2023 NFL Draft part 3: Mock Draft

 1. Carolina C.J Stroud QB Ohio State

I'm sacrificing the dream. All sorts of smoke is circling about C.J. Stroud's test scores and what commitments he did and didn't attend.  It does not look like Stroud is going number one overall.  I won't be authoring the perfect mock draft this year.  That Holy Grail will have to wait (until next year baby!  2024 is going to be the year). Stroud is staying right here in slot number one out of protest!  Get that gravelly, way-too-excited-on-every-play college football announcer voice ready. Say it with passion like you just witnessed a man diffuse a bomb to save an entire city like only Gus Johnson can.  The pick:  "STROUudd."  

2. Houston Bryce Young  QB Alabama

I'm leaving Bryce Young in slot 2. That said, Stroud should be the first pick but the gap between Young and Stroud isn't so cavernous that it's crazy to go one over the other.  The physical limitations on Young (both size and the lack of high end speed) throw just enough risk into the equation that i'm picking Stroud if i have the choice.  If Young goes one, there's talk of Houston picking defense here and waiting on QB until 12.  OooF, that would be gutsy.  If they sweat it out and get Stroud anyway.. BRAVO.  More power to them.  Perhaps they are the ones leaking dirt on Stroud to try to grease the skids a little?  What if that is true, the creepy plan WORKS (!!), and then Stroud finds out that his team sabotaged him! That would be about the most Houston Texans thing ever.  For me the dropoff to the next tier of QB's is too far to risk passing on QB at 2.  Will Levis is not good and Anthony Richardson is closer to Jordan Love than he is to Cam Newton.   It has to be Stroud and Young 1 and 2 or vice versa.

3. Arizona Anthony Richardson QB Florida

TRADE: QB's gravitate to the top of the draft board and the Cardinals happily reap the benefits.  The Colts are afraid someone is coming for the last first round caliber QB.  The Cardinals move down one slot, add a pick, and get the man they wanted anyway.  Richardson has potential through the roof, but he will take time  to develop.  He's more explosive than just about every athletic QB in the league other than Lamar  Jackson and Kyler Murray, but his passing is going to be erratic for a while and i'm not sure he'll ever get there.  

4. Indianapolis Will Anderson Edge  Alabama 

Traded to Arizona

Anderson has been earmarked as the best pass rusher in this class for a couple years now.  I don't think we're talking high end Bosa brothers / Myles Garrett level potential here, but as long as he has some support he's going to torture some OT's.  Seems a shame to send him to the desert.  

5. Seattle Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon 

There is a gravitational pull that attracts tall or rangy corners to Seattle. 

6. Detroit Jalen Carter DT Georgia 

Carter boasts unnatural athleticism for his size and profiles as a stout defender that can wreck shop inside.  He drops down a few slots due to the off field and work ethic concerns.  There's talk he'll fall further, but if anyone is going to talk themselves into being able to reign in Carter's personality Dan Campbell seems a prime candidate. 

7. Las Vegas Cam Smith CB South Carolina 

Keep it simple Vegas.  Take the best defensive player available.  If the phone rings ANSWER IT and accept whatever extra picks they are offering you.  You need everything and the talent plateau is pretty flat here.  This draft might be the toughest i've seen in terms sorting players into talent tiers beyond the top group.    It will be interesting to see what the Raiders do if Richardson or Stroud fall.  

8. Atlanta Tyree Wilson DE Texas Tech 

Wilson has the juice to develop into an A++ pass rusher.  He isn't going to light it up from day 1, but he won't last long in this market. 

9. Chicago Darnell Wright OT Tennessee 

An elite WR prospect would be nice right about now, the 2023 draft has nothing for Chicago on that front.  The Bears opt for the next best thing with a rock solid right tackle.  LT would be nice, but Wright is more of a sure thing than most of these other guys and they can't afford to miss.  

10. Philadelphia Devon Witherspoon CB Illinois 

The Eagles managed to minimize some of the damage to what could have been a massive exodus of defensive players leaving in free agency, but most of what they did involved veterans on short-term band-aid contracts.  They need young talent. 

11. Tennessee Broderick Jones OT Georgia 

Mauling OT for a team that basically has none.   They'll have to iron out some wrinkles here.  Jones tends to overcommit on blocks and sometimes gets spun around a bit, but all of the tools are there. 

12. Houston Nolan Smith OLB Georgia 

Smith is an undersized edge player with an impressive athletic profile.  I'm not sure he flashes enough in the games i watched to justify taking him this high,  but there's always a few head scratchers every year and Houston is typically one of the prime offenders.  Looking at where the big name draft pundits have Smith ranked, i have a feeling the league is higher on him than i am. 

13. Green Bay Peter Skoronski OT Northwestern

The masses are dying for Green Bay to finally take a first round WR just to see the reaction from Aaron Rodgers.  Instead they opt for beef up front.  They've  patched their way through injuries the last couple years.  It's time for a fresh body.  Skoronski could stand to add some weight, but based on the power he showed blowing defenders off the ball in college, i think he'll be fine to start and only get better as he adds muscle.

