2023 NFL Mock Draft 6.0: Dawning Of A New Era

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When the first name of the 2023 NFL Draft resonates over the microphone, it sets in motion another new era. For some of these teams, their fortunes will begin to change, whether for the better or worse. The first round of the draft serves as a ripple effect in the life of an NFL franchise. While it takes three years or so to accurately grade a draft prospect, these players will immediately catch notice and either praise or criticism, Either way, destiny waits at the sound of the commissioner talking on a house microphone. You’ve seen five excellent mock drafts before this one. Time to continue that streak and bring it home.

1. Carolina Panthers (Bryce Young, Quarterback, Alabama)

On September 12, 2019, Cam Newton threw his last pass in his initial run with the Panthers. The only franchise quarterback in team History. From that point, the Panthers repeatedly failed to find a worthy successor. After throwing away draft capital on trades involving failed first-round draft picks. Under those circumstances, make no mistake, Scott Fitterer, the general manager sits on the hottest of seats. He needs a win. As a result, the Panthers roll the dice with Young. Granted, the former Heisman winner lacks the prototypical size. However, Young checks the boxes for leadership, arm talent, accuracy, polish, and mobility. The new era of the Carolina Panthers demands a franchise passer to build around. From film to production to intangibles, Bryce Young is the best available quarterback.

2. Houston Texans (C.J. Stroud, Quarterback, Ohio State)

Fielding a starting quarterback that completes just sixty-one percent of his passes with the ball barely traveling over six yards per attempt scares no one. Not to mention, a new coaching staff wants to select their own players. In Stroud, Houston can play a quarterback that does not fade under pressure. In fact, he stands against adversity. Remember, he teed off on a Georgia defense that hit him repeatedly. Additionally, from a technique standpoint, the former Buckeye displays a repeatable delivery, the arm to make every throw, and the accuracy to hit wideouts in stride. DeMeco Ryans begins his rookie season as a head coach with a foundational quarterback.

3. Arizona Cardinals (Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama

In the offseason, Arizona lost 17.5 of their thirty-six sacks from last year to retirement and free agency. Their immediate need becomes the pass rush. Will Andreson is the top-rated edge rusher in this draft. Blending a combination of flexibility, explosion, and hand placement, Anderson will be a double-digit sack specialist. If the Cards need him to drop in cover occasionally, fine. However, don’t get cute with this talent.

4. Indianapolis Colts (Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

After years of patching the hole that Andrew Luck left, Indianapolis goes big with the selection. Although Richardson is raw technically, the tools and potential exist. New head coach Shane Steichen built a creative offense around a mobile quarterback in Philadelphia. With patience and heavy teaching the former Gator becomes the eventual starter in The Circle City.

5. Seattle Seahawks (Jalen Carter, Defensive Tackle, Georgia)

Pete Carroll will take chances on players that some deem as a risk. For Carter, nothing on film raises a red flag. Carter falls to five due to his atrocious off-field decision-making. Blessed with a lightning step, solid power in his hands, and the will to not remain unblocked, this feels like a steal. Combining Carter with Poona Ford gives Seattle a disruptive middle to their defense. In return, the ends will benefit from being singled.

6. Detroit Lions (Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon)

Three years ago, the Lions spent a high first-round cornerback. Last week, they shipped the player off to Atlanta for a fifth-round pick. Now, the braintrust looks to rebuild a defensive unit that saw corners allow thirteen passing touchdowns. Gonzalez shows equal aplomb in man or zone with the length to affect the ball, route, and wideout from snap to whistle.

7. Las Vegas Raiders (Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois)

With the elite quarterbacks long gone, the Raiders will attack a defense that looks porous on the backend. The Chiefs boast multiple big-play wideouts, as do the Chargers and Broncos. Witherspoon injects a physicality not only downfield, but thrives as a willing tackler in space. Patrick Graham prefers aggressive defensive backs with a keen knowledge of spatial understanding and a dawg mentality.

