DID YOU MISS ME?!?!?! Yeah, I know it’s been some time since I’ve posted a written blog, but you know draft season brings me out of hibernation. Been going through it tbh since FSU got robbed out of the playoff. BUT I DIGRESS! Obviously, it’s whatever though because CFB is over and so is the 2023 NFL season.
This class admittedly is vastly different from last year. It feels extremely deep in some positions such as OL, and very VERY barren in others. Last year, we saw two running backs go in the first round and an incredible tight end class. This year, it’s possible we only see one player in both of these two positions within the first 40 picks. I know running backs are polarizing and tight ends typically do not have immediate impact, but it speaks to the lack of impact talent in these positions (I’m sure the fantasy community wanted to read that).
Everything is going to run through the Chicago Bears as the obvious headliner of this class is Caleb Williams. The obvious question regarding the draft is what the Bears are going to do with the number 1 overall pick. Last year, they traded out of the first pick where the Carolina Panthers moved from 10 to 1 to take Bryce Young. The move was because they had Justin Fields in place as the QB. After a subpar season from the Bears and a horrid season from the Panthers, the team dawning the midway once again find themselves in QB territory. This time, it’s a generational prospect staring them in the eye. Looking back, it’s easy to say the Panthers should have never traded up. Evidence in the roster and piss poor decisions due to ownership has shown that this franchise absolutely stinks in more ways than one where a QB just would not have even made the Panthers a division contender. My point is that if the Bears decide to trade out of 1 again, whoever makes that deal better be sure they are ready to compete. For the sake of the mock however, there are no trades.
Pick 1 – Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams (QB/USC)
As stated before, the Panthers would belong here, but they traded this pick to Chicago. This has to be the largest draft dilemma of my lifetime. Do they keep Justin Fields and trade out, or do they trade Fields and draft Williams. If Fields is traded, there are a host of teams who would line up for his services. People have the wrong impression about Fields because he comes from Chicago where honestly, this team has sabotaged this man. With a rotating door at offensive coordinator and waiting until year 3 to secure a legit number 1 receiver, they set this man up to fail from the day 1. Still, the talent is off the charts and he’s still only 24. He’s younger than some of the QBs in this class as it is. In the right culture, a reset would do him wonders. Inserting Caleb Williams would allow the Bears to properly utilize the cap space saved by not paying Fields to right the self-imposed wrong and reset. With Williams being under a rookie contract and the right pieces in place, they could finally steer this franchise in the right direction. Williams has been destined for the number one overall pick since his 2022 Heisman Trophy campaign. By selecting Williams, this franchise can finally get the quarterback position right as the Bears have been beyond desperate to get it right since….Jay Cutler? I genuinely would be shocked if they traded out. If they did however, look for them to acquire one of the craziest draft pick packages this league has ever seen and position themselves to take one of these impact receivers in this class.
Pick 2 – Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels (QB/LSU)
Dan Quinn is now the man in charge of this team as Ron Rivera is out 3 years too late. Yes he’s very well respected in the NFL, but Rivera has not had a winning season as a head coach since Cam Newton took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. This franchise needs to go full reset, and the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner will help that case. Offensively, the receiving core is solid. The OL could use work, but the mobility of Daniels can help mask the weaknesses up front. Outside of the FSU game in week 1, Daniels was a stud as he had one of the best deep balls in CFB last year. He had the best receiving tandem to throw to, however his running ability compares to Lamar Jackson. He’s definitely not as elusive as Lamar and he’s been known to disregard protecting his body as a runner.
Pick 3 – New England Patriots
Drake Maye (QB/UNC)
For the first time in over 20 years, Bill Belichick is not going to be the HC of this team. It really is the end of an era as former Pats linebacker in Jerod Mayo takes over this team. Another franchise looking for a full reset, Drake Maye should be the pick here. I’m curious though, the Patriots feel a lot further away from competing again than not. It honestly would not shock me if they traded down or pivoted to Marvin Harrison Jr./OT. By resetting the QB clock, they’d essentially open their contention window. Then there is the issue of what to do with Mac Jones. He could be trade bait for one of these QB needy teams such as the Raiders. If I were the Pats GM, I’d look to trade out of this pick and stick with Mac Jones for now. This is one of the worst rosters in football so acquiring picks to rebuild literally everything would be the proper decision. A QB needy team such as the Falcons would put themselves in a position to win now. Maye is somewhat polarizing as he appeared to take a step back this year. The issue was not his talent though, it was his weaponry. Putting Maye with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London feels like the perfect situation for Maye.
