2023 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Late season reshuffle at the top

This pick could become a bit of a toss-up between CJ Stroud and Bryce Young, however, I think with Stroud’s size, precision, and deep ball accuracy he edges out the more elusive Bryce Young.

Stroud is everything you want in an NFL quarterback, at 6’3 218 lbs, he has the arm strength to get the ball to any point on the field in a hurry, and the accuracy to put it right in stride anywhere. He has elite traits that will make him one of the league’s best, and he will go into a building looking for something to build an offense around.

Will Anderson Jr. was this season’s preseason consensus number 1 pick, and after a good year, he remains in the top 2 of this mock draft. He is everything that the Seattle Seahawks could dream of and more right now in an edge rushing prospect.

Standing 6’4 245 lbs, Anderson is a big boy that can fly for his size. He is going to offer elements of Micah Parsons to his game in his ability to blow right by offensive tackles and he utilizes his spin move like an elite edge rusher already. He needs work in the run game, but if he continues to bulk up and get stronger those concerns will perish.

Here at #3, I think the Bears are faced with a tough decision of who they may think will be the centerpiece of their defense going forward, Jalen Carter or Myles Murphy. I think the right decision is Jalen Carter because of what he can do outside of just pass rushing which he also excels at.

Being drafted this high he will be compared straight away to his former teammate at Georgia, Jordan Davis, but I think their styles of play are very different. Carter offers an extremely high upside of stuffing the run while also being a dominant force drawing double teams in the pass rush as well. His ceiling is very similar to Aaron Donald’s.

Even if the Detroit Lions and their fans think that Jared Goff can be the answer for at least another year, the way this team looks and the way they are constructed, you may not have a chance to pick an elite quarterback like this for a very long time ahead.

So they grab one of the best prospects that college football has to offer. A guy with elite athleticism, a guy with great arm strength, and a guy with pinpoint accuracy. His one flaw is that he is a bit undersized, and might be injury prone behind a bad offensive line. Luckily he won’t need to worry about that behind a stellar group in Detroit. He will also reconnect with his old mate Jameson Williams.