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 not too long ago 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 general choose in 2021 to again up and (hopefully) ultimately exchange Jimmy Garoppolo; Carthon understands the urgency of getting a franchise quarterback as a way to compete within the AFC. Richardson is teeming with expertise however is inexperienced; he’ll spend time growing as a passer behind Ryan Tannehill however will probably 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 suits the invoice higher than Texas Tech defensive finish Tyree Wilson. Wilson’s arm size and top land at 96th and ninety fifth percentile amongst edge defenders all-time, and he’ll match completely in Pete Carroll’s protection alongside huge free agent additions Dre’mont Jones and Jarran Reed. 

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

This may be a dream situation for the Lions, who land one of the celebrated defensive gamers within the historical past of faculty 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, deal with, cornerback and extra, however the workforce’s wants alongside the offensive line are probably the most dire. Johnson Jr. has versatility to play throughout the offensive line and can seemingly plug in at proper guard for the Raiders. He’s nonetheless early in his improvement and has all of the bodily traits to turn out to be a future All-Professional deal with in a number of years.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

The Falcons did a superb job filling in holes on their roster throughout free company, so that they have the chance right here to take the very best participant accessible. 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 right away give Atlanta top-of-the-line cornerback tandems within the NFC.

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

The dominant defensive deal with’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 general 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 way 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 cross rush stays a energy within the coming years.

11. Arizona Cardinals: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

PROJECTED TRADE WITH THE TENNESSEE TITANS

The Cardinals’ roster wants expertise in a foul method and recoup some belongings by buying and selling down right here. Right here, they add Devon Witherspoon, a gifted and feisty cornerback who will add juice to a struggling protection. Witherspoon is a superb man cowl nook however can be top-of-the-line tacklers on this class with an aggressive and intense play fashion that can deliver 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 capability and wonderful fluidity for his measurement. Whoever the Jets’ quarterback is subsequent season, they may 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 bounce as much as land the lengthy and gifted 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 stage. 

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

The Packers presently solely have 5 receivers on their roster, and you’ve got seemingly 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 will probably be too tempting for Invoice Belichick to cross 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 deal with 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 have 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 faculty scouting for the then St. Louis Rams when the workforce drafted Aaron Donald with their second first-round choose again in 2014; if anybody will probably 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 greatest tape within the class towards vaunted SEC pass-rushers like Will Anderson Jr. this previous season. He’s a plug-and-play deal with who will lock down the suitable 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 deal with.

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 strains up reverse Marlon Humphrey to provide 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 velocity 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 provide 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 fully overhauled by way 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 might be very stunned if the star of the mix falls this far come draft day. Smith may play as a stand-up exterior 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 strains within the NFC North.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Jones has the construct to play at both guard or deal with and will begin at left guard for the Jaguars or compete with Walker Little for the workforce’s proper deal with 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 remains to be in want of assist at slot nook. Department would have gone a lot greater if he had not run poorly on the mix however nonetheless boasts excessive soccer IQ and dominant tackling capability — 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 outdated stomping grounds. The Cowboys misplaced Dalton Schultz in free company and get an improve in Mayer who dominated as each an inline blocker and cross 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 one in all my favourite gamers within the draft — one of the polished linebackers to return out of faculty 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 unimaginable 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 accessible 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 deal with 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 greatest soccer needs to be forward of him as he enters the professionals.

30. Philadelphia Eagles: DJ Turner, CB, Michigan

A freaky athlete with a aggressive perspective, 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 members in 2023 — and interprets that into wonderful make-up velocity and mirror-and-match talents in protection.

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

Jones is a developmental proper deal with with imposing measurables — his 89-inch wingspan broke the Senior Bowl file 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 charge was the bottom amongst all FBS tackles per Professional Soccer Focus. Jones competes with Lucas Niang for the Chiefs’ proper deal with spot after the departure of Andrew Wylie throughout free company.

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