2023 NFL Draft: 3 Round Mock Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner and we’re excited to see the quarterbacks fly off the board early on. Anything can happen this year and we’ll be breaking down the first 2 days of rounds 1-3 in HeatCheckSport’s mock draft complete with multiple mock trades. 

Mock Trades: 

• Indianapolis Colts send picks #4, #35, & #138 to Arizona in exchange for pick #3
• New York Jets land Aaron Rodgers in exchange for picks #42, #43, & #143
• Houston snags a 3rd pick in the first round from Minnesota in exchange for picks #33 & #65
• Miami moves up in 2nd round sending their 2nd rounder & multiple 2024 mid-round picks to Carolina

Mock Draft Round 1:

Pick 1: Carolina Panthers (Via CHI) – Bryce Young, QB – Alabama

The Carolina Panthers off-season trade to move up to the #1 overall in the blockbuster deal pays off as they draft their franchise quarterback in Bryce Young. 

Pick 2: Houston Texans – CJ Stroud, QB – Ohio State

The Texans draft Young or Stroud here depending on which way Carolina goes at #1. The Texans are happy either way landing their next franchise quarterback. 

Pick 3: Indianapolis Colts (Mock Trade with Arizona) – Will Levis, QB – Kentucky

In a mock trade, the Colts move up to #3 to get their best quarterback since Andrew Luck in Will Levis. Colts fans finally have something to believe in again. 

Pick 4: Arizona Cardinals (Mock Trade with Indianapolis) – Will Anderson, EDGE – Alabama

The Cardinals move down a spot in a mock trade with the Colts and get the guy they planned on drafting by bringing in a much needed pass rusher. 

Pick 5: Seattle Seahawks (Via DEN) – Jalen Carter, DL – Georgia

The Seahawks are thrilled to land arguably the most talented prospect in this year’s draft at the #5 spot, especially since its the pick they got in the massive trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver. Seattle gets the #1 talent in a top 5 pick and still made the playoffs last season. 

Pick 6: Detroit Lions (Via LAR) – Devon Witherspoon, DB – Illinois

After trading away Jeff Okudah, the Lions get the best defensive back in this year’s class in Devon Witherspoon. 

Pick 7: Las Vegas Raiders – Christian Gonzalez, DB – Oregon

The Raiders could go a lot of ways with this pick as they have many needs now after Waller went to NYG & they kicked Carr to the curb, but the Raiders need to fix their defense and get a stud defensive back out of Oregon. 

Pick 8: Atlanta Falcons – Bijan Robinson, RB – Texas

The Falcons continue their streak of drafting offensive weapons with their first pick and get themselves their running back of the future and the best one in this class by a mile in Bijan Robinson. Robinson makes for a good trio with Pitts & London in a developing Falcons offense. 

Pick 9: Chicago Bears (Via CAR) – Peter Skoronski, OL – Northwestern

The Bears trade with the Panthers just keeps getting better & better as they not only landed a star receiver in DJ Moore but get the best offensive tackle in this class to protect Justin Fields. 

Pick 10: Philadelphia Eagles (Via NO) – Tyree Wilson, EDGE – Texas Tech

Not many teams get to make the Super Bowl and then end up with a top 10 pick in the following draft, but the Philadelphia Eagles are fortunate enough to do so. The Eagles use this pick to get themselves one of their few weak spots in a top edge rusher. 

Pick 11: Tennessee Titans – Anthony Richardson, QB – Florida

Will the Titans make the smart move and not draft a quarterback here? We wish, but we don’t think that’s going to happen as last draft they made the dumbfounded move of trading away star AJ Brown who then helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. 

Pick 12: Houston Texans (Via CLE) – Nolan Smith, LB – Georgia

After getting their quarterback of the future, the Texans can work on revamping one of the worst defenses in the NFL with a key piece in the middle of the field. 

Pick 13: New York Jets – Paris Johnson Jr, OL – Ohio State

The Packers don’t end up with this pick as the Jets manage to keep the #13 overall and end up swinging a deal still for Aaron Rodgers. Their first move with Rodgers in town is drafting a top offensive lineman to keep him healthy. 

