No need to shut your windows. There is a draft in here.
With the 2023 NFL Combine in the rearview mirror, draft season is full steam ahead, and the experts are cranking out their mocks.
This year's combine didn't really result in any major movers at or near the top, but it did reinforce what we already knew: The Bryce Young size debate will rage on until April, C.J. Stroud looks ready for the big stage, and Will Levis will make a team very happy come April — or very disappointed come the end of the 2023 NFL season.
With the Panthers trading up to No. 1 overall, there's a new wrinkle at the top, too. Will Carolina opt for Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud? Some mock drafters feel there's a clear favorite.
MORE: NFL Combine QB grades — Assessing the passers' performances in Indy
With this year's draft first round something of a crapshoot with several unknowns baked into the top 10, some of the mock draft experts are seeing things differently.
Here's how some of the heavy-hitter mock drafters see the first round playing out:
Vinnie Iyer's mock draft (The Sporting News)
Iyer's latest mock draft was released on March 22:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | C.J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Alabama |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Tyree Wilson | EDGE | Texas Tech |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Myles Murphy | EDGE | Clemson |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Peter Skoronski | OT | Northwestern |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (form NOS) | Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Quentin Johnston | WR | TCU |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Jordan Addison | WR | USC |
| 13 | New York Jets | Paris Johnson Jr. | OT | Ohio State |
| 14 | New England Patriots | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Drew Sanders | LB/S | Arkansas |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | Cam Smith | CB | South Carolina |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Kelee Ringo | CB | Georgia |
| 25 | New York Giants | Brian Branch | S/CB | Alabama |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Lukas Van Ness | EDGE | Iowa |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | O'Cyrus Torrence | G | Florida |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Antonio Johnson | S | Texas A&M |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF, via MIA and DEN) | Bryan Bresee | DT | Clemson |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Alabama |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Anton Harrison | OT | Oklahoma |
Noteworthy:
— Iyer projects the Panthers to take Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, not Bryce Young, with the No. 1 overall selection.
— Will Levis doesn't last very long, heading to the Lions at No. 6, giving Detroit an heir apparent to Jared Goff.
— The Jets opt for offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. at No. 13, reinforcing their line. There's some question, though, as to whether or not the Jets will keep that pick as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade.
MORE: Ranking signings, trades for all 32 NFL teams from best (Bears) to worst (Packers)
Mel Kiper's mock draft (ESPN)
Kiper's latest mock draft was released on March 21. His full analysis on each pick can be found here.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | C.J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (from ARI) | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals (from IND) | Will Anderson Jr. | OLB | Alabama |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Paris Johnson Jr. | OT | Ohio State |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (form NOS) | Peter Skoronski | OT | Northwestern |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Tyree Wilson | DE | Texas Tech |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Nolan Smith | OLB | Georgia |
| 13 | New York Jets | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia |
| 14 | New England Patriots | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Lukas Van Ness | DL | Iowa |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Emmanuel Forbes | CB | Mississippi State |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Deonte Banks | CB | Maryland |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Darnell Wright | OT | Tennessee |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Quentin Johnston | WR | TCU |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Will McDonald IV | DE | Iowa State |
| 25 | New York Giants | Jordan Addison | WR | USC |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Adetomiwa Adebawore | DE | Northwestern |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF, via MIA and DEN) | Bryan Bresee | DT | Clemson |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Calijah Kancey | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | DE | Kansas State |
Noteworthy:
— It's a QB frenzy in the top five: C.J. Stroud (Panthers), Bryce Young (Texans), Will Levis (Colts) and Anthony Richardson (Seahawks) all go in the first five selections.
— The Ravens take a swing at fixing their wide receiver issues, landing wideout Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick.
— Jalen Carter, facing some off-the-field issues, still lands in the top 10, going to the Lions at No. 6.
Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft (NFL Network)
Jeremiah's latest mock draft was released on March 21:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 2 | Houston Texans | C.J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Alabama |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida State |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Tyree Wilson | EDGE | Texas Tech |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Peter Skoronski | OL | Northwestern |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | Lukas Van Ness | EDGE | Iowa |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Myles Murphy | EDGE | Clemson |
| 13 | New York Jets | Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia |
| 14 | New England Patriots | Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Paris Johnson Jr. | OT | Ohio State |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Calijah Kancey | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Jordan Addison | WR | USC |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Hendon Hooker | QB | Tennessee |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Deonte Banks | CB | Maryland |
| 25 | New York Giants | Joe Tippmann | Wisconsin | IOL |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Mazi Smith | DT | Michigan |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | Quentin Johnston | WR | TCU |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Darnell Wright | OT | Tennessee |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF, via MIA and DEN) | Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Felix Anudke-Uzomah | EDGE | Kansas State |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Will McDonald IV | EDGE | Iowa State |
Noteworthy:
— Hendon Hooker, first-round pick: The Tennessee passer goes to the Vikings at No. 23, giving Minnesota a Kirk Cousins exit plan.
— Quentin Johnston has a bit of a slide, winding up with the Bills at No. 27.
— Michael Mayer nearly falls out of the first round, winding up with New Orleans at No. 29.
Todd McShay's mock draft (ESPN)
McShay's latest mock draft was released on April 4. For full detailed analysis for each pick, visit his mock draft here.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | C.J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (from ARI) | Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals (from IND) | Will Anderson Jr. | OLB | Alabama |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | Tyree Wilson | DE | Texas Tech |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Peter Skoronski | OT/G | Northwestern |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (form NOS) | Lukas Van Ness | DE | Iowa |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Nolan Smith | OLB | Georgia |
| 13 | New York Jets | Paris Johnson | OT | Ohio State |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via NE) | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Myles Murphy | DE | Clemson |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas |
| 19 | New England Patriots (from TB) | Darnell Wright | OT | Tennessee |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Calijah Kancey | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | Quentin Johnson | WR | TCU |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Hendon Hooker | QB | Tennessee |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah |
| 25 | New York Giants | Emmanuel Forbes | CB | Mississippi State |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | Jordan Addison | WR | USC |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Deonte Banks | CB | Maryland |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF, via MIA and DEN) | Adetomiwa Adebawore | DE/DT | Northwestern |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Will McDonald IV | DE | Iowa State |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | DE | Kansas State |
Noteworthy:
— The Colts have their sights set on a passer, trading up and taking Anthony Richardson at No. 3 overall.
— A bit of a slide for wideout Jordan Addison, landing with the Bills at No. 27.
— The defending champs beef up their defensive line with two defensive end picks: Lukas Van Ness at No. 10 and Will McDonald IV at No. 30.
Dane Brugler's mock draft (The Athletic)
Brugler's latest mock draft was revealed on March 10. For full details and analysis, visit Brugler's mock draft here.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | C.J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | Will Anderson Jr. | EDGE | Alabama |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens (via IND) | Anthony Richardson | QB | Florida |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | Christian Gonzalez | CB | Oregon |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Tyree Wilson | EDGE | Texas Tech |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Peter Skoronski | OT/G | Northwestern |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | Paris Johnson Jr. | OT | Ohio State |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Nolan Smith | EDGE | Georgia |
| 13 | New York Jets | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia |
| 14 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NE) | Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Brian Branch | CB | Alabama |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Penn State |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Calijah Kancey | DT | Pittsburgh |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Myles Murphy | EDG | Clemson |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Michael Mayer | TE | Notre Dame |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | Zay Flowers | WR | Boston College |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Deonte Banks | CB | Maryland |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia |
| 25 | New York Giants | Jordan Addison | WR | USC |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Utah |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Anton Harrison | OT | Oklahoma |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF, via MIA and DEN) | Bryan Bresee | DT | Clemson |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Darnell Wright | OT/G | Tennessee |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Dawand Jones | RT | Ohio State |
Noteworthy:
— The Panthers take C.J. Stroud after trading up to No. 1 overall, passing on Bryce Young.
— The Bears get help from a local kid: Northwestern's Peter Skoronski heads to Chicago with the No. 9 pick.
— Like father, like son: The Steelers nab son of franchise great Joey Porter, Joey Porter Jr., with the No. 17 pick, bolstering their DB room.