2023 NFL Draft - Round 1 Discussion Thread

[JMP]

Starting this thread for all rumors, news and pick discussion for round one.  The entire NFL, not just Phins.

I'll start with this rumor I heard on ESPN Radio this morning:
The Patriots are working hard to trade up to #2 (currently the Texans pick) to draft either Stroud or Levis.  The trade would include Mac Jones.

[JMP]

I did not get to do as much research as I typically do, but for what it's worth here is my mock for round 1. As always, I don't predict trades.

1. Panthers – QB Bryce Young, Alabama
2. Texans – QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State
3. Cardinals – EDGE Will Anderson, Alabama
4. Colts – QB Will Levis, Kentucky
5. Seahawks – QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
6. Lions – DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
7. Raiders – CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
8. Falcons – OL Paris Johnson, Ohio State
9. Bears – EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
10. Eagles - RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
11. Titans – OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
12. Texans - EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
13. Packers – S Brian Branch, Alabama
14. Patriots - CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
15. Jets - OL Broderick Jones, Georgia
16. Commanders - CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
17. Steelers - OL Darnell Wright, Tennessee
18. Lions - CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
19. Bucs - EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
20. Seahawks – DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
21. Chargers - WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
22. Ravens - EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
23. Vikings - WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
24. Jaguars - OL O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
25. Giants - CB Cam Smith, South Carolina
26. Cowboys - WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
27. Bills - WR Jordan Addison, USC
28. Bengals - TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
29. Saints – DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
30. Eagles - DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
31. Chiefs - EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

[DolFan 316]

Starting this thread for all rumors, news and pick discussion for round one.  The entire NFL, not just Phins.

I'll start with this rumor I heard on ESPN Radio this morning:
The Patriots are working hard to trade up to #2 (currently the Texans pick) to draft either Stroud or Levis.  The trade would include Mac Jones.

I am now PRAYING this is true. Not only would it be a sign of sheer and utter desperation by Belichick, it would also be an admission that as a coach, he can't cut it without a Brady-level QB. AND it would be the mother of all mistakes and send the Pats crashing down to last place once and for all, MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I have said many times here and elsewhere that for whatever reason the Buckeyes have never, ever, in the now 87-year history of the NFL draft, had a drafted QB who amounted to anything in the NFL. Don't give me Fields, he's a glorified RB who makes Lamar Jackson look like prime Brady passing. The best QB out of there in fact is...Mike Tomczak, who was undrafted. When Mike Freaking Tomczak is the best a school's had to offer at QB in the NFL (by a mile, too) I'm going to assume every QB prospect out of that school will be a bust. We're talking about the school that had Joe Burrow and decided that he wasn't good enough to beat out the likes of JT Barrett and Dwayne Haskins!

FURTHERMORE...it's been leaked that Stroud did horribly on some test called the S2 that's replaced the Wonderlic. When I did a bit of research, this test doesn't measure general intelligence or even learning capacity like the Wonderlic or an IQ test does, but rather one's ability to process information quickly. I'm not saying Stroud's dumb intellectually challenged (racial connotations and all that) but when it comes to handling the increased speed of an NFL game and all the reads and decisions he'll be needing to make in seconds, he no think too gud.  

This S2 test BTW has a VERY high correlation between high scores and NFL success. Mahomes, Josh Allen and mah boi Purdy have all scored in the 90s. Bryce Young is apparently the highest scoring QB in this class. Stroud reportedly scored an 18. He didn't help himself by publicly stating that he's "not a test taker" and he didn't play college football to waste time with that whole going to class thing.

So yeah I'm now openly rooting for the Pats to mortgage their future by moving up to #2 for Stroud and not only that, I'll now be pissed if they DON'T do this.

[DolFan 316]

I did not get to do as much research as I typically do, but for what it's worth here is my mock for round 1.  As always, I don't predict trades.

1. Panthers – QB Bryce Young, Alabama
2. Texans – QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State
3. Cardinals – EDGE Will Anderson, Alabama
4. Colts – QB Will Levis, Kentucky
5. Seahawks – QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
6. Lions – DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
7. Raiders – CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
8. Falcons – OL Paris Johnson, Ohio State
9. Bears – EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
10. Eagles - RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
11. Titans – OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
12. Texans - EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
13. Packers – S Brian Branch, Alabama
14. Patriots - CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
15. Jets - OL Broderick Jones, Georgia
16. Commanders - CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
17. Steelers - OL Darnell Wright, Tennessee
18. Lions - CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
19. Bucs - EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
20. Seahawks – DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
21. Chargers - WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
22. Ravens - EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
23. Vikings - WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
24. Jaguars - OL O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
25. Giants - CB Cam Smith, South Carolina
26. Cowboys - WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
27. Bills - WR Jordan Addison, USC
28. Bengals - TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
29. Saints – DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
30. Eagles - DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
31. Chiefs - EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

What, no Grier trade up? BTW at least half these guys don't move my needle in any way whatsoever. This seems to be a good draft to not have a first round pick at least.

[finskev]

Being a Buckeyes Fan think that Stroud is the one who will break the Mold of the Terrible Careers of NFL Qb's from Columbus, Burrow didn't show anything in 2 years at TOSU and First Year at LSU was Terrible than in His Senior Year the Light Bulb finally Shined and He became what He is Now.

[DolFan 316]

Being a Buckeyes Fan think that Stroud is the one who will break the Mold of the Terrible Careers of NFL Qb's from Columbus, Burrow didn't show anything in 2 years at TOSU and First Year at LSU was Terrible than in His Senior Year the Light Bulb finally Shined and He became what He is Now.

