I know I said my last 2023 NFL Mock Draft would be perfect and need no adjustment. But I was wrong. Now, I have all of the picks correct and perfect. And while you should have believed me then, even though I was wrong, I really wasn’t wrong. And I am definitely not wrong now, so you should 100% believe me now.

There is roughly three hours until the draft starts, so I am going to get right to it.

***Editor’s Note: This mock draft was compiled before the Ravens announced that they have agreed to terms on a new deal with quarterback Lamar Jackson. So, forgive Josh Queipo if he’s not, in fact, completely perfect with this mock. 

1. Carolina Panthers – QB Bryce Young, Alabama

Alabama QB Bryce Young – Photo by: USA Today

I know there is a video out there of new Panthers quarterbacks coach Josh McCown telling C.J. Stroud that he will be in Carolina later this year. But all real indications are that the Panthers will go with Young. If he was two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, I doubt there would be any real debate, but the facts remain that no quarterback has ever succeeded at his size.

Despite the size, Young has a plurality of NFL traits. Those include touch, decision-making, read progression and pocket presence. Young can immediately upgrade the QB room in Carolina and may be the best quarterback in the NFC South by the end of his rookie year.

2. Houston Texans – EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

While the Texans need a quarterback, they don’t necessarily need one right away. It is year one for new head coach DeMeco Ryans. And while there are good quarterbacks on the board at two, he could take the approach of continuing to build a full and talented roster and punt on quarterback for at least one more year.

Wilson has desirable size and length. At 6’6 and 271 pounds with almost 36″ arms, Wilson already has an NFL long arm rush. And if he can learn how to create and execute a rush plan, he could become dominant. The Texans lack any real pass rush talent and Wilson could elevate that while going to a situation working under Ryans that would be most beneficial to him.

3. Arizona Cardinals – EDGE Will Anderson, Alabama

Anderson has a high floor and a higher ceiling. Plus, he does not have all of the off-field baggage of a similarly talented Jalen Carter. And I am not convinced that Arizona has the team culture to ensure Carter walks the line. Arizona has talent deficiencies across the board, so they just need good football players. Anderson is a good football player at a premium position. That makes sense.

4. Indianapolis Colts – QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

Colts General Manager Chris Ballard needs a quarterback. Don’t believe me? Just ask his owner.

For the ’23 draft, we have many options. With the #4 pick, we could stay put and take a QB—-or trade up and take a QB—-OR trade down and MAYBE take a QB—-Or NOT🙂
All options on the table, but we like our position and are very excited. Fire up! 🏈 pic.twitter.com/OMRpt2KkGI

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) April 16, 2023

The Colts could go with the more “pro-ready” Stroud, but for my money, I am betting Ballard goes for the higher-upside traits of Richardson’s athleticism and big arm.

5. Seattle Seahawks – DT Jalen Carter, Georgia

Georgia DL Jalen Carter and EDGE Nolan Smith – Photo by: USA Today

The Seahawks create the perfect pairing of elite on-field talent, positional need and a culture that is conducive for the player picked. Carter needs to go to a place that has an established positive culture with a track record of helping young men move past former indiscretions.

Carter’s talent is undeniable. He could immediately improve both the pass rush and run defense for Seattle.

6. Detroit Lions – QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State

The Lions have put together a roster that allows them to go in any number of ways with this pick. But with Stroud falling right into its lap, Detroit doesn’t pass up on a good quarterback to succeed current starter Jared Goff without giving up extra assets. This gives the team the ability to move on from Goff’s large salary cap hit next year, with plenty of space to continue to build the roster up for Stroud to take over in an enviable position.

7. Las Vegas Raiders – OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

Skoronski is the consensus top overall offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft. There are questions regarding what position he might play (guard or tackle), but Vegas has multiple needs to keep oft-injured quarterback Jimmy Garappolo upright, and Skoronski can slot into many of them.

8. Atlanta Falcons – EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson

Murphy has desirable physical features and inconsistent tape. Pairing him with last year’s second rounder Arnold Ebikitie gives the Falcons a young and promising pass rush that should complement the strong secondary they have created.

9. Chicago Bears – OT Paris Johnson, Ohio State

The Bears had a lackluster but promising offensive line in 2022. Both Braxton Jones and Larry Borom showed some signs of being quality players, but Johnson helps to solidify that line. Between those three and Teven Jenkins, the Bears would just need to sort out who plays where, but the overall talent level is impressive.

10. Philadelphia Eagles – CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Witherspoon becomes the first cornerback to be selected in my 2023 NFL Mock Draft. And for good reason. He easily has the best tape of any of the corners in this deep class. And given his size, I think he can play in the slot year one before moving to the outside down the line after the Eagles move on from one of either Darius Slay or James Bradberry.

11. Tennessee Titans – OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee

I considered QB Will Levis here, but I think head coach Mike Vrabel is in more control of the roster this year after the unceremonious firing of former general manager Jon Robinson last year. I don’t see Vrabel looking to build for the future so much as he wants to elevate the current roster. Wright helps with both the present and future, acting as the first building block of an offensive line that needs rebuilding.

12. Houston Texans – CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Last year, the Texans took CB Derek Stingley in the first round. And following the selection of Wilson to help bolster the pass rush, Houston finds a physically gifted player to pair with Stingley and help turn Ryans’ defense into the team’s calling card.

13. Green Bay Packers – TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

The irony that the Packers draft an offensive skill position player in the first round for the first time in decades after they finally trade away Aaron Rodgers… Mayer profiles as exactly the type of tight end the Packers covet, as he’s a plus blocker with some receiving upside. Mayer could help be a security blanket for young signal-caller Jordan Love.