Pick 14: New England Patriots – Joey Porter Jr, DB – Penn State

Belichick doesn’t go after offensive weapons early in the draft and continues that streak by focusing on giving Dugger some support in coverage. 

Pick 15: Green Bay Packers – Quentin Johnston, WR – TCU

The Packers finally break their streak of not drafting a wide receiver in the first round as soon as Aaron Rodgers is gone. The Packers are looking to start over with Love and with Lazard in New York, they need a new #1 receiver. 

Pick 16: Washington Commanders – Deonte Banks, DB – Maryland

The Washington Commanders need to go through a massive overhaul on both sides of the ball and within management as well. The Commanders can’t fix all their problems with the draft but they can work on fixing one of their biggest problems on defense with a top-tier defensive back. 

Pick 17: Pittsburgh Steelers – Darnell Wright, OL – Tennessee

What once was one of the best offensive lines in the league is now one of the worst units. This unit led to Najee Harris getting hurt and missing some time which is why they need to use this pick on repairing that line. 

Pick 18: Detroit Lions – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE – Iowa

The Lions had the worst defense in all of football for the majority of last season and this draft needs to be focusing on building it from the ground up. With Hutchinson last year, a defensive back with their first pick, they can now focus on putting the other pieces of the puzzle together. 

Pick 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Broderick Jones, OL – Georgia

With Brady retired, the Bucs might bring in a quarterback here, but after signing Baker Mayfield in the offseason, we think they’ll wait until next year’s draft and focus on getting the offense ready for someone like Maye to take over. 

Pick 20: Seattle Seahawks – Myles Murphy, EDGE – Clemson

The Seahawks use their 2nd pick of the first round and their own pick to get another piece for their line, this time on the outside in a team that should be competing for a wild card spot again. 

Pick 21: Los Angeles Chargers – Dalton Kincaid, TE – Utah

It was apparent that Justin Herbert missed Hunter Henry as targets to tight ends took a hit. The Chargers need to keep Justin Herbert happy if they want to lock him up in a long-term deal, so they get the top tight end in this class for the gunslinger. 

Pick 22: Baltimore Ravens – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR – Ohio State

Lamar Jackson has been struggling without having anyone to throw to as Bateman’s injury prone, Andrews has missed more time with injuries, Brown went to Arizona last year, and the rest of the offense isn’t much. The Ravens overpaid for Odell Beckham Jr in the offseason & get one of the top wideouts in this draft class to help Lamar see a future in Baltimore. 

Pick 23: Houston Texans (Mock trade with MIN) – Jalin Hyatt, WR – Tennessee

The Texans move up into the first round to have 3 picks in the first round and use this one to grab a boom or bust candidate in Jalin Hyatt. 

Pick 24: Jacksonville Jaguars – Cam Smith, DB – South Carolina

The Jaguars defense struggled last year and only made it to the playoffs thanks to the poor play from the rest of the AFC South. The Jaguars need to improve their defense if they hope to repeat as champions and fill arguably their biggest hole in a defensive back. 

Pick 25: New York Giants – Steve Avila, OL – TCU

The Giants commitment to Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley continues with a strong interior lineman. 

Pick 26: Dallas Cowboys – Michael Mayer, TE – Notre Dame

The Cowboys didn’t expect to use this pick on a tight end but with Dalton Schultz leaving in free agency, the Cowboys need to fill that gap. 

Pick 27: Buffalo Bills – Bryan Bresee, DL – Clemson

For the Bills to compete with the Bengals & Chiefs in the AFC, they need to stop those offenses and they will heavily focus this draft on doing so starting with a strong man up front. 

Pick 28: Cincinnati Bengals – Brian Branch, DB – Alabama

Similar to the Bills, the Bengals have some issues on defense of their own, but the Bengals address the defensive back situation here as theirs is a more glaring issue. 

Pick 29: New Orleans Saints (Via SF) – Calijah Kancey, DL – Pittsburgh

Saints working on fixing their defense up front after key losses in free agency like Marcus Davenport heading to Minnesota. 

