17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Broderick Jones (OT – Georgia)

I did think about going with a weapon for Kenny Pickett in this scenario, but in the end decided on getting the young quarterback a little more protection along the offensive line. There are some that project Jones more as a guard at the NFL level.

18. Detroit Lions – Anthony Richardson (QB – Florida)

This might be might biggest surprise of the mock draft. After passing up a QB with their first pick, I now have the Lions picking up Richardson. While I think the Lions are good with Jared Goff for now, I do think they need to look to the future. Richardson is a quarterback that I think could end up being the best quarterback in this draft class when it’s all said and done. He just needs time to sit behind a good, veteran quarterback and work a few things out with his game. Having a second pick in the first round gives the Lions the luxury to be able to make this type of pick.

19. Tampa Bay Bucs – Brian Branch (S – Alabama)

The Bucs might going through the most roster turnover of any team in the NFL. There are naturally going to be questions regarding what to do at quarterback, but I don’t think this is the spot to reach for anyone. Instead, Tampa Bay can solidify the back end of their defensive with Brian Branch of Alabama.

20. Seattle Seahawks – Jordan Addison (WR – USC)

The Seahawks are back on the clock for the season time in the first round. Just like the other teams Texans and Packers, I have them addressing both sides of the ball with their picks. DJ Metcalf has solidified himself as WR1 but, while productive, Tyler Lockett is starting to get up there in age. Might be time to get a new running partner for Metcalf. Funny enough, I’ve seen a few pro comps to Lockett for Addison.

21. LA Chargers – O’Cyrus Torrence (OG – Florida)
Herbert was one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the league in 2022. O’Cyrus Torrence would be a big body (6’5”, 347 lbs) that could be plugged into the middle of the Chargers’ offensive line immediately. He also just happens to be one of the better pass blockers in this year’s draft. Seems like a perfect fit in my opinion.

22. Baltimore Ravens – Deonte Banks (CB – Maryland)

Even though they’re picking #22, the Ravens still have a number of holes to feel. And that’s before we know what’s going to happen with Lamar Jackson. They’re starting to age on the back end of the defense, so I have them going with early draft season riser Deonte Banks from Maryland. While there are some questions regarding him zone coverage, he’s one of the better press-corners in this year’s draft.

23. Minnesota Vikings – Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – Ohio State)

There are going to be questions as to what the Vikings are going to do with aging wide receiver Adam Thielen. I have trouble seeing them bringing him back with a cap hit of over $40 million over the next two seasons. Especially considering they can save $6 million in cap space by cutting him this offseason. So with that, I have them drafting his replacement Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Ohio State. He will need to answer some questions regarding his ability to handle press coverage, but he might not have to see too much considering he’d be lining up opposite Justin Jefferson.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars – Emmanuel Forbes (CB – Mississippi State)

This might have been the most difficult pick for me to make during this mock draft. The Jaguars’ roster is surprisingly solid. They could go in multiple different directions, but I decided to go with a player that I is currently flying under the radar. Ken Noble was one of the first on the scene last year with Tariq Woolen. This year he’s really excited about Mississippi State ball hawk Emmanuel Forbes. When he told me that Forbes might be the best cornerback in this draft I couldn’t help but take notice. If true, this would be a steal at #24.

25. New York Giants – Zay Flowers (WR – Boston College)

The Giants were the NFL’s surprise team in 2022. If you’d paid attention to their games, you would have quickly noticed the lack of playmakers outside of Saquon Barkley. Naturally, we have to resolve this with their first-round pick. With the other top wide receivers off the board, I have the Giants taking the next best option in Zay Flowers from Boston College.

26. Dallas Cowboys – Keion White (DE – Georgia Tech)

I almost had the Cowboys trade out of this spot. Instead, I decided to have them go with Keion White out of Georgia Tech. While I wasn’t a huge fan of him when I put together my report on him, most draft experts seem to have a different opinion. Hopefully for the Cowboys, I’m wrong and they have another solid piece for their defense heading into 2023.

27. Buffalo Bills – John Michael Schmitz (C – Minnesota)

I think the offensive line is the biggest area of concern for the Bills heading into the offseason. I decided to go with who I personally thought was the best offensive lineman available. That being John Michael Schmitz from Minnesota. He turned in a good performance at the Senior Bowl, with reports describing him as “locked in” during team interviews. Not a sexy pick, but easily a plug and play guy.

28. Cincinnati Bengals – Dalton Kincaid (TE – Utah)

There’s a good chance that the Bengals are losing tight end Hayden Hurst this offseason. With an estimated market value of $6.5 million, I don’t know how keen they’ll be to resign the 30 year old. So instead, I’ve got them getting a younger, cheaper replacement in the draft. Even though Mayer is considered the best tight end in the draft, Kincaid led all tight ends in receiving yards this past season.

29. New Orleans Saints – Bryan Bresee (DT – Clemson)

Originally the Denver Broncos pick via the 49ers, the Saints got it thanks trading the rights to Sean Payton to the Broncos. Saints are another tough team to pick for. They, once again, have to find a way to adjust their cap numbers heading into the new league year. So nobody really knows what their roster is going to look like by the time the draft comes around. For the time being, I’m just going to go with some help up front for their defensive line, in the shape of Bryan Bresee from Clemson.

30. Philadelphia Eagles – Calijah Kancey (DT – Pittsburgh)

Once again we have a team with a second pick in the first-round. However, this time I’ve got them sticking to the same side of the ball as their first pick. I mentioned that the Eagles are going to have some holes to worry about as they try to figure out their cap situation heading into 2023. I think that defensive line is going to be one of those areas. Cilijah Kancey is a player that can be found all over draft board. Mel Kiper has him ranked as one of his better players. However, here at Draftdive we have him as more of a mid-second round pick. I decided to split the difference and have him selected at the end of the first round.

31. Kansas City Chiefs – Josh Downs (WR – North Carolina)

Finally, we have the Super Bowl championships themselves. They have to figure out what they plan to do with Frank Clark, but until we know what happens there I’m going to stick on the offensive side of the ball. After losing Tyreke Hill last offseason, the Chiefs filled the void with a number of different receivers. While I don’t see him as a #1 wide receiver, I think that Josh Downs from North Carolina can come in and be a better complement to tight end Travis Kelce than what they had last season.