Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Keep tabs on all of the first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft with our tracker on Vikings Wire.
The 2023 NFL draft has started!
Throughout the first round, we will be keeping track of the picks and details on any trades throughout the draft. Attached will also be the scouting reports that I have written throughout the process.
Get yourself caught up on what’s going on!
With just five days until the NFL Draft, contributor @TheKevinFielder goes through what he would do for each team in the first round.
We’ve reached the final lap of draft season.
If that sentence doesn’t give you a sense of excitement, then check your pulse. While the pre-draft process can be fun, it tends to overstay its welcome by late April. Between the number of mock drafts and discussions revolving around prospects, there comes a time when the process becomes a little tiring.
As a result, let’s take a minor step back from your typical NFL Mock Drafts. Instead of predicting how teams will pick, this mock is who I, the author, would select at each spot.
As a note, this mock still includes trades but does not involve potential compensation. Predicting the running rate for a pick in this year’s draft seems like a near-impossible challenge, especially with the number of quarterbacks who could go in the top 10.
Without further ado, here’s your “what I would do” NFL Mock Draft.
Our friends at Draft Wire help the Jets improve their offensive line
Offensive line is the heavy topic of conversation for the Jets heading into the draft and a recent two-round mock draft from Draft Wire’s Natalie Miller helps in that department.
Miller gives the Jets two offensive linemen and then gets some help in the middle of the defense with their three picks in the first rounds.
Starting at No. 13, the Jets land one of the top offensive tackles in a player they recently met with, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr.
“The Jets have struggled to solve their tackle position for a few years, and they can begin to patch their offensive line here. Johnson can start on either side of the line, and could develop into the long term solution at left tackle with sky high talent.”
Then in round two, the Jets double dip on the offensive line by grabbing their new long-term center in Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann. Even if the Jets add former Titans center Ben Jones or re-sign Connor McGovern, the team still needs a future at the position and Tippmann has the looks of a really good center.
Finally, at No. 43, the Jets get help at linebacker in the form of Jack Campbell from Iowa. Kwon Alexander is still a free agent and C.J. Mosley could be entering the end of the road with the Jets. Quincy Williams will need a new running mate at some point. Campbell would be a really good option.
Jets meeting with Paris Johnson
The Jets will get a closer look at one of the top offensive tackle prospects this week. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Jets will meet with Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ohio State LT Paris Johnson is in Philly for a pre-draft visit with the #Eagles today and then heads up to see the #Jets tonight and tomorrow, sources say. He also visited the #AZCardinals last week. Lots of possible fits in the top 10-15 for the talented, well-rounded prospect.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 18, 2023
Johnson is also set to meet with the Philadelphia Eagles, who sit at No. 10, before heading over to the Jets. He also has met with the Cardinals, who are rumored to be looking to move down from No. 3.
Johnson is certainly one of the best options at the top of the draft board for the Jets with offensive tackle one of, if not the biggest need for the team heading into next week’s draft. Johnson has also been a popular pick for the Jets at No. 13 across the world of mock drafts during this draft cycle. Johnson could slide in at right tackle to start and then shift over to left tackle in 2024. The Jets still have Duane Brown set at left tackle for 2023.
We’ll soon find out if Johnson will be the guy or if he’ll even be on the board for the Jets. The draft starts April 27.
Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers haven’t selected an offensive lineman in the first round since they drafted Derek Sherrod with the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
That streak could come to an end if Paris Johnson Jr is still on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 15th overall pick. The Ohio State offensive tackle checks in at No. 43 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
A five-star recruit, Johnson started 13 games at right guard for the Buckeyes in 2021. Johnson made the move to left tackle this season and didn’t skip a beat.
Hello Paris Johnson Jr. pic.twitter.com/LoiGrrh41i
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) September 11, 2022
At 6-6, 313 pounds with arms that go on for days, Johnson certainly looks the part. Johnson has all the tools in the shed to develop into a team’s left tackle for the next 10-plus years.
