Draft week has officially arrived!
The buildup to this year’s NFL Draft has been filled with storylines and speculation, which has led to plenty of intrigue at the top of the board.
Is Bryce Young a lock to go first overall to the Carolina Panthers? Could C.J. Stroud really fall out of the top four? Who will select Georgia standout Jalen Carter, despite his off-field concerns?
FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt addressed all of those questions as he revealed his final first-round mock draft in a recent airing of his podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show.”
Here is a look at Klatt’s projections.
Joel Klatt’s 2023 Mock Draft 2.0
Joel Klatt reveals his mock draft 2.0 ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
1. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Klatt on Young to the Panthers: “I agree with this pick because Bryce is my top quarterback available. He processes information on the field so quickly. He is a musician in terms of the ways he eludes the rush, manipulates the pocket and continues to throw the ball accurately down the field. This guy is a sensational player. I get it that he’s not that tall, but rules have been broken and the anomalies have succeeded over the last five years more so than ever before. This guy is a polished player and I think he can be the face of the franchise and the type of guy that I would want leading my franchise as well.”
2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Klatt on Stroud to the Texans: “This guy is a bona fide franchise quarterback. He is the No. 2 QB in my estimation. This guy is really dangerous as a passer, in a good way. [He has a] hyper-accurate arm, has elite arm talent. … I’ve talked with several defensive coordinators over the last wo years, and in every one of those meetings, they all said the exact same thing: When this guy knows what you are in, he will shred you. If he gets a beat of what’s going on, it’s over.
“Some guy releases a bunch of test scores and says, ‘C.J. Stroud, he’s gonna be a bust because he scored an 18 on the S2?’ I’m just telling you what I see, and what I see is an elite player at the QB position. I saw a guy that overcame a lot of adversity in his life ever since he was a child to get to this point. I saw him overcome a lot of adversity in terms of what his fan base thought of him going into the Georgia game and what analysts thought of him going into the Georgia game. He put together his best performance of his entire career against Georgia, the best defense in college football and a team we all thought was totally untouchable. And Ohio State really should have beaten them. If Houston doesn’t take him, it’s a mistake.”
3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
Klatt on Anderson to the Cardinals: “I think they are going to take the best defender, my best player in the draft, and the best edge defender in this draft. I could easily trade this pick, and maybe the Cardinals will, but I’m going to go with Anderson to the Cardinals. That’s a good fit.”
4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Klatt on Richardson to the Colts: “Anthony Richardson can provide a lot of value to a team that really wants to run the ball and feature a running back. If you can develop Richardson and then put his dynamic athleticism on the field along with Jonathan Taylor, what you get is a quarterback that can help the run game … not because he runs it, but because he holds edges.”
5. Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Klatt on Carter to the Seahawks: “I’m starting to believe that people are going to overlook the off-field issues with Jalen Carter, and I think Pete Carroll is that guy. He’s not afraid of guys like this. I think Pete’s gonna think that his environment and his culture is going to allow a guy like Jalen Carter to flourish. Carter is one of the best players in this draft. He can be a dominant force on the interior of the defensive line.”
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6. Detroit Lions: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Klatt on Gonzalez to the Lions: “The Lions need a lot of defensive help. They have a chance, with Aaron Rodgers moving on from Green Bay, now all of a sudden that division seems to be up in the air. Detroit could very easily be the best team in this division next season — particularly if they are able to hit some home runs in this draft. This is a pass defense that needs some length, they need some aggressiveness. With Jeff Okudah moving now, you can get some of that length back with Christian Gonzalez. He has a great bloodline. His dad was a 6-foot-9 basketball player from UTEP. He’s aggressive and has good ball skills. … He’s a guy that I think is the best corner in the draft, and I think the Lions take him.”
7. Las Vegas Raiders: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Klatt on Witherspoon to the Raiders: “The Raiders need the help outside, and I like Witherspoon a lot. He’s a very tough-minded player, and he’s the type of player that I think can excel at the NFL level.”
8. Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
Klatt on Wilson to the Falcons: “The Falcons need to get to the QB. Defensively, they’ve got to put some pressure on the quarterback. Tyree Wilson has a tremendous amount of upside … great length and athleticism. He’s tough against the run, and I think he’s only going to get better. Maybe he’s got even a higher ceiling than Will Anderson. Wilson, to me, if he’s there for Atlanta, I think that’s a no-brainer pick.”
9. Chicago Bears: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
Klatt on Johnson to the Bears: “If you’re gonna put your chips in the middle of the table, and you’re gonna ride with Justin Fields, guess what you gotta do? You have to protect him, and that’s something you can do with this pick. I think the best offensive lineman in the draft is also the best pass-protecting lineman in the draft, and that’s Paris Johnson, the offensive tackle at Ohio State. When you look at the number of sacks the Bears took, 29th in the NFL, they need help up front, and they get it with Paris Johnson.”
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Klatt on Robinson to the Eagles: “I think the Eagles have the best roster in football. They’ve gotten to that point because they’ve been very disciplined and haven’t taken a lot of vanity picks in the draft. But at this point, I believe they have a luxury of taking a vanity pick. The best offensive player in the draft that’s not a quarterback is Bijan Robinson. He’s the most versatile and dangerous offensive player available. He’s also the style of player that can specifically help Jalen Hurts.
“They’ve gotten to this point by drafting trenches, getting better up front and dominating the line of scrimmage. They can do that here, and maybe they do. Maybe they take Peter Skoronski. But if they take Bijan Robinson, they can take hits away from Jalen Hurts by getting the ball out of his hands quickly. They take one of the most versatile and dynamic offensive players available, and you put him in that RPO style of system, and now you’re really putting a lot of pressure on the opposing defense.”
Is Bijan Robinson the No. 1 RB in the draft?
Joel Klatt discussed Bijan Robinson at the 2023 NFL Combine.
11. Tennessee Titans: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Klatt on Levis to the Titans: “This is more about what I think is going to happen vs. what I think should happen. I think Tennessee is going to really like Will Levis and I think Will Levis is going to be drafted fairly early. With those two things in mind, I’m going to give Tennessee Levis right here. I haven’t been as high on Levis as others, partly because of what I do for a living. I’m not a scout. I am not seeing these players for the first time during this process. Now, maybe that makes my evaluation a tainted evaluation. That’s fine. I can’t get out of my head the fact that Will Levis couldn’t beat out Sean Clifford at Penn State. This is not a situation where Joe Burrow loses a quarterback battle to Dwayne Haskins, who was clearly a first-round player.
“Levis is a great kid. He comes from a great family. He’s got great athletic traits. He’s got a great arm, all of those traits. But it never really translates. If you talked with people up in the New England area, they’d tell you that he wasn’t really even a dominant player in high school. He wasn’t a dominant player in college at his first location. He wasn’t even really a dominant player at his second location.
“I’m saying a lot of negative things here about Will Levis when I still have him as one of my top 40 players and one of the top 33 players in the draft. I love his athleticism. I hope he has success. I just have a lot of questions about his decision-making on the field, because he threw a lot of interceptions, and whether that can translate to the NFL.”
12. Houston Texans: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Klatt on Smith-Njigba to the Texans: “I gave them Stroud earlier. They need more help on offense. I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba makes a lot of sense. You get those two players, who were college teammates and have a lot of experience together, here at the NFL level. We can’t forget how dominant and dynamic this player was on the field when he was healthy. I get it, his hamstring wasn’t ready and he didn’t contribute last year nearly at all.
“But when he was on the field in 2021, with Garrett Wilson, who just won Rookie of the Year, and Chris Olave, who was tremendous as a rookie, all of those guys would tell you that the best player was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If he goes to the right place, and hopefully this is the right place, with the right quarterback, I think Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the type of talent that can lead the league in receptions in his first three or four years. I think he can be one of the best players in the league.”
No. 1 wide receiver in 2023 NFL Draft?
Even though he played only 60 snaps during the 2022 season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has undeniable talent to show scouts.
13. Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame (trade with New York Jets)
Klatt on Mayer to the Packers: “They have the option to take the best tight end off the board in Michael Mayer. This is the type of guy that can be very flexible for you. He can line up at wide receiver and win a mismatch. He can also be in-line and help your run game because he’s a terrific blocker and a willing blocker.
“Excellent character. Great in the locker room. He can be a captain for 12, 13 years. So, to me, the Packers have the chance to take one of the better players in the entire draft with the No. 13 overall pick.”
14. New England Patriots: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Klatt on Jones to the Patriots: “I can easily see them trading out of this pick. But, if you start to see now, there’s been a couple of offensive linemen taken. They might start to view their offensive line board and say, ‘OK, now our top-end prospects on the offensive line are dwindling. I think that we should sit back and take one of those guys.’
“I think that they can use some help on the offensive line, so Broderick Jones makes a lot of sense. We know that Bill Belichick likes those Georgia guys. And Jones is a really good player. I think he can help them right away.”
15. New York Jets, Peter Skoronski, OG, Northwestern (trade with Green Bay Packers)
Klatt on Skoronski to the Jets: “I’m going to give them Peter Skoronski. He’s a terrific player. Pat Fitzgerald and I have been talking about this guy since he was a true freshman. Rashawn Slater was their excellent draft prospect a couple of years ago. Pat and I were talking about Rashawn and he said to me, ‘Hey, I’ve got a guy that’s going to be his equal in a couple of years.’ It was Skoronski. He was one of the best linemen in the Big Ten as a freshman and has been that over the last three years.”
Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated since the latest episode of “The Joel Klatt Show” in order to reflect Monday’s trade between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.
16. Washington Commanders: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Klatt on Porter to the Commanders: “I think they need a lot of help. I think they need a lot of help on defense. Joey Porter Jr. is right there for them. The other top corners were taken above him. I think they can sit there and wait for Joey Porter Jr., the corner out of Penn State. He’s got good lineage and good length. He’s great with his hands. I thought about giving him to the Patriots. Instead, he falls right there to the Commanders. It wouldn’t surprise me if they went offense with this pick, either. But I think that’s a good value pick.”
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Klatt on Wright to the Steelers: “Unfortunately for the Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. wasn’t there for them at this pick. But I think they need an offensive lineman more than they need a corner. There’s already been all of those offensive linemen taken, so this just kicks over that domino of the run on offensive tackles.
“So Darnell Wright, I like him going to the Steelers. Maybe he’s being overdrafted a little bit, but all of these other offensive linemen were already taken. When you get a run on the position, I think the Steelers might think, ‘We’ve got to get one of those guys.’ Maybe they have him in a group of four that they think is elite and have first-round grades. He didn’t have a lot of success in his first few years. But then this last year, he moved over to right tackle and I thought he was tremendous. So, I like Darnell Wright. I like his game. And the Steelers could use him right there.”
18. Detroit Lions: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt
Klatt on Kancey to the Lions: “In this position, at least with how my draft board has broken down, the Lions have the chance to get a really productive and dominant defensive tackle. They already have a good rush. Aidan Hutchinson has been really good. Great rookie season. They’re going to get Christian Gonzalez with their first pick, and now they can get Calijah Kancey with this pick.
“He’s super productive. He’s played well over 30 games in his career at Pitt and he’s got a TFL per game in his career. Behind the line of scrimmage production from the tackle spot is very rare and he gives it to you. He’s sudden. He’s explosive. And Detroit could have one of these fronts that is very explosive and forcing a lot of pressure on the quarterback, giving young corners the opportunity to get their hands on the football.”
19. Baltimore Ravens: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia (trade with Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Klatt on Smith to the Ravens: “The Ravens are going to have to jump a couple of teams that are looking for an edge player. They’re going to take Nolan Smith and that makes a lot of sense here. Almost too much sense because I think there’s a good scheme fit for Mike Macdonald, the defensive coordinator in Baltimore, which is similar to the defense Nolan played in at Georgia. He’s a born leader, a born captain. You’ll not hear one negative thing about Nolan Smith.
