Pittsburgh

This draft has stellar CB depth, so even if they are out on Okudah and my pick 6 analysis is wrong, the Lions can address this on Day 2 comfortably. In the mean time, they could do with a better 3-tech option at DT. Levi Onwuzurike has been one of the only misses of this regime so far - due to injury more than ability - but could look to draft a interior pass rushing threat to go alongside quality nose tackle Alim McNeill.

If Kancey was heavier and 6-3, he’d be a shoe-in for the top-10. As it stands, Kancey is undersized, but has amongst the best pass rushing profiles of any player in this class and for his size is adequate against the run. I think he'd be better in a 4-3 with a traditional nose due to his limitations. In the right defense, Kancey could be a truly dominant interior pass rusher.

Iowa State

Pittsburgh needs CB and DL help, but are nicely placed to address either/or position at No. 32 (the technical 1st pick of the 2nd round after Miami’s forfeited selection), with both positions having a few prospects on the 1st round/early 2nd round bubble. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have a sneaky need at pass rush but limited high-end options to address the issue. T.J. Watt is the best pass-rushing linebacker in the NFL, and Alex Highsmith is a solid No. 2 pass rusher, but there is no depth beyond these players.

Will McDonald IV is a draft crush of mine, and I think he has an outside shot of breaking the top-20. As a pure pass rusher, he’s arguably a top-10 talent with elite quarterbacking hunting tape over a few years at Iowa State. Equally, he has a fatal flaw in that he is a bad run defender. However, in this pass oriented league, I think McDonald belongs in the 1st round, if not top-20. He may be more of a designated pass rusher over 2-downs, but McDonald could be a double digit sack monster as either a 4-3 DE or 3-4 rushing OLB in the NFL. He adds speed and quarterbacking hunting prowess the Steelers covet in their stand-up edge rushers, and he could act as a designated pass rusher for 2023, not forcing them into a lucrative extension on Highsmith

Kentucky

In real-time, its unlikely Levis falls this far, although I think it's more than feasible he slides outside the top-10. I think the Buccaneers could make a move up to get Levis if he falls past Tennessee at No. 11, as their current QB options are Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.

Of the top-4 QB prospects in this class, Levis is the one I worry about the most. His arm talent is impressive, and he has great build and prototypical traits. He also pushes the ball down the field well. However, he makes bad decisions, has weak pocket awareness and struggles with ball security. There are reports he also suffers with anxiety and has mental make-up issues. Richardson is more erratic than Levis, but I love his top-end more, and brings more as an athlete. For me, Levis is the clear-cut QB4 in this class, and this is an appropriate range for him.

USC

The Seahawks are in a nice spot with their 2nd selection. They could honestly double down with another 3-4 OLB or defensive lineman. They could take a guard if they need to move on from Gabe Jackson. As it stands, I think the best player left is Jordan Addison, who will add speed and youth to the Seahawks’ receiver group. D’Wayne Eskridge was their ‘21 attempt at this, but has been a total bust thus far. With Lockett getting older and approaching the end of his deal, Addison could be the long-term heir apparent at WR for the Seahawks.

Addison is a quality receiver who was productive in college and a deep threat for the NFL. He'd be a nice compliment to the physical playstyle of DK Metcalf. He underwhelmed a little bit at the combine, but Addison is still a safe 1st rounder in my opinion, as the tape doesn't lie.

Boston College

Outside of perhaps the New York Giants, the Ravens have the worst receiving corps in the NFL and outside of the oft-injured Rashod Bateman (who I think is also more of a No. 2 receiver) desperately need to make an upgrade with the best receiver available.

Zay Flowers is amongst my biggest draft crushes in this draft, with game-breaking speed and excellent tape amidst weak quarterbacking at Boston College from ‘21-’22. He’s a terrific prospect who would allow Lamar Jackson to finally use his underrated skill-set as a passer and stretch the field more post-Greg Roman.

