A heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Eagles in Sunday night’s thrilling game against NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs officially kicks off the 2023 NFL Draft process for all 32 teams.
With the NFL combination just weeks away, the focus now turns to how all 259 picks in the April Draft might play out.
The Eagles are one of four teams with two first-round picks (Lions, Seahawks, Texans) that give them multiple options to stay and draft top talent and the ability to move up or down the draft order.
After the Super Bowl, here’s how we plan to play Round 1 with the full first round picks now finalized. This draft will not include any trades.
1. Chicago Bears: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
Despite playing a technical 4i and five for most of his 2022 snaps, Alabama’s Will Anderson has the explosiveness and the crease to be worthy of a top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
2. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
As a potential outlier at the quarterback position, balance, accuracy, and offscript playmaking ability separate Bryce Young from other quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Gives the Texans a young quarterback to usher in the DeMeco Ryans era in Houston .
3. Arizona Cardinals: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Arguably the best player in the draft, Jalen Carter blend speed and power to disengage blockers and stabbing the offensive line, flushing quarterbacks out of the pocket, or forcing running backs to bounce the ball out of the box will allow him to make an immediate NFL-level impact.
4. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Since the Colts have officially hired Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to become their head coach, pairing him with Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud (who excels at pitching accurately and cracking defenses) to guide them in their complete rebuild under a new regime may give the Colts stability in a position that has been a revolving door.
5. Seattle Seahawks: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
Playing 6-6, 275 pounds, Tyree Wilson is a powerful bully in the trenches who often tried to outrun offensive linemen using power passing quick moves.
6. Detroit Lions: Christian Gonzalez, DB, Oregon
The fluidity and fluency with which Christian Gonzalez plays makes him a top option among defenders, a probable position of necessity for the Lions. His ball skills and ability to mirror runs make him a fascinating prospect to watch more closely at the NFL Combine.
7. Vegas Raiders: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
In the midst of the pass from Derek Carr, the Raiders move in a different direction at quarterback, selecting Florida signal caller Anthony Richardson, who is far from a finished product but has an enticing knack for arms and a game-changing dual threat ability. Mechanically, Richardson needs to clean up his footwork and tendency to sail passes, but his unscripted ability can mask the shortcomings of the offensive line.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Myles Murphy, already a sturdy run defender, with great strength and length in the trenches, offers Atlanta a reliable three-down player as he develops a rushing plan to the deepest pass.
9. Carolina Panthers: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The Carolina Panthers have been looking for an answer at quarterback in recent years and Will Levis is another quarterback prospect that teams outside the top five will be chasing. The Kentucky quarterback as a snappy, quick release with the size and mobility to translate to NFL play, though overall accuracy and ball placement takes work.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO): Joey Porter Jr., DB, Penn State
As hinted at in the mock two-round breakdown released earlier this week, Joey Porter Jr. fills a potential need for the Eagles as the NFL is shifting its assessment of physical longbacks. Pairing him with Darius Slay gives the Eagles a solid duo for the next two seasons, assuming James Bradberry moves on.
11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
With Taylor Lewan’s future uncertain, the Titans are selecting Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski here, the most technically refined trench player in the draft, who could make a move to be an inside lineman if his arm length annoys teams from seeing it strictly as a piece of equipment.
12. Houston Texans: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson
Production wasn’t there for Clemson’s Bryan Bresee this season, but he has one deadly swimming move and refined use of the hand to win quickly at the line of scrimmage against offensive linemen combined with lateral quickness to work an entire defensive line, an area where the Texans can use an upgrade.
13. New York Jets: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
With a number of their tackles set to hit free agency and uncertainty around former first-round left tackle Mekhi Becton, the Jets pick Paris Johnson, who possesses unique athleticism and recovery speed to mitigate both speed that the power rushers. Johnson also has experience playing inside, starting in 2022 at right guard.
14. New England Patriots: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
A player who has one of the highest ceilings among tacklers in this class, Broderick Jones finds a home in New England, possessing the athleticism to move and block in space, though his hand placement and timing of the opening shot need improvement .