“And here’s the other thing about Nolan Smith: He’s been the anchor for the best defense in college football for two straight years. That’s the type of pick the Ravens always make in the first round and you’re like, ‘Oh, of course. Of course.’”
20. Seattle Seahawks: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Klatt on Murphy to the Seahawks: “Murphy was highly recruited and very active. A good athlete. … They immediately become a better defense if they’re able to put two players on their defensive front, Jalen Carter on the interior and Myles Murphy on the edge. You put some dynamic players on the field right away.”
21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Klatt on Johnston to the Chargers: “I think they need an outside wide receiver, not an inside one. There’s definitely a distinction in this draft between slot specialists, Jaxon Smith-Njigba being one of them. Jordan Addison being another.
“Then you’ve got Quentin Johnston. He’s my best outside receiver in this draft. They need an outside threat, kind of a No. 1, and a guy that can go down the field and become a deep threat for Justin Herbert. Herbert’s got one of the best arms in the entire NFL and Johnston excels down the field in those contested catch areas. He can make mundane and easy catches look hard. Sometimes he does, and he’s got to work on that. But he can develop that.
“When it comes to the sensational catches, touchdown catches, downfield catches, 50/50 balls, this guy generally comes down with them.”
Quentin Johnson gives TCU the lead
TCU QB Max Duggan finds Quentin Johnson on a perfect over-the-shoulder fade to grab the lead for the Horned Frogs over the Kansas Jayhawks.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa (trade with the Baltimore Ravens)
Klatt on Van Ness to the Buccaneers: “I’ll be very candid with you: I could see the Buccaneers trading out altogether. I think they’re in the middle of a complete rebuild. They chased the Super Bowl and they got it. Good for them. If you’ve got a Super Bowl window, then you take it and try to take advantage. Now I think they’re going to need a total revamp.
“If they get stuck and don’t have a trade partner, just take the best player available. This is where the run on edge players ends because the best player available is Lukas Van Ness. Is this exactly what the Bucs need? I don’t know. I will tell you that I think Van Ness is an excellent player. If they get caught and can’t trade out of the first round, I wouldn’t be mad if I was a Bucs fan and they got Van Ness.
“This is a guy who while he wasn’t a starter, that’s very misleading to say. He played more snaps than any of the defensive ends at Iowa. They do more things at a different hierarchy and things of that nature. They play a very different structure on first and second down than they do on third down. He’s not a third-down specialist and he played a lot of plays on first and second down.”
23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Klatt on Addison to the Vikings: “I love Jordan Addison. I think that’s a good spot for him. I love his game. I think he’s more of a slot guy and he can play a bit outside, but he’s probably not going to be dominant on the outside. From the slot, he runs excellent routes in both the short area of the field and vertically. That’s not always the case with slot players. He provides a lot of value in that regard.”
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Branch, CB, Alabama
Klatt on Branch to the Jaguars: “The Jaguars have a lot to improve on, but I like where they’re sitting. I think they’ve fallen in love with their quarterback. It’s not a great safety draft, but the Jags, who have some needs in their secondary, what if they took Brian Branch?
“Branch played that versatile hybrid position that Minkah Fitzpatrick played at Alabama, and he played it very well for Nick Saban. He started as a freshman in Saban’s secondary. If you spoke to people around the program, they’d tell you he was their best defensive back. But he was also one of the best leaders and workers. Very smart. In fact, I’ve been told to not put it past him that he could know the defense he joins better than some of the second- or third-year players right away in camp because he’s so smart on the whiteboard. It makes a lot of sense.”
25. New York Giants: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Klatt on Hyatt to the Giants: “I think the Giants really need an outside wide receiver, and with Quentin Johnston gone, that leaves Jalin Hyatt. The Tennessee wide receiver is excellent down the field, and he does a great job of leading coverage. The Tennessee offense is all about the wide receiver read route. They run half-field reads and everything is predicated on this vertical route and read by the wide receiver. They can take vertical and pick it up based on the coverage.
“Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt were on the same page all year long. They shredded Alabama with this. When you talk to the people at Alabama, they would mention guys like Jalen Carter, Jalin Hyatt and Bijan Robinson as the toughest players they played over the course of last season.”
26. Dallas Cowboys: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Klatt on Kincaid to the Cowboys: “I like Dalton Kincaid a lot for them. He’s the type of guy that can fill that Jason Witten-style at the position. He’s not as good as Michael Mayer as an in-line blocker, but boy is he good as a flex tight end. He really burst onto the scene when Brant Kuithe got injured for Utah. He and Cam Rising had a tremendous impact on the game offensively. They had a great rapport. Because of that, Kincaid led the FBS in terms of production for a tight end. He’s a really good player. I love his hands. He’s a tough player. I think he can go to the Cowboys and really help. Remember, they need to get Dak Prescott some help.”
Bryson Barnes finds Dalton Kincaid for a 5-yard TD
Bryson Barnes finds Dalton Kincaid for a 5-yard TD to put Utah up 21-7 over Washington State.
27. Buffalo Bills: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Klatt on Gibbs to the Bills: “When I evaluate Bijan Robinson, I’m blown away by his versatility, his ability to catch and his explosiveness on the outside and in space. It’s similar with Jahmyr Gibbs. This is the kind of player that would make Buffalo better right away. It would give Josh Allen more threats on that offense. He’s a home-run hitter. He’s excellent catching the ball out of the backfield. He could easily get 30 or 40 catches. Once the ball is in his hands, he’s elusive and tough and physical in space. He’s not quite the runner Bijan is between the tackles, but he can do it.”
28. Cincinnati Bengals: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Klatt on Washington to the Bengals: “It’s a good tight end draft and we already had a couple off the board. I like Darnell Washington to Cincinnati because he can help you in the run game and the passing game. He’s athletic enough to produce as a tight end.
“He just didn’t because the Bulldogs had one of the best, if not the best tight end in all of America. Brock Bowers stole all the tight end production from Washington. When you talk with teams in the SEC and the people around Georgia about Washington, he was basically the Bulldogs’ sixth offensive lineman. He’s that good at in-line blocking. But he’s not just a blocking specialist. He can flex out and give you clean routes.”
29. New Orleans Saints: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Klatt on Bresee to the Saints: “This is a best player on the board pick here. Bresee was the best player, according to Dabo, on his team as a freshman. He was highly recruited and the best player in the country.
“And then, life got in the way for him, if we’re being honest with ourselves. He tore his ACL. His sister, Ella, passed away from cancer at 15 years old. He got sick with a kidney infection. And his production the last couple of years isn’t what it was as a freshman. It’s going to return. I think Bryan Bresee is going to be an excellent pro and we’re going to look up in two or three years and be like, ‘Why didn’t we see that?'”
30. Philadelphia Eagles: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
Klatt on Banks to the Eagles: “Deonte Banks is someone that can absolutely fly. He can play corner. You could always use another corner. They took another dynamic player earlier in the first round. Now you get a guy that can cover in Deonte Banks. He had a shoulder injury in 2021 and early last season, I thought he wasn’t at full speed. As the season went along, he became tougher and a more willing tackler and you could see his production picking up.”
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Klatt on Flowers to the Chiefs: “I’m going to give Patrick Mahomes his wide receiver because Zay Flowers is still available. I love Zay Flowers. He’s a loyal player. He’s an explosive player. He had an opportunity to make a lot of money in NIL at a different school. He chose to stay at Boston College.
“If you spoke with their coaching staff, Jeff Hafley would tell you he’s an elite player. He’s going into the NFL, probably in the first round, and he was still playing in games at Boston College late in the season in which they had no business of winning and he was blocking his butt off for run plays. He’s got tears in his eyes after losses. The guy cares. That’s what I love about him.
“He’s also, by the way, one of the best route runners. He’s very smooth. He’s explosive. You put him on that Kansas City team with a creative playcaller and offensive designer in Andy Reid, you’ve got something.”