Pick 4 – Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR/Ohio State)
The Cardinals could end up with two of the best college prospects at WR in my lifetime in Larry Fitzgerald and Marvin Harrison Jr. If the first 3 picks go QB/QB/QB, this may be the most guaranteed pick in the draft outside of Caleb Williams at 1. Masarati Marv is an absolute freak show at the WR position. At 6’4″, 205 pounds, and a 4.4 40 yard dash, he’s as can’t miss as it gets. With all signs pointing to the Cardinals committing to Kyler Murray, it would give him a legit number 1 and another weapon to pair with TE Trey McBride.
Pick 5 – Los Angeles Chargers
Brock Bowers (TE/Georgia)
Oh hey, another franchise who made a coaching change! This was the biggest splash of all though where the Chargers canned Brandon Staley for the winner of the CFB playoff in coach Jim Harbaugh. This may have been the best job available for Harbaugh because of Justin Herbert. The rest of the team though is in cap hell. They have 2 receivers who make 20+ mil and neither of them can stay healthy for a full season. They just drafted another one last year who looks like an absolute bust thus far. Brock Bowers would help tremendously with the passing game as he’s a physical specimen at the position. If this happens, I’d vault Bowers into my dynasty 2 position behind Lil Big Marv easily.
Pick 6 – New York Giants
Rome Odunze (WR/Washington)
The Giants went from surprising everyone to making the playoffs, to back to obscurity picking in the top 10. If I recall, the last time they were at 6, they took Daniel Jones (don’t fact check because I didn’t). I’ve heard some rumblings that QB could be in play for this team, however, a smart man such as myself know that’s simply smoke. Danny Dimes may not be worth his contract, but they can’t get out of this contract without a massive cap hit. It’s easier to ride it out with Danny Dimes and circle back next year. He led them to the playoffs in 2022 with Daboll, so get him a weapon this offense does not have outside of the numbers in Odunze. I have Nabors as my WR2, but the team has to be factored in when drafting. To me, Odunze is Mike Evans 2.0 and the Giants need that. Their tallest pass catcher is Darren Waller, and after that Hyatt/Slayton who stand around 6’0″. Bring back Saquon Barkley, draft a legit WR1 for Danny Dimes, and let’s see what he’s made of.
Pick 7 – Tennessee Titans
Joe Alt (OT/Notre Dame)
The Titans are another team with a new head coach as Mike Vrabel is out, and in comes Brian Callahan, former Bengals OC. Last year, quarterback Will Levis fell into their lap in round 2, and they found themselves with one of the better interior lineman in Peter Skoronski in round 1. Alt is a top tier talent and the name of the game is to protect the quarterback. Whether it’s Alt or PSU standout Olumuyiwa Fashanu, I’m basically penciling in offensive line for this team despite moving on from Derrick Henry.
Pick 8 – Atlanta Falcons
Dallas Turner (EDGE/Alabama)
Firing Arthur Smith was the right call as this team turns to Raheem Morris now to lead the franchise as the new head coach. Since I’m not officially predicting trades (even if I think they should be aggressive to get into the top 3), I’m sticking with the 8th draft slot here. As I’ve been saying for years in previous mocks, this team needs to get after the quarterback. They’ve been near the bottom of the league in sacks. Last year, there was improvement as they got past the 40 sack mark in god knows how long. Still, adding a dynamic pass rusher opposite of Bud Dupree will help in continuing to build this defensive unit.
Pick 9 – Chicago Bears
Malik Nabers (WR/LSU)
This is Chicago’s actual pick as they improved from last year to next. I sort of broke them down already so I’ll try to keep this short. In the Panthers trade, they acquired DJ Moore. Outside of that, this receiving core is atrocious. Malik Nabers is an absolute stud of a receiver. He reminds me of a cross between Garrett Wilson and Devonta Smith. He’s a silky smooth route runner with the speed to take the top off of a defense with the ability to lineup all over the field. With the Bears grabbing Williams at 1, they can give him a weapon he needs to thrive setting him up for earlier success in the NFL unlike what they did for Justin Fields.
