Updated 4/27/2023
1 (32) | Pittsburgh Steelers (from CHI) | Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
The Bears once had the first pick in Round 1 and in Round 2. Now they have neither. Well, that’s sort of what happened. The Bears inexplicably traded this pick to Pittsburgh before the 2022 deadline for wide receiver Chase Claypool. It wasn’t officially 1.32 then. Thanks to Houston also being inexplicable and defeating the Titans in Week 17, this pick now belongs to the Steelers. After taking a foreign CB in Round 1, Pittsburgh fills a need on the defensive line. Bryan Bresee has elite talent, and once once considered a top-10 selection in this draft. An ACL injury in 2021 ended his season and limited him to only four games in 2022. His stock has fallen accordingly.
2 (33) | Houston Texans | Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Houston ticks off the third of their three biggest needs by selecting wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, at 2.33. The Texans passed on Stroud at 1.2, but still ended up with a quarterback in the first around after taking Anthony Richardson with their second pick. Richardson is going to need someone to catch his errant throws. Even if Richardson doesn’t start to open the season, Davis Mills is going to need someone to catch his errant throws. Jalin Hyatt can do that. Hyatt had a fantastic year in 2022 for Tennessee, with 67 catches for 1,267 yards (18.9) and 15 TDs. He’s slight, but 30 pounds bigger than he was coming out of high school.
3 (34) | Arizona Cardinals | Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State
With their first 2nd Round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select: Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State. The Cardinals began filling out their secondary when they took Gonzalez with the pick they acquired from the Titans after trading down from 1.3. The secondary work in this draft probably still isn’t over for Arizona. Unhappy with the contract he signed with Arizona in 2021 that made him the highest paid safety in the NFL, Budda Baker has demanded a new contract from Arizona that would make him the highest paid safety in the NFL. Arizona will probably take a safety on Day 3. For now, they start rebuilding their front seven, which took some massive hits in the offseason. McDonald is an experienced player who had 34 sacks at Iowa State.
4 (35) | Indianapolis Colts | Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
Indianapolis needs a wide receiver after somehow allowing ironman Parris Campbell to leave for the Giants, but they wait to address that and focus first on their secondary. Julius Brents is a tall, athletic CB who played two years at Iowa before transferring to Kansas State for 2021 to seek playing time. Over four years, Brents played 34 games over four seasons and tallied 111 total tackles, 10 passes defended, and 6 interceptions. He’s older (24) and needs to work on his footwork for the NFL, but he could have been selected in the first round.
5 (36) | Los Angeles Rams | Jaylen Duncan, OL, Maryland
The Rams didn’t have a first round pick, but they are scheduled to make 11 of them from here until the end of the draft. First order of business in the second is to address the offensive line. Andrew Whitworth retired a year ago and guard David Edwards, who was injured most of last season but an important part of their Super Bowl team, signed with the Bills. Los Angeles probably has enough OL depth to get by, but they could use a tackle to protect Stafford down the road. Duncan is another older prospect — he’ll be 23 when the season starts — in a draft full of older prospects, so he might not be the best option for a developmental player. But his measurables are strong (he’s a great athlete) and he can pull. He needs to cut back on his sacks after giving up 7 at left tackle as a fifth-year senior. Had the Rams done what they probably should have done and moved on from Stafford, Hendon Hooker might have been the pick here.
6 (37) | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
Seattle acquired this pick along with seven other picks/players from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade. I doubt that either team believed when that trade was made that this second rounder would be way up at 2.6. With their first round Denver pick, Seattle took edge rusher Tyree Wilson. They continue to bolster the front seven by selecting defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Smith is a massive, powerful tackle who is an excellent run stopper and an incredible athlete. He’s a decent pass rusher, as well. He’s fast but not quick, heavy but not tall. It’s a combination that has worked for him, but could give him some problems against NFL linemen. Smith has minor character concerns, but nothing that should affect his stock.
7 (38) | Las Vegas Raiders | B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
After addressing the offensive line in Round 1, the Raiders move to the other side of the ball. B.J. Ojulari played 3 years for LSU, totaling 128 tackles (25.5 for a loss), 16.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He’s a smart player with excellent burst. Ojulari could stand to bulk up a bit for the next level. He is very fast and has excellent pass rushing moves. Ojulari has an outside chance of going in Round 1.
8 (39) | Carolina Panthers | Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi
With their second selection the Carolina Panthers get some wide receiver help for new QB Bryce Young. Jonathan Mingo played four years at Ole Miss and compiled 112 receptions for 1,758 yards (15.7) and 12 touchdowns. He broke out in his senior year with 51-1,758-15.7. I’m a bit surprised that the Panthers managed to keep this pick when they traded up with Chicago.
