(Photo by The Spun)

One. CAROLINA- C.J. STROUD QB, OHIO STATE

At first, I thought the Panthers were going for Anthony Richardson, but they take the sure thing and most NFL ready quarterback in Stroud. New head coach Frank Reich has his franchise play orchestrater for hopefully, the next decade to come.

2. HOUSTON- BRYCE YOUNG QB, ALABAMA

The Texans snag the Alabama prospect as their savior for the franchise. Despite his small stature, Young shows plenty of heart and can make the tough throws when needed.

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!!

3. ATLANTA- WILL ANDERSON JR., ALABAMA

The Falcons make the move up to select the best defensive player in the class. After acquiring Jessie Bates III and Jeff Okudah, Atlanta's defense will be tough to deal with in 2023.

4. INDIANAPOLIS- ANTHONY RICHARDSON QB, FLORIDA

New coach Shane Steichen gets a signal-caller who can develop into an excellent player. Richardson has the tools to make defenses look foolish through his arm and legs.

5. SEATTLE- TYREE WILSON DE, TEXAS TECH

No quarterback here. The Seahawks will continue to build on a young, but hungry defense by adding Wilson to the mix. He will be a contributor from Day 1.

6. DETROIT- CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ CB, OREGON

The Lions have depth in the secondary, but no impact players. This is where Gonzalez comes in. Big and physical, he can matchup well against the bigger receivers in the league.

Side note: I won't go full fanboy on his last name, I promise.

7. LAS VEGAS- JALEN CARTER DT, GEORGIA

This is the Raiders being the Raiders. Despite off-the-field concerns and durability concerns, Carter could reach his potential on a team in need of a bulldog on the defensive line.

8. ARIZONA- DEVON WITHERSPOON CB, ILLINOIS

The Cardinals finally grab a player who is a need to shore up a secondary that lacked a physical corner. Witherspoon has size, speed and great cover instincts. He could be a shutdown presence for years to come.

9. CHICAGO- PETER SKORONSKI T, NORTHWESTERN

He's from Park Ridge, Illinois and played for Northwestern. It makes sense. The Bears select the hometown prospect to protect Justin Fields from getting demolished on a weekly basis.

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!

10. TENNESSEE- BIJAN ROBINSON RB, TEXAS

The Eagles go all-in on a Super Bowl run by trading the pick and others for Derrick Henry. The Titans begin their rebuild by selecting another decorated back from Texas.

Eleven. TENNESSEE- PARIS JOHNSON JR., OHIO STATE

With their second pick in the first round, Tennessee snags Taylor Lewan's replacement at LT. Could be a mainstay for years to come.

12. HOUSTON- JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR, OHIO STATE

Despite being a defensive-minded coach, DeMeco Ryans knows that offense gets you points. Giving Bryce Young a home run threat at receiver builds confidence for both players.

13. NY JETS- BRODERICK JONES T, GEORGIA

The Jets continue to beef up the offensive line by selecting Jones. Robert Saleh has his gameplan of dominating the trenches. This selection will help protect the quarterback....whoever he is.

Also, the Jets and Packers STILL have no resolution in the Aaron Rodgers trade saga.

14. NEW ENGLAND- MYLES MURPHY DE/LB, CLEMSON

The Patriots are giddy that Murphy fell to them at 14. He can play the linebacker and defensive end positions with the greatest of ease.

15. GREEN BAY- JORDAN ADDISON WR, USC

The Packers add another explosive wideout to complement Christian Watson and new QB1 Jordan Love. NFC North corners, BEWARE!

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!

16. SEATTLE- WILL LEVIS QB, KENTUCKY

The Seahawks trade up a few spots to get a quarterback prospect who can sit and learn from the sidelines for the next few years.

17. PITTSBURGH- JOEY PORTER JR. CB, PENN STATE

The team needs a corner. His father is a Steelers legend. IT JUST MAKES SENSE! Pittsburgh will go after offensive line help in the second round.

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!

18. DALLAS- JAHMYR GIBBS RB, ALABAMA

The Cowboys make the move to trade up and select the anti-Ezekiel Elliott. Gibbs offers a package of great running and pass-catching skills to ease Dak Prescott's nerves.

19. TAMPA BAY- O'CYRUS TORRANCE OL, FLORIDA

The Bucs' offensive line self-destructed last season. Selecting a bruiser in Torrance gives the line hope. That's the word, hope.

20. WASHINGTON- MICHAEL MAYER TE, NOTRE DAME

The Commanders traded down and still select the player they wanted. New OC Eric Bieniemy loves utilizing the tight end and Mayer is a gifted pass receiver. It should be a nice pairing.

On a personal note: Don't let the door hit the behind on your way out, Dan Snyder!

Twenty-One. LA CHARGERS- DARNELL WRIGHT T, TENNESSEE

Despite the Austin Eckler trade demands, the Bolt Crew will use this selection for more protection for Justin Herbert.

22. BALTIMORE- NOLAN SMITH DE/LB, GEORGIA

The Ravens will try to ignore the Lamar Jackson talk and select a dynamic player off the edge in Smith. This is what I call a Ravens-type pick.

23. MINNESOTA- ZAY FLOWERS WR, BOSTON COLLEGE

Adam Thielen is gone, and the Vikings need to take pressure off Justin Jefferson. Flowers falls to them at 23 and gives Kirk Cousins another weapon to generate big plays.

24. JACKSONVILLE- KELEE RINGO DB, GEORGIA

He is fast, big and plays with a lot of heart. He is perfect for a secondary that is only going to get better as the season rolls around.

25. NY GIANTS- QUENTIN JOHNSON WR, TCU

The Giants' wide receiving core was below average last season. Johnson is a speedster who can catch a ball on a dime. When drafted here, he will be catching passes from a man nicknamed "Danny Dimes."

26. DETROIT- DARNELL WASHINGTON TE, GEORGIA

Remember when the Lions traded T.J. Hockenson for no reason whatsoever? They get a mulligan for this one and get the most athletic tight end in this class.

27. BUFFALO- LUKAS VAN NESS DE/LB, IOWA

The Bills get a player who will fit perfectly in a Sean McDermott scheme. Also, Iowa has been churning out some good players on the defensive side of the ball.

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!

28. ARIZONA- BRIAN BRANCH DB, ALABAMA

The Bengals will swing for the fences and trade a bucket full of draft picks to the Cardinals for Budda Baker. Arizona selects an athletic replacement for Baker in Branch.

29. NEW ORLEANS- WILL MCDONALD IV DE/LB, IOWA STATE

Derek Carr is the quarterback and I think Taysom Hill becomes the tight end going forward. So, they draft the heir apparent to Cam Jordan.

30. PHILADELPHIA- CALIJAH KANCEY DT, PITTSBURGH

The Eagles get an athletic interior defensive lineman to spell Fletcher Cox when needed.

And finally,

MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!! MOCK TRADE ALERT!!!!!

Thirty-One: ARIZONA- JALIN WYATT WR, TENNESSEE

The Chiefs trade picks for DeAndre Hopkins as the Cardinals are in a full rebuild with their okay-looking new uniforms.

As you can see, there are only 31 picks in this draft, because the Miami Dolphins had to forfeit their pick due to Stephen Ross, or as I like to call him, "Football Ignoramus," tampering with Tom Brady. TB12 was still under contract with the Buccaneers. You can't do that and the NFL wasn't happy with this. I think this man will trade the farm and try to get Aaron Rodgers in a Dolphins' uniform and just throw Tua on the side of the road. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!

That is the 2023 NFL mock draft from yours truly. It isn't perfect, but that's why they call it a mock draft, right?

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