2023 NFL mock draft: Where will Heisman finalists C.J. Stroud, Max Duggan, Stetson Bennett IV go?

Now that we know who won the 2022 Heisman Trophy, what does the future hold for the three draft-eligible finalists: C.J. Stroud, Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett IV?

With the Heisman Trophy being handed out on Saturday night, three of the award’s finalists could be heading to the NFL after this college football season reaches its conclusion.

Although USC quarterback Caleb Williams would be the first player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Trojans’ sensation sophomore signal-caller is not yet draft-eligible. However, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV is going to exhaust all of his collegiate eligibility, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is a first-round talent and TCU quarterback Max Duggan can turn pro, too.

Though Williams has to wait a year, here is what could be in store for Bennett, Duggan and Stroud.

NFL mock draft: Where will the draft-eligible Heisman Trophy finalists end up?

C.J. Stroud will be one of the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft

There are a handful of blue-chip players entering the 2023 NFL Draft. Although many of these draft-eligible prospects will have to declare at some point, there are a few certainties that come with next spring’s draft, one of which will be a pair of quarterbacks coming off the board inside of the top 10: Last year’s Heisman winner Bryce Young out of Alabama, and Stroud out of Ohio State.

Stroud has prototypical size paired with elite production, while Young has a bit of that magic many woebegone NFL franchises are in dire need of. There will be a handful of those teams likely picking inside of the top 10. Those franchises may include the Houston Texans, the Carolina Panthers, the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons, as well as a few teams who have other teams’ picks…

These extra special teams include the Seattle Seahawks, who have the Denver Broncos’ pick from the Russell Wilson trade, and the Detroit Lions, who have the Los Angeles Rams’ pick from the Matthew Stafford trade. These teams, along with the Texans technically, have the ammunition and draft resources to get to wherever they want on the draft board. Let’s keep an eye on these three.

Even if Young goes No. 1 to the Texans, it is hard to see Stroud falling outside of the top-six here.

Prediction: Top-five pick to Detroit Lions, possibly to Carolina Panthers or Houston Texans