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Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, C.J. Stroud has seen his draft stock plummet. He was once considered the number one overall pick but now may not even be a top-five selection. The Carolina Panthers are probably drafting Bryce Young and the Houston Texans may not even take a quarterback.
There are a lot of factors behind this slide -- his S2 test results, the Texans' reported willingness to look at Will Levis over him, and more. But it could end up being a great thing for whichever team takes him.
Several teams outside the top five need a quarterback but stood a slim chance of getting one. Now, they might have a shot at what was once the top quarterback prospect.
Sportskeeda's mock draft has taken into account the trades that occurred before it, such as the Panthers' move to first overall. Other trades may happen on Draft Night, but this mock can't predict that.
Full first-round NFL mock draft 3.0
1. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are all but assured to take Bryce Young here. They desperately need a quarterback and didn't leverage a lot of picks and a star wide receiver to draft Will Anderson Jr. or Jalen Carter. Young is the pick as most reporters believe everyone inside the building prefers him to Stroud.
2. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
The Houston Texans hired a defensive coordinator as their head coach and reportedly don't love the quarterback prospects in the draft. They're fine taking a defensive stud for Demeco Ryans to build around and waiting until 2024 for a quarterback if that's how it shakes out. Will Anderson Jr. is that defensive stud.
3. Jalen Carter, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals may stay put, especially if other teams believe that quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis could slide. If they do, the top prospects are all defensive, which fits in new head coach Jonathan Gannon's philosophy. Jalen Carter is many draft pundits' top overall prospect and the Cardinals decide to ignore the red flags and go for a dominant DL prospect.
4. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
There will be some deliberation on whether or not the Indianapolis Colts want Anthony Richardson or C.J. Stroud at fourth overall. The new regime led by Shane Steichen (who just worked with Jalen Hurts) will opt for the more athletic prospect with the higher ceiling. Richardson is raw, but Steichen and company feel that they can mold him into an elite player.
5. Myles Murphy, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks just signed Geno Smith to a three-year deal, so they're not going to worry about his successor until at least next year's draft. They'll settle for the best remaining defensive prospect and land an elite pass rusher in Clemson's Myles Murphy.
6. Christian Gonzalez, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have one of the league's most dynamic offenses. They also have an abysmal defense. They just shipped off former number three overall pick Jeff Okudah, so they need to try again for a lockdown corner and they don't need a quarterback here. Christian Gonzalez of Oregon is the selection.
7. C.J. Stroud, Las Vegas Raiders
C.J. Stroud's fall finally ends with him becoming a Las Vegas Raider. The team did sign Jimmy Garoppolo for three seasons, but that shouldn't stop them from taking a high-level prospect who can grow behind him for a season. They'll take the opportunity and worry about Garoppolo later.
8. Tyree Wilson, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons can only dream that Tyree Wilson falls to them at eight overall, but that very well could happen. They'll jump at the chance to get one of the draft's best defenders.
9. Quentin Johnston, Pittsburgh Steelers
If there is any team that knows how to develop wide receivers, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's why they trade up (offering picks 17 and 32 this year) to nine overall to get Quentin Johnston. He's a bit boom-or-bust, but the Steelers know how to make him boom. The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, are happy to continue earning draft picks to play with.
10. Jordan Addison, Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers know Keenan Allen is not in his prime and can't even be relied upon to be healthy. That's why they want to trade up and get one of the top wide receiver prospects in the draft in Jordan Addison.
11. Paris Johnson Jr., Tennessee Titans
The Tennesse Titans may want a new quarterback, but they were hoping Anthony Richardson would fall. He didn't, so they're opting to go for some protection for Malik Willis since Ryan Tannehill is as good as gone. Paris Johnson Jr. is arguably the best tackle in the class.
12. Will Levis, Houston Texans
If Will Levis is available at 12, there's no doubt the Texans should go ahead and draft him. There are rumors they'd draft him second overall over C.J. Stroud, but this is a far better route for them.
13. Bryan Bresee, Green Bay Packers
Having finally secured the Aaron Rodgers trade, the Green Bay Packers also flipped picks with the New York Jets, moving from 15 to 13. This allows them to nab defensive lineman Bryan Bresee from Clemson.
14. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Baltimore Ravens
If the Baltimore Ravens are going to entice Lamar Jackson back, they'll need more weapons on offense. Seeing wide receivers start to go, they decide to trade up with New England and land Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
15. Broderick Jones, New York Jets
To help protect newly-acquired Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets (since they swapped picks with Green Bay) select Broderick Jones to pair with stud left tackle Mekhi Becton.
16. Joey Porter Jr., Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have a lot of pieces on offense, so their first round should prioritize defense. Ron Rivera is a defensive coach and he's probably thrilled that a top cornerback like Joey Porter Jr. fell to him at 16th overall.
17. Devon Witherspoon, Chicago Bears
Something the Chicago Bears have on their to-do list is shoring up their defense. After trading down from one to nine, and then from nine to 17 (the latter trade is fictional in this mock draft), they land Devon Witherspoon to give them a shutdown cornerback.
18. Trenton Simpson, Detroit Lions
With their second first-round pick, the Detroit Lions will go for a different defensive position. A good linebacker is key to a defense's success and they land one of the best in the draft in Trenton Simpson.
19. Michael Mayer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled to find a replacement for Rob Gronkowski. They have a lot of holes on the roster, but the rebuild could begin with an elite tight end like Michael Mayer.
20. Brian Branch, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks already drafted one of the top edge rushers in the NFL Draft. Now, they'll be able to land one of this class' top safeties in Brian Branch.
21. Peter Skoronski, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the NFL's best offensive lines, but Lane Johnson isn't getting any younger. Peter Skoronski and Jordan Mailata could protect Jalen Hurts for years to come.
22. Lukas Van Ness, New England Patriots
Lukas Van Ness provides the New England Patriots with another top edge rusher to pair with 2022 DPOY candidate Matthew Judon. This gives Bill Belichick one of the NFL's most fearsome pass rushes.
23. Jalin Hyatt, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings need another wide receiver to pair with Justin Jefferson in the wake of Adam Thielen's exit. Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee will fit in nicely with the Vikings' offense.
24. O'Cyrus Torrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Protecting Trevor Lawrence should be the Jacksonville Jaguars' top priority from here on out. Landing a strong guard like O'Cyrus Torrence from Florida (which keeps him at home, too) will go a long way to keeping Lawrence upright and paving lanes for stud running back Travis Etienne.
25. Josh Downs, New York Giants
Coming out of North Carolina, Josh Downs is the New York Giants' pick. There's been a run on wide receivers, but this is easily the Giants' biggest need this off-season. They succeeded with Daniel Jones throwing to no one and decided to add Darren Waller. Now, they need a bona fide wide receiver.
26. Bijan Robinson, Dallas Cowboys
This is a dream scenario for the Dallas Cowboys. Bijan Robinson has been linked to them for a long time and if he fell to 26th overall, they wouldn't hesitate to make this selection. Running backs usually shouldn't go in the first round, but Robinson could be an exception if he's here for Dallas.
27. Zay Flowers, Buffalo Bills
Free agency came and went and the Buffalo Bills didn't add another wide receiver. They need someone dependable and consistent behind Stefon Diggs and Zay Flowers could be that player.
28. Jahmyr Gibbs, Cincinnati Bengals
Another running back in round one? The Cincinnati Bengals have a tricky situation with Joe Mixon, so it's best for them to look at a potential replacement. Getting one on a rookie contract like Jahmyr Gibbs would be good for their future cap space, too.
29. Isaiah Foskey, Carolina Panthers
In this mock draft, the Carolina Panthers, who've been trading quite a bit lately, opted to trade up to 29. They sent picks 39 and 93 to the New Orleans Saints to grab Isaiah Foskey. They need another edge rusher to take pressure off of Brian Burns, and this is a safe pick for them.
30. Drew Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles opt to go defense here. They learned last year that a well-rounded team is the key to a Super Bowl run and now that Jalen Hurts makes a quarter of a billion dollars, that is much more difficult to do. Drafting linebacker Drew Sanders is a good idea, though.
31. B.J. Ojulari, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Since none of the top wide receiver prospects are available here, the Kansas City Chiefs accept the Buccaneers' offer of picks 50 and 82 for pick 31. The Buccaneers go for an edge rusher in B.J. Ojulari to shore up their front seven.
The 32nd pick does not exist due to the Miami Dolphins' tampering scandal. They would have picked 21st.
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