“His biggest strength is that he’s looked like an NFL first-round pick since he arrived at Ohio State,” Colin Gay, the Ohio State reporter for the Columbus Dispatch said. “He was a five-star tackle out of Cincinnati already standing at 6-foot-6 and 290. That frame allowed him to use his length to develop range and power on the offensive line, even when he was on the interior. He’s filled out the frame a bit, getting to 310 pounds as a junior to look like a tackle that not many defensive ends wanted to challenge.”
Johnson plays with an edge as a run blocker. He bullies the man across from him and overwhelms them at the point of attack. He’s an outstanding athlete and looks comfortable getting out in space. When he’s out in space he hits his landmarks.
LT Paris Johnson Jr. (#77) getting out in space on a screen and finishing through the whistle pic.twitter.com/j94573lIGL
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 9, 2023
“He’s a very good run blocker,” Gay said. “He’s quick and mobile and has tremendous and strong feet leading to quick adjustments and the ability to be an anchor off the edge and set paths for running backs.”
Johnson is quick out of his stance. He has the lateral quickness and the agile lower body to mirror edge rushers. With his long limbs, he’s able to lockout rushers. This past season, Johnson gave up zero sacks and eight pressures during the first 11 games of the season. In the final two games against Michigan and Georgia, Johnson gave up two sacks and six pressures.
#Wisconsin LB Nick Herbig #19 played really well vs. the run on Saturday, but was quiet as a pass rusher (zero pressures).#OhioState LT Paris Johnson Jr. pitched a shutout in pass pro and has lived up to the 1st round hype so far in 2022. pic.twitter.com/zZdaCu2JL1
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 26, 2022
“His combination of length and mobility made a massive impact for him off the edge,” Gay said. “Along with a quick first step to consistently keep the advantage of any edge rusher he faces.”
The Packers don’t have an immediate need at offensive tackle. David Bakhtiari is penciled in as the team’s starting left tackle. Yosh Nijman figures to be the team’s starting right tackle. Zach Tom proved capable of handling tackle duties during his rookie season. Elgton Jenkins is capable of kicking outside in a pinch. On top of that, the Packers have Rasheed Walker and Caleb Jones as potential options.
A year from now that room could look drastically different. Will Nijman be on the roster? Will Bakhtiari finish his career in Green Bay?
Johnson checks all the boxes and he has the versatility to play tackle or guard. If the Ohio State offensive tackle is still on the board when the Packers are on the clock, it would not be shocking to see Gutekunst select Johnson with the long-term plan of making him the team’s future starting left tackle.
“There’s not an offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft with a higher ceiling than Johnson,” Gay said. “With only one season at tackle under his belt, these skills will likely take continued honing as he gets to the NFL level, especially with the increased amount of talent he’ll face off the edge. But based on his frame and the success he had on Ohio State’s offensive line, any team would be lucky to select him and put him at left tackle to start the 2023 season.”
[lawrence-related id=91481,91453,91445,91439,91382]
The Packers got an offensive tackle in Daniel Jeremiah’s new mock draft at NFL.com.
A pass-catcher who can get open would help a first-year quarterback. A defender who get the ball back to the offense would help a first-year quarterback.
What else could help first-year starter Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers? A strong and functional offensive line.
With this in mind, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com sent Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. to the Packers at No. 15 overall in his latest mock draft. Jeremiah believes Johnson could start right away at right tackle and potentially be the long-term future at left tackle, where David Bakhtiari’s status past this season is uncertain.
The Packers will return Bakhtiari at left tackle after restructuring his deal, and Yosh Nijman was tendered at the second-round level, suggesting he’s the likely starter at right tackle. Zach Tom, who played three different positions as a rookie, could also play right tackle, and the Packers are developing the likes of second-year tackles Caleb Jones, Luke Tenuta and Rasheed Walker.
Adding Johnson would provide another layer of protection for Love and the offensive line.
Johnson is 6-6 and 313 pounds. He was an All-Big Ten pick as a right guard in 2021 and an All-American pick as a left tackle in 2022.
