Sicoli’s Selections: 2023 NFL Mock Draft
April 24, 2023
It’s the day of dreams and nightmares, the time that hundreds of NFL Draft prospects have been waiting for. The 2023 NFL Draft has everyone praying for times like this, a chance to get picked like this and let their dreams unfold before their nightmares come true.
Hold up, wait a minute. Let’s just get to the predictions for the first round already.
There will not be trades projected in this mock draft. This is the fourth annual “Sicoli’s Selections.” To check out the previous versions, click here.
The Miami Dolphins forfeited the No. 21 selection in the NFL Draft for tampering with quarterback Tom Brady during the 2019-20 season and again in 2021. As a result, there are only 31 picks in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
1. The Carolina Panthers select:
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was once the proud owner of this spot in the minds of many, but recent projections have Young as the heavy favorite to become the Panthers’ next franchise quarterback.
Young’s height — 5-foot, 10-inches tall while weighing 204 lbs — is a noticeable concern. He would share the title of “shortest starting NFL quarterback” with Arizona’s Kyler Murray. But besides that, Young has every intangible and statline one could dream of in a prospect, with an uncanny ability to avoid pressure and throw a receiver open.
2. The Houston Texans select:
Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
No, it’s not a quarterback. The Texans should and will favor a best-player-available approach, and Anderson is arguably the best player in this class. He dominated the Southeastern Conference in 2021 with a ridiculous 31 tackles-for-a-loss and 17.5 sacks. Anderson’s 2022 campaign wasn’t all that far behind.
He’s a slam-dunk pick for the Texans, who haven’t finished in the top 16 for sacks-per-game since 2018 (14th).
3. The Arizona Cardinals select:
Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
The Cardinals at No. 3 have been a rumored trade-up spot all offseason, especially if Anderson goes No. 2 to Houston. But in a mock without trades they stay put and address their ailing defensive line with the Red Raider product.
Wilson is a freak athlete with unusually long arms, which should make him a hassle for most offensive tackles. He may start slow, but the sky’s the limit at a premium position for a team in no rush to compete.
4. The Indianapolis Colts select:
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Few have flown up draft charts like Richardson this offseason, who blew up the Combine with the best results by a quarterback ever. His accuracy is a worry, but he sees the field well and makes the right read often enough. His athleticism will be his calling card, and with the right offensive scheme Richardson may have the highest ceiling of anyone in his draft class.
After the Colts dealt with three different starting quarterbacks — each one seemingly worse than the last — they need to get it right this time. Richardson will get the fans back on board.
5. The Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) select:
Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Not too long ago, Carter was in contention to go No. 1 overall to Chicago. However, after being charged with reckless driving in a racing incident that left two dead, Carter has fallen out of favor. The talent isn’t in question — there’s no better interior presence in this draft class — and Carter’s dominance played a huge role in Georgia’s back-to-back title defense.
Seattle has a desperate need of interior help, ranking 30th in rushing defense, and pass-rushing help never hurts anybody. Carter is the best player available at this point.
6. The Detroit Lions (from LAR) select:
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
The Lions — now favorites to win their division for the first time since 1991 — have several options here. It could go quarterback through Will Levis, add a prominent edge rusher opposite last year’s first-round pick in Aidan Hutchinson or even add greater help on a strong offensive line.
Instead, Detroit helps its secondary that does need some retooling after ranking 30th in passing yards allowed. The Lions signed former Steeler Cameron Sutton and former Eagle C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but later traded starter Jeff Okudah to Atlanta. Gonzalez is a great athlete who should thrive on the outside. There are some technique nuances to work out — like some sloppy footwork at times — but you can’t teach athleticism and quickness.
7. The Las Vegas Raiders select:
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Stroud should be off the board sooner than this, likely via trade with Arizona or Detroit. But in a world without trades the Raiders can happily skip to the podium and hand in Stroud’s name on the draft card.
Stroud has a great arm and can place a ball wherever a coach asks him to. It’s hard to find someone with as much poise in his throwing motion as Stroud. It was on full display in a dominant performance against Georgia in the College Football Playoff, coming a field goal away from being immortalized. Las Vegas knows new quarterback Jimmy Garroppolo is nothing more than a stopgate, and Stroud gets the chance to adjust to the NFL game at his own pace this way.