15. Green Bay Packers: Brian Branch, Security, Alabama
A versatile player on the Alabama defense, Brian Branch plays with a hot engine, ability to cover in man cover situations, with day ball skills suited to the Packers as Adrian Amos should hit the open market.
16. Washington Commanders: Cam Smith, DB, South Carolina
The wide receiver’s talent within the division will only grow after this offseason, which means a player like Cam Smith from South Carolina can be brought in to give the Washington defensive room an upgrade as a hard-working, hard-working tackler who attacks the kick while in the air.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Devon Witherspoon, DB, Illinois
Devon Witherspoon of Illinois is a bit undersized at 6-0, 185 pounds, but plays much bigger and is sticky in men’s cover while showing a willingness to be a force in run support.
18. Detroit Lions: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The Lions used a top 12 pick on Jameson Williams last year, but with DJ Chark potentially testing the free agent market, Quentin Johnston can slot in and be another vertical threat, utilizing his size and speed to generate big ratings alongside Williams and Amon-Ra San Brown.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
The Tampa Bay Bucs face the quarterback position following the retirement of Tom Brady and the potential for the departure of Lavonte David, but add flexible and explosive LSU rusher BJ Ojulari to a thin outside linebacker core with Shaquil Barrett and Joe Tryon -Shoyinka in recovery is a good start.
20. Seattle Seahawks: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett continue to command a large percentage of the Seahawks’ passing game, but the addition of Jordan Addison, who is much more effective as a slot and wide border with his road running prowess, adds another weapon to the offense led by Geno Smith.
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
The New England Patriots have spent quite a bit of time with Zay Flowers at Boston College’s Shrine Bowl, but adding him to a Chargers team that needs more playmakers in the wide receiver room makes sense with Flowers’ ability to create explosive plays and take over. top of the defences.
22. Baltimore Ravens: Kelee Ringo, DB, Georgia
The skillset and size (6-2, 210) that Kelee Ringo possesses will be too difficult to ignore, despite her difficulties spotting the ball in press secretary coverage and her line of scrimmage inconsistencies in handling releases.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
With Justin Jefferson emerging as a star and Adam Thielen aging, the Vikings need another true playmaker at catcher, and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba checks those boxes, especially as a creative and nuanced path runner which mainly operates from the slot.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
The Jaguars could very well bring back Evan Engram, but it was clear that quarterback Trevor Lawrence liked having a versatile weapon that could thrive in center field, which was an area where Utah’s Dalton Kincaid lived in college.
25. New York Giants: O’Cyrus Torrence, USA, Florida
The Giants have their future tackles in Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas. Then the addition of massive Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence, who has impressive grip strength and the power to move defenders off the ball on the running game, makes for a powerful trio.
26. Dallas Cowboys: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
Both Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr could leave via free agency, leaving a hole in the middle of the defense, an area where Clemson’s Trenton Simpson can fill in as an impact blitzer with the athleticism to cover in space.
27. Buffalo Bills: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
An offense seeking its identity without relying solely on Josh Allen, adding Texas running back Bijan Robinson gives the Bills a three-down threat that causes people to lose in the open field and creates explosive runs.
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Meyer, TE, Notre Dame
Michael Mayer is still the top tight end overall in this draft class, making him an intriguing pick for a Bengals offense, filling a need as both a blocker and a safety blanket in center field.
29. New Orleans Saints: Lukas Van Ness, DL, Iowa
With Shy Tuttle, Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata potentially leaving, the Saints have a clear hole down the defensive line, with an aging Cameron Jordan. Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness has explosive power with a long-term edge, even though he didn’t start for the Hawkeyes.
30. Philadelphia Eagles: Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech
A bit older in prospect, Keion White enjoyed his best season in 2022, recording 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a senior for Georgia Tech. He offers versatility down the defensive line, like a 4i technique and oblique threes that can potentially fill a hole inside if Fletcher Cox or Javon Hargrave leaves via free agency.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl, but they lack a vertical threat that can turn the field around, in which Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt excels. Award winner Biletnikoff offers Patrick Mahomes another weapon at catcher with this pick.
*The NFL announced in August that the Miami Dolphins will forego the 2023 first-round pick and the 2024 third-round pick following an investigation into whether the team violated league policies regarding integrity of play.
