NFL mock draft 2023: Making the first 12 picks based on favorites according to odds

The 2023 NFL Draft is about a month away, so it's time to start thinking about who your team might pick and where top players might go and the fantasy football implications of those picks. For this short mock draft we're going to look at the odds over at DraftKings Sportsbook. At this point we only have odds for who will be picked No. 1, so once you get past the Top 12, these first pick odds aren't as useful for looking at picks later in the draft.

We can go with those first 12 players though, as they are close enough to the first pick to give us some insight. As more odds come out, we can narrow down picks for teams throughout the first round.

1. Chicago Bears – DL, Jalen Carter, Georgia, +850

The odds for the first pick in the draft have four quarterbacks up top, so unless the Bears surprisingly trade away Justin Fields, they will be trading their No. 1 pick away. Trying to forecast that trade isn't in our plans here, so we'll move down the odds list, which has Carter 5th on the board to go first. That's a need for the Bears and would be a strong pick.

2. Houston Texans – QB, Bryce Young, Alabama, -160

Much depends on what the Bears do of course, but the odds have Young at -160 to be the first pick in the draft, while CJ Stroud is second on the board at +380. That makes for a wide gap between the two at the moment. Plenty of teams will look to trade up to first with the Bears, so the Colts, Raiders, Panthers, Falcons, Titans, Jets, Commanders, Buccaneers, and maybe a few others will all do their due diligence on a possible trade to grab a QB.

3. Arizona Cardinals – EDGE, Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, +1200

Arizona just brought in the Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach. The Eagles went all in on their defensive line on their hunt for the Lombardi this [past season and it almost worked. It would make plenty of sense to take Anderson as they try to rebuild that defense,.

4. Indianapolis Colts – QB, C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, +380

The Colts are going to take a quarterback, and Stroud is the favorite to be the second QB off the board. After playing rent-a-QB for a few years now, the Colts will invest in a young guy to lead their team.

5. Seattle Seahawks – EDGE, Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech, +7500

You have to be able to get to the quarterback in this league to win, so the top defensive lineman are going to go early. Of course, there is a chance Seattle doesn't re-sign Geno Smith and they go QB here, but as it is, they need help getting to the QB and Wilson is next on the list.

6. Detroit Lions – EDGE, Myles Murphy, Clemson, +10000

The Lions have plenty of needs on defense and could go a few different ways here, but next in the odds comes another pass rusher in Murphy. The Lions need help getting to the QB.

7. Las Vegas Raiders – QB, Will Levis, Kentucky, +650

The next team with an obvious need at quarterback is Las Vegas. Maybe they find a way to land Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson, but reality has them grabbing a young guy like Levis if they can't trade up.

8. Atlanta Falcons – OT, Paris Johnson, Ohio State, +15000

The Falcons could go with QB Anthony Richardson out of Florida, but they also could stick with Desmond Ridder and see what he can do before taking a risky first rounder like Richardson. It will all depend on their evaluation of him. Playing it safe would be to go defensive or offensive line here and Johnson is next up in the odds.

9. Carolina Panthers – QB, Anthony Richardson, Florida, +750

The Panthers have tried over and over again to trade for a quarterback who could play at a high level from the start, so it's probably time to grab a young guy. Richardson has plenty of detractors, but also plenty of believers. We know his upside is tremendous, but so is his downside. The Panthers evaluation of the Florida QB is key of course, but they need a QB and Richardson has the fourth best odds to be drafted first out of all the QBs.

10. Philadelphia Eagles – CB, Devon Witherspoon, Illinois, +15000

We have a cornerback, offensive tackle and defensive lineman tied at +15000 odds for this pick, so we have choices. The Eagles were picked apart by Patrick Mahomes in the second half of the Super Bowl and they do have a need at cornerback, especially if James Bradberry moves on. I'll take the corner out of Illinois.

11. Tennessee Titans – OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, +15000

The Titans released Taylor Lewan to clear up cap space and will need offensive line help this offseason. If they like Skoronski, you can't go wrong with o-line in this spot.

12. Houston Texans – DL, Bryan Bresee, Clemson, +15000

The Texans have good draft capital this year after trading away DeShaun Watson and have plenty of holes to fill in their roster. The odds have us with Bresee as the last pick at +15000, and with so many needs, including DL, we'll slot him in here. But they will have a lot of options.

  
Read Full Article