14. New England Jailin Hyatt WR Tennessee 

TRADE: Hyatt's 176 lb. frame might scare some people off, but the Chargers need a deep threat with a nose for the endzone and Hyatt fits the bill.  Hyatt isn't ranked as the top WR on many boards that i've seen, but i endorse him as the receiver in this class with the most WR1 potential.  The Patriots move down like they always do. 

15. New York Jets Deonte Banks CB Maryland 

I had a tough time sorting through these top 5 or 6 corners.  They are all tall hard-nosed and rangy.  The Jets add talent around their already blossoming secondary. 

16. Washington Bijon Robinson RB Texas 

One of the burning questions of Thursday night:  Who will take the plunge on Bijon?  Robinson is being touted as the best RB talent since Adrian Peterson.  I think people are overextending their projection.  Don't get me wrong, he's pretty amazing to watch, but he reminds me of an upgraded better receiving version of what Joe Mixon was as a prospect.   He's going to deliver punishment and sprint through holes in the defense with blinding speed for his size, but he doesn't create his own holes.  His style can be useful for sure (See what the Titans did with Derek Henry's career).  But if i'm going to invest heavily in an RB i'm just looking for someone that has a little more shiftiness  rather than the lower your shoulder and deliver punishment type.   I've seen Robinson going higher in most mocks.  Too rich for my blood (Especially considering what will be available on days 2 and 3.  This Class is Deep!)

17. Pittsburgh Calijah Kancey DT Pittsburgh

The Steelers like taking Pitt players in the middle of the first round.  No sense breaking the trend now. 

18. Detroit Lukas Van Ness DE Iowa

Van Ness isn't quite as explosive as i'd like to see in a rd 1 pass rusher, but he has some intriguing inside/outside potential. 

19. Tampa Bay Paris Johnson Jr.  OT Ohio State

Johnson seems like a slightly lesser LT version of Wright.  He isn't going to shut down the best of the best and blow people off the line, but 19 is good value for a potential starting tackle.

20. Seattle  Myles Murphy DE Clemson 

The value is starting to heat up a  little bit.  Murphy is an old school 4-3 looking DE.  I don't think he's going to develop into a monster, but he has strength and enough quickness to keep opposing offenses honest as number 2 rusher. 

21. Los Angeles Chargers Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio State 

(Traded to  NEW ENGLAND) -  Alright here it is:  my "Am i on crazy pills??!!" moment of the year.  I've seen Smith-Njigba rated in this range and even 10 slots higher.  I don't get it.  I wouldn't draft him.. in the SECOND round, let alone in the teens where a lot of people have him ranked. He missed most of the 2022 season with a muscle injury.  Sure, he had some nice numbers in 2021 but that was playing mostly in the slot with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson lined up on the outside. I'm not sure we can really make much of the stats.  Going back and watching some of those games, i was pretty underwhelmed.  Watching these lean 6' receiver types you expect to see a certain level of fluidity and quickness in the way they move and it's just not there with Smith-Njigba.  It's more like when you're riding a bike and you try to switch gears and it catches and jerks a little bit.  Then you look at his testing numbers and his 4.48 40 time  kind of backs up my eye test assessment.  Granted 4.48 certainly is fast enough on the surface, but he didn't run at the combine.  We're talking about an OSU pro day time (and if you've ever tracked OSU pro day numbers, they tend to stray from reality a bit.  Add .1 and you're probably closer to the truth).   Add it all up and i'm scared to draft the guy, but considering how people have him ranked i didn't think i could  leave him out of the first round.  I'm going to be really mad if he falls, and i hit the storyline dead on, but i  was too chicken to predict it.  On the bright side, it is the Patriots that stop the "slide" here at 21, and i'm basically straying from mock territory into fantasy land at this point..  I've read about Patriots fans chomping that the bit for Smith-Njigba at 14.  Just think how mad they'll be when he falls and they trade out of the pick.  He'll fall to them anyway and that will lead all of the "Winners and losers" columns on Friday.  Then i'll get to chuckle and shake my head like i did two years ago when they were all high fiving about getting Mac Jones.    

22. Baltimore  Bryan Bresee DT Clemson 

Playmaking 3-technique DT could be a headache in the AFC North for years to come. 

23. Minnesota Joey Porter Jr. CB Penn. State 

Another long cover corner, but Porter’s athleticism looks a tick below others drafted higher. 

24. Jacksonville Zay Flowers WR Boston College

Jitterbug WR that beats defenders laterally then turns up field with fury.  24 is a little aggressive for me, but he's the kind of player someone will fall in love with.

25. New York Giants Jordan Addison WR USC 

I was a little disappointed watching Addison.  Smooth route runner, but not enough juice. 

26. Dallas Felix Anudike-Uzomah DE Kansas State

This is a classic high ceiling low floor pick.  He might faceplant, but he's dripping with potential. 

27. Buffalo Josh Downs WR North Carolina

I'm higher on Downs than most.  He is what people want Addison to be. 

