2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.1 / www.NationalFanatic.com
4/11/23 by James Fedewa
Took a while to get my initial mock draft posted, my bad / my lag. Reviewing film and casual research time has been very limiting this season. Plus, I have run about five different scenarios with the first overall-pick and nothing feels right. If Carolina drafts CJ Stroud #1 overall, which was my initial thought when the Panthers traded up, but I wondered if Stroud was really worth two first round draft picks? (…and I do not think so). So it must be Bryce Young, right? (No way, he is not worth two first round draft picks either; he is too small, and I have a feeling he could have several skeleton structural injuries, based on his 190 lbs frame. He is tiny and could fall IMO). Plus, I know that first round draft picks are FREAKS: Bigger / Faster / Stronger
So here is my 2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.1
| 1) Carolina Panthers (from Chicago) | Anthony Richardson QB Florida | Richardson is a physical freak of nature, playing the most important sports position in the world; may as well swing for the fences. Carolina will draft the QB with the best upside, but it’s going to take him at least a season to develop (and watch from the sidelines). |
| 2) Houston Texans | C.J. Stroud QB Ohio State | Stroud has so many quality tools, and he’s developing very well in school. He can process very well, and he could be the safest QB in this draft. He could turn into a quality QB, and when I say quality, I mean a middle of the road, lest say #12 best QB’s (max). |
| 3) Arizona Cardinals | Will Anderson ED Alabama | The Cardinals passed on Nick Bosa when they drafted Kyler Murray, which was a massive mistake. Murray is very good, don’t get me wrong, but (IMO) Defense wins championships. Build your defense first, then worry about the QB. |
| 4) Indianapolis Colts | Bryce Young QB Alabama | Young is the best QB in this draft (best college QB). His small frame & size is a major concern, and I can see him getting squashed in the NFL. Colts need a QB so badly, size is not exactly their top concern. |
| 5) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver) | Will Levis QB Kentucky | I wish Seattle would draft Jalen Carter here, but they have not had this quality of a draft pick in forever (so picking a QB is the savvy move). Seattle does not even have a 300 lbs. defensive lineman on their team, so Carter should be the perfect fit. However, if the city of Seattle can get behind (and chant GENO! GENO! Smith that is), then Will Levis is going to be a mega-star in the PNW. Levis will be twice as good a Geno. |
| 6) Detroit Lions (from L.A. Rams) | Jalen Carter DI Georgia | Carter is a disrupter and a beast, period. Probably the best player in this draft. He will develop into a superstar D-Lineman, and be in multiple Pro Bowls. Pair him up with Hutchison, WOW! Detroit has instant credibility on their D. |
| 7) Las Vegas Raiders | Devon Witherspoon CB Illinois | Not exactly the biggest of DB’s but Witherspoon is fierce. He’s a firecracker. The Raiders need secondary help more than any team in the NFL. |
| 8) Atlanta Falcons | Tyree Wilson ED Texas Tech | Atlanta could go several directions here, including CB (and even RB Bijan Robinson), but Tyree Wilson could be a superstar and pass rushers are a premier position. |
| 9) Chicago Bears (from Carolina) | Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon | Chicago will draft the best defensive player in this spot. Seems like they have traded away most of their defensive talent last season. They need to rebuild that Defence. |
| 10) Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans) | Myles Murphy ED Clemson | Philly can draft ANYONE at this spot, just as long as they are highly rated. Safety, RB, OG, you name it, they’d be OK. I chose Murphy for them, as you could never have too many pass rushers. |
| 11) Tennessee Titans | Paris Johnson Jr. T Ohio State | Titans need a new LT, welcome Paris. WR or TE is also a NEED, but not at #11. Smith-Njigba would be a good pick here too, but this is a run first team. Maybe a TE with their next pick, then another WR later. |
| 12) Houston Texans (from Cleveland) | Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio State | I’m not super high on JSN,but since Houston already drafted Stroud, lets try it out and keep old teammates new teammates. JSN could be the next (young) Antonio Brown. |
| 13) New York Jets | Peter Skoronski T Northwestern | If the Jets add Aaron Rodgers, they better get some upgrade O-Linemen. How many 1st round linemen could they start? If they all can stay healthy, they’ll have tremendous talent on that O-Line. |
| 14) New England Patriots | Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee | Wright stock is climbing, plus he can play multiple positions, which is nice. |
| 15) Green Bay Packers | Joey Porter Jr, CB, Penn State | Porter’s skills and strengths are a perfect fit in Green Bay. |
| 16) Washington Commanders | Anton Harrison T Oklahoma | Washington needs upgrades on offense, Harrison is a fantastic LT @ #16 |
| 17) Pittsburgh Steelers | Quentin Johnston WR TCU | Pittsburg rarely drafts WR’s in the first round, but their QB needs weapons. |
| 18) Detroit Lions | Brian Branch S Alabama | The Lions could go CB here, but Branch is better than any CB available and can play every DB position. |
| 19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Broderick Jones, T, Georgia | I really want Bijan Robinson to be drafted here, but if they want their QB’s to succeed, they need to protect them. Their current RT, can slide over an play LT, and Jones starts at RT (which would be an upgrade from last season). |
| 20) Seattle Seahawks | Lukas Van Ness ED Iowa | Van Ness feels like a Pete Carol type of guy. He’s big enough to play multiple positions on their DL front, |
| 21) Los Angeles Chargers | Bijan Robinson HB Texas | Will Bijan Robinson side this far? I seriously doubt it, but their GM isn’t scared to draft good players vs. best value. The least valued players drafted are RB, OG, Safety and ILB (which Tom Telesco has drafted all in previous 1st round draft picks) |
| 22) Baltimore Ravens | Calijah Kancey DI Pittsburgh | Ravens really should draft a CB here, like Banks, but a good pass rush can help any secondary. Kancey might have a limited role on any DL, but he could either excel as a 3-tech, but could play anywhere along the D-line. |
| 23) Minnesota Vikings | Deonte Banks CB Maryland | Banks speed is fantastic. The Vikings could use his talents and start immediately. |
| 24) Jacksonville Jaguars | Nolan Smith ED Georgia | Smith is a quality leader and freak of an athlete, but he’s a bit undersized (causing him to slide a bit in this draft). |
| 25) New York Giants | Jordan Addison WR USC | Danny Dimes needs weapons. Addison is the best available WR available, but they could also go TE. |
| 26) Dallas Cowboys | Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame | Mayer looks like a Dallas type of TE. |
| 27) Buffalo Bills | Dawand Jones T Ohio State | Bills need improvement on their OL, especially at RT. |
| 28) Cincinnati Bengals | Dalton Kincaid TE Utah | Wow. Joey-B gets some more weapons… |
| 29) New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver) | Bryan Bresee, DI, Clemson | Adding some youth on their DL is possibly mandatory |
| 30) Philadelphia Eagles | O’Cyrus Torrence G Florida | Adding some depth at the Philly O-Line feels like a Howie move. |
| 31) Kansas City Chiefs | Will McDonald IV ED Iowa State | McDonald is a quality pass rusher, and I think he could actually get drafted quite a bit earlier (maybe as early as #21) |
Posted on April 12, 2023, in NFL. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
National Fanatic 
Leave a comment
Comments 0