Yes, one last mock draft for 2023. Yes, mock drafts are silly. I mean, it's right there in the title…
Mock. (1) To tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner. (2) Not authentic or real.
Then again, what, exactly, is real?
Let's skip that particular rabbit hole for now, shall we?
A quick recap on my approach to the NFL draft…
More is more: I will happily trade down a few spots for additional picks.
Size matters.
Speed kills.
Let positional needs guide you, but don't let it tie your hands, either. Don't pass on talent when it falls to you, regardless of positional needs.
Patriots Needs: Pigskin pundits and bobbleheads seem to agree on OT, WR, CB, and Edge Defender. Of course, those are arguably the four most important non-QB positions in football, so, yeah. Who doesn't need those guys?
That's all well and good, but mock drafts (like their real world counterpart) are also unpredictable, often making your pigskin philosophies moot. Consider this scenario…
Or this scenario…
Given the palace intrigue at 1 Patriots Place involving Bill Belichick and Mac Jones, you have to wonder how the Patriots would handle this scenario. Suddenly, the Bill O'Brien connection at Offensive Coordinator could be all about Bryce Young!
Okay, that's not going to happen. If it did, Belichick might have a choice like this to make…
In the really real world, you might make that trade (even with Young/Stroud, the Texans aren't going to win a lot of games in 2023, making at least one of those first round picks very, very valuable). But this is a mock draft, after all, and besides, Bill isn't getting any younger, which is really just my way of saying I'm not taking that deal. So…
Let's go!
Pick 1-14: Paris Johnson, Jr., OT, Ohio State
Pittsburgh offers 1-17, 7-241, and 2024 R2 but with Johnson available, and the Jets picking next, I just can't see a trade down here.
Regrets: Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson and Deonta Banks, CB, Maryland were also available.
Pick 2-46: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
No trades offered.
Okay, not a WR, CB, Edge, or OT but this one just writes itself. At 6' 5" and 250 pounds, with a 4.65 forty and a 6.74 three cone, Campbell was apparently built to play linebacker for Bill Belichick in the Ferentz Laboratory, in Iowa.
Regrets: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Edge, Kansas State, D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan, and Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State were still on the board.
Pick 3-76…
Now it's a party! Kansas City is offering five picks (3-95, 4-134, 5-178, 7-249, and 7-250), and the board looks like this…
Absent the trade offer, would I happily draft any of the prospects shown in the snapshot above? Yes. I would. Do I think any of those available prospects are going to become perennial pro bowlers? No. I do not. (See me talking myself into the trade here?) It's more of a move down than I like but it helps to fill in the board in later rounds so... Trade!
Pick 3-95…
Anudike-Uzomah is still on the board but San Francisco offers a buttload of picks (3-99, 3-102, 5-164, 6-216, 7-222, 7-255). Trade!
Pick 3-99: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi
No trades offered.
A big, athletic wide receiver whose name seems to come up quite a bit in the local pigskin pundits' and bobbleheads' mockery. Played in the SEC so he's faced pro competition. Speaking of the SEC…
Pick 3-102: Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama
Multiple trades offered but we're starting to get into that part of the draft where the package tends to include more picks in 2024 than 2023. No thanks!
An offensive tackle who played in the SEC for Nick Saban? Yes, please.
Pick 4-107: Cory Trice, Jr., CB, Purdue
Multiple trades; nothing I liked.
Instead, I took Trice, a big, physical CB. And yes. About damned time.
Pick 4-117: Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
More trade trash offered. No thanks!
Reaching a bit here but Kuntz is too tantalizing an athletic freak for me to pass up (and I believe he would've been gone at 4-134). 6' 7" and 255 pounds, with a 4.55 forty and a 6.74 three cone. If searching for the next Rob Gronkowski is wrong I don't want to be right.
Pick 4-134: Olusegun Oluwatimi, OL, Michigan
Trades were offered; trades were rejected.
David Andrews cannot play forever (sadly) so here the Pats pick up the 2022 Rimington (and Outland) trophy winner. You just know Belichick is never going to say his given name but instead will refer to him with something like "Double O."
Pick 4-135: Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
Trades blah, blah, blah.
A bit of a reach perhaps but Jones is 6' 2" and ran a sub-7 three cone and won't be around at 164. Big nickel? Big nickel.
Pick 5-165: Viliami Fehoko, Edge, San Jose State
Trades, etc.
Okay, big step up in competition for Fehoko but he's been on a lot of my mocks in this range because of his incredible production in college. Given some late buzz around Fehoko, I'm not sure he'll be available here or even available on Day 3 in the really real draft.
Pick 5-178: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
One trade offered; one trade rejected.
At the very least, DTR provides an option for practice when the Patriots are facing a more mobile, athletic QB. At most, he could become a long-term answer at QB for New England. He had some impressive games as a collegian and it's certainly not out of the question for a late round QB to become a superstar in a year or two. It's happened before. I'm just saying.
Pick 6-184…
Houston offered 6-188, 6-201, and 6-203. I couldn't resist. Trade!
Pick 6-187: Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
Trades into the future. I'll pass.
For one reason and one reason only: 4.37 forty. You always need speed and New England could use another home run hitter in their line up.
Pick 6-188: Mike Morris, DL, Michigan
Yeah, no more trades!
Big and productive, played outside in cold weather, Big 10 D-Lineman of the Year 2022, and played on special teams (with a blocked kick). Checking a lot of Belichickian boxes here.
Pick 6-192: Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
Of course. I say no more trades and then Green Bay offers multiple picks to move down 15 spots. That's really more of a drop than I like, but more importantly, Ford-Wheaton has been one of my favorite late round picks so I just had to say no.
