2023 NFL Mock Draft: Who goes No. 1 overall in complete 1st-round mock?

With the first 18 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft set in stone, it’s time to do our first full first-round mock draft. For this one we have three quarterbacks going in the top ten, and a run on receivers in the middle of the round.

Keep in mind that mock drafts this early in the year are mostly guesswork. A lot of apparent needs right now can and will be filled via free agency, and of course there’s the possibility of trades. So this is not a prediction, merely an idea of what could happen based on a team’s current needs.

Let’s get this 2023 mock draft started.

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1. Chicago Bears: Will Anderson Jr. – Edge, Alabama

Anderson is by far the most talented prospect in the draft, coming off back-to-back seasons winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. Over the last two years he has racked up an unreal 27.5 sacks and 48 tackles for loss. The Bears desperately need a pass rusher of that caliber as they finished with a league-worst 20 sacks.

2. Houston Texans: Bryce Young – Quarterback, Alabama

This is a slam dunk pick for the Texans. Davis Mills is clearly not the quarterback of the future, but Bryce Young definitely looks the part. Either Young or CJ Stroud would be a good pick here, but I think Young shows slightly more potential.

3. Arizona Cardinals: Jalen Carter – Defensive Tackle, Georgia

Legendary defensive lineman JJ Watt has officially retired, leaving the Cardinals a huge hole to fill. Lucky for them, Carter looks up to the task with his sky-high potential in the NFL.

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4. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Stroud – Quarterback, Ohio State

Finally, mercifully, the Colts get the quarterback position right for the first time since Andrew Luck retired. The Colts have a good offensive core right now and a solid defense, and Stroud could be the last piece of the puzzle.

5. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver): Myles Murphy – Edge, Clemson

Murphy is an absolute monster on the edge, but the scariest part is he just turned 21 last week. The Seahawks miss out on Will Anderson Jr. here, but Murphy won’t give them any reason to regret that much.

6. Detroit Lions (via LA Rams): Bryan Bresee – Defensive Tackle, Clemson

The Lions are building something special, but their defense needs major reinforcements. Enter Bresee. Lining him up alongside stud Aiden Hutchinson will be a nightmare for offensive lines and quarterbacks everywhere.

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7. Las Vegas Raiders: Peter Skoronski – Offensive Tackle, Northwestern

The Raiders seem certain to move on from Derek Carr this offseason, but I don’t think quarterback is their biggest need. They need to finally address the offensive line the right way, and Skoronski is the best lineman in the draft.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson – Edge, Texas Tech

I don’t expect the Falcons to be in the quarterback market, so they go with the best available player here. If it wasn’t for his season-ending injury three months ago, Wilson would likely be a consensus Top 5 pick. Getting him at eight is great value.

9. Carolina Panthers: Will Levis – Quarterback, Kentucky

The word on the street is that the Panthers’ ownership is enamored with Levis. He’s had some struggles and lacks the elite traits of other quarterbacks in the class, but he’s no scrub. Levis would at least bring stability to the Panthers at the most important position.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans): Nolan Smith – Edge, Georgia

Like Tyree Wilson, Smith would arguably be a Top 5 talent if it wasn’t for a season-ending injury. The Eagles need new, dominant pass rushers since trading for Robert Quinn clearly didn’t work out.

11. Tennessee Titans: Kelee Ringo – Cornerback, Georgia

The Titans need a quarterback but are in a bad spot to address that. They could go with a wide receiver here, but I think their passing defense needs more help, they gave up a league-worst 290 passing yards per game this season. Adding arguably the top cornerback of the draft makes too much sense.

12. Houston Texans (via Cleveland): Quentin Johnston – Receiver, TCU

What a first round for the Texans, adding both a potential franchise quarterback and immediately giving him the most dangerous offensive weapon in the draft. The Texans could see a quick turnaround next season with a draft like this.

13. New York Jets: Jordan Addison – Receiver, USC

Unlike others, I don’t think the Jets move for a quarterback this season, at least not in the draft. So they go ‘best player available’ here and select Jordan Addison, widely believed to be the best pure route runner in the draft. Pairing him with Garrett Wilson will give whoever is taking snaps for the Jets next year a wide receiver room to rival Miami’s.

14. New England Patriots: Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Receiver, Ohio State

The Patriots may part ways with Jakobi Meyers this offseason, so they’ll need a new WR1. Despite a nagging injury all season, Smith-Njigba had a historic season last year, and could provide New England with the kind of receiving threat they haven’t enjoyed in years.

15. Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

A lot of this depends on whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns or not. I think he will, so I have the Packers giving him another weapon. Mayer is by far the best tight end in the draft, and the Packers don’t really have a good option at that position, so this makes too much sense to pass on.