Pick 30: Philadelphia Eagles – Mazi Smith, DL – Michigan

Eagles reach a bit here and get a defensive lineman as they didn’t do the greatest last year in stopping the run. 

Pick 31: Kansas City Chiefs – Zay Flowers, WR – Boston College

With the departures of JuJu Smith-Shuster & Mecole Hardman in free agency, the Chiefs end up needing to use an early pick to replace them. 

Mock Draft Round 2: 

Pick 32: Pittsburgh Steelers (Via CHI) – Jordan Addison, WR – USC

The Pittsburgh Steelers reunite Kenny Pickett with his former teammate at Pittsburgh in Jordan Addison who should be a great addition for the 2nd year quarterback giving us Burrow & Chase vibes for this upcoming season. 

Pick 33: Minnesota Vikings (Mock trade with HOU) – Emmanuel Forbes, DB – Mississippi State

The Vikings who were content with trading back in this mock trade, grab a defensive back from this loaded class. 

Pick 34: Arizona Cardinals – Anton Harrison, OL – Oklahoma

The Cardinals get some help to protect Kyler Murray when he comes back from injury with a player from his alma mater. 

Pick 35: Arizona Cardinals (Mock Trade with IND) – O’Cyrus Torrence, OL – Florida

The Cardinals double down in getting Murray the help he needs with back to back linemen picks. 

Pick 36: Los Angeles Rams – John Michael Scmitz, OL – Minnesota

The Rams look like a figment of the Super Bowl winning team they were a couple seasons ago and everything seems to be falling apart for them. The Rams offensive line took one of the worst hits and it’s going to take a lot to repair that damage. 

Pick 37: Seattle Seahawks (Via DEN) – Drew Sanders, LB – Arkansas

Seahawks are brewing up a solid defense through this draft and land one of the best linebackers in Drew Sanders early in the 2nd. 

Pick 38: Las Vegas Raiders – Darnell Washington, TE – Georgia

Raiders attempt to fill the hole that Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller left and should get a serviceable replacement in Darnell Washington. 

Pick 39: Miami Dolphins (Mock Trade with CAR) – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB – Alabama

The Dolphins make a huge move in trading up to get their running back of the future and another Crimson Tide on their offense in what’s become a 2nd home for Alabama fans. 

Pick 40: New Orleans Saints – Derick Hall, EDGE – Auburn

Saints add another big body to their line to make up for the losses they’ve been forced to deal with. 

Pick 41: Tennessee Titans – Josh Downs, WR – North Carolina

The Titans start the Anthony Richardson journey with a bang by adding his first new weapon in small speedster Josh Downs. 

Pick 42: Green Bay Packers (Mock trade with NYJ via CLE) – Sam LaPorta, TE – Iowa

Packers give Jordan Love another weapon in what they wouldn’t do for Rodgers by drafting a receiving tight end in LaPorta. 

Pick 43: Green Bay Packers (Mock trade with NYJ) – Blake Freeland, OL – BYU 

They follow up the LaPorta pick with an offensive lineman to help protect Love and focus on the new look future of the franchise. 

Pick 44: Atlanta Falcons – Tyler Scott, WR – Cincinnati

The Atlanta Falcons continue the rebuild with offensive weapons and get Desmond Ridder’s former teammate at UC in Tyler Scott. 

Pick 45: Green Bay Packers – Jammie Robinson, DB – Florida State

Packers finally move over to the other side of the field after they spend their first 3 picks on giving Jordan Love the keys to the kingdom. 

Pick 46: New England Patriots – Cody Mauch, OL – North Dakota State

This pick is very on par for Belichick as he drafts an offensive lineman from a non major school. 

Pick 47: Washington Commanders – Matthew Bergeron, OL – Syracuse

The Commanders reach to grab a lineman after missing out on the upper tier of them from this class. 

Pick 48: Detroit Lions – Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL – Northwestern

Lions add another body to their defensive front to give Hutchinson some much needed support. 

Pick 49: Pittsburgh Steelers – DJ Turner, DB – Michigan

The Steelers continue their streak of drafting smart and get a defensive back to take some of the weight off of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s shoulders. 

