Chaos Mock Draft: Several Trades Shift The NFL Landscape

In this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, the Panthers add the second coming of Cam Newton, Will Anderson Jr. falls to the teens, and two teams make big jumps to select their next franchise quarterback. 

Why do you trade up to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? Because the belief is that there is someone with the potential to completely change your organization. While Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are worthy of this pick, one quarterback prospect truly stands out. That is Anthony Richardson, who has a shot to be Cam Newton 2.0.

The best available player at a position of need is the easy call here. The Texans may have Bryce Young as their No. 1 prospect, and they get the fortune of him falling to the second overall pick in this mock draft.

TRADE WITH ARIZONA CARDINALS

The Commanders move up in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft and get Eric Bieneimy a quarterback with an uber-high upside. If C.J. Stroud falls here, many teams will vie for this pick. The Commanders win and finally find a solution to their quarterback woes.

After missing out on the top three quarterbacks, the Indianapolis Colts opt to add to a weak defensive line instead. While Will Levis may be tempting here, the Colts make a safe pick on a guy with great upside in Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson. The first major curveball in this mock draft at No. 4.

Pete Carroll loves his athletic freaks, especially when zeroing in on NFL Draft prospects. Myles Murphy is undoubtedly that. While he will need a lot of coaching to be a superstar, the potential is most certainly there.

The Detroit Lions bolster their defense even more by adding the perfect complement to last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Aidan Hutchinson. Bryan Bresee is a fantastic prospect who immediately makes an impact on Dan Campbell’s defense as a game-wrecker from the interior.

I’ve pegged this as an excellent fit for a while now. It’s also a great pick for this wilder-than-normal mock draft. Brian Branch is supremely athletic and can play practically anywhere in the secondary. He hunts the ball carrier precisely and almost always brings down his target.

TRADE WITH ATLANTA FALCONS.

Hendon Hooker was on pace to be last year’s Heisman Trophy winner before a season-ending ACL tear. The Minnesota Vikings seem poised to ditch Kirk Cousins. So they move up to get their guy that they have done more research on than any other quarterback in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft.

TRADE WITH CHICAGO BEARS.

The Dallas Cowboys jump Howie Roseman and the Eagles to get an elite replacement for Ezekiel Elliott. Jerry Jones loves his flashy NFL Draft picks, and Bijan Robinson is certainly that. He will make an immediate impact next to Tony Pollard in Dallas.

Howie Roseman probably wasn’t even planning on taking Bijan Robinson with this pick. I don’t think he would be able to help himself from adding the best interior defensive line prospect in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, despite his off-the-field concerns.

TRADE WITH TENNESSEE TITANS.

Lamar Jackson is heading to the Titans in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft! The Ravens get his replacement in Will Levis, who should fit their new offensive scheme quite well.

With Derek Stingley being so-so this past season, the Texans go the corner direction early in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft by grabbing Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has the size, fluidity in coverage, and ball skills to be successful.

TRADE WITH NEW YORK JETS.

The Green Bay Packers need serious help at tight end, and in a pick swap with the Jets in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, they roll with a high-floor player as a blocker in Darnell Washington, who can elevate his game to be a dominant receiver as well.

The Patriots will have an interesting season with Mac Jones still at the helm. Jaxon Smith-Njigba can give Patriots fans some hope for the future and add another good receiving weapon to a room needing a top target.

TRADE WITH GREEN BAY PACKERS.

The Jets cave in the Aaron Rodgers trade and do a pick swap with the Packers. They also luck out and capitalize on a surprising Will Anderson Jr. fall. The surprises just keep going in this mock draft!

TRADE WITH WASHINGTON COMMANDERS.

The Cardinals move back in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft and still get a player worthy of selecting at the third pick. Devon Witherspoon is the best cover corner in this draft. He may be the type of player that can set the Cardinals down the right path, especially for an organization that needs a rebrand.

Getting your young franchise quarterback, Kenny Pickett, some big-time help at offensive tackle can never hurt. Protect your franchise cornerstone at all costs!

The Lions get their replacement for the tight end they drafted out of Iowa with another tight end from Iowa. Sam LaPorta’s great Combine performance gets him to be the second tight end drafted in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft. He may not be the last tight end taken in the first round.

The Buccaneers add the Combine darling to energize an aging defense. Nolan Smith could very well be taken in the top 10 of the 2023 NFL Draft, giving Tampa Bay phenomenal value at No. 19.

The Seattle Seahawks need a lot of help along the interior of the offensive line. Peter Skoronski could play any position they need. Teams would dream of an offensive line with five players of Skoronski’s caliber.

A surprise first-round wide receiver goes here in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft! This receiver class has a lot of question marks. Don’t be surprised if Rashee Rice sneaks into the first round. He would be brilliant as Justin Herbert’s next top target.

The Odell Beckman Jr. trade makes it more than likely the Ravens pick the best defensive player available with this pick. Enter Joey Porter Jr., who posted some of the best tape in the 2023 NFL Draft. His father was on one side of the rivalry, but JPJ lands with the purple and black.

TRADE WITH MINNESOTA VIKINGS.

Drops knock Quentin Johnston to the third wide receiver taken in this mock draft. At this point, he is giving me real Laquon Treadwell vibes. But who knows? He has great size and has displayed the potential to be the best pass catcher in this class.

Trevor Lawrence says YAY! Now the Jaguars interior line can truly build around an uber-talented difference-maker in Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence.

This pick seems weird, but it seriously could happen unless the Giants want to role with J.C. Hassenaur. New York should do everything it can to surround Daniel Jones with a stable line in front of him.

TRADE WITH DALLAS COWBOYS.

The Bears move almost twenty picks back and still get an elite offensive tackle. Paris Johnson Jr. reunites with quarterback Justin Fields after surprisingly dropping to No. 26 in this mock draft. Ryan Poles is becoming a folk legend in the Windy City.

The Bills (and their fans) have to be sick of not having a run game. So they get a run game by taking the explosive Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama. Gibbs can complement James Cook really well. Good running-back-by-committees are crucial in today’s game.

Speed, speed, speed. The Bengals take the fastest player in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft. DJ Turner set the pace in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, turning heads and causing many to go back to the tape. He is a fringe day-one player on most boards and would fit well with Cincinnati.

Josh Downs has some of the most surefire hands in a wide receiver draft class plagued with high-drop percentages. Thus making him a first-round talent and giving new quarterback Derek Carr another weapon in the passing game.

My gut tells me Julius Brents will look great in Kelly Green. He has the size, energy, and mental makeup to last in the league. Philly brought back both veteran starters at cornerback, but Brents gives the Eagles a long-term replacement.

The Chiefs love using a lot of different tight ends since Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes found their way to Kansas City. A pairing of Travis Kelce and Dalton Kincaid should terrify NFL defenses and adds another wrinkle to an already stacked offensive attack.