16. Washington Commanders: Paris Johnson Jr. – Offensive Tackle, Ohio State

The Commanders have a solid offensive line, but their starting tackles are both north of thirty. They need an infusion of youth at the position, and Johnson fits the bill perfectly. He could either backup Charles Leno Jr. at Left Tackle for a bit or just outright take his job.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Broderick Jones – Offensive Tackle, Georgia

The Steelers have their quarterback of the future, now they have to protect him. Jones has rocketed up draft boards this season and is a ‘plug in and forget’ kind of guy: plug him into your starting lineup and forget about that position for the next decade because he’s that good.

18. Detroit Lions: Brian Branch – Safety, Alabama

More reinforcements for the Lions defense. Improving an already ferocious pass rush and rebuilding a porous secondary in one draft could turn the Lions into a genuine perennial playoff contender.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Isaiah Foskey – Edge, Notre Dame

I think Tom Brady will still be playing next year, but I don’t think he stays in Tampa Bay. Regardless, this is not a great spot to be taking a quarterback. Instead, the Bucs focus on rebuilding their defense. Adding a pass rusher like Foskey, who racked up 22 sacks over the past two seasons, will help this beleaguered defense reverse its downward spiral since 2020.

20. Seattle Seahawks: Anthony Richardson – Quarterback, Florida

Geno Smith has had a wonderful, Cinderella-story season, but the clock is striking midnight soon. At 32, he’s not the quarterback of the future for this franchise, but he’s good enough to play mentor to a tremendously talented yet raw prospect like Richardson for a year.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars: Cam Smith – Cornerback, South Carolina

The Jaguars have their quarterback and their offense is firing on all cylinders. Now they need the defense to catch up, which has allowed too many points to some seriously bad offenses. Cam Smith is a super athletic cornerback who could give the other quarterbacks in the AFC South absolute fits, and maybe give pass rusher Travon Walker an extra fraction of a second to get to the quarterback.

22. Miami Dolphins: Forfeited

23. New York Giants: Jaylon Jones – Cornerback, Texas A&M

Cutting James Bradberry was a big mistake for this team, and drafting Jones would go a long way to resolving that. The Giants need help on both sides of the ball, but I think the defense needs it just a little more now that head coach Brian Daboll seems to be getting the best out of quarterback Daniel Jones.

24. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Downs – Receiver, North Carolina

The way the Ravens have looked without Lamar Jackson should guarantee his return, which means Baltimore must finally give him some weapons. Coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, Downs would immediately make the Ravens’ passing attack a major threat and would likely give Jackson good initial odds in the 2023 MVP race.

25. Los Angeles Chargers: Felix Anudike-Uzomah – Edge, Kansas State

Khalil Mack is turning 32 next month and hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2018. Joey Bosa will be 28 in July and has been injured for most of this year. The Chargers need to think about infusing some youth into this group. Anudike-Uzomah could immediately be a rotational piece on the edge and would be mentored by two of the best in the business.

26. Dallas Cowboys: Bijan Robinson – Running Back, Texas

Instead of paying running back Tony Pollard a well-deserved massive contract, the Cowboys could take arguably the most versatile offensive weapon in the draft and get similar production for much less. Adding Robinson to an offense that already features Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Dalton Schultz could potentially make the Cowboys as dangerous as they’ve been since the 1990’s.

27. Cincinnati Bengals: Anton Harrison – Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

Despite dumping millions of dollars into their offensive line last offseason, the Bengals still finished in the bottom half for sacks allowed. They need to keep investing there until they have an offensive line that will consistently keep Joe Burrow upright, and Anton Harrison would go a long way towards getting there.

28. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Gonzalez – Cornerback, Oregon

The Vikings defense improved since last year, but more work needs to be done. Gonzalez is a big-bodied corner who had four interceptions and seven passes defended this year and is well worth a first round pick. It would make sense for the Vikings to continue building a dominant secondary if they want to be true contenders.

29. Denver Broncos (via San Francisco): O’Cyrus Torrence – Offensive Guard, Florida

The Broncos offense was historically bad in 2022, and while a lot of that is likely due to the coaching of the recently-fired head coach Nathanial Hackett, the offensive line also underwhelmed. Beefing up the interior with arguably the best guard of this draft class could help quarterback Russell Wilson get back to his winning ways in 2023.

30. Buffalo Bills: Trenton Simpson – Linebacker, Clemson

The Bills may lose standout linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, so Simpson is a perfect fit here. He’d also have the benefit of playing beside and learning from another talented linebacker in Matt Milano.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Antonio Johnson – Safety, Texas A&M

Johnson is a ‘do-it-all’ kind of defensive back that can be lined up just about anywhere. For a team with few glaring needs, a guy with that kind of versatility is a great pick.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Joey Porter Jr. – Cornerback, Penn State

With the pick they got from the Saints, the Eagles already shored up their defensive line. Now with their own pick they bolster the secondary. Porter Jr. is a great athlete with good instincts. He doesn’t pull in many interceptions, but he rarely gives up a big play.

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