2023 NFL Draft: Prospects Who Could Become Trade Targets in 1st Round
We're smack-dab in the middle of NFL mock-draft season, and while it's a glorious time for draftniks and casual football fans alike, it's important to remember that virtually no mock draft will ever be 100 percent accurate. Trades will always throw off the order.
Last year, a whopping nine deals occurred during the first round, and this year could easily follow suit. The Carolina Panthers have already moved up for the No. 1 pick, and there's buzz about teams targeting the Arizona Cardinals' No. 3 selection.
The unknown, of course, is which players will be targeted in draft-day trades.
Here, we'll examine the top prospects likely to generate interest on opening night April 27 in Kansas City, Missouri. These are prospects who may be ranked higher by some teams than others, those who may slide a bit and those who are outliers at their respective positions.
Each situation is different, and we'll dive into them below.
Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama
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The Bleacher Report Scouting Department released a new big board Friday, and Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. remains atop the rankings.
While Anderson might not be the top defender on every team's draft board, he's arguably the closest thing to a can't-miss prospect as there is in this class. The 6'3 ½", 253-pound sack artist combines good quickness (4.6-second 40-yard dash) with great instincts and physicality.
Anderson is also well-suited to rush from the edge in either a 4-3 or 3-4 base front.
"As far as even fronts go, Anderson can play with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end as well, so he's scheme-versatile and a plug-and-play type of player," Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He just might be a little more effective as a stand-up outside 'backer."
Anderson, who logged 27.5 sacks and 48 tackles for loss over the past two years, will be at the top of a lot of boards. With the Panthers likely to take a quarterback with the top overall pick, Anderson could become a trade target as early as No. 2. The Houston Texans may not be sold on a quarterback there and could either take Anderson or make the pick available.
"In the last few days, I've heard this about Houston GM Nick Caserio: Very conservative. If he doesn't love a quarterback at two, he's not going to force it," Pro Football Talk's Peter King wrote.
The Top 4 Quarterbacks
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It's unclear which quarterback the Panthers will target at No. 1 overall or if they'll even use the selection. Joe Person of The Athletic reported last month that if Carolina likes more than one signal-caller, it could trade down as long as it can still land a quarterback.
The Panthers are most likely choosing between Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young and Florida's Anthony Richardson. Stroud is a clean pocket-passing prospect, Young is an undersized (5'10", 204 lbs) but dynamic playmaker and Richardson is a physical phenom.
Richardson dropped jaws at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and posting a 40 ½-inch vertical at 6'4" and 244 pounds.
If the Panthers like more than one of the trio, they might allow the Texans to move up a spot to get their guy. Arizona's No. 3 pick could also become a trade spot for a quarterback, with teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans eyeing it.
"The two teams to keep an eye on with the trade-ups were the Raiders and the Titans," NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said on his Move the Sticks podcast (h/t Buck Reising of A to Z Sports).
Kentucky's Will Levis could also be a trade target in the early goings of Round 1. While Stroud, Young and Richardson appear to be hotter prospects, at least one team seems to be circling Levis.
"Will Levis and the [Indianapolis] Colts, there is a little bit of buzz leaguewide about that pairing at No. 4 overall," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter.
If Indianapolis truly loves Levis, it could move up from the fourth overall selection to ensure another team doesn't jump up to claim him.
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
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Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is the second-ranked prospect on the B/R board and might be the top defender for some teams over Anderson—depending on their needs.
However, Carter could slide a bit on draft night.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported last month that Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a crash that killed Georgia teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.
Carter also showed up out-of-shape and performed poorly at Georgia's pro day. How his stock will be affected remains unclear.
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, "at least a couple" of teams have taken Carter off their boards. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is "confident" that Carter will be a top-10 selection.
The teams that are comfortable taking Carter likely view him highly. If he slides outside of the first few selections, there's a strong chance that one of those squads will make a move to get him.
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Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
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Texas' Bijan Robinson is the fourth-ranked prospect on the B/R board and is unquestionably the best running back in this draft class. According to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, virtually every team views the 21-year-old highly.
"I haven't talked to a team that doesn't have Bijan Robinson, just purely ranked on talent, in their top seven." McShay said on First Draft. "... I thought Saquon Barkley was sensational coming out of Penn State. I'll make this argument ... I think Bijan Robinson is more talented coming out of Texas."
Robinson, who had 1,580 rushing yards, 314 receiving yards and 20 combined touchdowns last season, is a special player. This class is believed to be deep at the position—14 running backs are ranked inside of the top 150 prospects on the B/R board—but a team or two will fall in love with Robinson.