Alabama

The Chargers’ need to improve their run defense cannot be overstated. However, within this range, I think other options provide more value. Nasir Adderley (who was an impending free agent anyway before retirement) was medicore, and the Chargers need a quality slot cornerback. He's a great prospect for them who can either play as a deep safety (probably his best position) or as a slot cornerback.

Branch is a high-end safety prospect who played the “STAR” position for Alabama, and has a similar positional profile to Minkah Fitzpatrick as a hybrid cornerback/safety for the NFL. He’s the consensus No. 1 safety in this class, with great ‘22 tape, good college production and is a stellar athlete. Great safeties (James, Hamilton, Hooker) typically fall into the 12-20 range of the draft, and although Chargers fans may be screaming for a receiver or DT, I think Branch is the best player available to sure up their secondary.

Maryland

The Vikings invested heavily in their secondary in the draft, but neither Lewis Cine nor Andrew Booth Jr. made meaningful contributions due to injury and depth chart placement. Even if both ball out in ‘23, they need more secondary help. Their rostered CB’s are more backup caliber players, Harrison Smith is a potential cap casualty at safety, and Patrick Peterson - their only viable starting CB last year - left in free agency.

Deonte Banks - my 4th rated corner behind the consensus top-3 - could go a long way in solving this woe. Banks wasn’t a huge name even at the conclusion of the ‘22 season, but has been dramatically climbing up draft boards after reviewing his excellent season. Banks is arguably the most “rounded” CB outside of Christian Gonzalez in this draft; a natural cover corner with good size, speed and is a very fluid athlete with little stiffness. It wouldn’t surprise me if he consolidated himself as a top-20 choice, and would be very surprised if he fell to Day 2. Tony Pauline says of that of the teams he's surveyed, Banks is getting consensus Round 1 grades.

Georgia

The Jaguars’ clearest draft need is at cornerback, but the value isn’t there if the 5 listed above are gone, given the depth of this CB class on Day 2. I also think Rodarius Williams played well on the outside, and could target someone like Clark Phillips on Day 2 instead. An alternative (sneaky) need for the Jaguars, despite repeated investment, is their pass rush. Josh Allen was a bit disappointing in ‘22, and is entering a contract year. No. 1 pick Travon Walker is still developing as a quarterback hunter. K’Lavon Chaisson is a complete bust. Their front-3 is also lacking a true 5-tech pass rushing specialist.

On tape, Nolan Smith had solid moments, but overall disappointed last year. However, Trent Baalke is known for drafting athletic talents, and Nolan Smith definately qualifies as such. Smith was the star of the combine with his ridiculous athletic testing, and is rising as a prospect. I think Smith is a perfect fit for Jacksonville as a 3-4 OLB who can help elevate the Jaguars' defense to the next level.

Florida

The Giants still need receiving help, as despite having 11(!) receivers currrently rostered, none of them are close toWR1 talents. However, it's appearing more and more likely that New York could miss out on the consensus 1st round receivers (Johnston, Addison, Flowers, Smith-Njigba) at their current slot. Their next biggest needs are at cornerback and interior offensive line. Their tackle spots should be set for the future with Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, but their interior is a mess. They have no starting centre, and next to Mark Glowinski, no viable starting guard. Joshua Ezeudu, Shane Lemieux and Marcus McKethan all feel like backup calibre players.

O’Cyrus Torrence has been sliding a bit after the Senior Bowl and combine, but in my opinion is still the best ‘pure’ guard prospect in this draft. Torrence is a plug-and-play option at guard for a team in need of interior blocking help, and was one of the best run blockers in college football last season. Conditioning is a reported issue with Torrence, but he looked better in this facet at the Senior Bowl in my opinion.

Utah

The Cowboys' primary needs (WR still, LB, DT, S) don't cleanly line up with this range unless they make a reach. Instead, I think the Cowboys could take the best remaining talent off the board. The Cowboys lost Dalton Schultz to the Texans, and have rotational players left to fill the gap. Perhaps one could step up, but the Cowboys seem like a team who will just take a swing on the best offensive player available this year, be it a receiver, tight end or even running back.

