Mock draft: Howie trades up to land the draft's best player

The 2023 NFL Draft begins tomorrow.

You know why you're here. I know why you're here. You can't focus on anything productive and need to see if anyone out there agrees with your opinion on what your favorite football team should do. It's nature's way.

I'm here to tell you that I have absolutely no clue what will happen Thursday night, or Friday, or Saturday. But I do want to take a stab and have some fun.

So here's my last attempt at correctly predicting 34 draft picks in a row:

1. Panthers: QB Bryce Young, Alabama

I don't need to tell you why the Panthers are going to take the consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect in this draft class, a hyper-productive college star who won the Heisman and should become a reliable, potentially very good starting QB.

2. Texans: EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

Surprise! The new Texans don't force a quarterback because I don't think they love any of the non-Young options. Instead they take a blue-chip player, except not Will Anderson but Tyree Wilson, whose draft stock has boomed lately. Wilson had 7.0 sacks and 14.0 TFL last year. He will be very good.

3. Eagles (via ARI): EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

Cardinals acquire: No. 10 overall, 2024 Saints' 2nd round pick, 2024 Eagles' 3rd round pick

Eagles acquire: No. 3 overall

HOWIE STRIKES!

I selfishly held Anderson until No. 3 because I think he's the guy Howie Roseman will trade up for, a no-brainer super athlete who can become a perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher. Howie sacrifices some of the 2024 Draft war chest in order to hold on to No. 30 this year. Arizona is in full rebuild, so they're okay with looking into the future.

Anderson is That Guy. He put up 34.5 sacks in three years with the Crimson Tide, finished 5th in Heisman voting in 2021, crushed the Combine, and is the kind of prospect every scout wants their team to select. He's as clean as a whistle. 

Combining Anderson's skillset with Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat off the edge won't be fair. The ball will be in the Eagles' offense's hands constantly, and they'll score a million points. Game over.

4. Colts: QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

Talk about swinging for the fences. Shane Steichen and the Colts decide to wish upon a Josh Allen-sized star and bet on the idea of molding Richardson's raw gifts into an unstoppable weapon. The Florida product is raw and needs at least a year on the bench, but if it works... look out.

5. Seahawks: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia

Seattle doesn't flinch at the off-the-field character issues and goes full bore on a wildly talented player in Carter who, if he reaches his full potential on the field, has game-wrecking ability in the middle of the Seahawks' D-line.

6. Lions: CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Witherspoon is a player the Eagles could look at if their trade-up options dissolve. He's a hard-nosed, physical corner with size and the ability to stay sticky in coverage. He makes those Sheldon Brown-style tackles on the outside that everyone loves. The Lions need secondary help and Witherspoon is their man.

7. Raiders: QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Stroud is a pure pocket passer, the kind of guy who might be able to plug-and-play as a rookie. And the Raiders just signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year deal. So why is this the pick? Well, Jimmy G is 32 years old, he's not actually that good, and the Raiders have a feasible out after one year in his contract. You don't pass on a potential franchise QB at No. 7 overall for an early-30s journeyman QB. 

8. Falcons: EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson

The Falcons had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season and Myles Murphy tallied 18.5 sacks and 36.0 tackles for loss in 35 games with the Tigers. It's a no-brainer selection for an Atlanta team fully in rebuild mode.

9. Bears: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

Sacks are often as much a quarterback stat as much as they are an offensive line stat, but the fact of the matter is that Justin Fields was sacked 55 times last year. If Fields is the Bears' guy, they need to protect him better. Skoronski is reputed to be a no-doubter O-line stud. His short arms are the only question mark, but Chicago trusts his talent to win out.

10. Cardinals (via PHI): CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Gonzalez and Witherspoon will likely be tied for the majority of their careers, the way QBs often are when they go in quick succession. Gonzalez has a bit more fast-twitch athleticism in his game, is big and rangy (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and he racked up four INTs last season. This could be a perennial Pro Bowler.

11. Titans: QB Will Levis, Kentucky

The Titans are quietly staring down a tear-down rebuild, and I think they know it. Derrick Henry has sounded extremely available. Last offseason they swapped Pro Bowl WR A.J. Brown for rookie WR Treylon Burks. Ryan Tannehill isn't particularly good, and this is likely the last year he'll be on the roster. I have questions about Levis at the pro level, but Tennessee taking a QB makes a world of sense if they believe in the player.

12. Texans: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

Davis Webb probably isn't the answer at quarterback, but as we saw with Jalen Hurts last season it's best to surround a young passer with talent and see what he does. Whether it's Webb or another future QB as the Texans' long-term answer, a guy who put up JSN's gaudy 2021 college numbers (95 receptions, 1,606 yards, 9 TD) will help any NFL franchise win more games.

13. Packers: WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

Aaron Rodgers is gone, and Green Bay needs to give Jordan Love a legit shot. Flowers is a fascinating and dynamic wide receiver, a player with a very high ceiling. He caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior year at BC. Flowers and Christian Watson are a pretty nice WR1 + WR2 combo.

14. Patriots: CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

Porter doesn't bring the eye-popping production of other cornerbacks in this year's draft, but we know Bill Belichick values difference-makers at the corner position - Asante Samuel, Darelle Revis, and Stephon Gilmore come to mind - and Porter has the measurables and skillset to be a regular difference-maker.