9 (40) | New Orleans Saints | Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
I had the Saints drafting a replacement for Alvin Kamara in Round 1, and I stand by that pick. They did sign The Greatest Touchdowner in Jaamal Williams this offseason, but he’s not a three-down back. The Saints have a plethora of other needs that could have been addressed at pick 29, with defensive end being toward the top of the list. Keion White played at Old Dominion (who provide a solid amount of talent to this year’s draft) from 2018-2020 before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he played another two college seasons. In his final year White had 54 total tackles (14 for a loss) and 7.5 sacks.
10 (41) | Arizona Cardinals (from TEN) | Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
I have the Cardinals receiving this selection from the Titans in their move down from 3 to 11 in Round 1. The Cardinals need help all over, but after signing Kyler Murray to a massive, ill-advised contract they are going to need to keep him upright. They will be selecting a center at some point as well. Dawand Jones played 693 snaps last year for the Buckeyes without allowing a single sack or quarterback hit and conceding only 4 QB hurries. Jones could go earlier than this.
11 (42) | Green Bay Packers (from NYJ via CLE) | Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE, Northwestern
This is another pick the Packers when they traded 64% of Aaron Rodger’s snaps to the Jets for way too much. (You can find my breakdown of that trade [HERE].) Every team covets EDGE talent, in part because it sells tickets, but the Packers have a real need for someone who can get to opposing quarterbacks. Adetomiwa Adebawore is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle at 6’2″ 282 pounds, but he’s super fast and agile (4.49 40, 1.61 10 yard, 4.26 shuttle, 7.13 three cone) and his jump measurements are both in the 95th percentile. He’s strong, too. He played four seasons at Northwestern and racked up 97 tackles (24.5 for a loss), 12.5 sacks, an interception, and 4 forced fumbles.
12 (43) | New York Jets | Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
See my Jets mock draft analysis HERE.
13 (44) | Atlanta Falcons | Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Hendon Hooker might go earlier than this. In fact, he might go much earlier than this. For a brief period of insanity there was some talk about Hooker going in the top 12, but then people remembered his age (25 as of January 2023) and unfortunate injury last season. It’s unlikely that Hooker will be ready to go to begin the 2023 season, which will only protract his already delayed NFL debut. He’s a very talented quarterback, though, and would be ranked ahead of Richardson under normal circumstances. Hooker played three years at Virginia Tech before transferring to Tennessee in 2021. Over five years he went 632-944 (66.9%) for 8,974 yards and 80 touchdowns. The Falcons have Ridder, but since Hooker won’t play this season anyway, Atlanta will have time to figure out that Ridder probably isn’t a long-term solution at starter.
14 (45) | Green Bay Packers (from NYJ) | Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
As I mentioned in my Cowboys writeup at pick 26 when they selected Dalton Kincaid, I originally had two TEs being taken in Round 2 (Darnell Washington and Sam LaPorta), and neither of them ended up making the final cut. There are too many negative or indifferent reports from various teams on them. A lot of them have to do with conditioning. Luke Musgrave has no such concerns, so he’s promoted to Pick 45. The Packers really need a TE, just as they really needed a WR. Prior to the Rodgers trade I had Green Bay selecting Kincaid at 1.15, but after they jumped the Patriots it put them in a great position to land Smith-Njigba and they jumped at it. Insert your own obligatory line about the Packers taking receiving talent with their first two picks, and another about Rodgers showing up to the Jets’ facility tomorrow as preemptive retaliation.
15 (46) | New England Patriots | Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
The Patriots need secondary help. Cornerback is arguably a greater deficiency for them than safety is, but with safety Brian Branch slipping all the way to 2.46 he proves to valuable for the Patriots to pass on. (Branch can play cornerback just as well, anyway, so in a way he might be ideal for New England; I still have a CB mocked to the Patriots on Day 2.) Branch had a rough sophomore year in 2021, but rebounded and then some as a junior, when he had 6 pass breakups and an interception while also providing 2 sacks and 6 pressures in the rush. Branch could go in the first round.
16 (47) | Washington Commanders | Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
The Redskins needed to focus on defense already, but the news on Wednesday that they would not be picking up Chase Young’s fifth year option makes that side of the ball even more of a priority. This was not an unexpected development, but now with Young on his last year and Sweat due a big contract, Washington could use an infusion of young, cheaper talent on the front seven. The most likely outcome for the Redskins could be re-signing Sweat to an expensive long-term deal and franchising Chase after this year for around $19M. Trenton Simpson is a very fast, undersized linebacker who played three years at Clemson, totaling 165 tackles (23 for a loss), 13 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.
17 (48) | Detroit Lions | Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
For a very long time I had the Lions go defense-defense in Round 1 and then defense again here in Round 2. Bijan Robinson proved too talented to pass up once he fell all the way to 18. They stick with defense at 2.48, though, to try to fix a side that league-worst in 2022. Derick Hall play 40 games over four years at Auburn and totaled 146 tackles (29.5 for a loss), 19.5 sacks, a pick, and 5 forced fumbles. The sacks are what the Lions will be looking for — they had just 24 last season.
