Takeaways from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft
Breaking down the biggest takeaways from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s latest 2023 NFL mock draft.
With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror we are now fully in draft season. We’re still months away from draft day, but it’s not too early to start thinking about different scenarios.
One of my favorite draft exercises is looking at other mock drafts as it allows me to consider different scenarios and team-prospect fits that I hadn’t considered before.
Daniel Jeremiah is one of the best draft analysts in the business and he recently released his second mock draft. He is a former scout for the Baltimore Ravens who is very dialed into what is going on around the league, so his mock draft is something to put a lot of weight into.
Some without further ado let’s hop into my biggest takeaways starting with a trade at number one.
3: Cardinals select Edge Tyree Wilson 5: Seahawks select Will Anderson Jr.
First on the list and easily the biggest surprise for me in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft was Tyree Wilson going ahead of Will Anderson Jr.
For some time now the general feeling around the draft community was that Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr. were the consensus two best non quarterback prospects in this draft and were extremely likely to be the first two non quarterbacks selected.
However, someone like Daniel Jeremiah having this in his mock draft goes to show that it is a real possibility that should be considered.
Tyree Wilson is my second ranked edge rusher heading into the combine. However, I’m not quite as high on him as other analysts, but he does have elite physical traits.
We saw last draft how much NFL teams value physical traits and upside when Travon Walker went number one overall. So, perhaps Wilson’s combine performance could launch him ahead of Anderson Jr. on some boards.
4: Colts select QB C.J. Stroud 7: Raiders select QB Will Levis
My next takeaway isn’t really a surprise but more just clarification that there isn’t really a consensus yet on where the quarterbacks are going to come off the board.
Will Levis will be a big wild card of his draft class as I have heard rumors he could be the top overall pick, while there’s also other mock drafts with him as the third quarterback off the board.
Some teams may covet his high end physical tools, while others may be scared off by his lack of production last season. After the combine we should have a better idea of what NFL teams think of him.
6: Lions select Edge Myles Murphy
The next big eyebrow raiser in this mock draft for me also involved an edge rusher and that is Myles Murphy coming off the board at sixth overall to the Lions.
The Lions have a major need for talent on their defense, so it wouldn’t shock me if they targeted an edge rusher with one of their two first round picks. However, I think Myles Murphy at sixth overall would be a reach and someone like Devon Witherspoon would be better value.
Murphy is my fifth ranked edge rusher in this class. He has the tools to develop into a high level pass rusher in the NFL as at 6-foot-5 with long arms he has an impressive blend of athleticism and power. However, I just think he has too much development to do to warrant the sixth overall pick.
Jeremiah having come off the board this high goes to show he is still a likely top ten pick headed into the combine.
10: Eagles select CB Devon Witherspoon
This pick didn’t come as a major surprise to me as it would make a ton of sense for the Eagles with James Bradberry being a free agent. However, I believe Witherspoon is worthy of an even higher pick than this.
In my latest mock draft I had him going fifth to the Seahawks and I have seen him going sixth to the Lions as a popular destination.
Witherspoon is a complete package as a corner as he has the skill set to excel in man or zone coverage. Press man coverage was something he did at a very high level at Illinois as he has good physicality, change of direction and speed.
He also has excellent instincts as he is phenomenal at reading where the ball is going and he has great closing speed to make breakups.
12: Texans select WR Jordan Addison
The next surprise in Jeremiah’s mock draft is Jordan Addison going to the Texans. It would make sense for the Texans as receiver is a need and Addison is a good player. I just don’t expect him to come off the board quite this high as he’s not someone who jumps off the screen athletically.
One of the most interesting storylines to follow on draft night will be where the wide receivers come off the board. With how important they are in today’s game, there’s plenty of teams who will want them. The question is how highly will teams value this wide receiver class?
15: Packers select TE Dalton Kincaid & 28: Bengals select TE Michael Mayer
The player and team fits make sense for both of these picks. What surprised me however was having Dalton Kincaid not just in the top 15, but ahead of Michael Mayer.
Michael Mayer has been seen as the consensus top tight end in this draft for a while, but this shows Kincaid has a legitimate chance to not be go round one, but go ahead of Mayer.
22: Ravens select CB/S Brian Branch
Brian Branch is one of the safest projections to at least be a good player in the NFL of any player in this draft. He is a jack of all trades who any coach would love to have in their defense. He has great coverage skills, instincts, and tackling. The question is how highly will the NFL value him as a slot corner.
Him making out of the top 20 picks in this mock draft, indicates to me that positional value may cause his draft stock to drop.
