Jalen Carter, Bryce Young, Will Anderson lead 2023 NFL mock draft

MIAMI, Feb. 22 (UPI) — Jalen Carter, Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. lead my first mock draft of the 2023 off-season. The 2023 NFL Draft will be held from April 27 to 29 in Kansas City, Mo.

Hundreds of elite prospects will be in Indianapolis next week for the annual scouting combine. NFL scouts, coaches and other decision makers will evaluate the players who attend, and further analyze each prospect for some time after.

My first mock draft does not feature any trades, despite rampant rumors that multiple teams are willing to part with their first-round picks for the right price.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy are among the other Top 5 selections in this mock draft.

Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson, Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson and Texas running back Bijan Robinson are among the players I expect to be Top 10 selections.

This year, the first round will feature just 31 selections, instead of the standard 32, because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick. The NFL stripped that pick in August when it found the Dolphins violated league policies.

2023 Mock Draft 1.0

1. Chicago Bears

Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

2. Houston Texans

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

3. Arizona Cardinals

Will Anderson Jr., Edge, AlabamaGeorgia stars Jalen Carter (88) and Kelee Ringo (5) are among the Bulldogs’ players selected in the first round of my first 2023 NFL mock draft. File Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI

4. Indianapolis Colts

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

5. Seattle Seahawks

Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson

6. Detroit Lions

Devon Witherspoon, DB, IllinoisAlabama’s Bryce Young (9) is one of the best quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

7. Las Vegas Raiders

Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

8. Atlanta Falcons

Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech

9. Carolina Panthers

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

10. Philadelphia Eagles

Bijan Robinson, RB, TexasOhio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is a Top 10 pick in most mock drafts. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

11. Tennessee Titans

Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Houston Texans

Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

13. New York Jets

Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

14. New England Patriots

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

15. Green Bay Packers

Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

16. Washington Commanders

Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

17. Pittsburgh Steelers

Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

18. Detroit Lions

Brian Branch, CB, AlabamaTexas star Bijan Robinson is widely considered the top running back in the 2023 draft class. Photo courtesy of Texas Athletics

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

20. Seattle Seahawks

Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

21. Los Angeles Chargers

Jordan Addison, WR, USC

22. Baltimore Ravens

Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

23. Minnesota Vikings

Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

24. Jacksonville Jaguars

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

25. New York Giants

Cody Mauch, OG, North Dakota State

26. Dallas Cowboys

Calijah Kancey, DT, PittsburghOhio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) is the first wide receiver selected in my mock draft. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

27. Buffalo Bills

Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

28. Cincinnati Bengals

Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

29. New Orleans Saints

Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

30. Philadelphia Eagles

Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

31. Kansas City Chiefs

Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

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