18 (49) | Pittsburgh Steelers | Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
Allen Robinson is not the answer at WR for the Steelers, not is her the answer at WR for any other team in the league. I don’t understand what the Pittsburgh was thinking when they traded for Robinson. In terms of draft capital, it only cost them a 7th round swap. But the Rams somehow duped them into taking on $5M of Robinson’s salary, too, when the guy doesn’t appear to have anything left to offer. The Steelers have other solid talents at WR in Dionte Johnson and George Pickens, but Downs, who put up 202-2483(12.3)-22 over three years at North Carolina, will be a nice addition.
19 (50) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
The Buccaneers received nice value in Round 1 when Myles Murphy fell to them at 1.19. Here they reach just a bit to take an offensive tackle to protect whoever ends up taking QB snaps for them this season. They could have selected Hooker at 19, and definitely would have him here if he were still on the board, but the Buccaneers, like other teams who didn’t enter the draft with a top 5 pick, are better off playing for a top pick in 2024, when the board will have two elite QBs at 1 and 2. Matthew Bergeron played four years in college, all at Clemson. He had a rough year in 2022, giving up 5 sacks in 11 games, but he’s an experienced, agile blocker with good lateral movement and has played on both sides. He should start immediately for Tampa Bay.
20 (51) | Miami Dolphins | John Michael Schmitz, IOL, Minnesota
The Dolphins had only four selections in last year’s draft, and they only have four this year, as well. They forfeited their 2023 first round pick for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton, both of whom were under contract at the time, with Tampa Bay and New Orleans, respectively — a pretty stupid (non-)move for a team who looked like a playoff lock before last year before collapsing to end the season. IOL is Miami’s biggest hole, and John Michael Schmitz should help to fix that. Schmitz is another experienced player in this draft; there are lots of them due to the COVID hysteria that allowed players an additional year of college eligibility. Schmitz played five years at Minnesota and gave up just one sack. He’s worthy of a mid-second round selection.
21 (52) | Seattle Seahawks | Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Seattle has had a quality draft so far, picking up a top EDGE, a Round 1 wide receiver, and an impressive defensive tackle to compensate for their having passed on Jalen Carter at 1.5. They add to that haul with Kelee Ringo, a three-year cornerback out of Georgia. Seattle was one of the teams I originally had taking a tight end in Round 2 before I dropped two of them into later rounds. Ringo had 4 picks for the Bulldogs — two in 2021 and two more in 2022 — and returned them for a total of 124 yards. He also forced a fumble. He showed ability to get behind the line, too, with 4 TFL and a sack.
22 (53) | Chicago Bears (from BAL) | Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
The Bears have to be thankful for this pick after having lost 2.32 in the disastrous Claypool trade. I still wish that the Bears had gone into complete rebuild mode by trading Justin Fields in addition to the first overall pick. As I write this, it’s not too late, I suppose. It will never happen though. I considered giving Chicago a cornerback at 1.9 but since they are running it out with Fields they should probably surround him with the best blocking they can. Cam Smith is a fine second option. Smith played 32 games at South Carolina over four years. He had 6 interceptions, 18 passes defended, and a forced fumble.
23 (54) | Los Angeles Chargers | Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, USC
The Chargers snatched an EDGE in Round 1 and play a variation on the theme here in Round 2 by selecting Tuli defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu out of USC. I considered mocking a WR to them here, but decided that could wait until Round 3. I’m not as down on their receiving corps as a lot of people are. Tuipulotu played three years for the Trojans, compiling 116 tackles (32 for a loss), 5 passes defended, and 4 forced fumbles. He totaled 21 sacks, including a stellar 21 sacks in 2022.
24 (55) | Detroit Lions (from MIN) | Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
The Chargers passed on a wide receiver last pick, and the Lions take advantage. Cedric Tillman will not be the only wide receiver chosen by Detroit this week. They are down several WRs and other players, for varying lengths of time this season after the NFL issued suspensions following a gambling investigation. Their only real player left at the position is Amon-Ra St. Brown who, really, is a pretty great one to have remaining. Tillman played five seasons at Tennessee but didn’t see a lot of action. He did almost nothing as a freshman, sophomore, or junior. He had a great year as a senior in 2021, playing in 12 games with a 64-1,081(16.9)-12 line. An ankle injury then limited Tillman to just six games in 2022. He has very good size, but not good speed. He’ll be drafted in the second frame on potential.