Pick 10 – New York Jets
Olumuyiwa Fashanu (OT/Penn State)
This pick is simple: take the best OT available at 10 and protect Aaron Rodgers. Coming into the 2023 CFB season, Fashanu was seen as a legit blue-chip prospect. That hasn’t changed because he fell to 10 in my mock. This offensive line class is just that damn deep so getting this man at 10 is an absolute steal. Jets fans can as call this good karma for the Steelers leaping them to take Broderick Jones. Yes, I’m happy about that as a Steelers fan, but the Jets saw us trade with the Pats in order to make it happen and in turn, saw their franchise QB’s end before it began. Protect. Aaron. Rodgers.
Pick 11 – Minnesota Vikings
Laiatu Latu (EDGE/Alabama)
The Vikings are in a weird spot this year in the draft. They need to decide what to do with their quarterback situation involving Kirk Cousins, but it is their edge rushers that bothers me more. With three of them set to become free agents upgrading this position is a must. Enter Alabama’s Dallas Turner who can easily fill the role and dominate the edge.
Pick 12 – Denver Broncos
JJ McCarthy (QB/Michigan)
I don’t understand the hype but it’s there. McCarthy is one of the more polarizing QB prospects in recent years because he has tools, he has pedigree, but he does not have the stats to back it all up. Harbaugh’s offense was run-centric, so McCarthy wasn’t relied on much to sling the pill in shootouts. McCarthy showed flashes though and when the opportunities came, he made some great throws. He’s also shockingly mobile. In a weird way, this feels like a perfect situation as Sean Payton can 100% maximize his skillset. They’re 100% moving on from Russell Wilson, so a big hole sits at the QB position.
Pick 13 – Las Vegas Raiders
Terrion Arnold (CB/Alabama)
The two most important things for a franchise to succeed are head coach and QB. They fired Josh McDaniels after he flat out lost the locker room midseason, and interim coach Antonio Pierce changed the season for the better. He finished 5-4 with Aiden O’Connell at QB and was named the full-time head coach. The good news is the hired the right guy. The bad news is they aren’t getting their QB in my mock. As mentioned, they’re in the QB race as I dangled a Mac Jones possibility here. I went with Arnold because they need help on the outside opposite of Nate Hobbs. In a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, good corners are a must. This team also had 13 ints last year so look for them to bolster their secondary.
Pick 14 – New Orleans Saints
Jer’Zhan Newton (DL/Illinois)
The Saints have holes to fill in their trenches on both sides. For me, the MUCH weaker side is on defense. OT could be a possibility here pending on the board, but I went with the first DL on my big board. This team finished in the bottom 5 in sacks with 34. They took Breese last year and Cam Jordan is 34 years old as of today. They honestly do not have any other threats on that front 7. Newton would obviously help as he can play inside and outside in this scheme.
Pick 15 – Indianapolis Colts
Quinyon Mitchell (CB/Toledo)
The Colts had one of the best turnarounds in the NFL last year after picking near the top of the draft selecting QB Anthony Richardson. He looked absolutely electric before his injury. Still, first year head coach Shane Steichen had them in the playoff hunt. Mitchell really shot up draft boards during the Senior Bowl as he turns a ton of heads including mine. He’s someone who 100% has my interest as we approach the combine. He reminds me of a poor man’s Devon Witherspoon which the Colts would obviously take here at 15.
Pick 16 – Seattle Seahawks
Jared Verse (EDGE/FSU)
Another head coaching move here as Pete Carroll surprised everyone suddenly retiring. We should have somewhat seen it coming with him being 72 years old. The Seahawks transition into their new era though in tabbing former Baltimore Ravens DC in Mike MacDonald as their next head coach. Being a defensive guy and bringing in Verse, this team can improve the front 7 as they need help on the edge after not having a player post a double-digit sack total last year.
Pick 17 – Jacksonville Jaguars
Byron Murphy II (DT/Texas)
The Jaguars did not live up to expectations as they absolutely collapsed after they came into Pittsburgh and stomped on the towel after a victory. Hopefully they now understand the curse! Getting to this team, C could be in play as they can find another way to mess with Steelers fans, but not in this mock! The truth is, they don’t have a force on the interior. I believe former first round pick Josh Allen will be back and they drafted Travon Walker 1 overall 2 years back. Adding a force on the interior will help up front as they continue to build this front seven. Murphy is someone I believe is going to shoot up boards after the combine as he is a strong human. He’s someone I’m very excited to see test come Combine time.