Pick 50: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Joe Tippmann, OL – Wisconsin

The Bucs are thinking long-term and having 2 offensive lineman from this draft to complement Tristan Wirfs will significantly help them a year from now. 

Pick 51: Carolina Panthers (Mock Trade with MIA) – Keion White, EDGE – Georgia Tech

The other picks the Panthers got from the Dolphins in the mock trade were all in the future, so they use the lone Dolphins pick in this year’s draft to bring some explosiveness on defense. 

Pick 52: Seattle Seahawks – Tank Dell, WR – Houston

With Tyler Lockett getting older, the Seahawks look for someone who could be mentored by him and take his spot as one of the top 2 receivers on this team. 

Pick 53: Chicago Bears (Via BAL) – Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE – Kansas State

Chicago continues their huge project on fixing one of the league’s worst defenses with a solid pass rusher out of Kansas State. 

Pick 54: Los Angeles Chargers – Marvin Mims Jr, WR – Oklahoma

Similar to the Seahawks, the Chargers follow their move and get the replacement for Keenan Allen in Marvin Mims Jr.

Pick 55: Detroit Lions (Via MIN) – Cedric Tillman, WR – Tennessee

With the Jameson Williams suspension making a dent in this team’s hopes for competing in the NFC North, the Lions need to use a pick during day 1 or day 2 on a wide receiver to back up Amon-Ra St.Brown. 

Pick 56: Jacksonville Jaguars – Dawand Jones, OL – Ohio State

The Jaguars surprised many this past season and Trevor Lawrence flashed moments of being one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He still has some room to grow and it’ll help with a solid body protecting him. 

Pick 57: New York Giants – Kelee Ringo, DB – Georgia

The Giants snag another one of the many players drafted from this talented Georgia defense in Kelee Ringo. 

Pick 58: Dallas Cowboys – Andrew Vorhees, OL – USC

With the offensive line continuing to age, the Cowboys need to make way for younger players like 2022 draftee Tyler Smith and now 2023 draftee Andrew Vorhees to be the staple on their line. 

Pick 59: Buffalo Bills – Daiyan Henley, LB – Washington State

Von Miller somehow is still competing at his age, but it can’t last for much longer and the Bills seek some depth at the position in case Miller goes down. 

Pick 60: Cincinnati Bengals – Devon Achane, RB – Texas A&M

The future of Joe Mixon in Cincinnati is questionable as he has a high price tag and the Bengals need to save every dollar they can get to lock up Joe Burrow for life. The Bengals get his replacement via the draft. 

Pick 61: Chicago Bears (Via SF) – Keeanu Benton, DL – Wisconsin

The Bears get one of the better pass rush defensive tackles in Keeanu Benton. 

Pick 62: Philadelphia Eagles – Zach Charbonnet, RB – UCLA

With Miles Sanders headed to Carolina, the Eagles draft his replacement in workhorse Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet reminds us of another Eagles running back we saw years ago in Shady McCoy and if he’s anything like McCoy, then Eagles fans should be happy with what’s to come. 

Pick 63: Kansas City Chiefs – Julius Brents, DB – Kansas State

The Super Bowl Champions could use depth in the defensive back section as they don’t have a true star cornerback anymore on their roster. Rookie Jaylen Watson did a commendable job stepping up and making huge plays in the playoffs, but him along with the rest of the defensive backs made some mistakes too and getting another guy to give them a breather should reduce those mistakes. 

Mock Draft Round 3

Pick 64: Chicago Bears – Chandler Zevala, OL – NC State

Protecting Justin Fields is a must for the Chicago Bears who need to do everything they can to ensure that he remains healthy as we fear a RGIII incident might happen to the mobile quarterback. 

Pick 65: Minnesota Vikings (Mock trade with HOU) – Hendon Hooker, QB – Tennessee 

The Vikings are at a crossroads with Kirk Cousins and draft Hendon Hooker to give Cousins some competition or even take his job if Cousins continues throwing inaccurate passes. 