8. Atlanta Falcons (Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech)

Ryan Nielsen, the defensive coordinator, continues to build a 3-4 with size everywhere. Wilson may not be the most twitched-up prospect, but he drives down on the quarterback, throwing aside chip blocks with the frame that presents leverage issues for tackles. Wilson stands six-foot-six. As a result, long-limbed tackles cannot reach an advantage when they do not have one. Quiet as kept, the Falcons continue to make sound moves.

9. Chicago Bears ( Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State)

Opponents sacked Justin Fields in fifty-five games in fifteen games. If Chicago firmly believes in their young quarterback, he needs blocking. Johnson brings versatility, manning a guard spot in college while his natural tackle position opened. In Chicago, Johnson should easily slide in as the blindside protector.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas)

With the knowledge that a division rival needs another running back. More importantly, Philly needs a dynamic running. At the same time, you cannot keep expecting Jalen Hurts to shoulder the lion’s share of the workload. Robinson, the Longhorn standout, will bring contact balance, speed, and hands into the fold.

11. Tennessee Titans (Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State)

In all honesty, the Titans’ offense is predictable. In addition, how many more years do they want to feed Derrick Henry twenty-five times per game? New general manager Ran Carthon doesn’t want to play with just one dimension. Last year, Treylon Burks struggled to acclimate to the league. This year, Smith-Njigba could slide in as the first option. The former Buckeye traces crisp routes and snares the ball cleanly.

12. Houston Texans (Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson)

Jerry Hughes will begin the season as a thirty-five-year-old that led the team in sacks. While that doesn’t seem that old, you’d figure the Texans need an infusion of youth up front. Murphy dominates with the long arm and the ability to keep his feet moving. Murphy should begin as a situational pass rusher.

13. New York Jets (Will Levis, QB, Kentucky)

Aaron Rodgers could be a Jet before you read this. Regardless of that fact, the Jets do not possess a long-term solution. Levis can throw the ball. Yet, to who? Occasionally, he will find the open defender in the numbers. Levis has the tools but needs serious refinement when going through his progressions.

14. New England Patriots (Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU)

Mac Jones’ yards-per-attempt fell from 7.3 to 6.8. New England wants to smash teams with the run game. Then, they love taking a vertical shot. Johnston would handle the latter part of that scenario. Despite his height and length, Johnston gets to speed quickly, Now, the question remains if he can actually use his frame to outmuscle smaller corners and make contested catches.

15. Green Bay Packers (Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern)

The Packers owe David Bakhtiari millions. They will not be able to slide from under that contract. With this in mind, Skoronski could ply his trade on the interior or at right tackle while the current left tackle plays out his deal. In either case, the Northwestern star uses elite techniques to defeat defenders. As that game wears on, his approach does not change.

16. Washington Commanders (Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina)

Despite playing in front of the league’s best pass rushes, the Washington secondary feels like they are missing something. While they don’t field a subpar defender back there, they don’t field an elite one either. Smith loves to bait the quarterback with a lag in coverage, only to break on the ball at the last minute. More importantly, he plays with intelligence mixed with energy.

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17. Pittsburgh Steelers (Jordan Addison, WR, USC)

In the hope that Pittsburgh finds another competent target for Kenny Pickett, why not look for his favorite college wideout? Addison and Pickett combined for twenty-one touchdowns at Pitt. Addison knows Pickett, and established strong chemistry. Pittsburgh needs Pickett to take a bigger step in 2023. With his former receiver, this can be a possibility. One of the most stable franchises in the NFL needs to reclaim their former glory.

18. Detroit Lions (Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson)

in the midst of trying to restore the roar, the Lions need inside help for Aidan Hutchinson. The more he succeeds, the more teams will double him. Consequently, an interior player will be singled with the opportunity to get home. Granted, Breese will now dazzle anyone with a slick approach. Meanwhile, he wins with strong hands and dogged determination.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa)

Much like George Karlaftis last year, Van Ness’ athletic ability will surprise people If we are honest, the Bucs need a rusher that can play immediately. Van Ness can play as a five-tech on passing downs, and end in subpackages, and a standup rusher in a base defense. Either way, as Tampa moves further from that championship defense, the rebuild starts here.

