NFLMocks’ 5 for 5: 2023 NFL Draft Sleepers, NFL MVP Favorites, and More!

Week three of the NFL season is in the books, as well as week four for college football! In this week’s edition of our 5 for 5 we will highlight some of the biggest sleepers in the 2023 NFL Draft, a handful of favorites for the NFL MVP award, and more. Without further ado, let’s get the ball rolling!

Headline #1: Biggest Surprises of the Week

•No. 1: Another Crazy Week in CFB

If the first few weeks of the college football season are any indication, this could be the craziest year in recent memory. Week four continued the trend with some shocking upsets and individual performances.

After getting brought back down to Earth last week in College Station, No. 25 ranked Miami suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in their program’s illustrious history Saturday. Middle Tennessee State traveled to South Beach and left with a stunning 45-31 victory.

Speaking of Texas A&M, they defeated the No. 10 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, marking a second straight top 15 win following their own embarrassing loss versus Appalachian State a couple of weeks back.

The biggest upset of the weekend, all things considered, came when Adrian Martinez led his Kansas State Wildcats into Norman, Oklahoma, and helped propel them past the No. 6 ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

This made for the third time in the first four weeks of the season that multiple top 10 teams were beaten on the same day. In total, there have been 11 occurrences of a team ranked 12th or better losing in 2022. It is absurd.

•No. 2: Trevor Lawrence & the Jacksonville Jaguars Look Legit

A few things have become clear as day with the Jacksonville Jaguars. First and foremost, it cannot be said enough how much of a disaster the Urban Meyer fiasco was. It is in the running for the worst coaching tenure in the history of sports.

We all knew Meyer sank any chance the franchise had at improving in 2021, but seeing how much progress Doug Pederson has made in a fraction of the time hammers home just how bad Meyer was. Pederson is respected in the locker room and already has Trevor Lawrence looking like a new man behind center.

While Pederson gets the credit for designing a winning game plan, the Jaguars second-year quarterback deserves an equal amount of credit for executing it to such a high degree. Lawrence tied for the league lead in interceptions as a rookie, but through three games in 2022, he’s only thrown one.

The defense is perhaps just as promising. Josh Allen and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker create pressure off the edge all game, with their “other” first-round pick from 2022, linebacker Devin Lloyd, cleaning up plays over the middle. They’ve allowed 10 points as a unit over their past two games versus IND & LAC.

The Jaguars currently sit at 2-1 and lay claim to first place in the AFC South. After winning only three games under Urban Meyer, Jacksonville could realistically triple their win total from 2021 en route to a potential division title. Keep an eye on these youngsters.

•No. 3: The Miami Dolphins are 3-0

Some expected the Miami Dolphins to be a playoff team this season, myself included. The addition of Terron Armstead, Tyreek Hill, and Mike McDaniel was enough to convince me that a 10-win campaign was on the horizon.

One thing that nobody expected is that the Dolphins would sit as the final remaining undefeated AFC team. Miami hasn’t blown anyone out of the water to this point, but with wins over the Patriots, Ravens, and Bills… they’ve got a serious contender in South Beach.

The offense is leaps and bounds ahead of what the unit put up last season, proving that the entire locker room has bought into what Mike McDaniel is selling. Forget about the Dolphins being contenders for a division title, it’s time to start talking about them as a Super Bowl threat.

•No. 4: USC’s High-Powered Offense Stymied

The USC Trojans escaped with a hard-fought 17-14 victory against their Pac-12 rivals, the Oregon State Beavers. While a win is a win, this one came in a vastly different manner than the prior three for Lincoln Riley’s crew.

Jonathan Smith deserves credit for the defensive game plan that he and his coaching staff threw at the Trojans. In rewatching the game, the Beavers constantly asserted their physicality, especially in coverage. They did a great job of limiting Jordan Addison’s impact throughout the game, even though the gifted wideout hauled in the game-winner later on.

If USC truly wants to compete for a National Championship, they must remain locked in and continue winning games that don’t go exactly to plan. A true mark of a great team is winning these contests in uncharacteristic ways.

•No. 5: The Undefeated Kansas City Chiefs Fall to the Winless Indianapolis Colts

Speaking as a resident of the state of Indiana, the Colts fandom had their pitchforks ready following the team’s demoralizing 24-0 loss in week two versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. After another slow start, things started getting shaky in the Hoosier State.

In a turn of events that perfectly encapsulates the Frank Reich era, the Colts rebounded from their 0-1-1 start by beating the powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs 20-17. A lot of things went Indy’s way, but to their credit, they never once wavered during the game or the hostile week leading up to it.

