Revisiting our 2023 Mock Draft, did we get anything right?

Around a year ago we started a series of mock drafts to take a look at who might end up where, as is usually the case with mock drafts, we were mostly very wrong, so let's take a look at see if we got anything correct at all!

The Panthers are finally pushing the reset button on their QB room, after multiple years of plugins and re-treads, they have an opportunity to give their new coaching staff a shiny new CJ Stroud from OSU. Stroud operates incredibly well in structure, but showed his improv skills against Georgia in the Peach Bowl.

We were very high on both Stroud and Young last year, but as it turned out, both we and the Panthers were wrong. They selected Young with the first overall pick but now probably regret that decision.

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Like the Panthers, the Texans have a chance to finally move forward with a new head coach and QB pairing. Young has legitimate size issues, standing at just over 5’10”, but the raw talent is obvious to anyone who watched him in Tuscaloosa.

The Texans were going to take whichever QB wasn't selected by the Panthers and they certainly drew the long straw. Stroud put together one of the greatest rookie seasons ever, leading the Texans to the playoffs in year one.

The Cardinals have let some young talent go this offseason as well as bringing in Jonathan Gannon to head up both the team and the defense, bringing in a blue-chip player like Carter gives Arizona a head start at their rebuild. Carter may well be the most talented player in the draft, so don’t be surprised to see him go this high despite recent reports of character issues.

The Cardinals decided to trade back from the third overall slot, leaving the Texans to take Anderson with their second top-three pick. Certainly not something we predicted.

The first real swing on the upside in the draft, Richardson is a freak athlete and can sling the deep ball like few in football. Given the success of running quarterbacks in recent times, there will be teams enamored with Richardson’s potential, he'll likely go for the first real opportunity and land in Indy. Shane Steichen has experience developing athletic QBs so this feels like a match made in heaven.

Called it. Not that this was a controversial mock pick at the time, but given we're now 1-3, we'll take the wins where we can get them. Richardson looked great in his first year before going down with a season-ending Grade 3 AC joint sprain, per CBS Sports.

Anderson is seen by many as the safest pass rusher in the draft, so falling to six is an absolute blessing for Seattle. The Seahawks had an incredible draft class in 2022 who helped carry the team to an unlikely playoff berth, adding this talented edge rusher from Alabama will add even more talent to an exciting group.

With the premier pass-rusher off the board, the Seahawks took the number one defensive back in the draft, one who was described as, "well on his way to becoming a star in this league," per Sports Illustrated.

The Lions are well placed to be patient in this draft, a rising team with a talented offense and great coaching, they can sit tight and take the best player on the board. Gonzalez could well be the best corner in a stacked class, standing over six feet tall and comfortable in both man and zone coverage, the Lions could have a real gem here.

The Cardinals used some of their newly acquired draft capital to trade up and grab the most talented offensive tackle in the draft, not quite the Lions drafting a cornerback, but we can't get everything right.

Tyree Wilson is a very big man who can move offensive linemen with ease, his production in college was consistent if not spectacular. The Raiders will be making a bet he can continue his improvements, and if he does they’ll have a stud to pair with Maxx Crosby for the foreseeable future.

Wilson was taken as a "tools" player, meaning his physical attributes were too tempting to pass up. Perhaps the Raiders should have passed though, as their first-round selection was named by ESPN as the biggest disappointment in the draft. We got the selection correct though...

The Falcons have added some OL help in free agency, but with the top three QBs off the board, picking Skoronski here makes a ton of sense. Possibly projected to slide in guard in the NFL, wherever he ends up playing, Skoronski has all the tools to succeed and let Atlanta get a good look at Desmond Ridder in 2023.

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We wrote this mock draft just before the swell of rumors started that Bijan to the Falcons was almost a lock, so big swing and a miss from us. Not so much for the Falcons who look to have drafted one of the best running backs in recent times.

Chicago’s offense could look to explode in 2023 with Justin Fields, DJ Moore, and Chase Claypool. The skill positions are looking better than they have for a long time at Soldier Field, however, the OL still needs some work. Chicago dropped big money on Nate Davis at guard in free agency, but getting the talented Johnson could see them legitimately competing for a playoff spot.

When it came down to it, Carter's off-field issues proved too much for some as he slipped all the way to number nine overall. The Eagles traded up one spot and grabbed the talented DT who looks set to be an elite player in time.

It’s not often a team gets a chance to pick in the top 10 off the back of a Super Bowl loss, but the Eagles have a chance to keep the defensive line dominant for years to come by adding the talent Van Ness to an already deep group. We know Howie Roseman prioritizes the trenches above all else, so this pick should come as no surprise

The Bears moved back one spot and drafted an offensive tackle, which is the same position, albeit a different player, as the one we mocked to them, so we're going to claim a moral victory here.

Smith blew everyone away with his sub 4:40 40-yard dash at the combine, but he had a very solid career at Georgia as well, being a key part in back-to-back National Championship-winning sides. The Titans are turning the page this offseason with key pieces being released and Derrick Henry supposedly on the trade block, so getting a talented edge rusher could be a good building block for the next period in Titans football.

Nolan Smith ended up falling much further than expected in last year's draft, but seeing how the Titans took Skoronski, an offensive lineman, it looks like our thought process on the Titan's pick was a little off. Still, the Titans ended up with Peter Skoronski who made it to ESPN's All-Youngster team towards the end of last year.

Houston will be keen to pair their rookie QB with a talented receiver and Jordan Addison is as good an option as there is. Whilst not being overly impressive in combine testing, Addison is a playmaker who knows how to get open. He played with Caleb Williams last year at USC so will know how to react when Bryce Young breaks the pocket. Texans fans should be excited by this pairing.

The Lions took Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall selection, a pick we still feel was a bit of a reach despite Gibbs making the 2024 Pro-Bowl in his rookie year. The trades entirely changed this pick from what we thought would happen so we are, for obvious reasons, wrong.

Presuming the Jets are able to complete a trade for Aaron Rodgers, the one area they are truly in need of improvement is offensive tackle. Jones was a big part of the incredibly talented Georgia sides, giving up no sacks in 2022. With Rodgers losing some of his escapability with age, protecting him is the priority, freeing him up to find one of the many talented WRs the Jets now have on their roster

The Jets and Packers swapped picks here allowing Green Bay to go and grab Iowa's Luka Van Ness.

Porter is a huge defensive back, measuring in at over 6’3”, his size, combined with his aggressive approach seems like a perfect fit with Bill Belichick. The Patriots are in danger of becoming an also-ran very quickly with their insistence on Mac Jones continuing as a starter, but building a dominant defense seems a realistic approach to becoming competitive again at this stage

The Steelers traded up to grab the next best offensive lineman in the class and one that turned out to be a day-one starter in the NFL. The Patriots did select Christian Gonzalez with their pick slightly later in round one, so we were in the right ball park at least...

With seemingly all of their skill position players now suiting up in a different shade of green in New York, the Packers are desperate for talent at WR. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has all the talent in the world, and when he was able to stay on the field in 2021, he was the best WR in a group including Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. With good size, great route running and incredible hands, Smith-Njigba has all the tools needed, Jordan Love will certainly enjoy working with him.

Will McDonald IV made very little impact in 2023 on a Jets defense that didn't need much additional help, per ESPN reporting Robert Saleh is holding out hope McDonald will be much improved next year, but it really feels like this pick could have been used to help their struggling offense.

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