NFL.com’s breakdown of Johnson:
Long, athletic tackle in need of additional technique work but possessing the traits to become a long-time starter on the left side. Johnson is still filling out his frame and he should get stronger. He’s much better as a move blocker than man blocker but he can bridge that gap with more coaching. He’s loose and quick in pass protection but will need to add core strength and get better with inside hands to prevent edge defenders from bypassing his anchor. Johnson’s athletic tools and position versatility are advantageous but the going could be a little bumpy early on before he settles in.
One pick after Johnson went to Green Bay, Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid was Jeremiah’s selection for the Washington Commanders at No. 16.
Will Brian Gutekunst use his top pick on a pass-catcher, defensive player or offensive lineman? All three could help Love in different ways in 2023.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxb1xg7g19wqdc player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
We’re up to 55 mock drafts in our roundup of who they see Raiders taking at 7 overall
We are less than a week away from the start of the NFL scouting combine. How players perform there may change where they land in the draft, though may not have a whole lot of bearing on how the players projected in the top seven picks will be regarded.
We have collected 55 different mock drafts from the past month to get an idea of who the draft world thinks the Raiders will do with their pick at seven overall.
| Feb 22 | CBS Sports (Trapasso) | Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU |
| Feb 21 | Walter Football (Cherepinsky) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| Feb 21 | NFL media (Jeremiah) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 21 | Pro Football Network (Pauline) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 20 | 33rd Team | Broderick Jones, T, Georgia |
| Feb 20 | Walter Football (Campbell) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| Feb 20 | The Draft Network (Sanchez) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 20 | USA Today (Davis) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 19 | CBS Sports (Wilson) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 19 | Tankathon | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 18 | Pro Football Network (Platte) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| Feb 17 | CBS Sports (Stackpole) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 17 | College Sports Wire (Conn) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| Feb 17 | The Athletic (Staff) | CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| Feb 17 | NBC Sports (Dvorchak) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 17 | Real GM (Risdon) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 16 | CBS Sports (Edwards) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 16 | Draftwire (Easterling) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 16 | Touchdown Wire (Farrar) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 16 | Pro Football Network (Cummings) | Bryce Young, QB, Alabama |
| Feb 16 | The Big Lead (Phillips) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 15 | ESPN (McShay) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 15 | San Diego Union Tribune (Brown) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 14 | NFL Draft Blitz (Vogel) | Jaelyn Duncan, T, Maryland |
| Feb 14 | Clutch Points (Johrendt) | Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson |
| Feb 14 | Pro Football Network (Broback) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 14 | Football Outsiders (Robinson) | CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| Feb 14 | College Football News (Fiutak) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 13 | FOX Sports (McIntyre) | Broderick Jones, T, Georgia |
| Feb 13 | NFL media (Reuter) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 13 | Pro Football Focus (Renner) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 13 | Draft Countdown (Menendez) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 12 | The Draft Network (Weissman) | CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| Feb 11 | Sporting News (Iyer) | Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina |
| Feb 11 | Pro Football Network (Fragoza) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 10 | NFL media (Frelund) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 10 | CBS Sports (Fornelli) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 10 | Pro Football Network (Miller) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| Feb 9 | Drafttek | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 8 | The Athletic (Lee) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 7 | NFL media (Zierlein) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Feb 6 | ESPN (Miller) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 6 | Draft Network (Crabbs) | Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas |
| Feb 6 | Draft Countdown (Hallam) | Chrisitan Gonzalez, CB, Oregon |
| Feb 3 | NFL media (Edholm) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Feb 2 | Pro Football Network (Hasan) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Feb 2 | Yahoo! Sports (McDonald) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| Jan 31 | Athlon Sports (Fischer) | Bryce Young, QB, Alabama |
| Jan 30 | The Draft Network (Marino) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Jan 30 | Pro Football Focus (Sikkema) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Jan 30 | SB Nation (Schofield) | Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern |
| Jan 30 | The Athletic (Baumgardner) | CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| Jan 26 | Pro Football Focus (Mosher) | CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| Jan 23 | NFL media (Brooks) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
| Jan 17 | The Athletic (Brugler) | Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State |
Most picked players: Will Levis (13), Peter Skoronski (12), Paris Johnson Jr (10), CJ Stroud (4), Anthony Richardson (4). Broderick Jones (2), Bryce Young (2)
Picks by position: Quarterback (25), Tackle (25), Cornerback (2), Defensive interior (1), Running back (1), Wide receiver (1)
Offense: 52
Defense: 3
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby7y715wxzbczy player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
Jets land Paris Johnson Jr. in latest USA Today mock draft
Another day, another mock draft that Jets fans should enjoy because it involves an offensive tackle with the 13th pick.