And while teams may view the former Longhorn as a top-seven talent, he may not go that early in Round 1. This is because of the depth at the position, a likely early run on quarterbacks and the scarcity of blue-chip defensive prospects.
If Robinson starts to fall toward the middle of the first round or further, one running back-needy team or another will likely move up to end his fall.
Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
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There are two reasons why Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski could be a trade target on opening night.
For one, he's the cleanest and most pro-ready O-lineman in this draft class. He's the top lineman and the ninth-ranked prospect on the B/R board, and NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to likely future Hall of Famer Zack Martin.
That sort of potential—Martin is a six-time first-team All-Pro—is worth trading up to get.
Secondly, teams are going to have different opinions on Skoronski. He played left tackle in college, but his lack of ideal length (32 ¼-inch arms) may have some squads grading him as a guard. His talent, though, is undeniable.
"His best long-term fit as a pro remains a question, but there is no doubt that he has the physical traits, makeup and skill set to be an immediate starter at all five positions and an asset to any offensive line room in the NFL," Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
We might see tackle-needy teams pass on Skoronski in favor of prospects like Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. and Georgia's Broderick Jones. If that happens, a team comfortable playing Skoronski on the edge may quickly move up to snag him before he's off the board.
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
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Last season, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner showed just how dramatically a rookie defender can make an impact. The University of Cincinnati product finished with two interceptions, 20 passes defended and allowed an opposing passer rating of just 62.7, according to Pro Football Reference.
Teams that don't already have a lockdown corner want one, and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon appears to be a cornerback on the rise heading into draft weekend.
Witherspoon didn't work out at the scouting combine because of a hamstring injury, but he did recently shine at a private workout. According to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, the 22-year-old ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. That should ease any concerns about Witherspoon's speed or his health going into the draft.
"When covering receivers downfield, he has shown the ability to sink his hips getting in and out of breaks, but he lacks the top-end speed to run with the faster receivers in the league," Cory Giddings of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
Witherspoon is the top-ranked corner on the B/R board, and he's likely the top defensive back for several teams too. With quarterbacks and defenders like Anderson and Carter likely to go early, Witherspoon could slide, prompting a team to go up and get him.
Wide Receivers
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In recent years, rookie receivers have had an immediate impact on the NFL landscape. Justin Jefferson was a Pro Bowler as a first-year player in 2020, and Ja'Marr Chase achieved the same in 2021. While 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson didn't earn a Pro Bowl nod this past season, he did have an incredible campaign.
Wilson finished with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. He provided a quarterback rating of 86.6 when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference, which was markedly higher than the Jets' collective passer rating of 75.0.
Teams may be eager to go up and get their pass-catcher later this month, as was the case in 2022, when the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints traded up for wideouts Jameson Williams and Chris Olave, respectively.
We're lumping the top receivers together here because franchises likely view the prospects differently. TCU's Quentin Johnston, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and USC's Jordan Addison, the top three wideouts on the B/R board, all have differing skill sets.
Johnston is a big (6'3", 208 lbs), physical perimeter target, while Smith-Njigba is a big (6'1", 196 lbs) slot specialist. Addison is smaller (5'11", 173 lbs) but quick and shifty in space.
Each team will undoubtedly have a preference in the receiver class. It will be a shock if one of the top wideouts isn't a trade target on opening night.
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
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The top four quarterbacks—Stroud, Young, Richardson and Levis—are in a tier of their own. They're the only quarterbacks ranked inside of the top 50 by the B/R Scouting Department and the players at the position who are most likely to be trade targets at the top of Round 1.
Tennessee's Hendon Hooker is the 10th-ranked quarterback on the B/R board, though his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL played a role in his grade. However, he could still be a first-round trade target, especially if he falls to the end of the round.
"This is a prospect that is considered to be climbing up draft boards a little bit. There's a potential he could go late in the first round," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently said on Get Up (h/t Sam Gillenwater of On3).
If a team is even thinking about drafting Hooker in Round 2—or a prospect like Stanford's Tanner McKee or Fresno State's Jake Haener, for that matter—it might jump into the bottom of Round 1 to secure the fifth-year option.
That extra year is a valuable tool when it comes to quarterbacks. The Green Bay Packers, for example, still don't know what they have in 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love because he has been sitting behind Aaron Rodgers. However, by utilizing the fifth-year option, they can get two more years to figure that out before committing to him long-term.
There's also a chance that Hooker won't last until late in Round 1. According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, some NFL coaches like Hooker more than Levis.
Hooker is a Round 1 wild card. He's coming off a serious injury, he played in a wide-open Tennessee offense and he'll turn 26 in January. Not every team will covet him, but the ones that do will likely be willing to jump a few spots to land him.
*College stats from Sports Reference.
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