Reich’s single best trait is keeping an even keel demeanor no matter the outcome. It’s something that helps the team when things are bad but can also hurt them when a sense of urgency is needed. I still have my reservations about Reich as a head coach, but Sunday helped quell the storm — for now.

Headline #2: Dream Prospect-Team Pairings in the 2023 NFL Draft

•No. 1: QB CJ Stroud – Detroit Lions

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is as real as it gets in sports, but I have a hunch that the Michigan fans would be able to look past this if the Detroit Lions get a chance to take Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There’s still a stigma around the Lions franchise, but general manager Brad Holmes is making his presence felt in year two. His hiring of Dan Campbell is not a championship-winning hire, but to get to that point, they must shed the perennial loser label. Campbell has his shortcomings as a coach, but he was born to be a leader of men.

Quarterback Jared Goff accepted the trade to Detroit with open arms, and did well to serve as the bridge quarterback in 2021. He’s assuming the same role this season, but with the roster starting to show promise, it’s time to add the signal-caller of the future. Enter CJ Stroud.

The reason I love this pairing is two-fold. The main argument is that the team and Stroud have the same developmental window. Detroit’s roster is young and their best days are likely still a couple of seasons away. The same can be said about Stroud, who would not be under pressure to win a division in year one.

The other argument is how stacked of a cast Stroud would have on offense. Some scouts hold it against him that he’s been surrounded by so much talent at Ohio State. Well, imagine he gets drafted to a team with Penei Sewell-Amon’Ra St. Brown-D’Andre Swift-Jameson Williams-TJ Hockenson! This is my favorite landing spot for CJ Stroud.

•No. 2: DL Jalen Carter – Houston Texans

There’s not as much to be said about Jalen Carter. He is a fit for any team in the NFL and will immediately become one of the best players in the league on that side of the ball. He is that good.

The Texans were heavily connected to his former teammate, Jordan Davis, before trading down in the 2022 NFL Draft and allowing the Eagles to take him instead. If the opportunity presents itself again in 2023, Houston should stay put and take a superior prospect in Jalen Carter.

Carter can line up all across the defensive line and gives a defensive coordinator so many options. Head coach Lovie Smith is a defensive specialist after all. Will Anderson Jr. would be cool here too, but Carter’s ability to create pressure from the interior is something you rarely see.

•No. 3: CB Joey Porter Jr. – Pittsburgh Steelers

This prospect-to-team pairing pretty much writes itself. Joey Porter Jr. is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire nation and he’s proven it in each game that he’s taken the field. Porter Jr. welcomes the challenge from each opponent’s best wide receiver and more often than not he comes out on top.

The reason the pairing is so ideal draws back to Joey’s father — Pittsburgh Steeler legend Joey Porter Sr. The hard-hitting linebacker patrolled the middle of the field in Pittsburgh from 1999-2006. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro in his seven seasons with the franchise.

The Steelers desperately need a true No. 1 cornerback on the outside. Cameron Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Levi Wallace are fine, but none possess the elite upside that Porter Jr. would bring with him to the positional group. This one makes too much sense not to happen.

•No. 4: RB Bijan Robinson – Dallas Cowboys

Here is one that is unlikely to happen, but it’s impossible to ignore the merchandising opportunities that would come with Bijan Robinson donning the Star on his helmet after starring for the Texas Longhorns the last few years.

Jerry Jones is never shy to make the splashy move over the safer move. This aligns with his M.O. and if the team uses the out in Ezekiel Elliott’s contract this offseason, there’s a chance the Cowboys are looking for a starting running back. Tony Pollard could be brought back to take over the role, but even he is a free agent after the season.

Robinson can’t fix the offensive line himself, but his style of running would benefit the squad in a bunch of different areas. His elite vision, otherworldly ability with the ball in his hands, and underrated standing as a pass catcher would help take Kellen Moore’s offensive unit back to the top of the NFL.

Is it smart? No, not really. Is it possible? Definitely. Bijan Robinson’s rookie contract would pay for itself with all the support he already has in the Lone Star State. It’s fun to dream about this pairing.

•No. 5: QB Will Levis – New York Giants

I’ll get this out of the way quickly so no one can accuse me of saying it; Will Levis is not Josh Allen. Okay, now that we have that settled, let’s address why the Kentucky gunslinger is an ideal quarterback for the New York Giants.

New head coach Brian Daboll is largely credited with helping Josh Allen reach his full potential during his time as the play caller in Buffalo. Daboll has won each of the first two games with the Giants, but Daniel Jones is not a long-term answer for Big Blue.