I don’t view Kincaid as a top-20 prospect like Daniel Jeremiah does, but he’s my TE1 for his high-end potential as a receiving tight end and playmaking ability. He’s an adept blocker, too, and would allow the Cowboys to continue utilizing tight sets effectively for Dak Prescott.

Tennessee

The Bills have a great roster and an active Super Bowl window, but the chickens have come home to roost with their offensive line. Outside of Dion Dawkins, the patch work of mid-round picks and declining veterans lead to a line which ended up being the hamartia of their ‘22 campaign. The Bills have various needs elsewhere (receiver, safety, linebacker) but could stand to improve their OL with their premium pick.

Darnell Wright - who can play tackle or guard - has been rocketing up draft boards after an incredible ‘22 season, where he kept Hendon Hooker’s jersey clean. He also dominated the Senior Bowl, and a good week in Indianapolis at the combine could consolidate himself as a mid/late 1st round selection. Wright could feasibly go as high as No. 17 to Pittsburgh, so this would be quality value.

Iowa

I'm poaching this pick off Charlie. The Bengals seem disinterested in trading Tee Higgins, and I'm presuming they work some sort of restructure out for the highly paid Joe Mixon. Now they've signed Brown Jr., it appears like they'll go again with Collins at RT and trade Jonah Williams. Otherwise, the Bengals could do with upgrading at tight end. They signed Irv Smith Jr., a former 2nd round pick who never lived up to his draft position, but I can't see him being a true difference maker at the position.

LaPorta has been a quick riser in recent weeks, and Charlie Campbell reported that a few teams think he has an shot of breaking the 1st round. He has more talent than Michael Mayer as a receiving tight end in the NFL in my opinion, and has terrific tape from the Tight End factory that is Iowa.

Georgia

The Chiefs don’t have many needs, but they could do with more help on both sides of the trenches. Perhaps most alarmingly, they lost both starting Super Bowl tackles Andrew Wylie (who was already up-gradable) and Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency. They signed Jawaan Taylor address one spot, and their IOL is the league's best, but definitely need another high-end tackle to man the right side.

Broderick Jones is commonly mocked in the 13-20 range by the media, but reportedly teams are not as high on Jones, and see him more as a Day 2 prospect. He’s a great athlete but is quite raw, had inconsistencies on tape, and reportedly comes with character concerns. Equally, Jones is very talented and had some dominant performances in equal measure. The Chiefs typically take calculated risks with players with such issues, and bank on his upside to close off Round 1 and complete their elite OL.

Alabama

This feels like a trade down spot. The Eagles only have so many spots to fill, and many of them are at "non-premium" positions (e.g. RB, LB, S). However, I don't want to not mock good players for the sake of trench philosophy, and at some point, they'll have to bite on good players at other spots. They could consider doubling up their pass rush - or moving down to draft someone like Adetomiwa Adebawore in the 35-45 range (someone with interior pass rushing potential to learn from Fletcher Cox) - but I personally think of their remaining needs, Gibbs is the clear best talent available.

Bijan Robinson is the best player in this entire draft class, but according to Charlie, several teams believe Gibbs is a top player in this class too. He was electric for Alabama in 2022 and is a hybrid of D'Andre Swift and Alvin Kamara. I could see the Eagles valuing Gibbs more than a Day 2 RB due to his asset in the passing game. Gibbs should go higher than this based on talent alone.

Notre Dame

The Saints’ defensive front-seven needs a complete overhaul, but candidly, so does most of their roster. Instead of the typical EDGE or DL pick here, I have them taking the best player left on my board here (they have a pick at No. 40 to draft defense). In that range they could have their pick of edge rushers such as Keion White, BJ Ojulari and Isaiah Foskey, or interior defenders like Adetomiwa Adebawore, Mazi Smith or Bryan Bresee.

Meyer may not have the highest upside, but he’s one of the highest floor players of this draft class and still an excellent pass-catching TE prospect for the NFL. Outside of Chris Olave, the Saints need more pass catchers presuming they move on from Michael Thomas. I wouldn't be stunned if Meyer slipped to Round 2, but I doubt he'd last long if he does.