Ford-Wheaton has size, speed, and quickness; 6' 4", 220 pounds, with a 4.38 forty and a 6.97 three cone. Am I just chasing Randy Moss? Yes. Yes I am. I'd be a fool not to.
Pick 6-201: Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
Seriously, though. No more trades.
Smith has a good mix of size, speed, and athleticism, provides depth at CB and could contribute on special teams right away.
Pick 6-203: Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
An undersized OT from Georgia? What could go wrong? (Yes, I'm looking at you Isaiah Wynn!) But seriously (I hope), there's been some recent buzz connecting the Patriots to the lesser known Georgia OT. If Johnson and Steen are good, then Johnson, Steen, and McClendon are even better.
Pick 6-210: Darrell Luter, Jr., CB, South Alabama
Luter has size, quickness, and he's at his best in press-man coverage. Seems like a fit.
Pick 6-216: Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
I've heard some chatter about the Pats coaches liking Hull. Excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Probably too much to hope that he could be Kevin Faulk 2.0, but then, the NFL Draft is a wish your heart makes, isn't it? No wait, that's Jiminy Cricket's dream is a wish - whatever! We're on to…
Pick 7-222: Keondre Coburn, DL, Texas
A nose tackle for Bill. I don't think he'll make anyone ever forget Vince Wilfork, but Lawrence Guy isn't getting any younger.
Pick 7-245: Jose Ramirez, Edge, Eastern Michigan
Ramirez will be stepping up in class but he - like Fehoko - was incredibly productive as a collegian and could win some playing time in sub packages as a pass rush specialist and wreak havoc on special teams.
Pick 7-249: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State
Pats special teams kind of sucked in 2022 and Baringer is arguably the best punter available, and I'm running out of justifications for drafting positional prospects at this point.
Pick 7-250: Chad Ryland, K, Maryland
Nick Folk is 38-years old.
Pick 7-255: Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State
Attention Pigskin Shoppers! Decent athlete with a nose for the ball; 80 solo tackles and 6 interceptions as a senior. Sounds like such a deal at 255.
And we're out! Here's a recap…
2023 Mock Draft Results - April 25 Mock
1-14: Paris Johnson, Jr., OT, Ohio State
2-46: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
3-99: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi
3-102: Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama
4-107: Cory Trice, Jr., CB, Purdue
4-117: Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
4-134: Olusegun Oluwatimi, OL, Michigan
4-135: Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
5-165: Viliami Fehoko, Edge, San Jose State
5-178: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
6-187: Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
6-188: Mike Morris, DL, Michigan
6-192: Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
6-201: Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
6-203: Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
6-210: Darrell Luter, Jr., CB, South Alabama
6-216: Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
7-222: Keondre Coburn, DL, Texas
7-245: Jose Ramirez, Edge, Eastern Michigan
7-249: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State
7-250: Chad Ryland, K, Maryland
7-255: Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State
Regrets? Okay, I'm pretty happy with the players drafted but there are always regrets. But let's start with the good news: Three offensive tackles, including Paris Johnson, Jr. I wasn't able to get any of the top CB, Edge, or WR prospects but I'm still pretty happy with the picks at those positions, in particular Trice at CB, Fehoko at Edge, and Ford-Wheaton at WR.
But I also missed out on some prospects who have become favorites of mine throughout draft season.
I'm not talking about obvious first-rounders like Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njiba, who was rarely available at 1-14, or even fringe first-rounders like getting my hands on 'Bama RB Jahmir Gibbs at 2-46 and justifying that pick as a virtual wide receiver. In the occasional mock, I was able to get Georgia TE Darnell Washington at 2-46. Those players fall to you or they don't.
I did miss on a few picks, though, for prospects I've been targeting in previous mock drafts like…
A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest - Big, fast, and highly productive. He was available at 3-76 in this mock, which is where I've been taking him, but the trade down offers were just too good to pass up. Have to hope I nailed the Jonathan Mingo and Bryce Ford-Wheaton picks.
D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan and/or Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State - I still think taking LB Jack Campbell was the right pick at 2-46 but it was hard to pass up on two of the better defensive backs in the draft.
Note: I also missed on Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama, and Riley Moss, CB, Iowa, two DBs I would up drafting frequently on Day 2 and 3 in previous mocks.
Cody Mauch, IOL, North Dakota State - I saw him sticking at tackle and was able to take him much later in the draft initially but this is a case of a prospect "flying up the board." And out of my reach.
Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston - A bit on the small side, but an intriguing offensive weapon type of player. An early favorite who fell off my board in recent mocks.
Note: I had a similar flirtation with Devin Achane, RB, Texas A&M, another diminutive offensive weapon.
Blake Freeland, OT, BYU - Getting Tyler Steen makes missing out on Freeland a bit easier to take.
K.J. Henry, Edge, Clemson - Would've made for a great rotation with Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. Fehoko and/or Ramirez should look great in that same role.
Habakkuk Baldonado, Edge, Pittsburgh - He's been a consistent 7th rounder in my mocks since reading the Pats coaches like Baldonado based on his Shrine Bowl efforts.
Curtis McClendon, IOL, Chattanooga - A former Cole Strange teammate who I saw as a swing tackle for the Pats.
Jake Moody, K, Michigan - Gone before I was willing to pull the trigger on a kicker.
But you can't have everything, can you?
By the way, Bill is trading down and out of the first round. You know that, don't you?
Go Pats!
Credit where credit is due: I used the NFL Mock Draft Simulator for this mock draft.
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