Daboll will surely be looking to get his own guy next offseason, and I see Will Levis as the perfect prospect. He has a rocket launcher for an arm, runs a pro-style offense at Kentucky, and possesses a picture-perfect frame for a quarterback.

Levis needs to work on his decision-making and clean up inconsistent mechanics both in this throwing motion and pocket presence. These are similar issues to what Josh Allen dealt with coming out of Wyoming.

Daboll will have the opportunity to develop a quarterback of his choosing going forward, don’t be surprised when it is Will Levis.

Headline #3: 2023 NFL Draft QB Stock Watch

•No. 1: Bryce Young (Alabama)

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard Bryce Young’s name any time the 2023 NFL Draft comes up. The reigning Heisman trophy winner is worthy of this high praise, but the 2022 season has shown some potentially worrisome signs.

Young is still as good as they come in the clutch, showing as much during Alabama’s thrilling 20-19 triumph over the Texas Longhorns. However, one could argue that Young’s inaccuracy is the core reason that the game was still within reach in the fourth quarter.

The Crimson Tide have their worst wide receiver room in a decade currently, and the sheer amount of drops that Alabama pass catchers have in 2022 helps confirm this. But even so, Young’s timing and accuracy have been all over the place in his junior campaign.

You wouldn’t know by looking at the box score because Young is posting a career-high completion percentage. If you watch the games though, you’ll see the drops, but you’ll also see Young killing the momentum of his receivers by throwing behind them or too far in front of them — even on the balls he does complete.

Young is a superstar, please don’t take this as an indictment of his ability as a college quarterback. However, due to his slight frame and short stature, Young is going to have to be perfect in all the other aspects to help smooth over the concerns of scouts.

•No. 2: Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)

The former Virginia Tech Hokie took over the reins at starter last season for the Volunteers and he quickly earned fans across the country due to his exciting, yet risk-averse, brand of play. He looks like an NFL quarterback and moves like one as well.

Hooker is playing the best football of his life in 2022, and this could lead to the Tennessee quarterback becoming the first signal-caller taken in round one since Peyton Manning went No. 1 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft.

In 17 starts with the Volunteers, Hooker has 38 passing touchdowns to only three interceptions! Three! Add in the fact that he has 791 yards on the ground and eight rushing touchdowns and it’s easy to see why so many NFL teams are enticed by this kid.

The one thing Hooker must continue to improve upon is speeding up his motion and processing. While he only has three interceptions, a lot of that can be attributed to his tendency of holding the ball far too long, allowing the opponent to sack him. This happened 34 times in 2021 and already has occurred eight times in 2022.

Think of a higher upside Jacoby Brissett. Brissett was taken in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Expect Hooker to hear his name well before then if he continues playing at this level.

•No. 3: Devin Leary (NC State)

Devin Leary is not a name that non-ACC fans are as familiar with when comparing him to his peers at the position. After a breakout 2021 season for the Wolfpack, Leary got off to an up-and-down start in 2022.

He played poorly across the team’s first three games but finally looks to be back on track after posting 320 yards through the air and four touchdowns. More importantly, Leary completed over 65% of his passes for the first time all year, showing much better ball placement than weeks prior.

The bounce-back effort came against Connecticut, a school that is far from great on the CFB scene. Leary has some key matchups coming up with the first being a showdown at Clemson against Dabo Swinney’s No. 5 ranked group. Scouts will have their eyes glued to the screen to see how Leary fares.

Aside from the big-named prospects like CJ Stroud and Bryce Young, the 2023 NFL Draft class is begging for someone to claim that No. 3 quarterback spot. Leary could do it.

•No. 4: Tyler Van Dyke (Miami)

What a fall from grace that Tyler Van Dyke has experienced over the past 14 days. Heading into his matchup with Texas A&M last weekend, TVD was a popular pick to climb draft boards with a strong performance. Unfortunately, Van Dyke played the worst game of his career against the Aggies.

He hoped to bounce back this week against the lowly-Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, but things hit an all-time low for the signal-caller. Van Dyke threw two interceptions and was subsequently benched for the remainder of the game.

He still has some NFL traits, but unless he gets back on the field and shows a marked improvement from what he just put on tape, the odds of Van Dyke going day one in the 2023 NFL Draft are slim to none. There’s a better chance that he transfers and plays another year of college ball before declaring in 2024.

•No. 5: Jaren Hall (BYU)

When Zach Wilson burst onto the scene and parlayed an incredible final season at BYU into a No. 2 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, this opened the door for someone else to follow in his footsteps to the NFL.

Jaren Hall’s arm isn’t quite as electric as Zach Wilson’s was on tape. Don’t get it twisted though, Hall still has a strong arm that can make any throw necessary to play on Sundays, but he entered 2022 with a lot to prove in terms of touch and accuracy.

