The NFL Scouting Combine sucks up a lot of oxygen in the build-up to the NFL Draft, and I always have to remind myself not to overreact to what we see from prospects in Indianapolis. The combine is an excellent way to compare the measurables of prospects, but it shouldn't determine an evaluation of who they are as players.
So, with this being my first mock post-combine, I was careful not to give too much credence to players who performed well. That said, there's no question some players improved their position, and we shouldn't ignore that. It's just the combine shouldn't mean as much when it comes to doing a mock draft as the recent decisions on who did and didn't receive a franchise tag.
Remember: there are only 31 selections in this mock draft because the Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick due to tampering.
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NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Mock Trade from
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 1
C.J. Stroud
QB
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 218 lbs
Everybody seems convinced the Bears will trade out of No. 1, and the Colts remain the most likely team to move up. In this mock, I have the Colts doing that and taking the QB who had the most impressive combine performance of them all. Stroud's anticipation, accuracy, and ability to understand what he's seeing are not all that dissimilar to what Peyton Manning used to display in the same uniform.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Bryce Young
QB
Alabama
• Soph
• 5'10"
/ 204 lbs
Young did his job and put on weight for the combine, and now he can lose it all and worry about performing at his pro day. The simple truth is that Bryce Young is the size of Bryce Young, and he will always be. The question is who is comfortable enough to look past those concerns and take a shot on the talent and ability. If he doesn't go No. 1, I don't see how the Texans can pass him up at No. 2.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Will Anderson Jr.
EDGE
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 243 lbs
There's a lot of speculation the Cardinals could look to move down, but while there'd likely be interest, would they want to pass up on the player who might be the best prospect in this draft? I wouldn't.
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Mock Trade from
Chicago Bears
Round 1 - Pick 4
Florida
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 244 lbs
The Bears trade down a second time as the Falcons move up to grab Richardson. Richardson showed the world who he was at the combine. He killed the athletic tests and then showed accuracy issues when throwing. He's not a finished product, but he's still young and inexperienced. If he figures it out, he can be an all-timer. That's a chance Atlanta's willing to take, even after taking Desmond Ridder last year.
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From
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 5
Tyree Wilson
EDGE
Texas Tech
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 275 lbs
Wilson didn't run at the combine, but we could finally confirm with tape measures that he's tall and long. Some scouts believe Wilson is a better prospect than Will Anderson Jr.. I don't know that the Seahawks feel that way, but they can use a boost to their pass rush, and Wilson can provide it.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 6
Jalen Carter
DL
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'3"
/ 314 lbs
I don't think Carter's legal issues will significantly impact his draft stock. He may no longer be in play as the No. 1 pick, but the talent is too great to think he'll fall too far. The Lions add another infinity stone to their defensive line after drafting Aidan Hutchinson last year.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Northwestern
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 313 lbs
Skoronski's combine confirmed everything I thought. He's a tremendous athlete who has everything you need athletically to play tackle in the NFL. We just don't know if he has the frame to stick due to his short arms. However, there were similar concerns for former Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater, whom the Chargers took at No. 13 in 2021, and I don't hear any complaints from them. The Raiders could go for a QB here, but I don't think any available options fit the mold of what Josh McDaniels typically looks for.
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Mock Trade from
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1 - Pick 8
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 197 lbs
The Bears move down twice, add further draft capital in the process, and then draft the player Justin Fields said he wanted them to draft. The Bears could also address the line of scrimmage here, but my theory is they'll use their cap space to bolster their lines and use this pick to give Fields another weapon. JSN didn't run at the combine, but his performance in the drills was an excellent reminder of how polished and talented he is.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Will Levis
QB
Kentucky
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 229 lbs
The Panthers probably tried to move up in this theoretical mock, failed, and still ended up with Levis. When it comes to the two "traits" QBs in this mock, I prefer Richardson to Levis, but I fully understand why teams are enamored with who Levis can become. He doesn't have the ceiling of Richardson but likely has the higher floor.
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From
New Orleans Saints
Round 1 - Pick 10
Illinois
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 185 lbs
Illinois defensive backs crushed the combine, yet the guy who could be a top-10 pick didn't perform due to a balky hamstring. Witherspoon doesn't have ideal size, but he has ideal everything else you want in a corner. He won't even care if Eagles fans boo him.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 313 lbs
I don't believe this is a great draft class for tackles, so if you need one, you better try and get one early because I'm not sure you'll like what's available on Day 2 and 3. The Titans do that by drafting the player I consider the best bet to be a solid left tackle in this class.
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From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 12
TCU
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 215 lbs
The Texans use their two first-round picks to add a possible franchise QB in Bryce Young and a weapon for him in Quentin Johnston. Johnston could struggle with more physical NFL corners, but when he gets in space with the ball in his hands, good luck.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 311 lbs
There are still some kinks to Jones' game that need to be ironed out, but that's to be expected for a player who isn't as experienced as others in this class. But what we've seen in that limited time? It gives me goosebumps thinking how good Jones could be one day. No tackle in this class has a higher ceiling.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Oregon
• Soph
• 6'1"
/ 205 lbs
The Patriots could go a lot of different directions here based on their needs and how the board has fallen. I don't know that they consider corner to be their most pressing need, but Gonzalez would be difficult to pass up.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Lukas Van Ness
EDGE
Iowa
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 272 lbs
The suburban Chicago kid who grew up a Bears fan and is currently dating the sister of Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet turns in his orange and blue for the green and gold of Green Bay. (Holidays will be awkward!) Van Ness is still learning how to play the position, but early returns are extremely promising, as he has the size and athleticism to flourish. Some fine-tuning could help turn him into one of the NFL's premier pass-rushers.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Penn State
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 194 lbs
Porter didn't have the best 40 time (4.46), and his 35-inch vertical wasn't outstanding, but he is still fierce, intelligent, tall and long. His 81-inch wingspan measures in the 97th percentile among corners, according to Mockdraftable, and his 10-inch hands come in handy when making plays on the ball. I love him. He truly is his father if his father played corner. What's not to like?