That's because the Buckeyes are such a black hole of QB development that the only way one can possibly have a good NFL career is to transfer, which Burrow wisely realized before it was too late. I refuse to believe the same QB who I instantly knew was the best in the 2020 draft (and still is, sorry Jmp) was legit worse than two guys who aren't even in the NFL now. (And yes, I know one is dead but I think he was already out of the league at the time.) The really weird part is, this same school isn't half bad at producing WRs.

Being the NFL history nerd I am, it reminds me of the '55-57 Steelers, who had the likes of Johnny Unitas and Len Dawson on their roster and decided both were trash. This level of talent evaluation among other things is why the Steelers sucked the first 40 years of their existence.

[finskev]

Steelers really screwed up with Two HOF's in Camp and letting both go.

[DolFan 316]

Steelers really screwed up with Two HOF's in Camp and letting both go.

Before Chuck Noll came along they were arguably the worst run team in all of professional sports. It was ugly with a capital U And even Noll had to go through a one-win season at first before he started turning things around.

[JMP]

BTW at least half these guys don't move my needle in any way whatsoever. This seems to be a good draft to not have a first round pick at least.

I am in complete agreement. There is not one player that I have in my round 1 mock that really makes me think, "wow, this guy could be really, really special".  There's a lot of players I like, including the CBs and Bijan Robinson for example, but I don't see any real blue-chip prospects.  In fact, I'd say this could go down as the worst top 10, maybe even top 15, that I can remember.  I especially don't like any of the QBs - although I do think Anthony Richardson has a chance to be great if he can ever learn to pass, which is no guarantee.  I'd rather have more picks in rounds 2-4  this year.

[JMP]

The NFL finally did something right. They just honored the three University of Virginia players that were murdered. UVA alum D'Brickashaw Ferguson spoke about each young man, and their families were on stage. Goodell gave each family a jersey of the player's name on their favorite NFL team's jersey. One was the Dolphins!

Really well done. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

[JMP]

Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
Eagles and Cardinals settled a tampering investigation today involving the hiring of former Philadelphia DC Jonathan Gannon as Arizona’s HC, per sources.

Terms: Eagles traded pick No. 94 in this draft and a 2024 5th-round pick to the Cardinals for pick No. 66 in this draft.

The Dolphins get charged with tampering and lose a first round pick. Another team gets charged with tampering, and they get to make a trade.

[DolFan 316]

BREAKING NEWS: My top secret super deluxe always accurate source who I've never mentioned before in all the years I've been posting with you guys has just informed me that Grier has traded all the picks in this draft plus every pick in 2024 *and* 2025 to move up to #2 for Bijan Robinson.

[JMP]

BREAKING NEWS: My top secret super deluxe always accurate source who I've never mentioned before in all the years I've been posting with you guys has just informed me that Grier has traded all the picks in this draft plus every pick in 2024 *and* 2025 to move up to #2 for Bijan Robinson.

What, did Grier let Mike Ditka into the war room??

[JMP]

#1 pick is in - as expected, Bryce Young to the Panthers.

Young has off the charts intangibles and had a helluva college carer. But damn, he looks like Pat White up there on stage! He's 5'10" and played at 185 at Alabama...hard to imagine his small frame not being a factor at the next level.

[JMP]

Holy crap, even the lovely and talented Melissa Stark makes Bryce look small!

[DolFan 316]

#1 pick is in - as expected, Bryce Young to the Panthers.

Young has off the charts intangibles and had a helluva college carer.  But damn, he looks like Pat White up there on stage!  He's 5'10" and played at 185 at Alabama...hard to imagine his small frame not being a factor at the next level.

Prediction: nobody in the media says a word about how shrimpy Young is ever, because he's not on the Dolphins of course.

[JMP]

Texans at # 2 select...QB CJ Stroud. They got the pick in almost immediately.

Whatever you think of Stroud, and I agree with 316's take, this is a move that had to be done by the Texans. A no brainer...gotta get a QB in there.

[JMP]

Prediction: nobody in the media says a word about how shrimpy Young is ever, because he's not on the Dolphins of course.

Exactly! Tua is 2 inches taller and as much as 40 pounds heavier, but no one is going to mention that.

[DolFan 316]

Texans at # 2 select...QB CJ Stroud.  They got the pick in almost immediately.

Whatever you think of Stroud, and I agree with 316's take, this is a move that had to be done by the Texans.  A no brainer...gotta get a QB in there.

WHY couldn't the Pats have traded up for him?!?! WHYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!

I never did understand why all the so-called "experts" were all, "The Texans won't take a QB! Nope, not them!"

[DolFan 316]

BTW that's the last time I trust a 5-year old girl to give me draft info about what Grier is going to do

She sounded so sure of it too...

[JMP]

Texans move up to 3 in a trade with Cards!

[DolFan 316]

Texans move up to 3 in a trade with Cards!

Texans or Titans??? One guy I know said the Titans would be moving up to 3 in his mock yesterday.

[JMP]

Texans select DE Will Anderson. Great player, but what did they give up?

[JMP]

Texans move up to 3 in a trade with Cards!

Texans or Titans??? One guy I know said the Titans would be moving up to 3 in his mock yesterday.

Nope, Texans.

[DolFan 316]

Literally nobody I saw predicted the Texans would trade up to 3 and get a QB *and* Will Anderson. Proves how much al these "experts" really know!

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