Who will the Philadelphia Eagles select in the first round Thursday? 2023 NFL Mock Draft

1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago) – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama. The Panthers traded up to No. 1 for their quarterback of the future. They’ve had four different Week 1 starters the past four years and are guaranteed to have a fifth this fall. Is Young the solution? The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner has outstanding field awareness, touch and athleticism, and would be considered one of the top quarterback prospects of the last decade if he wasn’t 5-foot-10.

2. Houston Texans – Will Anderson, DE, Alabama. Could the Texans really pass on a quarterback? Strange decision, but Anderson is a two-time Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the nation’s best defensive player. He registered 34.5 career sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss. New head coach DeMeco Ryans played at Alabama and he goes back to build up his defense.

3. Arizona Cardinals – Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech. Prime trade position with three quarterbacks still on the board. There are no trades in this mock though, so the Cardinals snag Wilson, who had 7 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last fall. A foot injury ended his season early, which is worth monitoring.

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4. Indianapolis Colts – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky. The Colts have a longer Week 1 quarterback streak than the Panthers. They haven’t started the same player behind center since Andrew Luck repeated in 2016. Levis had an inconsistent senior season, but he’s got a big arm and is an underrated runner. Is he the second best QB in this draft? That’s debatable.

5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver) – CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State. Geno Smith revived his career with Seattle last season and was rewarded with a new three-year contract. However, there’s an out after a year and Stroud could lead the team for the next decade. He threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and 6 interceptions last fall and was magnificent in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia.

6. Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles Rams) – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia. NFL.com’s No. 1 rated prospect slips after he pleaded no contest to reckless driving and racing in March. Carter got 12 months probation, a fine and community service, but his attorney said he didn’t cause a wreck on Jan. 15 in which a Georgia offensive lineman and recruiting analyst were killed. On the field, Carter is an animal on the defensive interior and was an integral piece to the Bulldogs’ back-to-back championship runs.

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7. Las Vegas Raiders – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois. The Raiders allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL last season and were tied for the fewest interceptions. Witherspoon, Pro Football Focus’ leader in coverage grade in 2022, would instantly upgrade the unit.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia. The Falcons had the second fewest sacks in the league in 2022. Smith missed the end of last season with a torn pectoral muscle, but he’s an athletic specimen that produced when healthy. He became the heaviest player (239 pounds) in Combine history to run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash (4.39) and have a vertical of more than 40 inches (41.5).

9. Chicago Bears (from Carolina) – Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State. The Bears committed to quarterback Justin Fields by trading down from No. 1 overall. Now they get him some help in Johnson. He should improve an offensive line that allowed the fourth most sacks in the NFL in 2022.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans) – Peter Skoronski, OT/OG, Northwestern. The defending NFC champions don’t have many glaring weaknesses. Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez would boost the secondary, but Skoronski’s slide benefits an offensive line that could need help at tackle and guard next year, depending on the future of Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce (Cam Jurgens would presumably slide to center). Skoronski was excellent at tackle for Northwestern but some view him as a guard at the next level due to his short arms. The Eagles could use him either way.

11. Tennessee Titans – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida. There’s talk of the Titans moving up for a quarterback. Richardson falls to them in this mock. Richardson is widely viewed as having the highest ceiling of any QB in this draft. He’s got a cannon for an arm and ran a 4.43 40. NFL.com compared him to former MVP Cam Newton, but Richardson has even more speed. He’s a home run swing worth taking.

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12. Houston Texans (from Cleveland) – Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee. The Texans take a quarterback after going with the pass rusher at No. 2. Hooker threw for 58 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions the last two years, but he’s 25 years old, is coming off an ACL injury and didn’t run a complex offense. He’s one of the bigger question marks in the first round.

13. Green Bay Packers (from New York Jets) – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State. The Packers spent years avoiding first-round pass catchers with Aaron Rodgers under center. Now that Rodgers is traded, they use their top selection on a receiver. Ohio State has become Wide Receiver University of late with Smith-Njigba likely to become the third first-rounder the past two years. He missed most of last season with a hamstring injury, but he had 15 catches for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 2022 Rose Bowl.

14. New England Patriots – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon. The Patriots pass defense played well last season (19 interceptions), but their top four corners are all under 6-feet tall. Gonzalez (6-1) has the size and speed to lock down an outside spot in the secondary.

