It’s never too early to project the first round of next year’s draft, and the latest 2023 NFL mock draft to hit the digital shelves comes from Matt Miller at ESPN, a forecast with tons of top passers coming off the board early.
Miller may have loaded up on quarterbacks in the top 10, but the first one doesn’t come off the board until the No. 5 pick, where the Atlanta Falcons land Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. The next one comes at No. 7 overall, where the Carolina Panthers opt for Alabama’s Bryce Young.
These picks are intriguing, considering the fact that both the Falcons and Panthers just spent third-round picks in this year’s draft on quarterbacks (Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral). It’s hard to imagine either team seeing enough from those rookies this season to be willing to make an adequate assessment of their abilities as potential franchise passers. That said, it might be equally challenging for those teams to pass up top talent like Stroud and Young, should they fall into their lap.
At No. 8 overall, Miller sends Kentucky’s Will Levis to the Detroit Lions, while BYU’s Jaren Hall lands with the Seattle Seahawks at the very next spot. The fifth quarterback in the top 10 of this mock is Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke, who heads to the New York Giants at No. 10 overall.
The sixth and final quarterback to come off the board in Miller’s projection is Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who ends up with the Indianapolis Colts at the No. 27 overall pick.
Next year’s quarterback class is clearly loaded with talent and potential, but if this past draft cycle proved anything, it’s how quickly a prospect’s stock can change drastically throughout the college football season and predraft process. It’ll be intriguing to see which of these top passers live up to the hype, and which ones end up disappointing.
To check out Miller’s full first-round projection at ESPN, click here.