25 (56) | Jacksonville Jaguars | Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
The Jaguars went IOL with Pick 24 in Round 1. Now they address their largest general area of need, which is the secondary. Safety Antonio Johnson played three years with the Aggies. He had 164 total tackles (14 for a loss), an interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks. Johnson is tall (6’2″) but light (under 200 pounds). He has very good speed for a corner his height. Johnson plays well underneath, at press and off coverage. Jacksonville will likely ask him to put on some weight for the NFL. They will address cornerback later in the draft.
26 (57) | New York Giants | Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
The Giants lucked into Quentin Johnson in Round 1. They might have lucked into Drew Sanders here, too, who could have gone much earlier than this. Sanders played three years at linebacker, two for Alabama and one for the Razorbacks. He finished with 136 total tackles (16 for a loss), 9.5 sacks, an interception, and 3 forced fumbles. He was a 2022 finalist for the 2022 Dick Butkus Award for top linebacker in the country (Iowa’s Jack Campbell, taken previously in this round, was the eventual winner). He’s a bit light for the NFL and has only one year of starting experience at linebacker, but he’s an excellent pass rusher and could help the Giants immediately.
27 (58) | Dallas Cowboys | Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
The Cowboys got their TE in Round 1 to replace the departed Dalton Schultz. Now they begin to fill out their defense. Defensive tackle is Dallas’ biggest need on the side of the ball. I had Siaki Ika mocked here for some time, but concerns about his weight could drop him much further down the board. Gervon Dexter spent three years with the Gators. His numbers in 2001 and 2002 were solid – 105 total tackles (8.5 for a loss), 4.5 sacks, a pick, and 2 passes defended. He also recovered two fumbles, but fumble recoveries are often more luck than not and can be an overvalued statistic.
28 (59) | Buffalo Bills | Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
I had Buffalo reach for Steve Avilia in Round 1, and some might consider Rashee Rice a reach at 2.59, too. The Bills could use a running back, but I think there’s better value at that position later. (Though I have them reaching for that pick, too. Poor Buffalo.) Rice played four years at SMU. He blew up in his senior year, putting up a 96-1,355-10 line in 12 games. Rice is very quick to get off, and was prolific underneath. The Bills will hope that will translate into his eventually becoming a deep threat in the pros. For now they have Stefon Diggs to fill that role. The Bills also have Gabriel Davis.
29 (60) | Cincinnati Bengals | D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan
The Bengals filled one of their biggest needs in Round 1 by drafting Michael Mayer. In fact, tight end is such a need for the Bengals that the other day I had them taking a second TE in Round 4. (Not really; that was a mistyping of my handwritten draft, but still, TE was a big need.) Cincinnati also requires secondary help. They’ll take a safety later, but at 22.60 they go with cornerback D.J. Turner. Turner didn’t play in 2020, but logged 27 games total in 2021 and 2022. He’s the faster corner in the draft with a 4.26 second 40. This is less surprising when you know he weighs less than 180 pounds. So far his speed and athleticism haven’t translated into interceptions, of which he has only three. He might go later than this, but Cincinnati doesn’t usually no to speed. In the case of Ross, anyway. That didn’t really work out, I guess.
30 (61) | Chicago Bears (from SF via CAR) | Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
This Bears pick is from the trade they made with Carolina for the first overall pick, the one in which the Panthers moved up despite having no idea who they were moving for and despite next year’s QB class being better than this year’s. Felix Anudike-Uzomah played three years at Kansas State, and over the past two had 25.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks with 8 forced fumbles. He’s fast, agile, and long. Anudike-Uzomah doesn’t hit particularly hard, but he does a good job wrapping up, which a lot of football players forget is even still a thing that should happen. The Bears will look for him to improve against the run.
31 (62) | Philadelphia Eagles | Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
The Eagles continue to replenish their defense (Calijah Kancey, Shiny Nolan Smith). I don’t have them addressing LB in early in this draft, which is strange, because they need one. (See my Eagles first round writeups.) Pick 62 seems about right for Clark Phillips. He’s small with short reach and doesn’t get up well. He’s tough, though, and had 4 pick-sixes in college. Clark played four seasons for the Utes. He compiled 110 tackles (5 for a loss), a sack, 9 interceptions, a forced fumble, and the four scores.
32 (63) | Kansas City Chiefs | Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
I’m not going to end this round on a cliffhanger as I did the first. (In case you missed the resolution, yes, I did end up with the Chiefs selecting Harrison.) Pass-rushing might be Kansas City’s biggest need outside offensive tackle, running back, and wide receiver. (I don’t have them taking a RB until the end of the 4th.) Foskey is another fast corner (4.58 40) and another brilliantly athletic one. In four years with the Irish, he totaled 121 tackles (28 for a loss) and 28 sacks. He also forced 7 fumbles, including 6 in 2021. Foskey excelled on special teams as a punt blocker. His main area work leading up to his time in the NFL should be in the weight room.
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