2023 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Order and Latest Projections
There are many years in which it's obvious what a team is going to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Perhaps it's clear they'll use it on a franchise quarterback, or maybe there's a can't-miss product who is the consensus top player in the class.
This year, the Chicago Bears will be on the clock first on April 27 in Kansas City. And they'll have plenty of options.
Will the Bears trade down? Do they take one of the top defensive players available, or do they end up doing something less predictable? We won't find out for more than two months, but we can try to project what Chicago (and the rest of the league's 31 teams) will do once the draft arrives.
Here's a mock for the first round, followed by a breakdown of a couple of the top storylines to follow.
1st-Round Mock Draft
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1. Chicago Bears: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
2. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
5. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos): Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech
6. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams): Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
8. Atlanta Falcons: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
9. Carolina Panthers: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
11. Tennessee Titans: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
12. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns): Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
13. New York Jets: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
14. New England Patriots: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
15. Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
16. Washington Commanders: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
18. Detroit Lions: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Brian Branch, CB, Alabama
20. Seattle Seahawks: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
22. Baltimore Ravens: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
23. Minnesota Vikings: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
25. New York Giants: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
26. Dallas Cowboys: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
27. Buffalo Bills: Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
29. New Orleans Saints (via San Francisco 49ers): O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
30. Kansas City Chiefs: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Bears Should Be Eyeing Carter While Maximizing Pick Value
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The Bears were among the NFL's worst teams at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks during the 2022 season. They ranked last in the league with only 20 sacks, as they're lacking star power on their defensive front.
That should be Chicago's primary focus in the first round of the draft. So, it won't be surprising if it selected either Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter on Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the opening pick.
They're both talented defensive players who should boost the Bears' pass rush. Carter may be a bit of a better fit, as the 6'3", 300-pound former Bulldog could become a force in the center of Chicago's defensive line for years to come.
The big question is: Could the Bears trade down from No. 1 and still come away with Carter?
That may depend on the team's potential trade partner. The Houston Texans, which have the No. 2 pick, will likely pick a quarterback. And there's a good chance a team trading up to No. 1 would be looking to add a QB as well.
So, if Chicago moves down a few picks, it could still come away with Carter (and if not, Anderson) while adding more draft capital. Considering how many holes the Bears have on their roster, that could be quite beneficial for them to do.
No matter what Chicago decides to do, it's in a great position to add a bunch of talent in the upcoming draft, which should help the team get closer to being back on track.
Will Bryce Young Be First QB off the Board?
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Four quarterbacks rank above the rest in the 2023 NFL draft class: Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson. It's possible they could all get selected within the first 10 picks.
But which one of the quartet will come off the board first? It could end up being any of them depending on how the lead-up to the talent grab unfolds.
Young is probably the front-runner, considering how impressive he was over the past two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He won the Heisman Trophy during his 2021 sophomore campaign and impressed again as a junior in 2022.
That means the 21-year-old could end up going to Houston and becoming its franchise quarterback. Of course, that may not happen if a team trades up to move ahead of the Texans and selects Young.
Or one of the other QBs could get taken first. Stroud also played for one of the top programs in the country and continually excelled for the Buckeyes. Levis and Richardson both have a ton of potential and skill sets that could translate well to the NFL.
With the Colts, Raiders and Panthers all picking in the top 10, a run of quarterbacks could happen early. So, it would be surprising if most of these players fell down the board a considerable amount.
Last year, only one QB was drafted in the first round (Kenny Pickett to the Steelers at No. 20). That shouldn't be the case this year, as multiple signal-callers make sense as fits for teams with top picks.
However, it will be intriguing to see which of them comes off the board first.
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