2023 NFL Mock Draft: Elite QBs dominate top of Round 1

Round 5

The Bears’ secondary makeover continues with Trice, a top-shelf athlete with enough plays on the ball at Purdue to warrant developmental attention.

The Bills brought back both of their safeties, but this defensive coaching staff is never going to turn down a chance to add a top recruit with eye-popping physical tools.

Bennett is a burner that was nearly as feisty as first-rounder Deonte Banks during his collegiate days. With Kenny Moore still in town, Bennett will have a great mentor to learn from.

Even with Baldonado’s mixed results against the run, his rush technique is surprisingly refined. Denver can let him germinate on the bench early on.

A consistent producer for the last few seasons, Allen and his long arms will be another interesting receiving threat for a Browns offense that loves to utilize multiple tight end sets.

McGuire’s high-end tape is very interesting, but he lacks any sort of consistency from week to week. Maybe sitting behind Maxx Crosby can help get some of that good juju out of him.

Perry has plenty of length and ball skills that will help him thrive as an outside receiver. Perry and Donovan Peoples-Jones give Cleveland one of the biggest WR corps in the league.

Saldiveri has genuine versatility and some filthy Senior Bowl tape. The Jets shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to adding another lineman, given all of the injuries that group had last season.

Gaines’ short-shuttle time is freakish for a guard this big, further proving what a tremendous talent he can be in Las Vegas’ offense if he gets a featured role.

Torrence may not have the high ceiling that his teammate Dean has, but he might be more pro-ready as a hitter and playmaker for a solid Panthers defense.

Boutte’s slide ends here, as the hometown Saints will likely look at his 2021 tape rather than some iffy 2022 games and poor testing numbers.

Stanford’s basic offense held Wilson back. There are few athletes in his tier at the position, which is what Tennessee needs to build around Richardson.

Nacua is a quality possession receiver with enough high-end catches on tape to warrant a pick. Nacua will join Green Bay’s growing stable of pass-catchers.

Adding more depth linemen is never a bad idea, and Kirkland should be able to put some of the doubts about the end of his collegiate tenure to rest by joining the Bears and fighting for snaps.

Daniels’ peaks at Utah were Day 2 tape, but he’ll need to go to a very patient team like Washington in order to iron out most of the kinks ironed out.

Hull is an elite receiver at the running back spot, and he’s proven to be consistent enough between the tackles to warrant a selection by a run-focused team like Seattle that lost Rashaad Penny.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Evan Hull is a versatile back

Haener is a very small quarterback, which will take him off some draft boards. Detroit may not be deterred due to his pinpoint accuracy, pocket movement, and creativity.

Martin may not be as good as Brown or Witherspoon in the same secondary, but it will be hard to envision a scenario where someone is this productive as a turnover creator and lasts this far in the draft.

Brooks was a puzzling combine snub, as his penetration skills totally squashed the rest of his MAC competition. Pete Carroll was likely over the moon watching his tape.

Every team that passes on Mapu will live to regret it. A safety with linebacker speed, the 49ers would get an incredibly raw mound of clay with Pro Bowl potential.

With Khalil Mack’s long-term future up in the air, Mathis’ speed off the edge could give LA a toolsy pass rusher that can help them guard against his departure.

Johnson has hands like a heavyweight boxer and 4.49 speed at 260 pounds. Baltimore could do much worse when it comes time to land a promising defensive end backup.

Turner’s final year at Wake Forest illustrated that he is an NFL-level athlete with enough disruption ability to wiggle into a rotation as a rookie.

Haselwood never got out of first gear in college, but the former 5-star recruit should overcome his lack of long speed and help the Lions replace the receivers who were suspended for gambling.

A battle-scarred team leader like Stromberg and Tippman can team together on the interior to make sure Daniel Jones doesn’t get any A-gap pressure in his face.

The Texans’ secondary isn’t fixed, but it is much better than it was. Moss’ Senior Bowl was poor, but his Hawkeyes tape was incredibly impressive.

Another linebacker is needed after Darius Leonard’s injuries. Williams is on the smaller side, but he’s also on the athletic side, and that will be enough for Chris Ballard.

Bradford’s stock has been rising after a solid season at LSU. Given Joe Burrow’s propensity to take sacks, Cincinnati’s quest to keep him upright is continuing.

McClendon lasting this long is a bit strange, given how his tape is littered with some impressive moments against future professional SEC pass rushers.

Warren was one of the big reasons Kenny Pickett and Israel Abanikanda were as dominant as they were. New Orleans’ running game stalled last season, and Warren could help both Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams.

Gaye didn’t pile up the stats in college, but he has enough burst in his pants to get a team like the Chiefs to fall in love with him and keep working with him.

Bigsby falls a bit due to the depth of this class, but he is a much better player than this. The nickname fits, as Bigsby can plow defenders over while still showing off some impressive lateral jump cuts.

With Kyler Murray’s leg injury a major question mark surrounding this team, Arizona needs a better plan for if (when) he goes down. DTR’s slippery running and tight-window excellence will get the Cardinals interested.

Jones tested as a quality athlete with elite short-area quickness. The Cowboys have the top end of their WR depth chart figured out, but the back end is still wide open.

Much like Haselwood, Jarrett was a productive 5-star recruit who never tore college apart. Something tells me playing with Aaron Rodgers might coax some extra touchdowns out of an elite separator like him.

With a team captaincy and an insane 54 starts under his belt, Johnson is one of the best players in Iowa State history. The Rams need a leader, playmaker, and hitter on the back end.

Players with his skill in zone coverage, smooth movement skills, and high-end football IQ very rarely are available for DB-needy teams like the Giants to steal him this late.

Fehoko recorded 44 tackles for loss and 22 sacks in the last three seasons, giving the 49ers all the proof they need to go all-in on the versatile local product at this point.

Is Land a linebacker? Is he a pass rusher? Who cares! With enough picks to take a gamble, the Raiders could add an HBCU star that ripped up the lower levels of competition.

Diaby will either be the smallest defensive tackle in the league or one of the biggest pass rushers on the edge. Leave it to Todd Bowles to figure out a way to best utilize him.

Richards and Schmitz would give Indianapolis two run-blockers that have shown consistent success against future pros. Jonathan Taylor is going to love this pick.

Adding Whyle is a slight gamble, as his receiving potential was not properly utilized at Cincinnati. Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford might have him cooking in a slightly expanded role.