2023 first round NFL mock draft sees a couple of early trades
By Brian Miller
In our first 2023 first round NFL mock draft of the post-playoff season, we see a couple of early trades and a four QBs taken in the first half of the draft.
The NFL Draft might be more popular than the start of the regular season in terms of a singular entity and it is absolutely the biggest off-season event in any sport.
This year their are only 31 picks in the first round thanks to Stephen Ross and Bruce Beal’s attempt to circumvent the league rules. Or do we blame Brian Flores for blowing the whistle?
The Chicago Bears hold the first pick in the draft and they can do a lot with it. Most believe they will trade out of this spot and that makes more sense than ever before. The Bears have decided to continue with young QB Justin Fields and if he fails, it’s not a big loss because they can repeat picking in the top five again in 2024. If he makes big strides, they have their QB of the future.
Entering the draft season, there are plenty of teams that could move up to top spot including the Texans and Colts but don’t be surprised if a team looking to make a big jump doesn’t pay a premium to take this spot.
Don’t discount the Carolina Panthers in this scenario. They could move up to four if Chicago drops in a trade with Indianapolis.
At first I was hesitant to do trades in the mock version but this may be one of the few NFL Drafts where you know trades are going to dictate the early portions of the first round, in some cases before the draft even begins.
QB. Indianapolis Colts. Bryce Young. 1. player. 46.
Young makes a lot of sense for the Colts and while they could choose a different QB, that is unlikely as Young is the consensus choice for the first QB off the boards in April.
Young is talented and comes from a superior college program. The knock on Young is actually out of his control. Alabama quarterbacks have found mixed results in the NFL. Tua Tagovailoa has shown promise and an ability to lead in the NFL, his problems are more related to health. Mac Jones is a question mark.
Can Young become a top NFL QB? The Colts will likely find out soon enough.