Reddy’s NFL Mock Draft 2.0

1. Carolina Panthers (by way of CHI): CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

Since Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach Josh McCown nearly gave the choose away at Stroud’s professional day, this choose has been a foregone conclusion. The Panthers lastly land their long-term answer at quarterback.

2. Houston Texans: Bryce Younger, QB, Alabama

A brand new period of Texans soccer begins with two former Crimson Tide stars on the helm: new head coach DeMeco Ryans and Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Younger. Whereas its receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired, Houston boasts an underrated offensive line and lately added tight finish Dalton Schultz and guard Shaq Mason in free company. The addition of Bryce Younger brings hope again to soccer followers in Houston.

3. Tennessee Titans: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS

New Tennessee GM Ran Carthon was director of participant personnel in San Francisco when the 49ers traded as much as take Trey Lance with the third total choose in 2021 to again up and (hopefully) ultimately exchange Jimmy Garoppolo; Carthon understands the urgency of getting a franchise quarterback to be able to compete within the AFC. Richardson is teeming with expertise however is inexperienced; he’ll spend time creating as a passer behind Ryan Tannehill however can be a menacing risk within the backfield alongside Derrick Henry in wildcat formations till then.

4. Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

This historic run on quarterbacks ends with the athletic and strong-armed Will Levis, who has prototypical NFL dimensions and throwing expertise. The Colts finish their current run of signing veteran quarterbacks on the ends of their careers and land their franchise man.

5. Seattle Seahawks (by way of DEN): Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

Seattle GM John Schneider has been well-known to prioritize traits, and none matches the invoice higher than Texas Tech defensive finish Tyree Wilson. Wilson’s arm size and peak land at 96th and ninety fifth percentile amongst edge defenders all-time, and he’ll match completely in Pete Carroll’s protection alongside large free agent additions Dre’mont Jones and Jarran Reed. 

6. Detroit Lions (by way of LAR): Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

This might be a dream state of affairs for the Lions, who land one of the vital celebrated defensive gamers within the historical past of school soccer. A two-time Nagurski Trophy award winner and SEC Defensive Participant of the 12 months, Anderson racked up 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss in simply three seasons for the Crimson Tide, and he plugs proper in at a place of want for an ascending Detroit protection.

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

There are nice gamers to choose right here to handle Vegas’ wants throughout receiver, guard, sort out, cornerback and extra, however the group’s wants alongside the offensive line are essentially the most dire. Johnson Jr. has versatility to play throughout the offensive line and can possible plug in at proper guard for the Raiders. He’s nonetheless early in his improvement and has all of the bodily traits to grow to be a future All-Professional sort out in just a few years.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

The Falcons did a wonderful job filling in holes on their roster throughout free company, in order that they have the chance right here to take the very best participant obtainable. That participant is the 6-foot-1, 197-pound Gonzalez, who boasts outstanding fluidity and motion expertise for his measurement. He’ll pair up with AJ Terrell to instantly give Atlanta among the best cornerback tandems within the NFC.

9. Chicago Bears (by way of CAR): Jalen Carter, IDL, Georgia

The dominant defensive sort out’s fall ends in Chicago because the Bears add arguably the very best participant within the class to their protection regardless of buying and selling again from the No. 1 total spot. If Carter can keep on the sector and get previous the off-field points which have emerged over the previous few months, this choose will find yourself being the steal of the draft.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (by way of NO): Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

GM Howie Roseman focuses on constructing by means of the trenches, and he continues doing so right here. Van Ness revitalizes an growing old defensive finish rotation and helps be sure that the Eagles move rush stays a power within the coming years.

11. Arizona Cardinals: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE TENNESSEE TITANS

The Cardinals’ roster wants expertise in a nasty method and recoup some belongings by buying and selling down right here. Right here, they add Devon Witherspoon, a proficient and feisty cornerback who will add juice to a struggling protection. Witherspoon is a wonderful man cowl nook however can be among the best tacklers on this class with an aggressive and intense play type that may convey vitality to Arizona.

12. Houston Texans (by way of CLE): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

JSN was the very best receiver on an Ohio State offense in 2021 that additionally had Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, two wideouts who’ve already had stellar begins within the NFL. He pairs up with new franchise sign caller Bryce Younger to spherical out a revamped Texans offense able to compete within the AFC South.

13. New York Jets: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Kincaid has vaulted up draft boards over the previous few months. The Las Vegas native has pure receiving means and glorious fluidity for his measurement. Whoever the Jets’ quarterback is subsequent season, they’ll profit massively from Kincaid’s best-in-class ball expertise and route-running. 

14. Washington Commanders: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Commanders leap as much as land the lengthy and proficient Porter Jr. right here with the 14th choose, buying and selling up with the Patriots. Porter Jr. is a pure press man nook; his 6-foot-2, 193-pound body offers him all of the instruments essential to develop right into a future No. 1 nook on the subsequent degree. 

15. Inexperienced Bay Packers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

The Packers at present solely have 5 receivers on their roster, and you’ve got possible solely heard of two of them. Johnston offers them a big-body goal to emphasize the secondaries of NFC North defenses alongside deep-threat Christian Watson.

16. New England Patriots: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The Patriots give Matthew Judon a operating mate within the super-athletic Murphy, a 6-foot-5 and 268-pound defensive finish who ran a shocking 4.51 40-yard sprint on the Clemson professional day final week. Murphy’s bodily items can be too tempting for Invoice Belichick to move up. 