Pick 66: Arizona Cardinals – JL Skinner, DB – Boise State 

Cardinals land a player who has flown heavily under the radar as Boise State doesn’t get the same love as the bigger schools. 

Pick 67: Denver Broncos (Via IND) – BJ Ojulari, EDGE – LSU

The Colts decided to move up in last year’s draft giving the Broncos their 3rd round pick this year which they will need to use to patch up their horrendous defense. 

Pick 68: Denver Broncos – Jakorian Bennett, DB – Maryland

In consecutive picks, the Broncos draft a defensive player for one of their many problems on that side of the field. 

Pick 69: Los Angeles Rams – Will McDonald IV, EDGE – Iowa State 

Outside of Aaron Donald, the Rams don’t have a whole lot going on with their defense. They also don’t have many picks in this draft and use this pick wisely in getting someone to assist Donald. 

Pick 70: Las Vegas Raiders – Ji’Ayir Brown, DB – Penn State 

Raiders make the smart choice and provide backup for fellow rookie Christian Gonzalez already. 

Pick 71: New Orleans Saints – Rashee Rice, WR – SMU

Derek Carr is the new gunslinger in the french quarters and he gets a nice welcome gift in deep threat Rashee Rice. 

Pick 72: Tennessee Titans – Luke Musgrave, TE – Oregon State

The Titans passing offense struggled last season and a big part of that was the loss of Austin Hooper and not having any reliable tight ends. Titans fix that problem and get another weapon in Musgrave. 

Pick 73: Houston Texans (Via CLE) – Jalen Redmond, EDGE – Oklahoma

The Texans are having one of the best drafts and it’s only day 2, they follow up their already stellar picks with one of the best pass rushers in college football. 

Pick 74: Cleveland Browns (Via NYJ) – Tuli Tuipulotu, DL – USC

The Browns would’ve spent their previous pick on getting a wide receiver, but after moving down with landing Elijah Moore in a trade with the Jets, they go to the other side of the ball and get the Pat Tillman defensive player of the year. 

Pick 75: Atlanta Falcons – Jayden Reed, WR – Michigan State

Arthur Blank is making it rain in Atlanta as the spree of offensive specialists continues to come rolling in. Falcons come out of this draft with multiple receivers & a running back to round out their offense. 

Pick 76: New England Patriots (Via CAR) – Jartavius Martin, DB – Illinois

Defensive backs were a big issue for the Patriots when it came down to divisional play as they got lit up by both the Bills & Dolphins offenses on multiple occasions this past season. The Patriots use another early pick on trying to prevent that from repeating again this season. 

Pick 77: Los Angeles Rams (Via NE) – Gervon Dexter Sr, DL – Florida

One of the few picks Rams have this year, they double down on their decision to invest into their defensive line. 

Pick 78: Green Bay Packers – Karl Brooks, DL – Bowling Green

The Packers could move this pick depending on what they get out of the Rodgers trade, but in the instance they keep it, they’ll stick to their defensive front. 

Pick 79: Indianapolis Colts (Via WSH) – Tucker Kraft, TE – South Dakota State

After trading up to land Will Levis, the Colts give the rookie quarterback a crafty tight end in fellow rookie Tucker Kraft. 

Pick 80: Pittsburgh Steelers – Byron Young, DL – Alabama

The first of the 2 Byron Youngs to get drafted is the beast from Alabama and going to the Steelers is very fitting for Young as the Steelers have an eye for picking the tough ones. 

Pick 81: Detroit Lions – Antonio Johnson, DB – Texas A&M

The Lions hit a home run with this pick as Johnson is a safety who can play like a linebacker. This gives the Lions an upgrade in coverage and a lockdown run defender. 

Pick 82: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tyjae Spears, RB – Tulane

The Buccaneers parted ways with Leonard Fournette this off-season and they aren’t sold on Rachaad White as the future of the team. They bring in some competition for White with one of the top running backs from the 2022 season. 

Pick 83: Seattle Seahawks – Isaiah Foskey, EDGE – Notre Dame

The Seahawks scored big with Tariq Woolen & Coby Bryant last year in the draft and they’re bound to get some more steals on defense with their plethora of picks this year. 

