The 2023 NFL Draft is now just a little over a month away. While there’s still a lot that could change before the highly-anticipated event, with free agency underway, experts already see things going a certain way.
Lamar Jackson’s future is still up in the air and, should he get traded before the draft, it could have a telling impact on who ends up where.
In any case, the insiders are making their picks in mock drafts ahead of the actual draft and, based on averages derived from some of the top ones, it appears C.J. Stroud is going No. 1 over Bryce Young.
Stroud and Young are considered the top prospects in 2023 but the latter has been widely tipped as the one who will be the first quarterback to be selected. According to a consensus mock draft based on ESPN, Draft Wire, FOX Sports, Pro Football Focus, the Carolina Panthers will be taking Stroud at No. 1 while Young will be selected by the Houston Texans as the second-overall pick.
Perhaps a bit surprisingly, defensive end Will Anderson has been vaunted as the No. 3 pick, with the Arizona Cardinals set to be on the board after the first two prospects are chosen.
As for Jalen Carter, the defensive lineman has slipped down to No.8 after initial projections had him as a possible first-overall. Following some legal trouble and a poor showing at Pro Day, his stock has tanked significantly.
