The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 27, and there will be plenty of discussion leading up to draft night. Which quarterback will be the first off the board? When will the first skill-position player get drafted? How far will Jalen Carter fall? With free agency now open and a bunch of signings already confirmed, we have a better idea of what holes teams will try to fill in the draft.

We’ve already had one huge trade, as the Carolina Panthers have moved up from No. 9 to the top pick in the draft. All expectations are that the Panthers made the move to get their franchise quarterback. I would expect more movement at the top, as many expect the Arizona Cardinals to trade back as well. But for the sake of this exercise, there will be no trades.

The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick following the investigation into tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton. They would have had the 21st pick.

The Dolphins’ infraction moves the Baltimore Ravens up to the 22nd overall pick, the first of five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Ravens will be without their second- and fifth-round selections as a result of the Roquan Smith trade. We will have Ravens-only mock drafts throughout the offseason.

Here is the second of several mock drafts with some analysis to follow.

No. 1: Carolina Panthers via Chicago Bears (3-14)
Team Needs: QB, RB, TE, S
Selection: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

No. 2: Houston Texans (3-13-1)
Team Needs: Everything
Selection: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

No. 3: Arizona Cardinals (4-13)
Team Needs: EDGE, CB, OL, LB
Selection: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

No. 4: Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1)
Team Needs: QB, OL, CB, EDGE
Selection: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

No. 5: Seattle Seahawks — via Denver Broncos (5-12)
Team Needs: IOL, DL, S, QB
Selection: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

No. 6: Detroit Lions — via Los Angeles Rams (5-12)
Team Needs: CB, LB, TE, QB
Selection: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders (6-11)
Team Needs: OL, DB, LB
Selection: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

No. 8: Atlanta Falcons (7-10)
Team Needs: EDGE, DB, WR, QB
Selection: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

No. 9: Chicago Bears via Carolina Panthers (7-10)
Team Needs: OT, EDGE, IOL, CB
Selection: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern

No. 10: Philadelphia Eagles — via New Orleans Saints (7-10)
Team Needs: LB, RB, S
Selection: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia

No. 11: Tennessee Titans (7-10)
Team Needs: OT, EDGE, WR, LB
Selection: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

No. 12: Houston Texans — via Cleveland Browns (7-10)
Team Needs: Everything
Selection: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

No. 13: New York Jets (7-10)
Team Needs: OT, LB, TE
Selection: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

No. 14: New England Patriots (8-9)
Team Needs: WR, OT, EDGE, DB
Selection: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

No. 15: Green Bay Packers (8-9)
Team Needs: WR, EDGE, TE, LB
Selection: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

No. 16: Washington Commanders (8-8-1)
Team Needs: QB, OL, CB, LB
Selection: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

No. 17: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)
Team Needs: OT, CB, LB, EDGE
Selection: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

No. 18: Detroit Lions (9-8)
Team Needs: CB, LB, TE, QB
Selection: Calijah Kancey, DL, Pittsburgh

No. 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
Team Needs: QB, OL, DB, TE
Selection: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida

No. 20: Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
Team Needs: IOL, DL, S, QB
Selection: Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa

No. 21: Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)
Team Needs: IOL, LB, DL, WR
Selection: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

No. 22: Baltimore Ravens (10-7)
Team Needs: EDGE, CB, WR, OL
Selection: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

No. 23: Minnesota Vikings (13-4)
Team Needs: EDGE, WR, CB, LB
Selection: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

No. 24: Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)
Team Needs: OL, CB, EDGE, DT
Selection: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson

No. 25: New York Giants (9-7-1)
Team Needs: WR, CB, IOL, LB
Selection: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

No. 26: Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Team Needs: WR, DL, LB, TE
Selection: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

No. 27: Buffalo Bills (13-3)
Team Needs: IOL, S, TE, DL
Selection: Brian Branch, S, Alabama

No. 28: Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
Team Needs: CB, IOL, S, TE
Selection: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

No. 29: New Orleans Saints — via San Francisco 49ers (13-4)
Team Needs: CB, IOL, DL
Selection: Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan

No. 30: Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Team Needs: LB, RB, S
Selection: Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

No. 31: Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
Team Needs: OT, WR, EDGE, S
Selection: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

Notes:

The changing of the guard at the top of the draft also sees a new No. 1 quarterback since my last mock draft. Bryce Young still goes to the Texans at No. 2, but it’s C.J. Stroud who is the top selection in this class.

Speaking of the quarterbacks, Anthony Richardson rises after a stellar performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. Meanwhile, Will Levis falls out of the top 10 and lands in Washington with the 16th pick. Levis has reportedly been bombing the pre-draft interviews and his stock is slipping. With that said, some team will still take a chance on him in the first round and the Commanders have a need.

It won’t be a popular pick in Pittsburgh as many are hopeful he’s wearing a Steelers uniform because of his father, but the Ravens select Joey Porter Jr. with their top pick. The Steelers opt for Maryland corner Deonte Banks. I had previously mocked Banks to the Ravens.

Bijan Robinson is a top-10 talent, but running backs just are not getting drafted that high anymore. Robinson lands in a dream scenario with the Chargers with Austin Ekeler seeking a trade. Whatever team ends up with the Texas running back is going to have a weapon in the backfield.

Biggest Reach: Anthony Richardson to the Colts

He rocked the combine, but I’m still not sold on Richardson. He was just too much inconsistent at Florida to go in the top five picks. He needs seasoning but would likely need to start right away for Indy. He’s a late first-round pick in my eyes, but he’s going early because of his physical traits instead of his play on film.

Best Bargain: Jalen Carter to the Eagles

Carter is going through some personal things connected to a fatal accident just before the combine, and that worries teams. I still think he’s a top-five talent, and the Eagles will be glad to pick him up at No. 10. Carter could end up being the best player in this class. Pairing him with former collegiate teammate Jordan Davis gives the Eagles their trench superstars of the future.

Ideal Fit: Quentin Johnson to the Texans

Johnson stays in Texas and instantly becomes the Texans’ No. 1 receiver after Houston traded away Brandin Cooks. He pairs with No. 2 pick Bryce Young to become the centerpiece of their offense. He will be one of the top rookie receivers to target come fantasy football season.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Penn State Athletics

Joe Serpico

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