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The 2022 NFL Draft has come to a close. Most people would be locking at how the trade grades shaped out and begin research on who is on their favorite NFL team now. For us, we are already looking ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft. There is still an entire college football and NFL season between us and the next draft, but there are already predictions on who will be featured as a first-round talent even if we are unsure of the landing spot.
The mock drafts that we referenced when putting this together are:
Quarterbacks experienced a wild draft in 2022 as all of them fell outside the first two rounds other than Kenny Pickett. He was selected 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even though up to five quarterbacks were mocked in the first round alone, it couldn’t have turned out more differently. In 2023 though, that is expected to change. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud are expected to be the top two picks of the draft barring injury. Another highly mocked QB is Tyler Van Dyke from Miami, but he is going to need a strong 2022 season to be considered a first-rounder.
Defense will be on display as Alabama’s EDGE rusher Will Anderson is expected to come out in this draft. Even though Georgia had their entire roster drafted in 2022, defensive tackle Jalen Carter is expected to be an early first-rounder. Clemson edge Myles Murphy could be a top pick if he is able to increase his game more than he already has.
When it comes to pass catchers, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba will benefit from his tape including passes from Stroud. North Carolina’s Josh Downs is projected as a high pick, but his quarterback Sam Howell was drafted in 2022 so he will need to step up his final year as a Tar Heel with someone new under center. LSU has looked like WRU to go along with being DBU recently and Kayshon Boutte looks to continue that trend. Jordan Addison from Pitt made headlines during the draft because it was announced he would transfer to USC. Keep an eye on wherever he spends his final collegiate season.
The 2022 NFL Draft was notable as being a strong one for offensive tackles, but 2023 appears to be just as strong. Paris Johnson Jr from Ohio State, Peter Skoronski from Northwestern, Ryan Hayes from Michigan and Zion Nelson from Miami are among the high-profile tackles that are expected to have their names called in the first round.