Pick 18 – Cincinnati Bengals
JC Latham (OT/Alabama)
Joe Burrow has to stay upright for this team to have a chance. Of course, you can say that about any team with a franchise QB of his caliber. This one feels like a no brainer considering they have a hole at RT since Jonah Williams is entering free agency. Latham is a mountain standing at 6’6″ and 360 lbs. You can just pencil him into the right side of that line after this pick no problem at all.
Pick 19 – Los Angeles Rams
Cooper DeJean (DB/Iowa)
The Rams have quietly rebuilt this team under Sean McVay with incredible drafting after mortgaging all of their picks for a Super Bowl. After making the playoffs last year and narrowly losing to Detroit, they feel primed and ready to maximize on the remaining Matthew Stafford years. They need a lot on defense behind Aaron Donald. To me, their biggest weakness on the back end. Admittedly, DeJean is my number 1 defensive back in this class. The problem is what position he ends up playing. He reminds me so much of Minkah Fitzpatrick. I’ll go as far as saying he has better ball skills at this point than what Minkah had coming out of Alabama. Sliding him in the backend of the defense would give them a hell of an athlete with high football IQ.
Pick 20 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Jackson Power-Johnson (C/Oregon)
Mike Tomlin yet again brought a playoff team in Pittsburgh despite obvious shortcomings on one side of the ball. The offense is clearly the weakness especially at QB. I don’t think Kenny Pickett is the answer, but Matt Canada is no longer calling plays. That distinction belongs to former Falcons head coach in Arthur Smith. JPJ was the Rimington Trophy winner which goes to CFB’s best interior OL. We just cut Mason Cole as well. I could also see OT here as they have a hole on the right side of the line. We know they want to run the football and have an incredible lineage of great center play. If he’s there at 20, it feels like a forgone conclusion. If not, I expect an OT pivot with C in round 2.
Pick 21 – Miami Dolphins
Nate Wiggins (CB/Clemson)
The Dolphins feel very close to taking that next level. There is an extension looming for Tua Tagovailoa so they are going to clear some cap space. With them acquiring all-pro cornerback in Jalen Ramsey last year, Xavien Howard is rumored to be a cap casualty so out with Howard, and in with Wiggins who can start from day 1 on a defense that has to battle Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers twice a year.
Pick 22 – Philadelphia Eagles
Graham Barton (OL/Duke)
With the retirement of Jason Kelce, this dominant offensive line will be looking to fill the void here at center. I slide Barton in here as he is a very interesting prospect. NFL circles project him as someone who can play guard and center. At Duke, he played both center and left tackle. With the line having former center in Landon Dickerson, adding Barton to the OL would allow the Eagles to fully determine who is best suited to take over the void Kelce left. At worst, the Eagles have a new starting left guard.
Pick 23 – Houston Texans
Taliese Fuaga (OT/Oregon State)
Houston was easily the most surprising team of the 2023 season. I thought they were crazy to take Stroud because that would start the clock for their window of competing. I never doubted Stroud’s abilities, but 100% doubted this team was going to compete for a playoff spot let alone win the division. With the franchise QB solidified, head coach DeMeco Ryans has to protect him. Slide in Fuaga on the right side, and edge rushers across the NFL will deal with him and Tunsil.
Pick 24 – Dallas Cowboys
Kool-Aid McKinstry(CB/Alabama)
The Dallas Cowboys are another team who has to circumnavigate around the cap as Dak Prescott is rumored for another extension, while one of the best wide receivers in the league in CeeDee Lamb is due for this first extension. Both are going to command big money. The point of this is Trevon Diggs already got paid, and Stephon Gillmore is hitting free agency. McKinstry is a guy who can step in right away opposite of Diggs and can keep the secondary whole. New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is getting a very athletic corner who can excel in man or zone.
Pick 25 – Green Bay Packers
Tyler Guyton (OT/Oklahoma)
In a very deep offensive line class, it feels like a no-brainer that the Packers are going to select a lineman. Dealing with injury issues last year, they lost David Bakhtiari for the entire season last year and still allowed 30 total sacks allowing Jordan Love all the time in the world to shred defenses. His development was crucial and their patience paid off because he looks like a star in the making. I’ve said it before…protect the franchise. Guyton is massive standing at 6’7″ and 330 so he has the frame for the left side. Guyton was a right tackle at OU so it would be interesting to see if they keep him there.
