Lawrence Iacona’s NFL Mock Draft 2023


Lawrence Iacona’s (Bold) NFL Mock Draft 2023
Late April the time when the spring flowers bloom, and the weather is getting warmer. For us football fans, it is the time when our favorite teams have the chance to change the state of their franchise for the better. We will soon see the future stars of the NFL getting drafted to their new teams. Here is my NFL Mock Draft 2023.
My mock draft does not count for trades
Check out other Staff Mock Drafts
1. Bryce Young
QB | Alabama
The Panthers traded with the Chicago Bears to acquire the number 1 pick in exchange for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the 9th pick, and numerous other picks. Young is the unanimous top player in this year’s draft class. The Panthers are need of a quarterback to start the 2023 season, and they have found their guy.
2. Will Anderson Jr.
OLB | Alabama
Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said they intend to draft a defensive player with the second pick. The Texans will use the second pick in the draft to select the best defensive player in this year’s draft class Anderson Jr.
3. Myles Murphy
DE | Clemson
The Cardinals will choose to draft Murphy with the third pick to replace newly retired J.J. Watt. Murphy has the ability to make an immediate impact for the Cardinals in 2023.
4. C.J. Stroud
QB | Ohio State
Indianapolis takes advantage of the second best quarterback still on the board and drafts Stroud with the fourth pick. Stroud will look to become their new starting quarterback and face of the franchise.
5. Jalen Carter
DT | Georgia
The former five star prospect and national champion will join the Seahawks after being drafted with the fifth pick. Carter will immediately become their starting defensive tackle and increase the strength of Seattle’s defense.
6. Christian Gonzalez
CB | Oregon
The Lions draft Gonzalez with the sixth pick, immediately making him their new starting cornerback. He joins a revamped defense that has high expectations for the 2023 season.
7. Devon Witherspoon
CB | Illinois
The Raiders are lacking at the cornerback position which they address by drafting Witherspoon with the seventh pick in the draft. Witherspoon possesses great awareness and is a ball hawk. He will fit well in the Raiders scheme immediately making an impact.
8. Nolan Smith
OLB | Georgia
Smith has been in contact with the Falcons since the combine and has stated numerous times that the Falcons want to keep him in Atlanta. The Falcons go ahead and draft Smith with the eighth pick who will immediately become their new starting outside linebacker.
9. Paris Johnson Jr.
OT | Ohio State
Bears quarterback Justin Fields was running for his life last year behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. The Bears draft the best offensive lineman with the ninth pick and increase the strength of their line in an effort to protect their young quarterback.
10. Brian Branch
S | Alabama
The Eagles lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Lions earlier in the offseason. Their answer to replace the veteran is to draft Branch with the tenth pick in the draft.
11. Anthony Richardson
QB | Florida
The Titans have stated that they may let go of backup quarterback Malik Willis. The Titans take advantage of the third best quarterback still being available on the board and draft Richardson with the eleventh pick. Richardson will most likely sit behind starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in his first year in the league.
12. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR | Ohio State
The Texans use the twelfth pick to choose the best receiver in the draft in hopes of revamping their struggling offense. Smith-Njigba immediately becomes Houston’s number one receiver.
13. Darnell Washington
TE | Georgia
The Packers do the unconventional thing and draft Washington with the thirteenth pick in the draft. Green Bay adds another weapon for their new starting quarterback Jordan Love.
14. Jordan Addison
WR | USC
Addison fits perfectly in the Patriots offensive scheme. He is a reliable pass catcher and excellent route-runner who can play outside and in the slot. The Patriots go ahead and select Addison with the fourteenth pick in the draft.
15. Broderick Jones
OT | Georgia
After missing out on Paris Johnson Jr. the Jets select Jones with the fifteenth pick who performs tremendously as a pass blocker and run blocker. Jones will increase the strength of the Jets struggling offensive line and provide running back Breece Hall an opportunity to perform well this year.
16.Emmanuel Forbes
CB | Florida State
The Commanders select Forbes with the sixteenth pick in the draft, increasing the strength of their defense with a position of need.
17. Joey Porter Jr.
CB | Penn State
The Steelers draft the son of the legendary Joey Porter with the seventeenth pick immediately becoming their new starting cornerback beside Patrick Peterson.
18. Peter Skoronski
OT | Northwestern
Detroit has a few options with the eighteenth pick but ultimately decides to add an offensive lineman to help bolster their running game and add pass protection.
19. Anton Harrison
OT | Oklahoma
After numerous offensive linemen are selected in the first round, the Buccaneers take Harrison from the University of Oklahoma with the nineteenth pick to rebuild their offensive line. Unfortunately, last season their offensive line was their biggest weakness and the team will help address that here.
20. Tyree Wilson
DE | Texas Tech
The Seahawks excitedly select Wilson with the twentieth pick in the draft. Seattle revitalizes their defense by adding Wilson along with Jalen Carter whom they added with the fifth pick.
21. Bijan Robinson
RB | Texas
The Chargers use the twenty-first pick to select their new franchise running back. Robinson will improve the offense’s efficiency tremendously.
22. Quentin Johnston
WR | TCU
Baltimore adds a pass-catcher for their franchise quarterback with the twenty-second pick. Johnston will be added to a wide-receiver room that includes newly signed Odell Beckham Jr.
23. Hendon Hooker
QB | Tennessee
The Vikings select their new franchise quarterback with the twenty-third pick. The rookie will sit behind starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is in the last year of his contract and will not return after the 2023 season. The Vikings will let Hooker learn from the veteran in 2023 getting him ready for the following season as their starter.
24. Kelee Ringo
CB | Georgia
The Jaguars beef up their secondary by adding Ringo with the twenty-forth pick in the draft.
25. Zay Flowers
WR | Boston College
The Giants select their new starting wide receiver with the twenty-fifth pick. The Giants have been scouting wide receivers all throughout the draft process, and have finally chosen their new playmaker.
26. Jahmyr Gibbs
RB | Alabama
Dallas selects a future star in Gibbs with the twenty-sixth pick. The Cowboys recently released former starting running back Ezekiel Elliott and franchise tagged their current starter Tony Pollard who has not been signed to a long-term deal. Gibbs may become the starter when the season rolls around in September.
27. Calijah Kancey
DT | Pitt
Labeled as the second coming of Aaron Donald, the Bills use the twenty-seventh pick to select Kancey in hopes that he might become as dominant of a defensive tackle as Donald in his career.
28. Dawand Jones
OT | Ohio State
The Bengals add their new starting right tackle with the twenty-eighth pick. Jones joins Orlando Brown Jr. as the new protectors of quarterback Joe Burrow.
29. Dalton Kincaid
TE | Utah
The Saints take Kincaid with the twenty-ninth pick in the draft. Kincaid is a great run blocker and will aid in the Saints passing game.
30. Will McDonald IV
DE | Iowa State
The Eagles select McDonald IV with the thirtieth pick. McDonald immediately increases the defensive line’s strength and has the chance to become a star in the league.
31. Cedric Tillman
WR | Tennessee
The Chiefs select Tillman with the thirty-first pick. Tillman is a big-body receiver that should excel in the Chiefs West Coast Offense.

Lawrence is a fan of the Green Bay Packers. He is currently a graduate student at William Paterson University pursuing a master’s degree in Financial Planning. His hobbies include all things fantasy football, weightlifting, collecting Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards, and playing Madden. He specializes in dynasty fantasy football having won two championships in the past five years. He is also a college football fan who loves to watch his Buckeyes play on Saturdays while drinking pumpkin-flavored coffee. He is always looking to evolve his game as a fantasy football player and one of his goals is to help other players do the same.
