2023 NFL Draft: 3 QBs Go Top 5, Eagles Make A Trade, And Chiefs Take Surprise Player In Latest Mock Draft

*TRADE*

Eagles Send: No. 5 Overall

Panthers Send: No. 9 Overall, 2024 1st

I am never one to do an NFL Draft day trade this early in the process, but after seeing Jalen Carter and Will Anderson come off the board, Howie Roseman would have to listen to trade offers. The Carolina Panthers make the most sense as a potential suitor, as they will likely want to jump ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders to ensure they get their guy.

The Eagles moving down four spots and gaining another future first fits their MO and the Panthers trading a future first is worth it every time if they hit on the pick. A win-win scenario in this mock draft.

5. Carolina Panthers (via PHI via NO) – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

Following a trade up the board, the Carolina Panthers usher in a new era of football with a fresh face behind center. Will Levis, the Kentucky Wildcat fireballer, is an enticing pro prospect. He checks every box physically, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 225 pounds. Levis can move well for his size, and just like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, he can throw a pigskin over a mountain.

The Panthers were a disaster under Matt Rhule but have steadied the ship with interim head coach Steve Wilks. Whether or not Wilks remains with Carolina after the season, Will Levis gives a promising prospect to build around. He is already familiar with much of the verbiage in the NFL, but his future coaching staff must coach the poor decision-making out of him.

6. Arizona Cardinals – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

I can hear an argument for an offensive line here, as well as a pass rusher, but every time I watch the Cardinals I wish they had a star at cornerback. So, let’s do that at No. 6 overall by taking the lockdown defensive back out of Penn State, Joey Porter Jr.

Porter Jr. is the best man coverage cornerback in the country and lives for one-on-one situations. While you would like to see more forced turnovers from a top-ten pick, Porter Jr. owns a laundry list of pass breakups during his time in Happy Valley. If JPJ can clean up his technique as a zone defender, the sky is the limit for his potential in the league.

7. Indianapolis Colts – Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

Drafting a quarterback is something that Colts fans have campaigned for since the moment Andrew Luck retired from the NFL. As much as I agree with that sentiment, there is a hole at left tackle in Indianapolis, and if it is not fixed, it won’t matter who the quarterback is.

Peter Skoronski is similar to Bryce Young in the sense that his size is the only major red flag on the resume. Skoronski’s arms are shorter than you want to see from a left tackle in the league, but like his former teammate Rashawn Slater, it is largely overblown when compared to his elite play strength and relentless motor.

8. Las Vegas Raiders – Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Josh McDaniels has cooled his seat down substantially since an abysmal start to the team’s 2022 campaign. Still, if he wants to build a legit winner in Vegas, the roster needs an influx of talent this offseason. One way to start is by addressing a massive need for the defense at cornerback with their first-round pick in this mock draft.

Georgia’s Kelee Ringo would immediately serve as CB1 on the depth chart. Ringo spearheads the legendary Bulldog defense alongside Jalen Carter. He is a freaky athlete that knows how to use his athleticism to dominate his assignment downfield. The Raiders need a needle mover on the boundary of their defense and they get one at No. 8.