15. New York Jets (from Green Bay) – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia. Left tackle Mekhi Becton has played just 48 snaps since his rookie season. The Jets have to prepare for a future without Becton, and the raw but promising Jones could be a future cornerstone.

16. Washington Commanders – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland. The Commanders bolster their secondary by staying local with Banks. The speedster (4.35 40) had eight pass breakups last season.

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17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee. The Steelers give second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett added protection with their first first-round offensive tackle since 1996. Wright didn’t allow a sack last season and shined his matchup with Alabama standout Will Anderson.

18. Detroit Lions – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas. Robinson is considered by many to be one of, if not the, best prospects in this draft, but positional value sends him tumbling down the board. D’Andre Swift can’t stay healthy and free-agent addition David Montgomery feels more like a stopgap. Robinson ran for 1,580 yards and 18 scores last season and could quickly become one of the NFL’s best backs behind a top-rate offensive line.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma. The Bucs were beset by injuries on the offensive line last year and need reinforcements. Harrison only gave up four total sacks in 34 career games.

20. Seattle Seahawks – Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson. The Seahawks’ top two pass rushers, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor, will both be free agents next season. Murphy is insurance in case one leaves. Murphy had 6.5 sacks last year and is praised by scouts for his motor.

21. Los Angeles Chargers – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. The Chargers have some tight end depth with Gerald Everett and Donald Parnham, but Mayer’s ability as both a receiver and blocker would be invaluable to this unit. Mayer set school records for single-season catches and yards in 2021 and posted 180 grabs for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns over his career.

22. Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Addison, WR, USC. The Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr. a $15 million deal after missing all of last season with an injury. They’re desperate for pass-catching help. Addison, the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver in 2021 at Pittsburgh, had 59 catches for 875 yards and 8 scores for USC last season.

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23. Minnesota Vikings – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State. The Vikings gave up the second most passing yards in the league last year and most in the NFC (4,515). Porter, the son of former Steelers great Joey Porter, plays with the same physicality and would be a welcome addition to that side of the ball.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars – Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa. Van Ness didn’t start any games in 2022, but he still produced as he totaled 6.5 sacks and 11 stops for loss. The ascending Jaguars take a chance on an ascending player.

25. New York Giants – O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida. The Giants lost a pair of key interior players to free agency (Jon Feliciano, Nick Gates). Torrence impressed with the Gators last season and at the Senior Bowl. He can be a Day 1 starter for New York.

26. Dallas Cowboys – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah. The Cowboys said goodbye to Dalton Schultz, but it’s a deep tight-end class and Kincaid is one of the best receivers of the bunch. He finished with 70 grabs for 890 yards and 8 scores last season.

27. Buffalo Bills – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College. The Bills had a potent offense last year, but they also underperformed in a lot of eyes. Gabe Davis didn’t make the jump next to Stefon Diggs. Enter Flowers. He had a huge senior year as the Eagles’ lone threat and would be a much-needed weapon in the slot in Orchard Park.

28. Cincinnati Bengals – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State. Forbes has been a ballhawk throughout his career at Mississippi State. He finished with 14 interceptions and 20 passes defended. The Bengals need playmakers going up against the AFC’s elite offenses and Forbes is just that.

29. New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver) – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh. There’s been a lot of comparisons to Aaron Donald in the draft process due to Kancey’s similar build and they both went to Pittsburgh. It’s hard to compare a rookie to one of the NFL’s all-time greats on the defensive side, but Kancey is a disruptor (16 career sacks) and would lift the front four.

30. Philadelphia Eagles – Brian Branch, S, Alabama. The Eagles replace the departed C.J. Gardner-Johnson with Branch, who’s considered the best safety prospect in the class. Branch is a versatile defender that posted 90 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions last year. He has ability to play both nickel and single-high and would be a great chess piece for the Birds’ defense.

31. Kansas City Chiefs – Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson. The defending Super Bowl champions could snag a receiver to make their explosive offense even more lethal, but Bresee would be a long-term answer on the interior behind stalwart Chris Jones.

*There are only 31 picks because the Miami Dolphins forfeited their selection as penalty for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.

Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Predicting the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft