Hey folks, it’s just about time for my Mock Draft 2.0 – the second of three full first-round mock drafts that I do every year as an NFL Draft analyst. Here’s part two! Be sure to click on the players’ names for complete scouting reports on the players that your favorite team drafts. You can look at the complete list of grades that I have completed here:
If you missed it, you can check out my first two mock drafts at the links below to view the progression of the off-season timeline.
Mock Draft 0.5 (The first 18) | Mock Draft 1.0 (Pre-Combine)
You can check out the first part of this mock draft by clicking on the picture below:
Let’s continue on with the mock draft:
16. Washington Commanders – OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
The Washington Commanders have to build their offense around young quarterback Sam Howell, who currently is in the driver’s seat as the penciled-in team starter in 2023. Washington appears ready to enter the 2023 season with Howell as their starter. The first step to success in a ferocious NFC East division is to protect the quarterback.
Peter Skoronski has some good tape where he looks like he holds up well. He also offers some position versatility; if he can’t work out at tackle, you can move him inside to guard, and he will be fine. Washington is willing to take the risk so they have him in.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Pittsburgh’s biggest question mark, to me, is their secondary. Devon Witherspoon has the mentality of a Pittsburgh Steeler. He’s a perfect fit to the physicality that they want from all of their defenders. His game film is littered with kill shots on unsuspecting ball carriers and big plays both deep downfield and underneath near the line of scrimmage.
Witherspoon is capable in both man and zone defensive assignments and is a fluid athlete. He’s my top cornerback prospect, personally, but I love physical cornerbacks who are effective run defenders as well.
18. Detroit Lions – RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
The Detroit Lions have an extra first-round pick, which means they can bolster a position on their roster for virtually nothing. Jamaal Williams and Justin Jackson are free agents, which means that D’Andre Swift is the only starting-caliber running back on the roster. So how can the Lions pass up on a guy like Bijan Robinson?
The Detroit Lions’ run game has been stellar. Now, it hits another level rotating between Robinson and Swift, which allows Swift to remain in the role he was successful playing last year. Only now, Detroit has more juice than they had with Williams.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – OT Paris Johnson Jr, Ohio State
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved on from Donovan James, so it’s time to go with a new left tackle who can protect their quarterback, who likely will be Baker Mayfield. Paris Johnson Jr must get over the flag plant that Mayfield pulled off years ago and protect his quarterback.
It’s a little bit of a shift from the power that James brought to the left side and now offers more maneuverability and finesse there, which works better with a play-action quarterback like Baker Mayfield. Johnson has the upside to be a long-term starter so this move is a no-brainer for the Buccaneers.
20. Seattle Seahawks – CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
The Seattle Seahawks found a great cornerback in Tariq Woolen last year in the fifth round, which was a shocker for everyone. Coby Bryant was another good pick, but he’s more of a slot. Ringo fits the idea that he could play positionless on the defense’s back end and is just another pick to bolster what Seattle likes to do.
I said I liked Ringo better as a safety back very early in last year’s season. He’s a versatile and instinctive player who sometimes doesn’t do a great job as a cornerback, and I can see the Seahawks thinking the same way.
21. Los Angeles Chargers – LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
With Drue Tranquill and Troy Reeder appearing to be headed out the door, the Los Angeles Chargers need someone to play linebacker beside Kenneth Murray and help support the half-field system that the Chargers run their linebackers in. Nobody may be better in this class than Arkansas’ former star linebacker Drew Sanders.
Sanders has remarkable athleticism and can chase donw plays from quite a ways out. His space defending ability is pretty good and he can play coverage – all important keys in the Brandon Staley scheme. I like this as a potential solidifying move for a defense that was pourous at times last year.
22. Baltimore Ravens – WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
With the quarterback situation unresolved, the Baltimore Ravens still understand that whoever is playing quarterback needs weapons. Quentin Johnston might be the perfect fit that the Ravens need in that offense. With Rashod Bateman coming into his own, the Ravens get someone who can stretch the field and open even more lanes for tight end Mark Andrews.
Quentin Johnston will be limited at first until he can grow into his role as a route runner, coming off of an offense that was very limited schematically. That has limited some receivers but allowed others to thrive, like DK Metcalf, when moving up to the next level. The test will be out for Johnston who certainly has the ability and could be very dangerous in the Ravens offense.
23. Minnesota Vikings – CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
The Minnesota Vikings’ defense was statistically among the worst in the NFL last year – and I think they know that the secondary had a lot to do with it. Now with their top three cornerbacks all hitting the market as free agents, the Vikings have some pieces to address. Enter Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.
Forbes is a smart zone coverage corner who probably best fits what Minnesota wants to do on that side of the ball. He’s instinctive too, which helps as a zone coverage guy, and will make big plays at any given time. I think he might take a little while to adjust to the NFL level, but by year two, he should be a stud.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars – OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost offensive tackle Juwaan Taylor to free agency, leaving a gap at right tackle. With all of the promise that Trevor Lawrence is showing right now, the Jaguars cannot pass up the opportunity to keep him protected and take a starting caliber right tackle in Darnell Wright.
Wright has experience playign at both left and right tackle, but struggled his first two seasons as a starter at Tennessee. 2022 was his breakout year, which does leave some concern to NFL teams. Is he a legitimate starter? Or is he the product of one good year? Jacksonville is betting that he’s just that good.
25. New York Giants – WR Jordan Addison, USC
The New York Giants need tools for their new franchise quarterback (who is really Eli Manning’s clone), Daniel Jones. They swung and missed in the previous administration, trying Kenny Golladay. Now it’s time for someone who can get open. No one does that better in this draft class than Jordan Addison.
Addison is a possession route-runner, and that’s good for head coach Brian Daboll to work into his offense. Addison is also very special in space, another thing that Daboll can scheme very well. I like his upside, and the Giants have a reliable receiver in their offense to be the security blanket their franchise quarterback needs.
26. Dallas Cowboys – WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
The Dallas Cowboys are losing Noah Brown to free agency, which means they probably need someone to add to their receiver corps with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Adding pure speed like Jalin Hyatt could certainly be the answer for the Cowboys, who would love to use his size and speed out of the slot.
Hyatt’s ability to stretch the field would put a lot of stress on opposing defenses, especially when having to contend to Lamb, the tight ends, or even the legs of Dak Prescott. And, as Brandon Carwile points out in the tweet above, Hyatt would fit seamlessly into the Packers offense – as well as an offense being designed under former Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy.
27. Buffalo Bills – OG O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
The Buffalo Bills currently have Ryan Bates penciled in as the starter at right guard, but he won’t be if O’Cyrus Torrence is available at 27. Torrence is a run mauling right guard who can become a force on an offensive line somewhere and the Bills want it. Their run game last year was subpar, which limited their offense ulitmately on the backend of the season.
With Torrence and new left guard Connor McGovern from Dallas, the Buffalo Bills have themselves a monster offensive line that they can use to dominate the trenches and continue to keep Josh Allen healthy.
28. Cincinnati Bengals – TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Dalton Kincaid is a guy who’s been talked about a lot by NFL Network’s top draft analyst, Daniel Jeremiah, this year and stepped up big after an injury ended Brant Kuithe’s season in Utah. Kincaid is ridiculously athletic and offers deep threat ability and contested catch greatness.
The Bengals have a very solid receiver corps for quarterback Joe Burrow, so adding a deep threat tight end takes that offense to another unguardable level. Kincaid could be the guy who puts them over the top.
29. New Orleans Saints (from 49ers) – DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
The New Orleans Saints need to start tooling their defensive line, and there is no one better left on the board than Calijah Kancey. They don’t have a lot of time left with Cam Jordan, who looks like he could even make a career as a broadcaster whenever he wants to.
Not only is Cam Jordan’s time in New Orleans is coming to a close, but the Saints defensive line was absolutely raided in free agency. Adding a guy like Kancey helps build back some of the defensive line and adds an anchor that they can build around for the forseeable future.
30. Seattle Seahawks (from Eagles) – QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
This is one of those “long-term vision” selections from the Seattle Seahawks.
Yes, they just signed quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year contract extension that gets him $52M this season to be their starting quarterback. But Geno will be 33 when this season starts, and the money significantly drops off that they owe Geno over the next couple of seasons. That means that they aren’t planning on him having sustained success and need a guy for the future. That’s why they are trading back into the first round – to secure a prospect like Hendon Hooker and bring him into the long-term plan.
When you look at what Hooker brings to an NFL offense, it’s a very similar skillset to what Geno Smith brings. He can stretch the field when he needs to with his arm strength but he isn’t looking to play like a gunslinger. He wants to play smart, coordinated football and run an offense with his efficiency. That plays into exactly what Pete Carroll wants in a quarterback, and the Seahawks have a suitable backup at the very least.
31. Kansas City Chiefs – EDGE Keion White, Georgia Tech
The Kansas City Chiefs have had to retool their defensive line over the last couple of years to keep themselves in the Super Bowl hunt, and it’s paid off. They’ve landed steals on the defensive side like George Karlaftis last year, and Willie Gay the year before. They keep that trend moving forward with Keion White, who slips through the cracks to the very end of the first round.
This pick makes a lot of sense for several reasons. The Chiefs are losing Carlos Dunlap, but even if they were not, White is an upgrade over him. You have to be able to take advantage of having Chris Jones and George Karlaftis on this roster. White takes advantage of that. Are their bigger needs on this roster? Maybe. But this is something that helps negate other needs.
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