NFL Mock Draft 2023: First-round picks plus opening selections for Broncos, 49ers and more

#9. Chicago Bears – Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

General manager Ryan Poles has already done everything he can to set to the table for a very strong draft (by acquiring additional draft assets and D.J. Moore when he moved down eight spots with the Panthers).

Now that they’ve committed themselves to Justin Fields under center and have added Moore and a guy who they just spent a second-rounder on at the trade deadline in Chase Claypool, along with Darnell Mooney, it’s time to protect their franchise signal-caller.

Paris Johnson Jr. is my number-one ranked offensive tackle among a crowded group at the top, but what sets him apart to some degree is the great length and fluid movement skills. Looking at the type of linemen Poles has brought in so far, those are areas that they highly value. Since Braxton Jones impressed as a fifth-round pick at left tackle last year, they can figure out if Paris can work on the right side, along with having experience at guard.

#10. Philadelphia Eagles – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Christian Gonzalez #3 of the Colorado Buffaloes celebrates an incomplete catch by Micheal Clemons #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies

Closing out the top-ten are the reigning NFC champs – which is a wild thing to think about – after the Saints tried to shoot for the moon with their two first-round picks last year and handed Philly an abundance of draft capital.

I’ve heard people call this a “luxury pick” and seen Texas running back Bijan Robinson projected to go here (which I wouldn’t hate at all, because he’s my second overall prospect), but I don’t believe in that idea of free picks and this would be very different to how their GM Howie Roseman has approached the draft.

Instead, I believe he will continue to invest in high-value positions and take a prototype corner in Christian Gonzalez. I know they ended up bringing back Darius Slay and James Bradberry after it looked like both might be gone for a while, but they have outs in both those contracts in 2025 and if they want to move one of them inside or Avonte Maddox moves back to safety, that now leaves a starting spot in nickel personnel right away.

Gonzo is a natural at the position, with all the length, fluidity and speed you can hope for. Now you need to get “that dawg” out of him.

#11. Tennessee Titans – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Zamir White #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts with Broderick Jones #59 after a touchdown in the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks

This is another pick that is very much in-line with what you see out there in mock drafts. To me, the move for the Titans all-along here was either Ohio State’s Paris Johnson or Georgia’s Broderick Jones. Johnson is off the board in this scenario and Jones’ violent mindset may be something that the coaching staff falls in love with more so anyway.

Cutting bait with the often-injured Taylor Lewan, you can now add this guy to the mix as you see what Nicolas Petit-Frere can develop into in year two (and/or if you can revive the career of a another former first-round pick in Andre Dillard, who they signed as a free agent).

Jones is the superior option to both of them, but because his punch timing and weight distribution do still need some work, I could also see Tennessee plug him inside at guard for year one. Especially if that gives them the best starting-five in hopes of getting back to playing smashmouth football on offense, to complement a defense capable of playing at a very high level, if healthy.

#12. Houston Texans – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

Defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness of Iowa participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium

The Texans do ultimately go edge rusher and get somebody who may not be nearly as far along as Nick Bosa (who DeMeco Ryans had in San Francisco), but can also put offensive tackles on skates and is foaming at the mouth when ready to come off the ball.

The fact that Lukas Van Ness never actually started a game at Iowa due to the way they respect their seniors is well-known at this point, but he was still clearly the most talented and dominant player along the front.

He can be a top-tier run-stopper on day one, capable of locking out guards when needed, but also exploding into pullers. The pass-rush arsenal is still pretty limited because he relies so heavily on that power, but they have Jerry Hughes there to teach the young man a lot of tricks and he won’t even turn 22 until June.

#13. Pittsburgh Steelers – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State (via GB)

Joey Porter Jr. #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a play against the Minnesota Golden Gophers

It’s been a while – so let’s make another trade happen! This is a much smaller move, but I have the Pittsburgh Steelers going up a couple of spots with the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Pittsburgh's third-round pick (80th overall) to secure a guy that they’ve been linked to from the very start of this process.

Just the story of carrying on the legacy of Joey Porter Sr. is a really cool deal, but his son is a hell of a player himself and an infusion of young talent into the secondary that Pittsburgh absolutely needs.

They did lock up a one-plus-one deal basically with veteran CB Patrick Peterson, but by losing Cam Sutton in free agency and potentially wanting to move Levi Wallace into the slot, they have no other promising young corners on the roster.

Joey Porter Jr.’s insane length will be a great fit for the Steelers’ zone-based scheme, that relies on squeezing down passing windows, plus he has the potential to give them some more flexibility to play press-man against boundary receivers, along with a safety clouding deep.

#14. New England Patriots – Peter Skoronski, OT/G, Northwestern

Peter Skoronski of Northwestern participates in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine

Continuing our run on offensive linemen, Bill Belichick and company are salivating over the fact that arguably the best overall player along the front-five in this class has fallen to them here in Peter Skoronski.

If they want to move Trent Brown back to right tackle, they’ve shown they’re comfortable with guys having with shorter arms on the blindside after they drafted Isaiah Wynn four years ago (who is still currently on the open market). With his football IQ, Skoronski can probably move to the right side. If you feel like you can get more out of him on the interior, Michael Onwenu is on the final year of his contract and they have a potential out on David Andrews’ deal next offseason as well.

Skoronski’s ability to play with leverage, how proficient he is with latching his hands in the run game and the way he reads pass-rushers makes him a plug-and-play starter at multiple spots.

#15. New York Jets – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright at the NFL Combine

I’m sure the Jets would have loved for one of those true offensive tackles in Johnson Jr. or Jones to be available at this point. They may not have an issue having moved back a couple of spots now as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade and missing out on Northwestern’s Peters Skoronski, since they look at him being a better fit at guard (where they are definitely set with Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker, returning from injury).

However, if Mekhi Becton is finally in the “best shape of his life” as we constantly hear and can return to the form he showed as a rookie, right tackle is the most important spot to secure anyway. That’s where Darnell Wright comes into play, who has played that spot at by far the highest level of anybody in this draft.

He’s so naturally powerful and in a system that doesn’t constantly throw RPOs or one side of the field is basically dead, we should see that shine even more. Most importantly, however, his track record against top-level SEC edge rushers like Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. and LSU’s B.J. Ojulari is outstanding and he should be ready to be an excellent pass-protector from day one.

#16. Washington Commanders – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

Deonte Banks #3 of the Maryland Terrapins defends a pass to Terrell Timmons Jr. #82 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack

The Commanders sitting here at 16th overall was a big reason I decided to project the Steelers moving up a couple of spots, because I would be worried Ron Rivera would snipe Porter Jr. from them (considering they have a bunch of young corners that haven’t really been able to establish themselves in the league yet). So I have them going after that position anyway and get a guy from their own backyard, looking at the nearby Terps.

Deonte Banks has been a major riser in this pre-draft process, as more people got to his tape, along with the elite numbers he put up at the combine – a 4.35 in the 40, a 42-inch vert and an 11’4” broad jump. He loves to crowd receivers at the line of scrimmage in press, but also displays excellent feel as a zone-defender, with room to improve his ability to locate and attack the ball in the air. I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up going in front of Porter either.