NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his final mock draft ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft on Wednesday night. Here are three of the biggest surprises.
The 2023 NFL Draft is officially one night away, as fans and media alike wait to see where the top prospects from college land. Once we get closer to the date every year, everyone tries to figure out exactly what teams are going to do, especially in the first round. But, this is an event where there are smokescreens and lies thrown out to the world by teams to get everyone off of their scent. So, we look at mock drafts to get an idea of what to expect.
NFL Network‘s Daniel Jeremiah is one of the top draft experts in the game, and his mock drafts are ones to keep an eye on. Jeremiah released his fourth and final mock draft on Wednesday night. There were some expected moves, such as Alabama quarterback Bryce Young going first overall. But there were some surprising moves.
Let’s take a look at three of the biggest surprises in Jeremiah’s final 2023 mock draft
1. Texans pick back-to-back, trade up to No. 3 for Will Anderson Jr.
This would be quite an aggressive move for the Houston Texans, and may very well win them the NFL Draft early.
Houston has a desperate need for a quarterback and they simply can’t run it back with Davis Mills again. They get one of the top signal callers in Stroud, who has shown throughout his time at Ohio State that he has incredible arm accuracy.
But then, the Chiefs make a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire the third-overall pick, giving head coach DeMeco Ryans the chance to draft a dominant pass rusher. No one fits the bill quite like Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., who dominated the competition in the SEC.
Texans fans are probably hoping this comes to fruition. Will it actually happen? Who knows, this year’s draft has the potential to be the most chaotic in quite some time.
2. Tyree Wilson falls to Bears at No. 9
Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson has a chance to be drafted as high as second overall in this year’s draft. He stands at 6-foot-6, weighs 271 pounds and has a ridiculous 86-inch wingspan. Wilson is going to be an early first-round pick, but falling to No. 9 does come as a bit of a surprise.
The Seattle Seahawks pass on Wilson to select Georgia defensive tackle at No. 5, while the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders follow that up with selecting the top two cornerback prospects in Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez, respectively. Then, the Atlanta Falcons use the No. 8 pick on Texas running back Bijan Robinson. But, Wilson’s fall stops at No. 9 to the Chicago Bears, who look to bolster their pass rush that recorded a league-low 20 sacks this past season.
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba drops to Buccaneers at No. 19
When it comes to the wide receiver class, it’s not exactly the strongest. But when it comes to pure route-running, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba stands above the rest. Due to this, he was in contention to be the first pass-catcher taken off the board. In fact, he was linked in the early-to-mid teens range, with potential landing spots being the Texans, Green Bay Packers, or New England Patriots.
Instead, Jeremiah has the Tennessee Titans going Boston College’s Zay Flowers at No. 11 and then there’s a bit of a lengthy wait for the next wide receiver is off the board. At No. 19, Jeremiah projects the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to select Smith-Njigba.
It does make sense, as Mike Evans is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season, giving the team some assurance at the position. Plus, Smith-Njigba will be a great help to whoever starts between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.