Thus far, Hall has closed the gap between himself and Wilson due to a more refined throwing motion and a better understanding of what to do with the ball after dropping back. Hall’s decisiveness has taken his game to the next level and landed him on NFL Draft radars everywhere.

BYU will host both Notre Dame and Arkansas in October, with both games looking to be a turning point in Hall’s NFL hopes. If he maintains this stellar play against defenses that boast NFL players, his stock is going to be BOOMIN’.

Headline #4: NFL MVP Favorites

•No. 1: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)

Full disclosure, with the Philadelphia Eagles being undefeated in such a dominant fashion, Jalen Hurts probably wins the NFL MVP if voting took place today. I don’t believe that he’s been the best player in the league through three weeks, though.

That honor belongs to 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Ravens should be undefeated as well, if not for a complete collapse by their defense in the fourth quarter of their week two contest against the Miami Dolphins. Jackson tossed three touchdowns and eclipsed 100 yards on the ground that game.

He did the same thing in week three against the New England Patriots, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to produce such numbers in back-to-back weeks. Want more?

Jackson has more total touchdowns than any other team in the NFL. He is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards. Jackson is on pace for 4,300+ passing yards, 1,300+ rushing yards, 56 passing touchdowns, and 11 rushing touchdowns.

Unless the team turns things around on defense, Lamar Jackson is going to be forced to continue putting up these jaw-dropping numbers to elevate his team to the postseason. If he succeeds, it should result in his second MVP award. Pay that man!

•No. 2: Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)

As stated in the prior section, Jalen Hurts is more than qualified to be the NFL MVP in 2022. He is leading a well-oiled machine and doing it at the highest level that he’s ever shown on the gridiron, even dating back to his college days at Alabama and Oklahoma.

Hurts played well last year and led the Eagles to the playoffs in year one as the full-time starter, so perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise to see where Philly is right now. That being said, Hurts has greatly improved as a passer since 2021.

A large part of that can be chalked up to the increased confidence that Hurts has shown in 2022. The ball comes out of his hand differently this year, with much more touch and intentionality behind each throw. He’s also been keeping his eyes downfield frequently, allowing for big gains from his pass catchers.

The Eagles look like the team to beat in the NFC and that is unlikely to change barring any major injuries to the roster. General manager Howie Roseman put together a roster that’s ready to win right now, and the bet he made on Jalen Hurts is looking like a brilliant roll of the dice. Hurts is aiming for a monster extension if his elite level of play continues.

•No. 3: Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)

Continuing a trend from the first two entries on this list, Tua Tagovailoa is yet another quarterback on his rookie deal that’s showing out as the starter in 2022. Similar to his former Alabama teammate, Tagovailoa’s improvement has come in droves since the Dolphins selected him in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The most popular joke on Twitter all offseason centered around Tua Tagovailoa’s inability to throw the ball downfield. The social media mob got a fresh slate of ammunition when Miami traded for Tyreek Hill, resulting in memes for days about Tagovailoa’s lack of arm strength.

He’s gone on to shut down this speculation and it’s been weeks since I last saw a negative Tagovailoa meme on Twitter. The lefty is playing like a souped-up version of what Kyle Shanahan has with Jimmy Garappolo. Dolphins rookie head coach Mike McDaniel is a protege of Shanahan, so no surprise there.

Tagovailoa has shown zero trouble getting the ball to his speedy wide receivers, consistently hitting Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on quick hitters and deep balls downfield. Tua came out on top against Josh Allen Sunday, but the two are likely to jockey for position in the AFC East down to the last week. The winner of the division might lay claim to the MVP award.

•No. 4: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)

Josh Allen threw the pigskin 63 times on Sunday in the Bills’ war with their divisional rival Miami Dolphins. As great as Allen is, and as much as this opens the door for video game numbers, this is not a sustainable thing for the quarterback to deal with all season.

More balance would have helped Allen save some energy in the tank on a scorching hot day in Miami. In the fourth quarter, it became blatantly obvious that Allen had expended all of his energy. He uncharacteristically left passes short and had a noticeable lack of burst when moving around inside and outside the pocket.

Still, Allen completed two-thirds of those pass attempts, recording 447 total yards and two touchdowns on the day. He is on pace for the best season in Buffalo Bills history and is the most likely name to fly up this list in the coming weeks. The Bills dropped a tough game against the Dolphins, but Sean McDermott’s experienced squad knows that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

•No. 5: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)

Patrick Mahomes can be compared to LeBron James when it comes to MVP voting. He only has one MVP and one All-Pro first-team in his career, with both coming in 2018. Taking nothing away from Aaron Rodgers, Mahomes had a case to be named MVP in each of the past two seasons.

