With the 2023 NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday night, it’s time to take one final look at how it might unfold. As always I will be using the updated Pro Football Focus rankings to rank each player. 

1.  Carolina via Chicago

The cat seems to be out of the bag with who the Panthers are taking with the first overall pick. They’ll be hoping to grab their first franchise quarterback since Cam Newton with this selection.

The Pick: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (PFF Rank 1)

2. Houston

There has been a lot of speculation as to what the Texans will do with their first-round pick. It appears that they won’t take a quarterback unless Bryce Young becomes available. So now what? The other two options would be to take a shutdown defensive talent or trade the pick altogether.

The Pick: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama (PFF Rank 3)

3. Detroit via Arizona

With Will Anderson Jr. off of the board, the Cardinals will look to trade the third overall pick. Detroit will make a big move here and trade up to take their potential franchise quarterback. 

The Pick: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State (PFF Rank 6)

4. Indianapolis

The Colts have had their eyes on a couple of different quarterbacks, knowing they won’t be able to draft one of the top two. It appears that one has separated himself from the others due to his elite physical ability.

The Pick: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida (PFF 11)

5. Seattle via Denver

The Seahawks are in a position to select a really good defender with their first-round pick due to all of the quarterback drama that is happening. There shouldn’t be much debate about who they pick here as they’ll likely go best available.

The Pick: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia (PFF Rank 2)

6. Arizona via Detroit via Los Angeles (N)

The Cardinals traded back and will still get a nice prospect with the sixth overall pick. They’ll look to strengthen their secondary with this selection. 

The Pick: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois (PFF Rank 4)

7. Las Vegas

Back-to-back cornerbacks will fly off the board at six and seven as the Raiders desperately need to address this position. They’ll take their CB1 with this pick.

The Pick: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon (PFF Rank 12)

8. Atlanta

The Falcons have quietly had a really good offseason which has put them in a pretty decent position to compete in the NFC South. Atlanta will be less aggressive with this pick and pick a solid edge defender.

The Pick: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia (PFF Rank 13)

9. Pittsburg via Chicago via Carolina

The Steelers look to solidify their offensive line by trading up into the top ten. They take the best available offensive lineman with this selection.

The Pick: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern (PFF Rank 5)

10. Philadelphia via New Orleans

The Eagles had a rough offseason after winning the NFC Championship. They went through a tough wave of roster turnover and will look to reload in a weak NFC. They will probably go with the best available pass rusher with this selection. 

The Pick: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa (PFF Rank 27)

11. Tennessee

The Titans find themselves in a prime opportunity to make some noise with this pick. They’ll take the fourth quarterback off the board with the 11th overall pick.

The Pick: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

12. Detroit via Houston via Cleveland

The Lions will give up a lot to trade up from 18 to 12. This is due to negotiations between them and Houston on who gets to draft this specific player at 12. Both teams were looking at this receiver, and the Lions were willing to give up a lot to get a pair of college teammates together.

The Pick: Jaxon Smith-Nijgba, WR, Ohio State (PFF Rank 9)

13. Green Bay via New York (A)

The Packers will be looking to get their new QB1 some weapons in this draft. They’ll do so in the first round by taking the best pass-catching tight end that has been shooting up big boards across the country.

The Pick: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah (PFF Rank 10)

14. New England

The Patriots need to take a receiver with this pick. They know it and their fans know it. They’ll be looking to take a shifty threat with this selection.

The Pick: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College (PFF Rank 33)

15. New York (A) via Green Bay

The Jets were hoping that Skoronski would be available by the time they were on the clock at 13. With Pittsburgh trading up and taking him at nine, the Jets will take the next best thing.

The Pick: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State (PFF Rank 16)

16. Washington

The Commanders are in need of a corner, but with a very deep class, they’ll wait on one for the second round and take the best available tackle on the board at 16.

The Pick: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia (PFF Rank 20)

17. Chicago via Pittsburg

Through two trades in the top ten, the Bears have acquired a slew of assets and picks. They’ll kick things off by taking an elite pass rusher at 17.

The Pick: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson (PFF Rank 17)

18. Houston

After passing on JSN and trading away the 12th overall pick, the Texans are primed to take a receiver with the 18th overall pick. Houston will be happy to get an elite route runner with this selection.

The Pick: Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU (PFF Rank 25)

19. Tampa Bay 

With questions swirling about the future of the franchise after the departure of Tom Brady, people are unsure what the Buccaneers will do with their first-round pick. I’m projecting that they’ll go against the grain and take one of the best running back prospects in recent memory to juice up their stale offense.

The Pick: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas (PFF Rank 8)

20. Seattle

The Seahawks will get an absolute steal with this pick. The guy they selected here could have easily gone off the board earlier but slid all the way down to 20. Paired with Jalen Carter, this is an elite duo.

The Pick: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech (PFF Rank 28)

21. Los Angeles (A)

The Chargers should be looking to add some depth at the interior defensive line. The easy choice here is a stud out of Florida.

The Pick: O’Cyrus Torrence, DL, Florida (PFF Rank 30)

22. Baltimore 

The Ravens have been bleeding from the cornerback position for years now. A chance to add a solid lockdown player should go a long way in revamping this defense.

The Pick: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State (PFF Rank 21)

23. Minnesota

The Vikings are in a prime position to upgrade a wide receiver. Drafting one here would create an elite duo for years to come in Minneapolis.

The Pick: Jordan Addison, WR, USC (PFF Rank 23)

24. Jacksonville

The Jaguars have a pretty good roster and are poised to go on another playoff run this season. Adding some depth to their pass rush should be the move here.

The Pick: Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State (PFF Rank 29)

25. New York (N)

The Giants should be looking to upgrade their interior offensive line after missing out on the first-round receiver talents.

The Pick: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota (PFF Rank 35)

26. Dallas

There were many people that thought that Bijan Robinson might be the pick here; however, with him not being on the board at 26, the Cowboys will look to take one of the top tight ends in the draft with their first-round selection.

The Pick: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame (PFF Rank 19)

27. Buffalo

Unable to find a trade partner at 27, the Bills will draft a guy that they know will be able to fill a hole as soon as he steps foot on the field.

The Pick: Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan (PFF Rank 36)

28. Cincinnati

The Bengals must select a cornerback with this pick or the fanbase is going to burn the city down. This one is pretty straightforward: take the best available corner.

The Pick: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland (PFF Rank 18)

29. New Orleans via San Francisco 

The Saints should be looking to get younger on the defensive line, and this pick will reflect that. Taking the best available pass rusher should be the move here.

The Pick: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State (PFF Rank 32)

30. Philadelphia

After making a splash and selecting Van Ness with their previous pick, the NFC champs will take their running back of the future at pick 30. This will likely be a controversial pick due to the “don’t pick running backs in the first round” crowd, but this guy’s presence will be immediately felt in Philly.

The Pick: Jahmir Gibbs, RB, Alabama (PFF Rank 34)

31. Kansas City

The Chiefs will be getting an absolute steal with this pick. They’ll have their choice of multiple first-round caliber offensive tackles to protect Mahomes for years to follow.

The Pick: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee (PFF Rank 22)

Thank you for taking a look at my final mock draft, and don’t miss the 2023 NFL Draft which is at 8 p.m. on Thursday night.