NFL Mock Draft 2023, Botch Job: Every team screws up its first-round pick

NFL Mock Draft 2023: Every team screws up its first-round pick

Much like the Lions with the pick immediately before them, it’s not difficult to imagine a world in which the Raiders are truly thrilled to have C.J. Stroud fall to them. But for me, that couldn’t be a worse fit for the player that they are getting and the situation the current roster in Las Vegas has before it.

There is a lot to like about Stroud as he comes out of Ohio State. He’s elitely accurate and has very clear positive mental processing. The big drawback with him, though, is the lack of mobility and overall athleticism. That’s where he falls short in comparison to the other top guys in the class.

For a Raiders team with an offensive line that needs a ton of work, that’s not a good young quarterback to bring into the situation. Vegas signed Jimmy Garoppolo for flexibility for the future at the position and, if this were the only quarterback in the Top 4 available, then it would be wisest to wait.

It’s never been a secret that the Atlanta Falcons have lacked edge pass rushing for a few years now — okay, maybe even longer than that. So if the board were to fall like this, the club looking to that position would make a lot of sense, especially after filling a hole at cornerback with Jeff Okudah recently via trade.

What I wouldn’t do in that situation would be to take Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa. Again, this is a player with a ton of traits, but the whole package just isn’t worthy of a Top 10 selection.

Van Ness only had 6.5 sacks last season, which is actually fewer than the 7.0 he had the previous year. For a player with his physical attributes and athleticism, that shouldn’t be the type of production we’re seeing. Those traits make him a highly valuable project but the Falcons can’t afford using the No. 8 pick on something so far from being a sure thing.