Bucky Brooks 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Bijan Robinson to Chargers, Tyree Wilson to Colts

The NFL Network's Bucky Brooks released the third iteration of his NFL mock draft on Tuesday, projecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud to the Carolina Panthers with the top overall pick.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was No. 2 overall to the Houston Texans, followed by the Arizona Cardinals selecting Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3, the Indianapolis Colts taking Texas Tech edge-rusher Tyree Wilson fourth overall and the Seattle Seahawks taking Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter to round out the top five.

Electrifying Texas running back Bijan Robinson came off the board at No. 21 to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brooks' latest mock.

Stroud vs. Young is going to be a major debate up until the April 27 draft, but at this point, it seems likely that one of the two will be off the board first.

Brooks wrote in his draft that the Panthers "opt for the prototypical passer with five-star tools as the QB1 of the future. Stroud's 6'3", 214-pound frame, arm talent and underrated dawg mentality make him the perfect quarterback for Frank Reich to build around."

The next player to stand out in his mock was Wilson at No. 4, with Brooks projecting the Colts to bypass a quarterback like Florida's Anthony Richardson or Will Levis (Brooks had Richardson dropping to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 20, while Levis fell out of the first round entirely).

Brooks noted that "the grades on the available QB1 prospects do not match the Colts' draft position. Wilson would give the team a young, energetic pass rusher to pair with Kwity Paye on the edges."

The 22-year-old Wilson registered 17 sacks in his college career, including seven in each of the past two seasons, adding 32 tackles for loss in four seasons.

And then there's Robinson. Brooks has him going to the Chargers, ostensibly as a backup plan for the possibility of Austin Ekeler departing. The Chargers granted Ekeler the right to seek out potential trade partners this offseason.

Robinson also could provide a thunder-and-lightning duo with Ekeler if he sticks around though, with Brooks writing that he's a "big back with a diverse skill set to the backfield rotation. Robinson is an electric playmaker with big-play potential as a runner-receiver possessing size, speed, vision and wiggle."

Imagine Justin Herbert with Ekeler, Robinson, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at his disposal. The rest of the NFL shudders at the thought.