8. The Atlanta Falcons select:
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
The fact that the Bulldogs waltzed through TCU in the College Football National Championship without Smith is a testament to how great that program is. But Smith reminded everyone who he was with a scary good Combine performance.
He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash with a 1.59 10-yard split at the Combine, as well as an impressive 41.5” vertical jump. He’s a bit undersized for a traditional 3-4 linebacker, but Atlanta will find a good use for him in its scheme. The Falcons — and every team after this spot — could also trade back for a team wanting Will Levis.
9. The Chicago Bears (from CAR) select:
Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
The Bears went to the Ohio State hole a couple years ago for quarterback Justin Fields. Now they go back there to find a big mammoth of an offensive tackle to protect him.
Johnson has some fine tuning to do in terms of technique — he can be beat if he doesn’t get his long arms on a defender early — but he’s young and athletic. The kinks will get worked out over time.
10. The Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) select:
Devon Whitherspoon, CB, Illinois
The Eagles have two first-round picks and no clear need on their roster. It’s a pretty good place to be for the defending NFC champions.
Whitherspoon is one of the best players available, boasting terrific length and athleticism while adding some needed depth at cornerback. James Bradberry and Darius Slay are back, but both are older. The ramifications of Jalen Hurts’ new deal means Whitherspoon can save the Eagles some important money down the line.
11. The Tennessee Titans select:
Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
The Titans are in purgatory, so grabbing a decade-long starter is a good place to be. Skoronski played exceptionally well at Northwestern and while his short arms may project him best for guard, he should find a starting role on a wanting Titans offensive line.
Tennessee could go a number of directions, but pairing talent available with team needs makes Skoronski the pick.
12. The Houston Texans (from CLE) select:
Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
There is a good likelihood that the Texans move up from No. 12 to grab Levis or Stroud, because Davis Mills will not be the 2023 starting quarterback.
Here they land Levis, who is a bit of a project. He’s got a good arm and prototypical quarterback size but has a bad tendency to miss throws. Injuries may have factored into a disappointing second-half of 2022, but either way, Levis finds a home and Houston finds its quarterback.
13. The Green Bay Packers (from NYJ) select:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Packers swapped firsts in the Aaron Rodgers trade for a reason. I originally had Smith-Njigba mocked to the Patriots at No. 14, but now the former Buckeye has a new home in Wisconsin.
Smith-Njigba barely played due to a nagging hamstring injury in 2022, with just five catches to his name on the season. But it’s what he did as a sophomore that really stood out. He burst out onto the scene with over 1,600 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, all while sharing the field with last year’s first-round picks in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. The Packers need an alpha to work with Christian Watson, and Smith-Njigba can be that talent.
14. The New England Patriots select:
Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Smith-Njigba would’ve been a perfect fit here. Shucks. Anyway, the Patriots still land one of the better offensive tackles in this class, if not the best.
Jones allowed zero sacks in 2022 for a Georgia offense that just kept rolling on to a national title. At 21 years old with so much more to grow both physically and athletically, Jones is an excellent prospect to add into the mix.
15. The New York Jets (from GB) select:
Darnell Wright, OT, Georgia
Doubling up on Georgia offensive tackles here. Wright is an interesting prospect. He performed exceptionally well as a right tackle, but left tackle is where the money is at. Wright certainly can play on the left, and has been adamant about it, but it opens up some noticeable risk.
The Jets cannot rely on Mekhi Becton to be healthy, but even if he is the team could use an upgrade at right tackle. Max Mitchell held his own as a rookie, but wasn’t drafted to be a starter. Wright had a good career on the right and left sides, and held his own against Will Anderson in 2022. Brian Branch would also be in consideration here.
16. The Washington Commanders select:
Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
Smith is one of the best physical cornerbacks in this year’s draft. He broke out as a junior with 11 passes defended and three interceptions, and offenses tried to avoid him in 2022.
Washington had a surprisingly strong passing defense in 2022, aided partially by a great pass-rush that limited downfield threats. It could use some help outside the numbers at cornerback, which is exactly where Smith can step in.
17. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Joey Porter Sr. won a Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2006 and finished his career as a four-time Pro Bowler. Joey Porter Jr. was at that Super Bowl, watching as confetti fell like snow in Ford Field. Around 17 years later he’s draft eligible himself, and the Steelers find themselves in need of a cornerback.
