Todd McShay releases Mock Draft 1.0 ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Following the end of the 2022 regular season in college football and the big rush of NFL draft declarations, ESPN analyst Todd McShay has released his Mock Draft 1.0.

At the top of the mock is Alabama star quarterback Bryce Young. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner may not have the size the Houston Texans are after with their presumed No. 1 pick, however, McShay argues his pocket presence puts him over the top.

“I think he’s special,” McShay said. “The biggest thing for me is he’s got that Patrick Mahomes kind of poise and presence in the pocket. He knows where the rush is coming from, he knows where he has to keep his eyes while he’s moving around, he knows how to slide, he knows how to climb the pocket.

“He’s just so under control on the field. And he can create and extend plays, and that’s what you’re looking for now in an NFL quarterback. The game has changed, and he’s exactly what NFL teams are looking for.”

Here is Todd McShay’s full Mock Draft 1.0 for the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Todd McShay’s Mock Draft 1.0

1. Houston Texans – QB Bryce Young, Alabama
2. Seattle Seahawks – DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
3. Chicago Bears – OLB Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
4. Detroit Lions – QB CJ Stroud, Ohio State
5. Philadelphia Eagles – RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
6. Atlanta Falcons – QB Will Levis, Kentucky
7. Indianapolis Colts – OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
8. Las Vegas Raiders – DE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
9. Pittsburgh Steelers – OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
10. Arizona Cardinals – DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
11. Carolina Panthers – QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
12. Houston Texans – TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
13. Jacksonville Jaguars – WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
14. Green Bay Packers – DE Myles Murphy, Clemson
15. New England Patriots – OT Broderick Jones, Georgia
16. Detroit Lions – CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
17. New York Jets – OT O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
18. Seattle Seahawks – S Brian Branch, Alabama
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
20. New York Giants – WR Jordan Addison, USC
21. Washington Commanders – CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
22. Tennessee Titans – WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
23. Los Angeles Chargers – CB Cam Smith, South Carolina
24. Denver Broncos – RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
25. Baltimore Ravens – CB Clark Phillips III, Utah
26. Cincinnati Bengals – CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
27. Minnesota Vikings – WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
28. Buffalo Bills – S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
29. Dallas Cowboys – DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
30. Kansas City Chiefs – DE Jared Verse, Florida State
31. Philadelphia Eagles – DE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.