No trades in Mock 4.0 NFL franchises desperate to land their franchise quarterback, remaining secretive enough to frustrate a Chinese spy balloon’s diabolical intent to decipher sensitive intel inside their respective buildings.
An offensive tackle for the Jets and a new Giants target who is no giant for $40 million quarterback Daniel Jones.
Picks 1-25, with the entire first round Mock 5.0 on Draft Day:
1. Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
No change from Mock 3.0. A miniature Drew Brees, if Frank Reich is lucky. A Steph Curry-esque point guard perhaps. A good ol’ S2 processor — you could look it up. A shame he won’t get to hand off to Christian McCaffrey and throw to D.J. Moore.
2. Houston Texans
Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
Demeco Ryans will need a franchise quarterback sooner rather than later. Perhaps general manager Nick Caserio has Trey Lance up his sleeve. In the meantime, he gets a pass rusher with 86-inch wingspan who grew up in Texas to make Trevor Lawrence uncomfortable.
3. Arizona Cardinals
Will Anderson, OLB, Alabama
GM Monti Ossenfort wants to make a deal. Plan B becomes the safest pick in the draft, to help replace J.J. Watt and begin a massive rebuilding.
4. Indianapolis Colts
C.J. Stroud, QB Ohio State
Team owner Jim Irsay gets his man. At least that’s what he’ll be telling us. Rookie coach Shane Steichen has the class’s most accurate passer to haunt the Texans.
C.J. Stroud will be the Colts’ QB of the future in the NFL Draft. AP5. Seattle Seahawks
Head coach Pete Carroll will shoot hoops with the kid if that’s what it takes. If Carroll can handle the draft’s marquee problem child, he’ll have a frontline Legion of Boom.
6. Detroit Lions
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
GM Brad Holmes gets coach Dan Campbell a feisty replacement and perfect culture fit for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to replace Jeff Okudah.
7. Las Vegas Raiders
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Could the Hendon Hooker love be a smokescreen? Owner Mark Davis is hailed as a chip off the old block by everyone but the Garoppolo family by swinging for the fences for the freakishly gifted QB of the future.
8. Atlanta Falcons
Nolan Smith, DE/OLB, Georgia
A charismatic 6-foot-2, 238-pound hometown hero to juice a pass rush that recorded a paltry 21 sacks last season.
9. Chicago Bears
Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Tell me Justin Fields wouldn’t welcome a 334-pound bodyguard bookend for emerging LT Braxton Jones.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
Lukas Van Ness. DE, Iowa
GM Howie Roseman has to be tempted by RB Bijan Robinson, but plans for a future without Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat instead.
11. Tennessee Titans
Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
He could go to the Colts if someone trades up for Stroud. Mike Vrabel has to plan for life after Ryan Tannehill, right?
12. Houston Texans
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
GM Nick Caserio stays true to his board and lands a bookend for his third-overall pick last year, Derek Stingley Jr.
The Jets will take Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. in the 2023 NFL Draft AP13. New York Jets
Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
GM Joe Douglas lets Johnson’s Buckeyes, Garrett Wilson and Jeremy Ruckert, make the pick that will delight Aaron Rodgers and perhaps light a fire under Mekhi Becton.
14. New England Patriots
Peter Skoronski, OT/G, Northwestern
Bill Belichick has a sense of history and is well aware that Skoronski’s grandpa, Bob Skoronski, was a five-time champion tackle on the Packers under Vince Lombardi. A versatile protector for Mac Jones … or Bailey Zappe … or Hendon Hooker?
15. Green Bay Packers
Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Stud offensive tackle David Bakhtiari will turn 32 in September and has a $40.6 million cap number in 2024. Jordan Love will need all the help he can get.
Bijan Robinson will be heading to the Commanders. AP16. Washington Commanders
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Ron Rivera is a graduate of the Keep Pounding School and grabs a game-changing weapon who drops too far only because he’s a running back.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
It might hurt to pass up the cornerback son of former Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter, but Mike Tomlin might prefer this athletic 6-foot, 197-pounder with 4.35 speed and a 42-inch vertical leap to help Patrick Peterson deal with Joe Burrow and friends, if not Odell Beckham Jr.
18. Detroit Lions
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Head coach Dan Campbell played the position and lands the most complete TE to make up for trading T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
He’s 25 and coming off an ACL tear, but the QB room features Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. A prospect 20 years younger than Tom Brady shouldn’t scare GM Jason Licht or head coach Todd Bowles.
20. Seattle Seahawks
The first receiver off the board falls into Geno Smith’s lap as a dynamic slot complement for DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
21. Los Angeles Chargers
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Gerald Everett is entering the last year of his contract, and this guy has a chance to be Justin Herbert’s Travis Kelce.
Dalton Kincaid AP22. Baltimore Ravens
Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
A developing 6-5, 276-pounder has the measurables John Harbaugh covets, and DLs Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington will hit free agency next season
23. Minnesota Vikings
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
Let’s not compare him to Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle, but this 6-0, 281-pounder can wreak interior havoc and replace Dalvin Tomlinson.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
Coach Doug Pederson needs a nickelback in the worst way, and forget that this 6-0, 194-pound tackling machine didn’t test well. He’s a Nick Saban football graduate.
The Giants will lands on Boston College receiver Zay Flowers in the NFL Draft Getty Images25. New York Giants
Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
You can never have too many 5-foot-9-ish weapons in today’s NFL, but Flowers is dynamic enough to flourish under head coach Brian Daboll and coordinator Mike Kafka, as a nice complement to Isaiah Hodgins and Darren Waller.








