Bears Stay Put (For Now)

There has been a lot of chatter that the Chicago Bears are open to trading the first overall pick. That means they are likely sticking with Justin Fields. This is the right move as there are no guaranteed locks at quarterback in this years draft. In this version the Bears did not receive a good enough offer to trade out of #1. Let’s wait and see though what happens as we get closer to the draft.

Bryce Young Goes to Houston

If you’re the Houston Texans and Bryce Young is on the board, you have to take him. Yes there are some concerns about his height and weight but the upside is there. Durability may be an issue long term but if you can get 4-5 years of strong QB play from Young you take it.

Welcome to Detroit Will Levis

When it’s all said and done Will Levis may be the best quarterback prospect from this year’s draft. He as all the tools to succeed including a rocket arm. The Lions seem to be a perfect fit for him. He can sit a year behind quarterback Jared Goff as he refines his game and learns the speed of the NFL.

Jets Take the First Receiver

The New York Jets have an impressive young roster and they will continue to build on it with Quentin Johnston. Johnston will fit right in next to the dynamic Garrett Wilson. The only missing piece to the Jets offense is a quarterback. Look for them to address this later in the draft.

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By: Brock Wells

The Philadelphia Eagles are currently the best team in the NFC, sporting a perfect 8-0 record. They’re currently ahead of their rival Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants in the NFC East, which seems to have returned to the status it had attained some years ago as the NFL’s best division. Despite the Eagles’ favorability in the outlook of both their division and the conference, they’ll be taking advantage of a top-ten draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Eagles have a stout roster at the moment, but there are a couple of areas in which they could stand to shore up resources. It isn’t overly apparent where the weaknesses on this team are, but even the best teams can find improvement somewhere. With six picks in the first seven rounds, here’s a direction they could go.

1^st Round (8^th Overall): Kelee Ringo ”“ CB, Georgia

Kelee Ringo is arguably the most versatile defensive back in the 2023 NFL Draft. His ability to play the entire field in pass coverage as a corner makes him a heavily sought-after prize. The flaws he has exhibited in the past have been largely corrected in 2022, like his ability to be a bit overly aggressive in coverage.

For Ringo, having played in the SEC could go a long way for his outlook in the NFL. The SEC is the closest college football gets to NFL-level competition, and that’s a plus for his draft outlook. His tutelage with the Eagles and Darius Slay, one of the NFL’s best corners, only improves this outlook.

1^st Round (31^st Overall): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB ”“ Alabama

Alabama’s mill of running backs to the NFL continues with Jahmyr Gibbs who, while not a defining offensive element a la Derrick Henry, will make an excellent addition to an offensive with a number of other key pieces already in place. His playmaking ability is what has made Alabama’s offense even more difficult to disrupt.

An Eagles offense with Jalen Hurts, Myles Sanders, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert is loaded and the addition of someone like Gibbs seems a plus in every respect. Even if Sanders goes to another team, Gibbs could be ushered in nicely.

2^nd Round (63^rd Overall): Rashad Torrence II ”“ S, Florida

More SEC here with Rashad Torrence II out of Florida. The safety has a great ability to recognize routs and has top-notch close-in abilities. He also has abilities when being used in a blitz package. All of this makes him an addition for NFL teams to get excited about, and he has enough quickness to be able to make an instant impact.

The Eagles have a lot of depth in their defensive backfield with Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, allowing for a player like Torrence II to be able to grow into his own at the NFL level. He’ll need to grow a bit, literally, as his size is more like a corner at the moment than a safety.

3^rd Round (95^th Overall): Jaquelin Roy ”“ DL, LSU

Jaquelin Roy has played a major role in the recent resurgence of the LSU program. The 6’4”, 297-pound interior defensive lineman has excellent quickness for his size and is able to utilize that quickness to create disruption, particularly as a pass rusher, which stands out as his best asset at the current moment.

Neither Brandon Graham nor Fletcher Cox are as young as they used to be, so the Eagles could stand to benefit immediately as well as long term from a player like Roy. His addition could take some pressure of these veteran pieces and tighten up a defensive line rotation.

6^th Round (168^th Overall): Cameron Latu ”“ TE, Alabama

Cameron Latu isn’t one of the most recognizable pieces of the Alabama offense, but he is one its most reliable. Intermediate and short routes are his specialty, and he has some of the strongest hands in the ’23 draft. He’s one of the most solid tight end options in the draft because there’s very little risk with his profile.

Dallas Goedert has become one of the best tight ends in the NFL for the Eagles, but it’s always worth it to add depth to your skill positions. Latu, like Goedert, has been dependable for his team and can be deceptive with his ability to show out.