Pick 26 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chop Robinson (EDGE/Penn State)
Tampa Bay was the NFC South division winner with 9 wins however also won a playoff game vs the Eagles. Whatever edge falls here, I’m slotting them in here as Shaq Barrett was just release to create cap space. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans are slotted to be free agents and it would behoove them to keep both in order to have a shot at back-to-back division titles.
Pick 27 – Arizona Cardinals
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (CB/Missouri)
With Arizona selecting generational wide receiver prospect in Marvin Harrison Jr., they return back to the first round for their 2nd selection. The defensive backfield has no real talent outside of Budda Baker and he isn’t necessarily a ballhawk boasting career 7 interceptions over his 7-year career. Like Mitchell, Rakestraw Jr. is another corner rising up boards pretty quickly. He’s a pure man corner and Arizona has not had that since Patrick Peterson. He’s another guy I’m very excited to see test out here as we approach the combine.
Pick 28 – Buffalo Bills
Keon Coleman (WR/Florida State)
The Bills selected a pass catcher in the first-round last year in Dalton Kincaid. Outside of Stefon Diggs, they do not have an elite talent in the receiving corps. Gabe Davis already posted his stats/goodbye on his Instagram, so Keon Coleman can be the new vertical threat here. Being an FSU fan, I watched Coleman weekly. He can win 50/50 balls with ease as he stands at 6’4″ and 210. It would give Josh Allen a new deep threat as Coleman would be the perfect complement to Diggs (if he’s still there come kickoff).
Pick 29 – Detroit Lions
TJ Tampa (CB/Iowa State)
Detroit was able to not only secure their first division title in forever, they also were able to go on a run to the NFC Championship game. This team is right there in the Super Bowl hunt, however they do have some holes to fill. The one thing they lack is an impact corner on the outside. Cam Sutton is good, but he’s not a number 1 corner. TJ Tampa has that potential to be just that as defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn forwent all head coaching jobs to stay. Inserting Tampa on the outside, with Brian Branch on the back end, Jack Campbell in the middle, and Aiden Hutchinson on the edge……whew baby.
Pick 30 – Baltimore Ravens
Edgerrin Cooper (LB/Texas A&M)
Baltimore is entering this year with less on their plate than last because Lamar Jackson is locked up. He rewarded their investment with an MVP season, an AFC North title, and a loss to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. This year, they have a number of roster decisions to make as many are due for contracts. DT Justin Madubuike is getting the franchise tag at least as they try to lock him up long term. Jadeveon Clowney is also slated for free agency however I expect him to be back as he would cost cheap. This leaves Patrick Queen as the odd man out. Seeing as they just paid Roquan Smith big time money, Cooper can slide in and take his place. Cooper reminds me a lot of Queen, and this would give the Ravens two linebackers in the middle who can cover sideline-to-sideline.
Pick 31 – San Francisco 49ers
Troy Fautanu (OG/Washington)
The 49ers gave it their all but again came up short as it feels like the story of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching career. Another top team dealing with cap issues, I can see them using this pick to continue to keep their identity live which is the run game. Fautanu played his collegiate career at LT, however Fautanu seems undersized to remain there at the NFL level. With Trent Williams locking down the backside of Brock Purdy, Fautanu can slide into guard where I think he would thrive. This team is built in the trenches and their current OL unit is aging. They can use this pick to begin to infuse some much-needed youth.
Pick 32 – Kansas City Chiefs
Brian Thomas Jr. (WR/LSU)
Finally with the last pick in the 1st round, we reach the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. It genuinely felt like this was their most vulnerable team, but of course we were proven once again to never doubt Patrick Mahomes. It felt vulnerable because their issues at the wide receiver position were obvious. Rashee Rice definitely emerged here down the stretch to help with the pass game. To take it to the next level, they can add Thomas Jr. who led the nation in receiving touchdowns with 17. Adding Thomas to the most creative red zone offense feels like cheating. Thomas would give Mahomes a towering down-the-field threat they’ve missed since Tyreek Hill. Thomas is obviously taller standing at 6’4″ which again feels like cheating since his QB would be Mahomes.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 