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

The Steelers keep put and handle to land arguably the very best participant at their largest place of want in offensive sort out Peter Skoronski. He gives the flexibility to play on both facet of the road and even to play inside at guard, and instantly boosts the safety in entrance of the Steelers’ younger sign caller Kenny Pickett.

18. Detroit Lions: Caljiah Kancey, IDL, Pittsburgh

There isn’t any denying the clear similarities between the 2 gamers as draft prospects. Each had been named ACC Defensive Participant of the 12 months as defensive tackles at Pittsburgh. Each are undersized for the place — Kancey measured in at 6-foot-1, 281 kilos and Donald was 6-feet and three-quarters, 285 kilos. Lions GM Brad Holmes was director of school scouting for the then St. Louis Rams when the group drafted Aaron Donald with their second first-round choose again in 2014; if anybody can be daring sufficient to take a first-round flier on Kancey, it is going to be Detroit.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Wright put out among the finest tape within the class in opposition to vaunted SEC pass-rushers like Will Anderson Jr. this previous season. He’s a plug-and-play sort out who will lock down the appropriate facet of the Bucs’ offensive line for years to return reverse Tristan Wirfs, with whom the Bucs have already had conversations about switching from proper to left sort out.

20. Baltimore Ravens: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The Ravens sidestep different cornerback-needy groups in Jacksonville, New York and LA to seize the final remaining first-round-caliber nook on the board in Maryland’s Deonte Banks. Banks blew up the mix and has a prototypical NFL construct; he traces up reverse Marlon Humphrey to present Baltimore a pair of shutdown cornerbacks within the AFC North.

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

The Chargers give their quarterback the very best deep risk within the draft in Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, whose elite pace helped him rating 15 touchdowns final season together with 1267 yards. The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner will pair up with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to present Justin Herbert the weapons he must sustain with the loaded offenses of the AFC West.

22. Seattle Seahawks: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE BALTIMORE RAVENS

Schmitz is an ideal match for Seattle’s zone-run-heavy offense and would be the centerpiece of an offensive line that the Seahawks have utterly overhauled by means of by way of the draft over the previous two offseasons. The Golden Gopher has been a mannequin of consistency all through his profession and would be the Seahawks’ subsequent Max Unger, holding down the inside offensive line for years to return.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

I’d be very shocked if the star of the mix falls this far come draft day. Smith may play as a stand-up outdoors rusher for the Vikings or in protection, including to a rotation of chess items for brand new DC Brian Flores to maneuver round his 3-4 protection and add stress to offensive traces within the NFC North.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Jones has the construct to play at both guard or sort out and will begin at left guard for the Jaguars or compete with Walker Little for the group’s proper sort out spot. 

25. New York Giants: Brian Department, S/CB, Alabama

Department would immediately improve a Giants secondary that misplaced Julian Like to the Seahawks in free company and continues to be in want of assist at slot nook. Department would have gone a lot larger if he had not run poorly on the mix however nonetheless boasts excessive soccer IQ and dominant tackling means — he has solely missed 4 tackles on 174 profession makes an attempt.

26. Dallas Cowboys: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Mayer has been in comparison with future Corridor of Famer Jason Witten — it feels proper to ship him to Witten’s previous stomping grounds. The Cowboys misplaced Dalton Schultz in free company and get an improve in Mayer who dominated as each an inline blocker and move catcher at Notre Dame, racking up 2099 yards and 18 touchdowns over his faculty profession for the Combating Irish.

27. Buffalo Payments: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

Campbell is certainly one of my favourite gamers within the draft — one of the vital polished linebackers to return out of school in years. He has reportedly been coaching with former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who dominated for years underneath then Panthers defensive coordinator and now Payments head coach Sean McDermott. McDermott provides a brand new stud centerpiece of his protection with Kuechly’s stamp of approval, changing free company loss Tremaine Edmunds. 

28. Miami Dolphins: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE CINCINNATI BENGALS

Including Bijan Robinson would give the Dolphins the NFL’s undisputed prime offense on paper. Further juice within the run recreation takes stress off of Tua and forces opposing defenses to decide on between stacking the field to defend the run or enjoying off to defend Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill — an inconceivable alternative. In the meantime, with a well-rounded roster because of sturdy strikes in free company, the Bengals drop again into the second spherical the place they continue to be poised to take one of many many obtainable prospects in a deep tight finish class.

29. New Orleans Saints (by way of DEN): Mazi Smith, IDL, Michigan

Smith is a monster of a defensive sort out and fills ready of dire want for the Saints. No participant put up extra reps on the bench press on the mix than the Michigan man, whose finest soccer must be forward of him as he enters the professionals.

30. Philadelphia Eagles: DJ Turner, CB, Michigan

A freaky athlete with a aggressive angle, Turner will be a part of a cornerback room filled with growing old veterans and wait within the wings to begin in a 12 months or two. He ran a blazing 4.26 on the mix — the very best of all contributors in 2023 — and interprets that into glorious make-up pace and mirror-and-match skills in protection.

31. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

Jones is a developmental proper sort out with imposing measurables — his 89-inch wingspan broke the Senior Bowl report earlier this offseason. He didn’t permit a single sack or quarterback hit final season en path to Ohio State’s Peach Bowl berth; this 1.3% stress fee was the bottom amongst all FBS tackles per Professional Soccer Focus. Jones competes with Lucas Niang for the Chiefs’ proper sort out spot after the departure of Andrew Wylie throughout free company.

Contact Shan Reddy at rsreddy ‘at’ stanford.edu.