Mock draft from Athalon Sports
1. Chicago Bears — Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama
The Bears will be listening for just about any offer they get, but if they stay put atop the draft, Anderson will land in the Windy City after being the best defensive player in college football the past two years by a wide margin.
2. Houston Texans — Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
The debate as to who QB1 will be might end up being something that gets decided just minutes before Commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage in Kansas City. Young is off the charts in every area besides size, but it seems as though Houston is coming around to taking a chance on that in order to land their signal-caller of the future.
3. Arizona Cardinals — Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech
J.J. Watt has ridden off into the sunset, and the team needs some new building blocks up front on defense. Enter Wilson, a 6-foot-6 terror off the edge who seems to live in the opposing backfield.
4. Indianapolis Colts — C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Indianapolis brought on new head coach Shane Steichen for one reason and that's to fix the QB position. Stroud has all the tools to be a long-term starter in Indy and should benefit considerably from playing on that fast indoor turf and in the AFC South.
5. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver) — Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Carter is the latest freakishly powerful interior disruptor out of Athens and has the ability to impact the offense on just about every snap. Given the way Pete Carroll plays defense, he could have a big role in the Pacific Northwest as a centerpiece up front.
6. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams) — Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Taking another corner in the top 10 might worry draft-obsessed Detroit fans still not thrilled at the development of Jeff Okudah. Gonzalez is a much different prospect however and could help solidify a defense that had plenty of issues giving up the big play.
7. Las Vegas Raiders — Myles Murphy, DL, Clemson
Speculation will run rampant about a young QB heading to Sin City, but adding any defensive piece is just as paramount for a team lacking on that side of the ball. Enter Murphy, who can provide an immediate answer to facing some of the threats in the division.
8. Atlanta Falcons — Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
Bresee ticks the boxes off in terms of size and the ability to fight through double teams to still wreak havoc on a play. The Falcons have lacked much of a push up the field, and new coordinator Ryan Nielsen will be primed to take advantage of the ex-Tigers defender's rare traits.
9. Carolina Panthers — Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Owner David Tepper has made it clear that he wants to fix the QB position long-term, and if that doesn't get accomplished through free agency, it will be done in the draft. Levis has all the physical tools to be a franchise guy and could be a great developmental project for new head coach Frank Reich.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans) — Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
The bulk of the Eagles' defense is set to be retooled, but the biggest area of concern is the secondary. Philly can drop Porter right in given his coverage ability, and the front office will love that he's more than a rookie given how much he picked up from his father about the league across the state.
11. Tennessee Titans — Paris Johnson Jr., OL, Ohio State
The Titans can no longer rely on Taylor Lewan to man the left side, so Johnson could end up being thrown into the fire right away. His size and technical ability will allow for that as he teams up with an old bookend in Nicholas Petit-Frere down in Nashville.
12. Houston Texans (via Cleveland) — Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
With a new QB in the fold, he's going to need some new targets to throw to. Enter Johnson, who fills a vital role on the outside and would be a perfect pairing for Bryce Young's deep ball.
13. New York Jets — Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
We'll see just who ends up making this pick given how active the Jets are in potentially upgrading their QB spot. The team still needs help in the trenches and Skoronski's ability will allow him to slide right in.
14. New England Patriots — Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Neither of the Pats' tackles seems like a long-term solution for a team with a young QB, so perhaps it's finally time to invest in a top-tier solution in Jones, who has been terrific for the back-to-back champs.
15. Green Bay Packers — Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
We'll see what Aaron Rodgers is doing this time next year, but regardless of what happens at QB for the Packers, they need some more weapons. After getting by with aging veterans for too long, they can use this top-15 pick to get Mayer and instantly provide some juice on third down and in the red zone.
16. Washington Commanders — Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
As the lone NFC East team to not make the playoffs, the Commanders have a number of needs to figure out in the draft. Branch can play all over the back end and provides plenty of leadership for a team undergoing a bit of a transition.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers — Dawand Jones, OL, Ohio State
Jones wound up being a big winner at the Senior Bowl, and teams are all on board with his massive wingspan and ability to stonewall opponents with every move. Kenny Pickett needs more time to throw (or just to stay upright), and the former Buckeye can be an easy solution despite the team not making O-line a priority in the first round recently.
18. Detroit Lions — Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
After trading away T.J. Hockenson, the Lions would love to find a replacement early on in the draft with the vast amount of capital they have at their disposal. Kincaid is a versatile weapon and will give a fun offense an additional dimension.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
The Illini defense made a ton of strides this past year, and Witherspoon's growth was a big part of it. He's got great instincts and a solid frame, and he really knows how to get in the head of opposing wideouts at the line or down the field when he's making a play.
20. Seattle Seahawks — Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa
Van Ness has remarkable athleticism for somebody who didn't even start all that much in college and could be a huge weapon in Pete Carroll's revamped defense in 2023.
21. Los Angeles Chargers — Jordan Addison, WR, USC
The Chargers' front office makes a living on getting great talent that slides to them, and landing Addison in the 20s is no exception (and they didn't even have to get on a plane to scout him). With Keenan Allen becoming a potential cap cut, the former Biletnikoff Award winner could become Justin Herbert's new best friend.
22. Baltimore Ravens — Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Ravens are undergoing an offensive revamp and need some more weapons to threaten the defense. Smith-Njigba could wind up being a steal when all is said and done given what he brings to the table.
23. Minnesota Vikings — Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
The Vikings have just a giant set of question marks listed across the secondary and badly need a talent influx on the back end. Smith should help with that, providing an aggressiveness and playmaking ability that would serve an athletic defense well.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars — Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Rush defense was a bit of an issue for the Jags during key stretches last year. Enter Ika, who can quickly turn the team's fortunes around in the trenches given how big he is and the way he forms just a wall in the middle of the field.
25. New York Giants — Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Daniel Jones seems to have his sights set on a megadeal, but if the front office isn't comfortable with doing anything beyond the franchise tag, Richardson could be a fascinating pickup as the long-term answer in the Big Apple. Head coach Brian Daboll did wonders in developing Josh Allen and would have even more to work with in the talented ex-Gator.
26. Dallas Cowboys —Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
As good as the 'Boys were, Dan Quinn's defense really wore down as the year went on in the second and third levels. Simpson has all the physical tools to turn into a star and could be a heck of a combo with Micah Parsons.
27. Buffalo Bills — Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Drafting a running back in the first round elicits plenty of reactions, but the Bills are looking for one of those missing pieces, and Robinson is certainly worth it the way he does just about everything at an elite level.
28. Cincinnati Bengals — Antonio Johnson, DB, Texas A&M
Finding additional weapons and protection for Joe Burrow will be a priority in the draft but the team also needs upgrades in the secondary and Johnson's versatility will be key for a team primed for another Super Bowl run.
29. Denver Broncos (via San Francisco/Miami) — Anton Harrison, OL, Oklahoma
New head coach Sean Payton will likely identify keeping Russell Wilson upright as a top priority in fixing the team's woeful offense. Harrison has been a mainstay for the Sooners at left tackle and is very light on his feet for somebody with his size.
30. Philadelphia Eagles — Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech
White has seen his stock take off as teams have dug into him more, and the NFC champs seem like a great landing spot with the roster spots opening up as aging vets get moved along due to cap issues.
31. Kansas City Chiefs — Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Sure, there are other pressing needs to keep this Lombardi Trophy window open in KC, but you just know that Andy Reid is going to see somebody like Washington and be enamored with pairing him with Travis Kelce and see if anybody can come up with an answer to stop the Chiefs' ever-evolving offense.