The storybook family reunion wouldn’t be anything new for Pittsburgh, who drafted Connor Heyward, Cameron Heyward’s brother in the 2022 draft, and tout brothers T.J. and Derek Watt. But Porter Jr. is a great prospect in his own right, with an incredibly long build that bodes well for contested situations. He’s also a sound run defender, which Pittsburgh appreciates in its cornerbacks.
The former Nittany Lion was grabby at times and may take some time to adjust to different defensive shapes, but the Steelers desperately need a cornerback and Porter Jr. is right there.
18. The Detroit Lions select:
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Kincaid would be the first Day-1 Ute since Garrett Bolles in 2017. Detroit needs to find a replacement at tight end since it traded T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota at last year’s deadline. With no signings to do so in free agency, the Lions can use their second first-round pick fixing that problem here with Kincaid.
The Utah product is a great route runner and improved as a blocker throughout the year. Rookie tight ends typically take time to develop — Kincaid won’t be an exception coming off a back injury that limited his pre-draft testing — but he will be a big part of the positive future Detroit has put together.
19. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers select:
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
Van Ness is an explosive athlete who could very well go much earlier in the draft. The former Hawkeye had 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a junior. That may sound underwhelming for this draft slot, but his technique is flawless while boasting terrific athleticism. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash time at 272 lbs and should get even better as he gets stronger.
Van Ness would be a perfect fit as a 3-4 edge linebacker if Tampa Bay wants to take one of the better players available. The Bucs need to reinforce the edge on the defensive line that is normally the team’s greatest strength, which Van Ness can help out with.
20. The Seattle Seahawks select:
O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Seattle grabs the first true guard of this class, which may cause some hesitation. But the team’s offensive success in 2022 came in part to the stalwart play of rookie tackles Abe Lucas and Charles Cross. The interior of the offensive line remained a work in progress, which is where Torrence can step in and plug a huge hole.
This method gives Seattle an ideal setup for a rookie quarterback to step into in 2024 if needed. At worst, it sets up quarterback Geno Smith for a cleaner pocket, something he didn’t have in an embarrassing playoff loss to San Francisco.
21. The Los Angeles Chargers select:
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Personally, I’m not sure if Hyatt is even the best receiver to come out of Tennessee this year. Still, the Chargers are a perfect fit for his style of play. Hyatt is a great deep threat, with the speed and ball tracking to translate on the next level. He didn’t face press coverage too often, and Tennessee’s offense often makes life pretty easy for its receivers, but Hyatt’s traits make him an ideal third option to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
Los Angeles can move on from both Allen and Williams in 2024, and save substantial cap space while doing it. That’s certainly not a guarantee, but Hyatt’s pick offers some insurance as well as instant impact.
22. The Baltimore Ravens select:
Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Murphy has an impressive production profile, with double-digit TFLs in all three years of college. He slightly underwhelmed along with the rest of the Tigers with just 6.5 sacks, but there’s a lot to like in a player who broke out as a true freshman.
The Ravens run a 3-4 defense, so an athletic player on the defensive line who can cover space is incredibly important. Baltimore let 18 sacks walk in free agency through Justin Houston (9.5), Calais Campbell (5.5) and Jason Pierre-Paul (3). Murphy may be a better fit in a 4-3, but Clemson asked him to drop into zone coverage often enough to find some flexibility that should interest Baltimore.
23. The Minnesota Vikings select:
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
The Vikings had one of the most unwatchable secondaries of the 2022 campaign, and the results backed that. With Patrick Peterson in Pittsburgh and Cameron Dantzler in Washington there’s a huge need for talent.
Banks would step in as a Day 1 starter on the outside and plays with the physicality to match most receivers. He also has some good quickness to match the sharp routes of receivers, and broke up eight passes last season. Banks did miss the entire 2021 season with a foot injury and played just five games in 2020, but that factors into his draft cost.
24. The Jacksonville Jaguars select:
Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
The Jaguars have Josh Allen entering a contract season and not much talent around him. No Jaguar has exceeded eight sacks since 2019, so it’s safe to say the team needs help on the defensive line. The rushing defense has been laughable over the last couple seasons as well.
