board so far, this selection of Michael Mayer feels like a pretty seamless fit for Detroit.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Georgia CB Kelee Ringo
Kelee Ringo has been dropping in some mock drafts recently, but I still like the idea of having a physical cornerback of Ringo’s stature that also possesses supreme athleticism. Tampa Bay could also be in a place where they need to replace both Jamal Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting. We’re again following the philosophy of “don’t overthink it” with this pick.
20. Seattle Seahawks: Iowa EDGE Lukas Van Ness
Seattle needs to take pressure off their young secondary by bringing in fresh faces that can get after opposing quarterbacks. They’ve done that here by grabbing two of the more premiere names in the first 20 picks of the draft.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn’t exactly get the chance to prove that he can be “the” guy during his final season at Ohio State, but he’s still a very talented player, and the Chargers have a need for more consistent wide receiver talent, especially as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams get older.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba scouting report
22. Baltimore Ravens: South Carolina CB Cam Smith
The Ravens defense has fallen out of the “elite” category in recent years, ranking in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed during 2022. Baltimore gets their solution with long, athletic CB Cam Smith.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Clemson LB Trenton Simpson
It may be an unpopular opinion, but I still think that the Vikings biggest need this offseason lies in their linebacker position. They desperately need to inject speed into that group, and Trenton Simpson is the perfect prospect for that.
Trenton Simpson scouting report
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Utah CB Clark Phillips III
Jacksonville could use another cornerback, and while Clark Phillips may bring questions about whether he can play on the outside due to his small size, he is a very physical corner with big upside.
Clark Phillips III scouting report
25. New York Giants: Boston College WR Zay Flowers
Darius Slayton is entering free agency, and even if the Giants bring him back, they could still use a reliable receiver for Daniel Jones to throw to. Zay Flowers consistently was one of the best players in the ACC during his time with Boston College and should fill that role nicely.
26. Dallas Cowboys: Texas RB Bijan Robinson
Bijan Robinson is going to go somewhere in the first round of this draft, and the Dallas Cowboys would be a great fit for a workhorse back with Tony Pollard likely to get a lucrative contract in free agency. Say what you will about taking a running back in the first round, but Robinson will be a top-10 RB the second he steps onto an NFL field.
Bijan Robinson scouting report
27. Buffalo Bills: Florida IOL O’Cyrus Torrence
The Bills could be in the market for a running back here, but more importantly, they need help on their offensive line, particularly at guard. O’Cyrus Torrence is one of the best to fill that role, and perhaps he will help Buffalo’s running game improve as well.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia TE Darnell Washington
The Bengals once again ran into offensive line trouble in the playoffs due to injury, but maybe they can fix that once and for all by drafting a de facto sixth offensive lineman in Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.
29. New Orleans Saints: Alabama S Brian Branch
If nothing else, Brian Branch is a great value pick at this point in the draft. New Orleans has an aging secondary, particularly at safety with Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye both in their 30s going into the 2023 season.
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Army EDGE Andre Carter II
The Chiefs have a knack for valuing highly athletic players in the draft, and they have a need for another pass rusher on their roster. Andre Carter is a bendy EDGE that can help Kansas City out in that department.
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Again, the Eagles can go just about anywhere they want with this pick. They have a loaded roster with depth all over the place. However, Miles Sanders is entering free agency this offseason, and perhaps the Eagles would opt to draft Jahmyr Gibbs rather than pay their veteran back.
Biggest Senior Bowl Winners: Defense
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.