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It’s officially NFL Draft season! With the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and Pro Days in the books, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. is busting out his latest mock draft for 2023 with just over two weeks to go until this year’s draft.
This time around, Kiper is going with his projections for Round 1 and Round 2.
After a year where only one quarterback (Kenny Pickett to the Steelers) was selected in the first round, Kiper has a whopping four quarterbacks slated inside of the top five, including one surprising trade into the top three.
The first quarterback off of the board is Alabama’s Bryce Young, going to the Carolina Panthers. At No. 2, the Houston Texans take Ohio State’s CJ Stroud before chaos ensues. Just one year after selecting Malik Willis, Kiper has the Tennessee Titans jumping up 8 spots in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to select another project quarterback in Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
At No. 4, the Indianapolis Colts roll with Will Levis of Kentucky before the Seattle Seahawks snag the first defensive player in Georgia star defensive lineman Jalen Carter to round out the top five.
Who does Kiper have your favorite team drafting in his first 2023 mock draft?
A look at his top 10 projections can be seen below, while the full two-round mock draft can be seen by heading over to ESPN.com.
Mel Kiper Mock Draft 2023 – Top 10 Picks
Mel Kiper’s latest Mock Draft has QBs going 1-4, Jalen Carter to #Seahawks and #Bears taking OL at 9. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/dZpEAQGiZN
— Jason Krump (@JasonKrump) April 11, 2023
- Carolina Panthers (via CHI) — Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
- Houston Texans — CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
- Tennessee Titans (via mock trade with ARI) — Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
- Indianapolis Colts — Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
- Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) — Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
- Detroit Lions (via LAR) — Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
- Las Vegas Raiders — Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
- Atlanta Falcons — Nolan Smith, OLB, Georgia
- Chicago Bears (via CAR) — Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
- Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) — Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