7^th Round (249^th Overall): Zak Zinter ”“ T, Michigan

6’6”, 315-pound offensive tackle Zak Zinter from Michigan struggles with pass protection, but he has major upside in the running game. He hasn’t played a ton of football either, which makes him a tad worrisome, and the reason why he comes up back in the 7^th round. But he isn’t going to be a player who comes in to start immediately, so his upside gets him a spot.

The Eagles’ offensive line, led by Jason Kelce, has proven to be a strength for the team in 2022. Bringing in a guy like Zinter means they’ll be able to get him the kind of experience he’ll need to adapt to the NFL level and could lead to him being a dependable piece at some point.

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By: Brock Wells

The Pittsburgh Steelers are experiencing the kind of season they haven’t had in a number of years. The team is on pace for its first-ever below-.500 season under head coach Mike Tomlin. There are a number of holes on this rebuilding roster that need to be filled heading into 2023 and beyond. It’s unthinkable that a Steelers team could be down and out for long. Luckily for them, many of their needs are glaringly obvious.

The Steelers are at the bottom of the pack in the NFL right now and will be in a position to bring in some extremely high talent in the 2023 NFL Draft. With that in mind, here’s what a mock draft for them looks like.

1^st Round (3^rd Overall): Will Anderson ”“ Edge, Alabama

Will Anderson is probably the best player in college football right now. He currently has 29.5 sacks in his collegiate career and 52 tackles for loss with a number of games left to go. The kind of ability he brings to the table is unmatched in the ’23 draft and will be able to bring in an immediate impact to the professional level.

The Steelers’ defense is clearly a different thing without T.J. Watt, so they’re going to want to add some depth to strengthen it in the draft. There’s no one better suited for that task than Anderson.

2^nd Round (33^rd Overall): Clark Phillips III ”“ CB, Utah

Clark Phillips III has more interceptions this season than he’s ever had, and he still has a number of games left to play. His abilities in pass coverage are among the best in the ’23 draft class and make him an attractive option for teams looking for a ball hawk. At under 200 pounds, strength and tackling are a bit lower than his abilities in pass coverage.

The Steelers are giving up pass yards like crazy this season, coming off a shellacking at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The team could desperately use a player with coverage abilities like Phillips.

2^nd Round (64^th Overall): John Michael Schmitz ”“ OL, Minnesota

John Michael Schmitz is a 6’4”, 320-pound force on the offensive line for Minnesota. He may not be the quickest off the ball lineman you’ll ever see, but his ability to hold up under pressure is top notch and he has excellent hand skills. He’s also shown the ability to gradually improve over the course of his collegiate career.

The Steelers are going to be sticking with Kenny Pickett at quarterback and will need to give him as much protection on the offensive line as possible to support his growth into the position at the professional level. Schmitz feels like a good fit.

4^th Round (100^th Overall): Colby Wooden ”“ DL, Auburn

Colby Wooden provides a lot of versatility on the defensive line and has the speed to get past the opposing offensive lineman. At 278 pounds, he’s got a nice balance between size and quickness. There’s a lot of upside growing alongside his position in the ’23 draft, and he’s been one of the bright spots on an Auburn team that’s really struggling this season.

The Steelers could use a player like Wooden to further strengthen their depth on the defensive line. Adding a player like this to a defensive line rotation with the presence of T.J. Watt could give him plenty of opportunities to break out.

5^th Round (130^th Overall): Akheem Mesidor ”“ DL, Miami

Akheem Mesidor played his first two seasons of college football in West Virginia but is finishing out his career in Miami. He’s got as many sacks as his career high already this season with a number of games left to play. At 272 pounds, he may be a bit undersized as a nose tackle but has potential to move across the line as well.

When you think of the Steelers, you think of defensive prowess. That’s been lacking so far in 2022 and they’re going to want to get that back in 2023. Mesidor is another solid option for them to do this.

6^th Round (162^nd Overall): Carter Warren ”“ OG, Pitt

Carter Warren possesses plenty of strength as a pass protector but can stand to improve in the running game. Still, at 6’5”, 320 pounds, there’s enough upside and potential to think he’s worth drafting in the later rounds. He has good skills with his hands on the offensive line that make up for some of his shortcomings with overall balance.

The Steelers could find it worth bringing in a player like Warren and try to develop him with the potential he has. It’s never a bad idea to bring in protection for your quarterback, especially with a young player like Pickett.

7^th Round (194^th Overall): Ja’Qurious Conley ”“ CB, North Carolina

Ja’Qurious Conley has a lot of struggles with both the running and passing game as a defensive back, but he also possesses a lot of potential and has shown moments of real strength throughout his college career. On-route recognition is a plus for his game and he has the quickness that allows him to close in quickly.

