The NFL Playoffs are in full swing and I’m back checking in around the interwebs to see what the consensus mocks look like for the 2023 NFL Draft! I’ll first post the end of last year’s consensus and see if there’s much change between then and now. I am using the NFL Mock Draft Database to get the information for these mocks FYI.
Last Year Consensus Mock Draft (Round 1):
1. HOU – Bryce Young, QB Alabama
2. CHI – Will Anderson Jr, Edge Alabama
3. SEA – Jalen Carter, DL Georgia
4. DET – Will Levis, QB Kentucky
5. ARI – Paris Johnson Jr, OT Ohio State
6. IND – CJ Stroud, QB Ohio State
7. ATL – Myles Murphy, Edge Clemson
8. CAR – Anthony Richardson, QB Florida
9. PHI – Tyree Wilson, Edge Texas Tech
10. LV – Peter Skoronski, OT Northwestern
11. HOU – Quentin Johnston, WR TCU
12. PIT – Joey Porter JR, CB Penn State
13. GB – Michael Mayer, TE Notre Dame
14. JAX – Bryan Breese, DL Clemson
15. NYJ – Broderick Jones, OT Georgia
16. SEA – Jared Verse, Edge Florida State
17. NE – Jordan Addison, WR USC
18. DET – Cam Smith, CB South Carolina
19. TB – Bijan Robinson, RB Texas
20. TEN – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State
21. WAS – Brian Branch, S Alabama
22. LAC – Mazi Smith, DL Michigan
23. NYG – Christian Gonzalez, CB Oregon
24. BAL – Clark Phillips III, CB Utah
25. DEN – Anton Harrison, OT Oklahoma
26. CIN – Darnell Washington, TE Georgia
27. DAL – Rashee Rice, WR SMU
28. KC – Nolan Smith, Edge Georgia
29. MIN – Devon Witherspoon, CB Illinois
30. BUF – Antonio Johnson, S Texas A&M
31. PHI – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Alabama
32. HOU – Andre Carter II, Edge Army
Current Consensus Mock Draft (Round 1):
- CHI – Will Anderson Jr, Edge Alabama
- HOU – Bryce Young, QB Alabama
- ARI – Jalen Carter, DL Georgia
- IND – CJ Stroud, QB Ohio State
- SEA – Myles Murphy, Edge Clemson
- DET – Bryan Breese, DL Clemson
- LV – Paris Johnson Jr, OT Ohio State
- ATL – Tyree Wilson, Edge Texas Tech
- CAR – Will Levis, QB Kentucky
- PHI – Joey Porter JR, CB Penn State
- TEN – Quentin Johnston, WR TCU
- HOU – Peter Skoronski, OT Northwestern
- NYJ – Broderick Jones, OT Georgia
- NE – Trenton Simpson, LB Clemson
- GB – Michael Mayer, TE Notre Dame
- WAS – Cam Smith, CB South Carolina
- PIT – Devon Witherspoon, CB Illinois
- DET – Brian Branch, S Alabama
- TB – Christian Gonzalez, CB Oregon
- SEA – Anthony Richardson, QB Florida
- LAC – Jordan Addison, WR USC
- BAL – Bijan Robinson, RB Texas
- MIN – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR Ohio State
- JAX – O’Cyrus Torrence, IOL Florida
- NYG – Jalin Hyatt, WR Tennessee
- DAL – Siaki Ika, DL Baylor
- CIN – Darnell Washington, TE Georgia
- DEN – Anton Harrison, OT Oklahoma
- BUF – Antonio Johnson, S Texas A&M
- KC – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Alabama
- PHI – Dalton Kincaid, TE Utah
- PIT – NO Consensus yet for this team…
BIG Changes…
With the change, in the draft order, we see there are plenty of changes to not only the rankings but players. We saw the additions of Trenton Simpson, O’Cyrus Torrence, Siaki Ika, and Dalton Kincaid, as well as plenty of player movement at the top.
With the end of the NFL regular season, teams like my Lions are seemingly set with their quarterback (for now), and they turn their attention to the defense. We know from Brad Holmes’s history, if he loves a player, he will trade up so be on the lookout!
It’ll be interesting to see how a team like New England drafts because they are ALWAYS throwing us curveballs. The Patriots have “their guys” and they will seemingly take them wherever they want, which makes predicting fun. Buffalo taking my top safety in Antonio Johnson is a huge get for their secondary. I think probably my biggest surprise was seeing players like SMU’s Rashee Rice fall out of the first-round consensus already.
For teams that are still looking for the coaching staff or even front office staff, I expect these mocks will change a bunch over the next couple of months. A team like Houston probably still takes quarterback early but the player could change. I expect it to come down to either Young or Stroud but time will tell what the next coaching staff’s scheme will dictate for their draft pick.
As always if you want to talk all things football, hit me up on Twitter or over on the Draft Countdown Discord! And check out the rest of my work here.