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Tennessee
• Soph
• 6'6"
/ 333 lbs
40 times don't mean anything for offensive linemen, but Wright running a 5.01 at the combine gives you an idea of his overall athleticism. There's a chance that, like Peter Skoronski, he'll be forced to kick inside one day, but he has such excellent feet that I believe he could stick at tackle.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Cam Smith
CB
South Carolina
• Soph
• 6'1"
/ 186 lbs
I've found myself to be higher on Smith than a lot of other evaluators, and I'm comfortable sticking my neck out here. He wasn't as good in 2022, but South Carolina was moving him from the outside to the slot, and he struggled with it. He was fantastic when he worked almost exclusively on the outside in 2021.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Alabama
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 203 lbs
It's difficult to read Tampa right now because this is a roster that could look a lot different by the time the draft rolls around. Whatever the case, the Bucs are likely to have a lot of needs, and while safety may not be the biggest, this is a value pick. Branch is the best safety in the class, and Tampa takes the best player available here.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
O'Cyrus Torrence
IOL
Florida
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 347 lbs
The Seahawks address their pass rush with their first pick and now address the interior of their OL with the second. Of players who know they're guards, Torrence is a good bet to be the best in this class. He's not the most athletic prospect out there, but he's a man-mover and excels in the run game. In other words, he's somebody Pete Carroll will love.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
USC
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 175 lbs
The consensus is Keenan Allen is on the way out, and the Chargers replace him with Addison here. He didn't have the best performance at the combine, but this is one of those instances when the game tape of Addison tells you a lot more than running in shorts will. He makes plays when it's time to make plays.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Deonte Banks
CB
Maryland
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 200 lbs
I wanted to see how Banks performed at the combine because I felt he was a player who could improve his stock, and he did. I knew he was tough, and I knew he was athletic, but he exceeded expectations at the combine. Banks ran a 4.35 40, had a 42-inch vertical (97th percentile) and a 136-inch broad jump (98th). I can see him playing outside or in the slot.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Pittsburgh
• Soph
• 6'0"
/ 280 lbs
It's so unfair to compare anybody to Aaron Donald, but Kancey is a disruptive, undersized interior defensive lineman who played at Pitt. The difference is I never doubted Aaron Donald's ability to hold up against the run, and I have some concerns about Kancey's ability to do so. That said, he's lightning-quick off the ball and can blow plays up before they've begun. There aren't many interior guys like him.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Bryan Bresee
DL
Clemson
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 305 lbs
There are concerns about Bresee's ability as a pass-rusher at the next level. While I understand them, Bresee's athletic and talented enough to improve. The Jaguars could afford to add more bodies to their defensive front, and Bresee would be an excellent value for them here.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Notre Dame
• Soph
• 6'4"
/ 265 lbs
The Giants have locked up Daniel Jones for a few more years and put the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley. Now it's time to add pass-catchers to the offense, and with the top receivers off the board, the Giants go for a tight end. Mayer wasn't great at the combine, but he was never going to be. He's not a superhero; he's a tight end with an understanding of how to get open underneath and is a phenomenal blocker. He reminds me a lot of Jason Witten.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Nolan Smith
EDGE
Georgia
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 238 lbs
A few years ago, the Cowboys drafted Micah Parsons, a tremendous athlete without an obvious position. Now he's one of the best pass-rushers in the league despite his size concerns. Now the Cowboys pair Parsons with an undersized pass-rusher who teams aren't sure is big enough to be effective at the next level!
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Texas
• Soph
• 5'11"
/ 215 lbs
I don't like mocking running backs in the first, but if any team can afford to do it in this draft, it's Buffalo. Yes, the Bills have other needs, but all the top options at those positions are off the board, and if you eliminated the value of positions from the equation, Bijan Robinson is a top-three player in this class. He might be the missing piece in this Buffalo offense and one that allows Josh Allen to stop taking so many hits.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Dawand Jones
OT
Ohio State
• Soph
• 6'8"
/ 375 lbs
One of the biggest human beings on the planet. He measured in at 6'8 at the combine with an 88-inch (7'4) wingspan. Simply having to get around him will lead to pass-rushers being late to reach the quarterback, and the Bengals could use another player capable of keeping opponents away from Joe Burrow.
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From
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 29
Myles Murphy
DL
Clemson
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 270 lbs
Myles Murphy is a better player than where I have him selected, but with edge rushers being the deepest position in this class, I expect they'll fall a little further than they should, as teams feel they can find good value later. And, make no mistake, this would be excellent value for the Saints at 29.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
BJ Ojulari
EDGE
LSU
• Soph
• 6'2"
/ 248 lbs
Another excellent pass-rusher in this draft class. The Eagles have a lot of free agents from their NFC Champion roster, but if history has shown us anything, they'll use the draft to address the lines of scrimmage. Ojulari doesn't have the ideal size, but his long arms, bend, and excellent understanding of leverage make him an enticing prospect.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Oklahoma
• Soph
• 6'5"
/ 315 lbs
The Chiefs elected not to use the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., so left tackle immediately becomes one of their biggest needs. Why not replace the tackle from Oklahoma with another tackle from Oklahoma? Harrison has quick feet and good hands that help make up for less-than-ideal size.
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