14. New England Patriots – CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ideally wants to play press-man with his corners, and Porter may be the best press-man corner in the draft. Porter’s height and length will play very well in head coach Bill Belichick’s system, and he has the no-nonsense physical demeanor that the Patriots should covet.

15. New York Jets – OT Broderick Jones, Georgia

Following the Rodgers trade, the Jets will want to protect him as best as possible. Offensive line was an issue for them last year, due in part to a plethora of injuries. Jones has a light-on-his-feet play style and a projectable frame that give him possibly the best upside of any tackle in this year’s draft.

16. Washington Commanders – OG O’Cyrus Torrence

Every year, there are one or two huge surprises in the first round of the draft. The Commanders have made a few of them in the past, including last year when they took WR Jahan Dotson. I could see them prioritizing the interior of their offensive line for second-year quarterback Sam Howell. Torrence would allow them to get the best pure interior offensive lineman available and help take pressure off of Howell, who has made only one start in his career.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

Banks has size, length, speed and demeanor to succeed in any system. The Steelers’ current starters are Patrick Peterson, who had a resurgence season last year, and Akhello Witherspoon. Banks would be an upgrade and potentially CB1 by the end of the year.

18. Detroit Lions – OG Steve Avila, TCU

While cornerback is a popular first-round choice for the Lions, two things push me away from mocking one of them with either of their picks in the first round. First, they worked diligently in free agency to shore up their secondary, signing CJ Garnder-Johnson and Cameron Sutton. Second, they have not shown much interest in top cornerbacks in their pre-draft process. Avila would be able to slot into the starting right guard role and assist the Lions in continuing to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

The Bucs get a tackle to fill the gaping hole they currently sport at the position. Harrison needs some development, but there is a lot to like in both his tape and his physical profile. His addition helps to start solidifying the Bucs offensive line, keeping All-Pro Tristan Wirfs on the right side and reducing the position battles to just the two guard spots. Harrison is also the player we at Pewter Report mocked to the Bucs in our final Bucs 2023 NFL Mock Draft.

20. Seattle Seahawks – WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

After addressing the defense with their top-five pick, the Seahawks help their offense by getting the best slot receiver in the draft. Smith-Njigba joins DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to give Seattle a formidable receiving core for quarterback Geno Smith to utilize.

21. Miami Dolphins – Forfeited Pick

I’ll quote my analysis from my Mock Draft 1.0 article: “Bahahahahahahahaha”

22. Los Angeles Chargers – WR Quentin Johnston, TCU

Johnston has a large frame and a big catch radius. Two qualities that are sorely missing from the bulk of this year’s wide receiver draft class. As the Chargers hope to improve their downfield passing attack, Johnston can add an additional field stretcher to help take advantage of the launching pad known as Justin Herbert’s arm.

23. Baltimore Ravens – QB Will Levis, Louisville

Bucs NT Vita Vea and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Lamar Jackson saga does not look like it will be resolved, with him and the team continuing their contract standoff.

24. Minnesota Vikings – WR Jordan Addison

The Vikings parted ways with longtime receiver Adam Thielen earlier this off-season and will need to fill that void. Addison is a proven commodity, who despite modest testing consistently won on the outside for the Trojans. He has advanced route-running that allows him to create natural separation and he should pair well with Justin Jefferson to give quarterback Kirk Cousins a dynamic duo to throw to.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars – S Brian Branch, Alabama

Branch could move into the starting slot role and represents one of the most perfect pairings in the draft. Despite his more moderate athletic testing, Branch has instincts for days and is a natural playmaker. He can help a Jaguars defense that is ascending.

26. New York Giants – OC John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota

The Giants’ line was not a strength for them last year. However, they are starting to build something with it and John Michael Schmitz can pair with the two bookend tackles they already have in place to make it better than it was last year.

27. Dallas Cowboys – DT Mazi Smith, Michigan

Michigan DL Mazi Smith Photo By: USA Today

While Calijah Kancey and Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adeboware are still on the board here, the Cowboys select Smith to give them a talented nose tackle to complement their already fearsome defensive front seven.

28. Buffalo Bills – RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

The Bills take one of the five most talented players in the draft and feel good about it, taking a running back at a much more palatable pick 27/28 than as a top 15 pick.

29. Cincinnati Bengals – OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State

Jones would be perfect for the offensive system the Bengals have been moving toward over the past year, with more vertical pass sets and a power running game. Jones helps solidify an offensive line that Bengals fans hope will keep quarterback Joe Burrow clean.

30. New Orleans Saints – EDGE Lukas Van Ness

The Saints lost defensive end Marcus Davenport to free agency. Cameron Jordan is well past 30 and former first-round pick Payton Turner has not panned out. Van Ness is a bigger edge (6’4, 272 lbs.) which is the athletic profile New Orleans looks for. Van Ness would give them a big power player that they covet.

31. Philadelphia Eagles – DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt

It’s almost not fair. Kancey has the potential to be at his greatest paired with a massive nose tackle who can eat up double teams. This would allow Kancey to work one-on-one against a single blocker where his pass rush arsenal can really shine. Next to last year’s first-round pick Jordan Davis, Kancey would have just that chance.

32. Kansas City Chiefs – TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

Somehow in this version of my 2023 NFL Mock Draft, the league allowed a tight end who has drawn comps to Travis Kelce fall to Kansas City at 32. And if Kincaid reaches his ceiling, he gives the team the perfect successor to Kelce; a player who will allow quarterback Patrick Mahomes to continue to dominate for years to come.

So there y’all have it. What do you say, Bucs fans? Which picks do you see coming to fruition? Where am I way off? Let me know in the comments.