Tennessee Titans NFL mock draft: Ran Carthon makes his move to build best roster possible

For the first time in months, a team other than the Carolina Panthers will be on the clock tonight.

The 2023 NFL Draft begins Thursday night (7 p.m. CT) with 31 selections to be made. The Tennessee Titans own the No. 11 pick but are prime candidates to trade up or down, given both their seeming interest in drafting a quarterback and their low volume of picks.

For the final time before Thursday night's festivities, here are The Tennessean's predictions for how the first round will go down.

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1. Carolina Panthers pick Alabama QB Bryce Young

The first pick doesn't have to be a surprise every year. The Panthers traded up for a star quarterback, and they get a Heisman Trophy winner with next-level poise, improvisational skill and field awareness.

2. Houston Texans pick Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud

The rumors that the Texans are leaning away from picking a QB are everywhere. But GM Nick Caserio bets on the turn-things-around-now model and opts for Stroud, the hyper-accurate signal caller from the Big Ten.

3. TRADE: Las Vegas Raiders pick Kentucky QB Will Levis

It's deja vu for Jimmy Garoppolo. Just like his old team did, his new team trades up to No. 3 to pick a quarterback of the future, taking this pick off the Arizona Cardinals' hands to gamble on the inconsistent but supremely talented Wildcat.

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4. Indianapolis Colts pick Florida QB Anthony Richardson

Four picks, four quarterbacks off the board. The Colts get a QB they can build around, but it might take time given how raw Richardson is. Either way, his rocket arm, linebacker's build and receiver-like athleticism merits a top-five pick.

5. Seattle Seahawks pick Alabama edge Will Anderson

The Seahawks get the best player in the draft, full stop. Anderson is a dominant edge rushing presence with skills reminiscent of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. A playoff team gets even better.

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6. Detroit Lions pick Georgia DT Jalen Carter

There are no questions about Carter's talent. There are serious questions about his judgment following his arrest for reckless driving and racing in the weeks following the tragic events that led to two deaths. But the Lions don't pass up a chance at someone who could be the best interior defensive lineman since Aaron Donald.

7. Arizona Cardinals pick Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.

After years of drafting defensive players, the Cardinals trade back and pick a franchise offensive tackle to protect oft-injured quarterback Kyler Murray, at his request.

8. Atlanta Falcons pick Texas Tech edge Tyree Wilson

The Falcons are tempted to go skill player for the third year in a row, but they reflect on their putrid pass rush and make the business decision to pick a player with traits similar to last year's No. 1 pick Travon Walker.

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9. Chicago Bears pick Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez

Gonzalez is long, rangy and has track-star speed, all traits the Bears rely on to begin reinventing their defense.

10. Philadelphia Eagles pick Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon

It's a dream scenario for the defending NFC champs: the best pure cover corner in the class falls to them at No. 10.

11. TRADE: Pittsburgh Steelers pick Georgia OT Broderick Jones

The Steelers give the Titans the No. 17 pick in the first round and No. 49 in the second round to move up six spots and grab Jones, the inexperienced but remarkably projectable blindside protector prospect. The Titans are thrilled to get an extra Day 2 pick for only moving back a handful of spots.

12. TRADE: New Orleans Saints pick Iowa DL Lukas Van Ness

In the most expensive trade of the night, the Saints move all the way up from No. 29 to No. 12 to pick Van Ness, the versatile defensive lineman who'll be able to take reps inside and outside after an offseason in which nearly the Saints' entire defensive line has been reshuffled.

13. Green Bay Packers pick Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

All it took for the Packers to pick a receiver in the first round was trading away Aaron Rodgers. Smith-Njigba becomes new starter Jordan Love's top target the second he arrives in the frozen tundra.

14. New England Patriots pick Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.

Opponents had no interest in throwing at Porter, the physical, instinctive NFL legacy, last season. He comes to New England and thrives under Bill Belichick.

15. New York Jets pick Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski

The grandson of a former Packers star gets drafted to play alongside Rodgers. Go figure. Skoronski gets a try at tackle and has a good chance of thriving, but worst-case scenario he's a dominant guard.