20. Seattle Seahawks (O’Cyrus Torrence, OL, Florida)

After tasting success in 2022, the Seahawks want to strike when the iron is hot. In adding O’Torrence, Seattle bolsters an offensive line that needs to contend with the 49ers twice per season. As a result, O’Torrence slots here with the ability to handle pass and run-blocking duties.

21. Los Angeles Chargers (Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee)

New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore needs a big-play wideout to make his offense work effectively. Hyatt will take the top of the defense, exposing cavernous holes underneath. Justin Herbert possesses the plus arm to make the throws. Now, he gets the wideouts to easily run under them. With Hyatt, the NFL could see a new big three form.

22. Baltimore Ravens (Will McDonald, Edge, Iowa State)

While the Ravens tallied forty-eight sacks in 2022, they still need a situational player to scream off the edge. Plain and simple, Will McDonald’s first step quickness, flexibility, and uncanny knack for getting into the backfield stand out. At 239 pounds, questions remain about whether he will hold up against the run. Yet, he will find ample snaps in Baltimore and make plays.

23. Minnesota Vikings (Clark Phillips, CB, Utah)

Minnesota surrendered eight games when their defense allowed 300 passing yards. Cornerback, from feel, speed, and aggression failed in 2022. Phillips is a bold corner that takes chances, makes picks, and stays hip-to-hip with the receiver. At this point in the first round, he cannot be overlooked. The NFC North looks winnable. At the same time, the Vikings need to tighten up that leaky pass defense.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (Brian Branch, S, Alabama)

The 2022 NFL cinderella story looks to build upon successful season. Rayshawn Jenkins picked off three passes and housed one. In contrast, he missed eighteen tackles and allowed a seventy percent completion rate when targeting him. Branch sees the field differently. His eyes see route depth. From there, instincts and technique take over. He will take the smart angle and make the play.

25. New York Giants (Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson)

The Giants greatly improved. On a defense filled with potential, they still need to fill one gap. Simpson flows to the ball, beating linebackers with speed instead of power. Basically, he shows the ability for covering out of the backfield and flashes blitz potential. The NFC East becomes nothing but more difficult in 2023.

26. Dallas Cowboys (Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame)

Dalton Schultz’s contract expiring works perfectly for Dallas. Mayer is a do-it-all tight end that Dak Prescott needs. Mayer blocks like he means it and will win the jump ball with a defender on his hip.

27. Buffalo Bills (Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia)

Granted, the Bills excelled on defense. However, for a team looking to make the jump, are you sure you want to rely on career backups to occupy the side opposite Tre White? Ringo’s sticky coverage will open up the pass rush and could possibly be the difference between the wildcard and postseason home games. The former Georgia standout joins one of the better secondaries in the NFL.

28. Cincinnati Bengals (Antonio Johnson, S, Texas)

Jessie Bates left in free agency. As a result, that leaves inexperience at the safety spots. Johnson slides in as an angular safety with excellent pursuit and finishes against the run. Meanwhile, he stands up well against the pass. Either way, the Bengals need an upgrade.

29. New Orleans Saints (Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame)

With a certain Hall of Fame divisional nemesis retiring, the NFC South is now wide open. Over the past two seasons, New Orleans address the offensive issues. Now, they need help on the edge. Foskey’s combination of flexibility, deceptive strength, and corner-bending speed will immediately give the Saints a leg up in the division.

30. Philadelphia Eagles (Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas)

While the Eagles did sign veteran Nicholas Morrow, that deal is only for one year and Sanders will probably win the job in camp. Sanders, originally an edge rusher at Alabama, found his calling as a coverage linebacker that can still rush the pass with long arms, and quick feet.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Edge, Kansas State)

The defending Super Bowl champs stay local, grabbing the Kansas State and Lee’s Summit standout. First and foremost, Uzomah throws an assortment of moves against opposing tackles, keeping them guessing. Now, throw in a smooth get-off and the ability to play fast and loose for four quarters and you have a talent. The NFL has a serious problem with an improving Chiefs’ pass rush.