15. Jets: OT Paris Johnson, Ohio State

Another guy who feels like an Eagles target if they don't trade up, Johnson is simply a mountain of a young man at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds. The Jets just mortgaged their future to acquire Aaron Rodgers, so they'd better keep the pocket clean. Johnson can be a cornerstone of the organization for the next decade.

16. Commanders: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

The NFC East's other three teams have quarterbacks they believe in. Whether they're all good is another question, but Washington needs to defend the pass and Benjamin St-Juste isn't getting it done as CB2. The take the big, impressive Banks who had just one interception last year as a starter with the Terps but is rising up draft boards all over the place.

17. Steelers: OT Broderick Jones, Georgia

Kenny Pickett seems to be the man in Pittsburgh, and there's nothing better you can do for a young quarterback than to get him a cornerstone tackle. Jones is enormous - nearly 6-6 and 311 pounds - with an inspiring combinatinon of quick movement and strength. He could be a Steel City favorite for a decade-plus.

18. Lions: DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson

I could see Bresee going anywhere from 10 to 30 in the first round, but I think Dan Campbell jumps at the chance to take a versatile, athletic defensive lineman and keep beefing up the D-line. The main concern is his unfortunately deep injury history, but if the Detroit docs give him a clean bill of health I think he's off the board and headed to the NFC North.

19. Buccaneers: OL O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida

The Buccaneers need to upgrade at a number of positions, and one of the reasons Tom Brady seemed to drop off precipitously last year was subpar play from the O-line - the old guy was constantly throwing it away to avoid pressure. A good way to start rebuilding that unit in a hurry is with a 6-foot-5, 330-pound mountain in Torrence.

20. Seahawks: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

Seattle wants to get back to dominating on defense. By taking Carter and Van Ness in the first round, Pete Carroll is back on his B.S. with two potential studs. Van Ness didn't have insane output at Iowa - just 13.0 sacks in 26 career games - but he could take off in the right system.

21. Dolphins: Forfeited

Lol

22. Chargers: WR Quentin Johnson, TCU

The Chargers have Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett. But they need a true speed demon to take the top off opposing defenses. Johnson has the wheels, the size, and the production at TCU (60 catches, 1,069 yards, 6 TD in 2022) to take this Chargers offense to the next level with new OC Kellen Moore.

23. Ravens: WR Jordan Addison, USC

Odell Beckham Jr. was a good start, but if the Ravens really want Lamar Jackson to stick around and feel supported - oh, and actually succeed on the field - they need more weapons. Addison isn't huge (6-foot) or lightning quick (4.49 40-yard dash) but he brings a polished receiving skillset that will play at the next level. Think Jeremy Maclin.

24. Vikings: CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississppi State

Patrick Peterson is gone and Minnesota needs secondary help in a big way. Forbes probably shouldn't be a first-round pick but the Vikings decide to reach for a position of need on the back end.

25. Jaguars: S Brian Branch, Alabama

Branch can play corner or safety, but many experts see him winding up at the backend of the defense. His third year at Alabama was a doozy: 90 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two inteceptions, and seven passes defended. He does it all.

26. Giants: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

Is this the best pick? Maybe not. But the Giants' WR room is simply abysmal and the front office likely has visions of explosive weapons opening things up for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Hyatt can be that player: he caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.

27. Cowboys: TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

Dalton Schultz exits, Michael Mayer enters. Tight ends are one of the smartest market inefficiencie that teams are trying to exploit, and Mayer has TE1 attributes. He was extremely productive at Notre Dame in 36 games: 180 catches, 2,099 yards, and 18 TD.

28. Bills: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

Folks, this offense would be a dang handful. Josh Allen as a dual-threat quarterback, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis as pass-catching options, and Bijan Robinson out of the backfield? The Bills could roll you and me out there on defense, and it won't matter: they're score 40 points every time out. Whew.

29. Bengals: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

Cincinnati opts for the other top tight end in this year's class to give Joe Burrow a high-end safety valve when Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are blanketed down the field. Kincaid exploded last season, catching 70 passes for 890 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games.

30. Saints: DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

Kancey had a great week at the Combine, running the fastest defensive tackle 40-yard dash in 20 years. He's undersized at 6-foot-1, but he showed his mobility and his athleticism in Indianapolis and there's plenty of reason to believe Kancey can be disruptive up the middle.

31. Texans (via PHI): QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Eagles acquire: No. 34 overall, No. 104 overall

Texans acquire: No. 31 overall

Howie recoups some draft capital this year by trading down just two spots and Houston jumps up to take a swing on a quarterback, securing that fifth-year option a la the Ravens drafting Lamar Jackson in 2018. It's a nifty move down just three spots and a good way to exploit need in another franchise. Classic Howie stuff.

Meanwhile, Houston is glad it didn't force a quarterback pick higher up in the order. By picking best player available, they come away with blue chip talent and a draftnik darling QB prospect in Hooker who needs work and time on the bench but has a fascinating ceiling. He's not a sure thing, and he's already 25 years old, but his skillset as an athletic dual-threat weapon (2,079 rushing yards and 25 rushing TDs across his college career) make him a tantalizing option.

32. Chiefs: EDGE Keion White, Georgia Tech

White isn't as big as the top-of-the-table prospects like Tyree Wilson or Myles Murphy, nor as productive, but he's a relatively raw prospect with absurd athletic traits who could be molded into a deadly weapon on the edge with the right coaching.