Jalen Carter to Eagles, Anthony Richardson to Ravens in Lance Zierlein NFL Mock Draft

Hours away from the start of the 2023 NFL draft, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has released his final predictions for the first round.

In his fourth mock draft of the evaluation season, Zierlein has the Philadelphia Eagles trading up two spots to select Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at No. 8 overall.

But the biggest surprise in Zierlein's projection is Anthony Richardson falling to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 22 overall:

"Oh yes I did! It just doesn't feel like the Ravens and Lamar Jackson are going to find a long-term solution here. If that is indeed the case, why not add the talented dual-threat quarterback and allow the leadership of Baltimore's coaching staff and locker room to help bring him along slowly, giving him the best chance to reach his ceiling?"

Other than Bryce Young seemingly being a lock to go No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers, predicting landing spots for any of the top quarterbacks in this class seems virtually impossible.

Will Levis has been rumored to be in the mix for the Houston Texans, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports reported on Thursday that's not likely to happen with either of their first-round picks.

Wilson also noted Richardson and C.J. Stroud aren't expected to end up in Houston. The Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 is an obvious trade partner for a team seeking a quarterback.

Jim Irsay is telling anyone who will listen the Indianapolis Colts probably want to draft a quarterback.

If Ricardson ends up staying on the board when the Ravens are on the clock, it's fair to wonder what they might do. There's been no indication they want to move Lamar Jackson, despite his trade request.

If the Ravens believe Richardson can develop into a franchise quarterback, or they feel the relationship with Jackson is broken beyond repair, it could put the 20-year-old in play for them.

If the Eagles are locked in on Carter, Zierlein's prediction of a trade-up might end up being accurate.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg said on ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy show (h/t Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago) that "all the buzz" in Kansas City, the site of the 2023 draft, is the Chicago Bears will take Carter at No. 9.

Regardless of which team ends up taking Carter, it doesn't seem like he's going to be waiting too long to hear his name called on Thursday.

Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport earlier this month his client would only be taking visits to teams with a top-10 pick.

While that doesn't necessarily guarantee Carter will be taken in the top 10, it could be an indication his camp has received at least some assurance from a team picking that high they want to bring him in.

The Eagles would be a natural landing spot for the 22-year-old because of how much they prioritize the defensive line. They could also reunite the dominant interior duo from the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs after selecting Jordan Davis with the 13th pick last year.