Bijan Robinson to Lions, Hendon Hooker to Seahawks in Mel Kiper's NFL Mock Draft 4.0

In his fourth mock draft ahead of the 2023 NFL draft later this month, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. found landing spots for two of the most intriguing prospects in the class.

University of Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who is considered one of the draft's best all-around talents, went to the Detroit Lions with the No. 18 overall pick despite the Lions already having DeAndre Swift and David Montgomery on the roster.

Toward the end of the first round at pick No. 30, Kiper has Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker going to the Seattle Seahawks in a projected trade. This projection comes despite the fact that Hooker suffered a torn ACL in November.

Both the Lions and Seahawks have multiple first-round picks in the 2023 draft, which could allow them to get creative and draft based on who they believe is truly the best player available rather than worrying about need.

In Kiper's mock, the Lions used the second of their two first-rounders on Robinson, who has a chance to be the best player in the entire draft depending on what situation he lands in.

Robinson may have been a slam-dunk top-five pick in past years, but since the running back position has recently become so devalued in the NFL, teams aren't as willing to spend a premium pick on one.

At 18th overall, Robinson would become almost too good to pass up given his remarkable production at Texas.

The 5'11", 215-pound speedster spent three years with the Longhorns and was at his best in 2022 as a junior, when he rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

Robinson also did a great deal of damage as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 19 passes for 314 yards and two additional scores.

Even though he played for a Texas team that finished only 8-5, Robinson was ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

As good as Robinson's value would be at No. 18, it is still difficult to envision the Lions actually drafting him since they already have a dynamic running back in Swift, plus they invested heavily in the free-agent running back market by signing Montgomery away from the rival Chicago Bears.

Like the Lions, the Seahawks have two first-round picks, and Kiper predicted that they will use their second pick at No. 20 overall to trade with the Philadelphia Eagles down to No. 30 overall.

In that scenario, Kiper sees the Seahawks making Hooker the fifth quarterback off the board in the first round.

While Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis have been considered surefire first-rounders throughout the draft process, it wasn't until recently that Hooker's name started being mentioned in that conversation.

Before getting injured last season, Hooker was perhaps the Heisman Trophy front-runner, as he completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 11 games.

That came after he threw 31 touchdowns and just three picks the previous season with the Volunteers.

Even with Hooker's injury, he still finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting last season, which speaks to how dominant he was when healthy.

Seattle defied expectations last season by reaching the playoffs after trading quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, and the performance of replacement quarterback Geno Smith was a big reason why.

Smith was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his journeyman career, which led to the Seahawks re-signing him on a three-year deal.

While Smith is undoubtedly the starter for now, he may not be the answer long-term, so it would make sense for the Seahawks to take a quarterback who can sit and learn behind Smith. Hooker may be perfect for that role.