By Charles McDonald
(Source Yahoo! Sports):
Previous: NFL mock drafts 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0, and Charles McDonald’s top 50 NFL draft prospects.
Ten days until the 2023 NFL Draft! Folks, it’s almost time. The grand event is almost here, meaning it’s time for another mock draft.
Like most projections, the top four picks in this mock draft are quarterbacks, with new heavy betting favorite Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers, and the Tennessee Titans making the leap up to the third overall pick to select Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Young, Anthony Richardson, Levis and C.J. Stroud all came off the board to start the draft, leaving the Seahawks in a situation where they can draft Jalen Carter — arguably the best talent in the entire draft.
The Atlanta Falcons ended up being beneficiaries of the run on quarterbacks, with Alabama superstar edge rusher Will Anderson falling right into their laps. The Philadelphia Eagles also won in a big way with Texas Tech defensive lineman Tyree Wilson dropping to the 10th overall pick. As far as the big boys on the other side of the line goes, seven offensive linemen went in the first round of this mock draft. The Chicago Bears kicked things off by taking Peter Skoronski after the Falcons decided to stay at the eighth pick to take Anderson.
After trading down from the third overall pick, and picking up a future first-round pick in the process, the Cardinals added some much-needed talent to their defensive line by taking Clemson edge defender Myles Murphy at No. 11 overall.
Bijan Robinson, widely considered an elite talent in this draft, wound up in Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers will use him to keep their supporting cast strong for whoever their next franchise quarterback is. Robinson is the only running back in the first round, but Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs finds his way to Miami in the second round.
The Eagles had the most productive first round here, acquiring two blue-chip defensive players in Tyree Wilson and Alabama defensive back Brian Branch. It’s almost unfair what they’ll be able to add to their roster in the real draft just a couple months after losing a close Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