The Steelers may want to bring in a player with that kind of potential to develop due to his long-term outlook. Conley isn’t a player who’s going to be able to come in and play right away in all likelihood, but with some time, he could be a solid player in a defensive back rotation.

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By: Brock Wells

The Miami Dolphins have the chance to finish the 2022 season strongly even if Tua Tagovailoa misses a large portion of the rest of their games. The offensive firepower of the team will be able to handle many of their challenges, particularly in their division from the New England Patriots and New York Jets, that are yet to come. This is a team that is likely to find itself in the hunt for a Wild Card come playoff time if their starting quarterback doesn’t return at all.

Looking around the NFL right now, it’s difficult to find ten teams better than the Dolphins. But we’ll see if that continues to be the case. With the 23^rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, who could the team select to build upon the foundation it has laid? A way-too-early mock draft looks like this.

1^st Round (23^rd Overall): Broderick Jones ”“ T, Georgia

Broderick Jones is a great athlete for his size. At 6’5”, 315 pounds, he moves well due to his athletic background, which included playing basketball in high school and playing defensive end. His quickness off the snap is excellent and he’s made considerable improvements in his abilities as a pass protector, which was seen as a weak spot of his coming out of high school.

The Dolphins’ offensive line is currently ranked 24^th in the NFL, a weakness on a team that otherwise has very few. The potential is there for Jones to fit in well on this team going into 2023 and beyond.

2^nd Round (55^th Overall): Zach Evans ”“ RB, Ole Miss

Zach Evans is going to play in more games for Ole Miss in 2022 than he played in either of his previous seasons at TCU, which means he’ll be putting up career highs across a number of metrics by which running backs are measured. Ole Miss is riding along the success he has had so far this season and find themselves in the AP top ten.

The Dolphins have yet to the get the most out of their addition of Chase Edmonds and there’s no telling whether the injury prone Raheem Mostert is a long term solution. Adding Evans would give the team so depth to their running back depth chart.

3^rd Round (76^th Overall): Riley Moss ”“ CB, Iowa

Riley Moss has been with Iowa since 2018 and has been a cornerstone of their defense over the last few seasons. The Hawkeyes play a tough, old-school brand of football, and though don’t have anything to show for offensively this season, Moss has 28 total tackles and two forced fumbles through six games.

Moss is a mature player with a lot of collegiate experience and figures to adapt quickly to the NFL because of this. The Dolphins have zero interceptions so far in 2022 and the great Xavien Howard has played in just four games.

3^rd Round (87^th Overall): Richard Jibunor ”“ LB, Troy

Richard Jibunor began his college career at Auburn in 2018. After not playing in 2019, he has played the last three seasons at Troy. In those three seasons, he’s compiled 15 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles. The 6’3”, 232-pound linebacker has a high skill set and a great edge rushing capability.

The Dolphins are averaging just 1.8 sacks per game so far this season. Drafting a player like Jibunor could prove beneficial for them starting right away, as he’s the kind of player who will come into the NFL with a lot of game experience.

5^th Round (151^st Overall): Layden Robinson ”“ G, Texas A&M

Layden Robinson is 6’4”, 320 pounds, and a pulverizing force in the running game. Not the best athlete among ’23 draft prospects, he nonetheless is one of the strongest offensive linemen who will be taken in the draft. If your goal is to run the football, this is the kind of player you’re going to want on your team.

Imagine how dangerous the Dolphins could be if their running game was even remotely as good as their passing game. That could present the possibility for an offensive playbook that is deep and unpredictable. A guy like Robinson could prove helpful down the road.

6^th Round (163 Overall): A.T. Perry ”“ WR, Wake Forest

A.T. Perry has had a great career at Wake Forest. In 2021, the 6’5”, 206-pound wide receiver hauled in 71 receptions for 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns. He isn’t currently on pace to replicate those exact numbers this season, but he’s still one of the better receivers in the country, having the benefit of catching passes from Sam Hartman.

Even the Dolphins could benefit from bringing in depth at the wide receiver position. Perry has become arguably one of the best receivers Wake history, using his frame to tower over shorter defensive backs and taking advantage of 50/50 balls.

7^th Round (215^th Overall): Nesta Jade Silvera ”“ DL, Arizona State

Nesta Jade Silvera has been around college football since 2018, playing four seasons at Miami before transferring to Arizona State for the 2022 season. Not a sack artist, having recorded just two sacks in his collegiate career, he nonetheless is an excellent disrupter and a drawer of attention in the trenches.

Silvera provides plenty of upside as a later-round pick because of his experience on the defensive line. He’s played a lot of football and could prove to be a fine asset for the Dolphins’ defensive line rotation. A low risk, good reward kind of player.

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