The Tom Brady-led Buccaneers could absolutely rebound down the stretch and win the NFC South, and no one would be stunned if they win a playoff game. But with this likely Brady's final season, Tampa Bay has to prioritize the quarterback position early in the 2023 NFL Draft. There's no way around it.
That's what they do in this mock draft. Also, there's not a No. 27 pick here, as that's the pick the Dolphins forfeited due to tampering violations.
One other thing, and this is important: the draft order below was determined using SportsLine's Super Bowl odds but in reverse order.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Young's size will be the only knock on him during the pre-draft process. He has a strong arm, pinpoint accuracy, and poise well beyond his years.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
The easiest pick in Round 1. Bears add a premier outside rusher to the defense after trading Robert Quinn.
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From
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 3
The Seahawks land the super-disruptive Carter with one of the picks they received in the Russell Wilson trade.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Skoronski's film is impeccable. If he tests well, he could go this high.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Stroud is the perfect eventual replacement for Jared Goff in Detroit.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Levis hasn't built on an awesome 2021, yet he has all the traits teams want in their franchise quarterbacks today. He can compete with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield in Year 1 for the starting gig.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
The Cardinals have to get better blocking up front. Jones has been a brick wall for Georgia this season.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 8
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From
New Orleans Saints
Round 1 - Pick 9
How about a SEC-tested outside cornerback on the Eagles to learn from Darius Slay and James Bradberry?
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Colts have needed better receiver play for a while. Addison is a sudden, big-play weapon.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Despite the recent surge from Christian Watson, the Packers could add more receiving talent to the roster. Johnston is a big, fast, physical wideout.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Murphy and Arnold Ebiketie on the edge would represent a dynamic pass-rushing punch for the Falcons.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
The Raiders add some youth to the perimeter cornerback spot on the roster with Gonzalez, who'll be a riser during the pre-draft process because of his size and athleticism.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Jaguars need to get more consistent pocket push from the inside of their defensive line. Bresee can provide that.
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From
Cleveland Browns
Round 1 - Pick 15
The Texans have to add more defensive line pieces to this roster. Wilson is a large, multidimensional rusher.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
This is what makes the most sense for the Giants. Get a raw, highly talented quarterback to write the next chapter of the franchise's history.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Patriots could use more blocking consistency, and Jones is a Trent Brown type of behemoth on the outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
The Commanders go with a feisty man-to-man corner to add more depth to the secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
At this stage of Round 1, there's not a quarterback who the Jets feel confident in stepping in and immediately playing better than Zach Wilson, so they go with more offensive line help.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
More overtly strong blockers in front of Geno Smith. Torrence has been a rock in his debut season with the Gators after transferring from Louisiana.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Chargers add one of the cleanest tight end prospects in a while to Justin Herbert's offense. Giddy up.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Duncan is a dancing bear at tackle and would allow the Titans to continue to deploy their against-the-grain, run-heavy philosophy that works.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
How about Ika next to D.J. Reader in Cincinnati?
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Jones has been awesome this season for the Aggies, and the Vikings will want to continue the youth movement in the secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Boutte has had somewhat of a down year for the Tigers but showed in 2021 he can be a WR1 in the NFL.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Sanders flies around at the second level, and this selection would allow Micah Parsons to solely man edge-rusher duties.
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From
San Francisco 49ers
Round 1 - Pick 29
The Broncos get a penetrating defensive tackle to round out their front.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
The Bills run this pick to the podium. Smith-Njigba essentially lost his entire 2022 to injury yet was an explosive weapon for Stroud in 2021.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
I'm not an advocate of choosing a running back in the first round. However, this is a tremendous fit.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Chiefs will continue to add receivers to the roster, and Downs is a slippery, YAC-type who'll work well in Kansas City.
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