Voter fatigue is a real thing, and even though Mahomes has been the best quarterback in the NFL since assuming the role as a starter, the accolades don’t back that up for the former Texas Tech Red Raider. Following the Tyreek Hill trade, Mahomes has been given a chance to prove that his success wasn’t a byproduct of Hill.

So far, so good for Mahomes on that front. He’s looked every bit as good as years prior, if not better. Losing Hill has actually made Mahomes a more efficient quarterback, as he’s been more willing to take check downs and hit the “easy” throws over the middle.

The loss to Indianapolis hurts because Mahomes performed poorly, but with his track record and mythical arm talent, he’s going to have ample opportunity to prove it was merely an outlier. I’ve come to find that it is not wise to bet against Patrick Mahomes.

Headline #5: Sleepers in the 2023 NFL Draft

•No. 1: Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina

Many know the “sexy” names from the 2023 NFL Draft class, but one quarterback that I don’t see mentioned much is Grayson McCall.

McCall performed exceptionally well in Coastal Carolina’s program-altering 2021 season. He completed passes at a high clip (73%), took care of the ball by only turning it over three times, and added 31 total touchdowns to boot.

McCall has no experience running certain NFL sets, so it’s really hard to evaluate him solely off of tape. The Senior Bowl, Pro Day, and NFL Combine portion of the NFL Draft process will be what makes McCall a legit target for teams.

•No. 2: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

Similar to McCall, Zay Flowers is an exciting prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft. He oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle due to bigger names at bigger schools. Flowers hopes to be the next middle-round wide receiver who blossoms into a star on Sundays.

Flowers averages over 15 yards per catch throughout his four-year career with BC. In four games so far in 2022, Flowers has recorded 330 receiving yards and three touchdowns while catching passes from quarterback Phil Jurkovec.

Flowers moves like an NFL vet at wide receiver and has been clocked at 22.5 mph during his time with the Eagles. He’s shown this year that he’s capable of running a diverse route tree by using his insane change of direction ability to get free from his defender.

Flowers is a superstar and hopefully, NFL scouts have an eye on him. If not, he’s going to make them all look silly for letting him drop in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of “my guys” from this class.

•No. 3: Keeanu Benton, DL, Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Badgers are a hotbed for NFL talent in the trenches. The Watt brothers, Ryan Ramcyzk, and Travis Frederick are just a few examples of high NFL Draft picks over the past decade.

Keeanu Benton hopes to be the next Badger to follow in the footsteps of those first-round picks. Benton being a nose tackle won’t help his chances of being a day one pick, but it shouldn’t matter if you ask me.

Benton is a large human being listed at 6’4” and weighing somewhere around 320 pounds. Impressively, Benton can play bigger than that but also is agile enough to play like a defensive lineman with a much smaller stature. This versatility is why teams must look closer than the position he plays.

Benton should be able to line up anywhere on the interior of the defensive line, but if he sticks as a pure nose tackle, he has the potential to be among the best in the NFL quickly. Odds are, Benton comes off the board early on day two, but he is worthy of consideration for franchises picking in the back half of day one.

•No. 4: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

The Minnesota Gophers deploy one of the strongest rushing attacks in the country. Running back Mohamed Ibrahim deserves his fair share of credit, but an unheralded star on the offensive line is a key cog to the machine.

John Michael Schmitz, the Gophers starting center, has as much experience as anyone at the position. He’s started for four seasons now and is the rare center prospect that justifies a pick in the first two days of the NFL Draft.

He moves well, uses his strength to gain leverage on his matchup, and creates space in the run game that you could fly a plane through. Schmitz is a day-one starter in the NFL, and even though he’s an older prospect, this shouldn’t dissuade teams from taking him and plugging him in at center immediately.

•No. 5: Devon Witherspoon, DB, Illinois

The Fighting Illini has a few NFL-caliber players on the roster, but the best of the bunch is Devon Witherspoon. He’s an uber-talented defensive back that primarily plays as a cover corner in the Illinois defense and is never shy to lay down the hammer on a ball carrier.

His style of play is exciting to watch, making him one of the most fun tapes for me to date. Witherspoon has a few things that need to be cleaned up if he wants to come off the board in the first couple of rounds, which can all be traced back to his late start in football.

Witherspoon didn’t play a single organized football game until his junior year of high school, showing that he’s just now scratching the surface of his potential. Right now, Witherspoon is still considered a sleeper, but my gut says he will be high on draft boards by the time the 2023 NFL Draft comes around.