Enter Bresee, who can certainly fill a gap with his 6-foot-5-inch, 300-lb pound build. His 3.5 sacks may not leap off the page, but his ability in run defense combined with some pass-rushing upside makes him an instant-impact rookie.
25. The New York Giants select:
Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State
The Giants need help on the edge still, with Kayvon Thibodeaux on his lonesome on the outside. McDonald is a linebacker-turned-defensive-end and it shows, with awesome athletic flexibility. He can drop into the flat just as easily as he can hit the quarterback.
He broke his own school sack record in 2021, and would form a dynamic trio with Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence up the middle.
26. The Dallas Cowboys select:
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Robinson is one of the best pure talents in this class, so it’s very possible that he goes long before the Cowboys at No. 26. But running backs are always devalued, so other team’s losses become Dallas’ gains.
The Longhorns product possesses incredible long speed, burst and vision to do everything a team could ask for in a rusher. But he also has incredible body control to be a capable receiver out of the back-field. There aren’t many flaws to his game, and Dallas would love to keep Robinson in-state while forming the best rushing duo in the league between him and Tony Pollard.
27. The Buffalo Bills select:
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The Bills need a WR2 next to Stefon Diggs, and Gabriel Davis just isn’t cutting it anymore. Johnston can dominate on the outside and is one of the best deep threats available. His blend of size and speed screams outlier, and it certainly helped the Horned Frogs reach the national championship.
Johnston is definitely raw in some areas. His route-running is sloppy, and he has a bad tendency to not catch at the high point. He just doesn’t use his huge frame as much as he should. Johnston also didn’t play his best ball in the college playoffs as defenses bracketed him in both of the games. But most of these are fixable; his freak athleticism is not.
The Bills took a shot once on a big, athletic receiver in Davis. Now they get to take another stab, and when combined with a star quarterback in Josh Allen, there’s a lot to like with Johnston.
28. The Cincinnati Bengals select:
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
The Joe Mixon situation is beginning to be untenable for the Bengals. The Pro-Bowl running back is being charged with menacing after allegedly pointing a gun at a woman. Combined with a hefty contract and the rumors of the Bengals letting him walk, Gibbs makes too much sense here for Cincinnati.
The team utilized Samaje Perine fairly often last year in a two-back split, something the team could still do with Mixon and Gibbs if the former sticks around. The Alabama product is a terrific pass-catcher with good long speed and quick feet. He has three-down potential, making him a respectable pick in the back of the first round.
29. The New Orleans Saints (from SF) select:
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern
Adebawore didn’t have the highest production profile, but his athletic profile? It’s through the roof.
The former Wildcat had the second-best athletic score of all defensive tackles who tested at the Combine. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at 282 lbs — no easy feat. The Saints are no strangers to taking high-upside defensive linemen — just look at Marcus Davenport or Payton Turner — and Adebawore fits that mold. With David Onyemata and the aforementioned Davenport out the door it makes sense to restock the kitchen shelves.
30. The Philadelphia Eagles select:
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
Kancey is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle, but more than makes up for it with elite athleticism and explosion off the line. He isn’t the same mold as Javon Hargraves — who joined San Francisco this offseason — but Kancey is a more than capable fill-in with starting potential.
He can work inside on passing downs while Jordan Davis mixes in for rushing downs. Fletcher Cox keeps his rotational role to get the best out of him. It’s a win-win-win — besides, undersized defensive tackles out of Pittsburgh can sometimes be quite the game-wrecker.
31. The Kansas City Chiefs select:
Jordan Addison, WR, USC
The rich get richer. The Chiefs didn’t have a 1,000-yard wide receiver in 2022 despite quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing well enough to win his second MVP award and Super Bowl ring. Sure, tight end Travis Kelce helps a lot, but a shiny weapon on the outside would make a world’s difference in stretching the field.
Addison isn’t the strongest receiver, coming in at 173 lbs while standing at 5-foot-11-inches. He struggled at times against press coverage. But his route running is clean, and his technique is flawless. Addison can run the complete tree and can play the slot as well as out wide. With Juju Smith-Schuster signing a big contract with the Patriots the Chiefs need reinforcements. Why not swing for the fences with the 2021 College Football Biletnikoff winner?