Pick 84: Miami Dolphins – Trenton Simpson, LB – Clemson

The Dolphins have been trying to improve their defense by bringing in guys like Melvin Ingram & Bradley Chubb. Adding a linebacker with one of their day 2 picks would be smart. 

Pick 85: Los Angeles Chargers – Clark Phillips III, DB – Utah

Bringing in JC Jackson didn’t do as much help as the Chargers thought it would. They sit in a similar spot needing some defensive help. 

Pick 86: Baltimore Ravens – Andre Carter II, EDGE – Army

The Ravens land one of the toughest players in this year’s draft in Andre Carter II. 

Pick 87: Minnesota Vikings – Zacch Pickens, DL – South Carolina

Brian Flores helped improve the dismal Vikings defense and will continue to improve it with more help up front. 

Pick 88: Jacksonville Jaguars – Nick Saldiveri, OL – Old Dominion

Jaguars continue their investment in Trevor Lawrence being the future with more offensive line help. 

Pick 89: New York Giants – Jonathan Mingo, WR – Ole Miss

Giants take a flier on Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo who they hope can complement Darius Slayton & Sterling Shepherd to give Danny Dimes a solid trio. 

Pick 90: Dallas Cowboys – Moro Ojomo, DL – Texas

Moro Ojomo stays in state by going to the Dallas Cowboys who bring in a big man for the defensive line. 

Pick 91: Buffalo Bills – Byron Young, EDGE – Tennessee

The 2nd Byron Young gets drafted by the Buffalo Bills who are content with landing him at the end of the 3rd round. 

Pick 92: Cincinnati Bengals – Zach Harrison, EDGE – Ohio State

Most Bengals fans are big Ohio State fans and getting another person on the line from Ohio State would send people who are fans of both into a shockwave. 

Pick 93: Carolina Panthers (Via SF) – Darius Rush, DB – South Carolina

Darius Rush doesn’t have to travel far as the Panthers get the speedy Darius Rush who’s last name matches up well for his elite speed. 

Pick 94: Philadelphia Eagles – Sydney Brown, DB – Illinois

The Fighting Illini continue producing quality defensive backs in recent years with multiple from this year’s class being drafted before day 3. 

Pick 95: Kansas City Chiefs – Cory Trice, DB – Purdue

Cory Trice gets to reunite with former Purdue teammate George Karlaftis who was an early selection by the Chiefs last year and impressed in his first season in the league. 

Pick 96: Arizona Cardinals – Colby Wooden, DL – Auburn

The Cardinals land an excellent pass rusher in Colby Wooden who can bring a lot of pressure and we hope they can work on fixing his tackling ability which needs some much needed improvement. 

Pick 97: Washington Commanders – Anthony Bradford, OL – LSU

We have no idea who the Commanders will roll with as the starting quarterback in 2023, but regardless, they’re going to need to do a better job of protecting him than quarterbacks in years past. 

Pick 98: Cleveland Browns – Marte Mapu, DB – Sacramento State

The Browns take a chance on the defensive back from Sacramento State who will become only the 13th player ever drafted into the NFL from there. 

Pick 99: San Francisco 49ers – Tyrique Stevenson, DB – Miami (FL)

The Niners have 3 picks to close out the end of the 3rd round and go big on defensive back with Tyrique Stevenson who was one of the better backs in the ACC. 

Pick 100: Las Vegas Raiders (Via KC) – Nick Herbig, EDGE – Wisconsin

Raiders have a lot of problems and don’t have draft picks to solve all of them, they do get some help in an EDGE from Wisconsin who has been known to produce some elite players like the Watt brothers. 

Pick 101: San Francisco 49ers – Jordan Battle, DB – Alabama

The 2nd of the Niners last 3 picks is doubling down at defensive back to have them compete with one another for one of the starting roles and make for an interesting training camp. 

Pick 102: San Francisco 49ers – Luke Wypler, OL – Ohio State

To close out day 2, the Niners shift gears and get a backup for Trent Williams & someone who could fill in at other positions on the line.