16. Washington Commanders pick Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

The Commanders help out young quarterback Sam Howell by giving him a throwback tight end to dominate in the run and pass games.

17. Tennessee Titans pick Tennessee OL Darnell Wright

The Titans move back six spots to pick an instant starter on the offensive line. Wright played both tackle positions and some guard in college. He's got a chance to start at guard early for the Titans but also could factor into the right tackle conversation depending on how Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere fare in training camp and the early season.

18. Detroit Lions pick Georgia edge Nolan Smith

For the second year in a row, an NFC North team uses multiple first-round picks on Georgia defenders. The Lions pair Carter with Smith, the dazzlingly-athletic edge rusher who was the vocal leader of the Bulldogs' championship defenses two years running.

19. TRADE: Baltimore Ravens pick Clemson edge Myles Murphy

The Ravens are scheduled to pick in three spots, but they don't risk missing on Murphy. He's got the exact build teams want from an edge defender, but he'll need to get more productive in the pros than he was at Clemson.

20. Seattle Seahawks pick USC WR Jordan Addison

Addison has been compared to Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett; now he gets to play alongside him as a crisp complement to both Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.

21. Los Angeles Chargers pick Texas RB Bijan Robinson

Even if the Chargers don't end up trading Austin Ekeler, Robinson is too big of a weapon to pass up. He gives QB Justin Herbert a strong, balanced and dynamic option to hand off to, check down to and find over the middle and downfield.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

The Bucs move back a few picks, add another pick or two in the late rounds and use the extra capital to roll the dice on Hooker. He's older than most prospects, coming off injury and played in an offense as far from pro-style as possible. But he has enough talent to see if he pushes Baker Mayfield for a starting job by the end of this season.

23. Minnesota Vikings pick TCU WR Quentin Johnston

Justin Jefferson probably still gets double-teamed in coverage with or without Johnston's help, but the big-bodied, field-stretching pass catcher takes a little pressure off the Vikings' star.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars pick Alabama DB Brian Branch

Branch plays slot corner like he's an outside linebacker and has the versatility to line up at safety if needed. He's a fun toy for the Jaguars to tinker with in the secondary and instantly ups their coverage and run-stopping bona fides.

25. New York Giants pick Florida G/C O'Cyrus Torrence

The Giants spent a long offseason retooling their skill positions. Now they focus on the offensive line with a technically sound guard who could fill in at center if necessary.

26. Dallas Cowboys pick Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey

Kancey's athleticism turns heads, and the Cowboys pair his explosiveness alongside star edge rusher Micah Parsons to terrorize opposing lines.

27. TRADE: Arizona Cardinals pick Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs

The Cardinals deal star receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Buffalo Bills to move back into the first round and grab Gibbs, the Alabama running back who thrives in the passing game and gives Arizona a Batman and Robin backfield duo alongside Murray.

28. Cincinnati Bengals pick Georgia TE Darnell Washington

At this point, why not give the Bengals and QB Joe Burrow more unstoppable targets? Washington is a prospect unlike any other, blending offensive tackle size with rare athleticism and the drive to bulldoze defenders as a blocker and runner.

29. Houston Texans pick Clemson DT Bryan Bresee

The Texans moved all the way back from No. 12 to No. 29 and still got a difference-making defensive lineman who came to Clemson as the No. 1 recruit in the country, ahead of even Young.

30. Philadelphia Eagles pick Michigan DT Mazi Smith

After picking Witherspoon at No. 10, the Eagles go back to the Big Ten for Smith, a do-it-all interior lineman who eventually takes over for Fletcher Cox alongside last year's first-round pick Jordan Davis.

31. Kansas City Chiefs pick Boston College WR Zay Flowers

Patrick Mahomes gets a new deep threat to throw to in the undersized but agile and always-open Flowers. He's not Tyreek Hill, but he's still an upgrade over who Mahomes was throwing to much of last season.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2023 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans make key trade in final mock draft