This time, it’s USA Today’s Nate Davis doing the honors with his mock draft this week. The Jets select Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the No. 13 pick.
It seems a given the NYJ will acquire a veteran quarterback this spring, so it stands to reason they should bolster an offensive line set to lose starting OT George Fant and C Connor McGovern in free agency. Johnson (6-6, 310 pounds) would assume the left tackle job Mekhi Becton hasn’t been healthy (or nimble) enough to hold down. If Becton gets on the field in 2023, slot him for the right side.
The most common theme in these mock drafts has been the offensive tackle position, whether it’s been Johnson, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Georgia’s Broderick Jones. Other positions have been featured but offensive tackle has been the most popular and understandably so.
In this case, Skoronski went off the board to Las Vegas at No. 7. The Jets had their pick of the other offensive tackles on the board and went with Johnson. It also helped that two quarterbacks — Anthony Richardson to Atlanta, Will Levis to Carolina — went off the board between Skoronski and the Jets’ pick.
Should the Jets trade up in the draft?
The offensive line will undoubtedly be a position the Jets will be looking hard at during this offseason and very possibly in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That point really gets hammered home in a recent mock draft from The 33rd Team.
The Jets actually trade up a few spots in this mock to grab one of the top offensive line prospects in this class, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr.
In this mock, the Jets move up three spots, making a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to go from No. 13 to No. 10, jumping ahead of the Tennessee Titans to secure protection up front for whoever the starting quarterback will be.
The Jets move up ahead of Tennessee to ensure that they get the best pass-protecting left tackle in this draft.
There will be some debate over the next few months regarding the top offensive lineman, be it Johnson or Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or perhaps even Broderick Jones of Georgia. Regardless, all three should be high on New York’s board come April 27.
Anton Harrison one of Mel Kiper’s Top 10 offensive tackles ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
With bowl season and the College Football Playoff, NFL draft prospects still have games to play, but that doesn’t stop draftniks such as Mel Kiper of ESPN from getting started.
Kiper has been at it a long time, evaluating and scouting talent and offering analysis and information about draft prospects. Though we have months to go before the NFL draft, Kiper has already produced a set of prospect rankings for every position (ESPN+).
Only one Oklahoma Sooner found his onto Kiper’s positional top 10: Anton Harrison. Harrison started at left tackle for the Oklahoma Sooners the last two seasons.
Harrison checked in at No. 9 on Kiper’s offensive tackle list. Peter Skoronski of Northwestern and Paris Johnson, Jr. of Ohio State have been the two guys atop this tackle class since before the season started and look to close the season still battling for the top two spots.
With those two projected as top 20 picks, it offers some level of insight as to what round Harrison might land. Assuming three tackles go in the first round and three or four go in the second round, it’s not impossible for Harrison to go in the third round if Kiper’s rankings play out. That feels like his floor. How he interviews, performs at the combine, in individual workouts for teams and at Oklahoma’s pro day will give Harrison ample opportunity to move in those rankings.
Harrison, an All-Big 12 performer, thrived in pass protection, where his excellent movement skills and athleticism shined. Criticism of his play strength was loud this summer. He spent the offseason getting stronger with Jerry Schmidt, which showed in 2022. Harrison’s play was critical in helping Eric Gray produce a career-year on the ground.
There have been mock drafts from The Draft Wire that have Harrison going in the first round. Playing a premium position will help Harrison rise throughout the draft process.
[mm-video type=video id=01gm697ajexnqj2r083y playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gm697ajexnqj2r083y/01gm697ajexnqj2r083y-a420215c46371175986a850716444027.jpg]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.
