It's finally draft day! And if you think you know what's going to happen, you don't (especially not this year). The 2023 NFL Draft is set to be chaotic and unpredictable, and in less than 12 hours, this mock will be obsolete.
So let's just get to the picks.
Note: There are only 31 picks in the first round of this mock draft because the Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick due to tampering.
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For more draft content, check out our latest prospect rankings and mock drafts, as well as our NFL Draft podcast, "With the First Pick," featuring former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. (Check out the latest episode below.)
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
From
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 1
Bryce Young
QB
Alabama
• Soph
• 5'10"
/ 204 lbs
Sorry to disappoint a random Reddit user, but Will Levis isn't going No. 1. Bryce Young to the Panthers.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Tyree Wilson
EDGE
Texas Tech
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 275 lbs
Quarterback makes the most sense, but with the Texans not in love with one of these players, they go in a different direction. Of the edge rushers, Houston sides with the upside of Tyree Wilson over the stability of Will Anderson Jr.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Will Anderson Jr.
EDGE
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 243 lbs
Trades inside the top 10 rarely happen on draft night. If the Cardinals were going to find a trade partner, it would have happened weeks ago. Now, maybe that changes if the Texans don't take a quarterback and a team loves C.J. Stroud, but not in this scenario. As for the debate between Will Anderson Jr. and Paris Johnson Jr., Kyler Murray has lobbied for Cardinals to draft a first-round lineman before and they instead went in a different direction. That's the case again here, with Arizona taking perhaps the safest player in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
C.J. Stroud
QB
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 218 lbs
There's been a lot of buzz about Will Levis to Indianapolis for a while now, but it was only recently that reports came out about the Texans not wanting to take a QB at No. 2. That leads to C.J. Stroud being available here, and Indianapolis scoops him up to suit up against Houston twice a year in the AFC South.
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From
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 5
Jalen Carter
DL
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 314 lbs
Pete Carroll, 71, isn't getting any younger, so he's is full win-now mode. Having a QB sit behind Geno Smith certainly doesn't fit that philosophy, so the Seahawks continue bolstering their defense by taking Jalen Carter.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Florida
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 244 lbs
I don't get why Lions fans are so attached to Jared Goff, but they are. Goff will keep them competitive with that supporting cast, no doubt, but Anthony Richardson has a carry-by-team-to-the-Super Bowl ceiling. Detroit doesn't anticipate picking in the top six anytime soon, so it makes a massive move that could end up paying off big time.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Illinois
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 185 lbs
The Raiders thank the Lions for leaving Devon Witherspoon on the board and scoop up the Illinois standout to patrol the secondary in Las Vegas.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Texas
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 215 lbs
I looked for a trade partner, but then just decided that Arthur Smith would love a dynamic three-down running back in his offense. The Falcons have bigger needs, but Bijan Robinson is by far the best player available at this point.
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Mock Trade from
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 9
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 313 lbs
Kevin Colbert rarely made first-round trades across more than two decades in the Steelers front office. New GM Omar Khan's tenure begins a lot differently, with Pittsburgh moving up eight spots to land a new left tackle for Kenny Pickett. Paris Johnson Jr. is looked at by many as the best tackle in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Northwestern
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 313 lbs
With Jalen Carter off the board and Peter Skoronski still available, the Eagles stay at No. 10 and ensure their offensive line remains elite for years to come.
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Mock Trade from
Tennessee Titans
Round 1 - Pick 11
Will Levis
QB
Kentucky
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 229 lbs
The Patriots reportedly have "real interest" in Will Levis after trying to shop Mac Jones this offseason. With Levis falling outside the top 10, they move up three spots to nab him.
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From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 12
Oregon
• Soph
• 6'1"
/ 205 lbs
If I told you the Texans would end up with Tyree Wilson and Christian Gonzalez in the first round, you were have laughed at me. But such is the chaos of the pre-draft process, one where a team in dire need of a franchise QB passes the top four prospects and no one is surprised.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 197 lbs
Ahead of Aaron Rodgers' first year as starting QB in 2008, the Packers got him Jordy Nelson with the 36th overall pick and Jermichael Finley in Round 3. Green Bay sets up Jordan Love even better, adding Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a talented young receiving corps.
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Mock Trade from
New England Patriots
Round 1 - Pick 14
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 311 lbs
Instead of grabbing Levis, the Titans trade back three spots, pick up some draft capital, and draft the replacement for Taylor Lewan.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Tennessee
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 333 lbs
The Jets need a right tackle. Darnell Wright is the best right tackle in this class. So, despite having Mekhi Becton and Max Mitchell on the roster, New York takes the safe approach.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Deonte Banks
CB
Maryland
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 200 lbs
The run on offensive linemen leaves the Commanders with the No. 3 cornerback in the CBS Sports prospect rankings.
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Mock Trade from
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1 - Pick 17
Lukas Van Ness
EDGE
Iowa
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 272 lbs
The Bears need to protect Justin Fields, but they also need a lot of things, which is why trading back despite having the opportunity to take Paris Johnson Jr. still makes sense. And the big, explosive Lukas Van Ness is a great consolation prize.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Mississippi State
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 180 lbs
The rail thin, ball-hawking Emmanuel Forbes will fit in perfectly in Aaron Glenn's secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Oklahoma
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 315 lbs
The Bucs badly need an offensive tackle for whomever starts in 2023, and Anton Harrison is looked at as a safe bet to go in Round 1.
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Mock Trade from
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 20
Zay Flowers
WR
Boston College
• Soph
• 5'9"
/ 175 lbs
Josh Allen can't do it all offensively, so the Bills get aggressive to provide him with a wide receiver in Zay Flowers who did a lot with little at Boston College.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Utah
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 240 lbs
Another weapon for Justin Herbert to try and keep up with the high-flying Chiefs and Bengals in the AFC.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Penn State
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 194 lbs
The Ravens continue the mini run on cornerbacks by adding Joey Porter Jr. and having him suit up twice a year against the team his father had a ton of success with.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Tennessee
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 221 lbs
Kirk Cousins will not be the Vikings starting QB in 2024, so the team plans for the future by drafting Hendon Hooker.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Nolan Smith
EDGE
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 238 lbs
I don't expect Nolan Smith to fall into the mid-20s on draft night, but this is how the board shook out. The Jaguars get a steal in the lightning-fast Georgia edge rusher.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 203 lbs
Jordan Addison or Quentin Johnston would make a lot of sense here, but the Giants don't force a receiver with versatile defensive back Brian Branch on the board.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Notre Dame
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 265 lbs
Another player who should go higher, but would the Packers really take a tight end at 13? They don't in this mock, which leads to Michael Mayer falling into the laps of the overjoyed Cowboys.
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Mock Trade from
Buffalo Bills
Round 1 - Pick 27
USC
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 175 lbs
Remember how I said Pete Carroll was aiming to win now? Here's another weapon for Geno Smith.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Jahmyr Gibbs
RB
Alabama
• Soph
• 5'9"
/ 200 lbs
Samaje Perine left and Joe Mixon could be a cut candidate, so the Bengals grab the do-everything Jahmyr Gibbs to pace their backfield.
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From
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 29
Will McDonald IV
EDGE
Iowa State
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 236 lbs
Edge rusher just makes too much sense here, so Will McDonald IV is the pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Bryan Bresee
DL
Clemson
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 305 lbs
The Eagles always have a strong defensive front, so them taking Bryan Bresee in Round 1 means they believe they can maximize the potential of a former No. 1 high school player in the nation.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
TCU
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 215 lbs
The Chiefs, rumored to move up for a WR, stay put and still land a WR.
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