28. Cincinnati Jahmyr Gibbs RB Alabama

I'd prefer a different position in the first round, but at this point the value is too much to pass up.  Don't groan.  Hear me out on this one.  Gibbs is more of a hybrid back:  big enough to run inside and shifty enough create game-breaking plays.  The key word there is "create".  It's what's missing in Mixon's career.  It's where i fall short on the Bijon Robinson evaluation.  It's what's missing in the Cincinnati offense.  If i'm going to take a running back in the first round he needs to be able to elude defenders in the second level rather than crash into them.  Gibbs' ability to make guys miss makes him the top RB in this class for me.  The TE's were still on the board, but Gibbs adds more upside to the offense than anyone else available.  unfortunately we're in the position of needing four positions with our first two picks:  TE, CB, OT, and RB.  Cross your fingers and hope the depth on those positions holds up. 

29. New Orleans Dalton Kincaid TE Utah 

I have Kincaid as TE2 in this class.  He isn't the blocker that others are but he's the best receiver. 

30. Philadelphia Will Levis  QB Kentucky

TRADE-  the Eagles continue their tradition of leveraging their extra picks into picks for next year.  I'm not sure who is falling into this trap, but somebody is taking the bait. 

31. Kansas City Darnell Washington TE Georgia Washington is a giant that can move and block.  Good luck guarding K.C. in two TE sets in the red zone.  

2023 NFL Draft Part 2: Quarterback Takes

 Here are my thoughts on the QB prospects that i watched:

(Rated on a scale from 1.0 to 8.0 with 1 being a no brainer number 1 overall pick and 8 being an undrafted free agent)

Elite Franchise Starters:

…Sorry Panthers, Texans, Colts, Falcons, Lions, and Raiders. This bucket is empty for 2023. Better luck next year.

Day 1 Starters:

C.J. Stroud Ohio State RSO Height: 6'3" Weight: 218

Rating: 1.25

Mobile with a good arm. Good to great but short of exceptional in almost everything except maybe pocket awareness.  Accuracy, processing, arm strength: he’s solid and has hot streaks where he’s even better than that. Occasionally gets caught not feeling the blitz quick enough. Is this what Daniel Jones would have looked like in an elite college program?.. That comment isn’t as disrespectful as you think. Not coming from me at least. I liked Jones coming out. Admittedly, taking him at 6 overall was a massive gamble, but i never understood the people that had him outside of the top 100. He was a fringe first round pick with starter potential. If you have a need and you like the guy, draft him wherever it takes. 

Stroud grades out higher than Jones for sure, but a sliver of me wonders if we’re being tricked by the talent advantages at OSU. 

Stroud’s performance against Georgia in the college playoffs seems to indicate he belongs as a top tier prospect. If he can leverage that performance to the standard of how well he plays, watch out. I think he’ll be good but his lack of elite skills in any one trait has me thinking his CEILING might be Dak Prescott-esque to where he eventually cracks the top ten on NFL QB ratings lists but also has stretches where people wonder how good is he really?

Bryce Young Alabama JR Height: 6'0" Weight: 194  Rating: 1.4

Elusive but not dangerous with the ball in his hands. If you’re not tired already of people wondering whether his slight frame will hurt his NFL career, you will be by next week.  Is this what short, skinny Joe Burrow would look like?..with less consistent accuracy.. and processing. Ok fine, so Burrow isn’t a great comp. But what popped Burrow into my mind watching him  was Young’s pocket movement. The accuracy is there.. sometimes. Then he’ll go through stretches where receivers are making adjustments on the ball or he tries to go deep and the precision just isn’t there. The processing is fine, but not elite. But the way he slithers around the pocket and almost always knows when and where to move without dropping his eyes.. THAT’s his superpower. I’d even put him ahead of Burrow in that category.  Burrow is a better rusher than Young though. People like to bring up Kyler Murray because Young is small and the agility is there, but Young doesn’t appear to have that extra gear as a runner.  He looks like he’s jogging when he gets downfield. Maybe it’s just deceiving because he’s smooth, but i think he lacks high end speed. You can see it when defenders pursue him out of the pocket. He’ll try to juke and if the defender doesn’t fall for the fake and just crashes in for the tackle Young doesn’t quite have the burst to get away.  Watch, he won’t run a 40 before the draft (I actually wrote that statement three months ago. Guess what, he didn’t run).

So what is Young as a pro prospect? He’s entering the league at a time when the memory of Drew Brees is fading, Kyler Murray is continuing to rack up injuries annually and Russel Wilson and Baker Mayfield have fallen from the ranks of top QB’s. Pundits are starting to resurrect the old barriers that used to limit opportunities for small QB’s as long term starters.  Fortunately for him the supply on QB’s is still low and by my count 10 to 12 teams are thirsty for young franchise talent (tack on another 10 teams to that if you’re really being honest). Add it all up, Young appears to be a talented player with high end character. I don’t think he’s a slam dunk to go high, but he’ll likely go top 5. In a stronger class i’d say he’d fall down somewhere closer to the middle of the first round. Comparing him directly to Stroud you might think the electric pocket  presence would give him the edge, but my concerns about his athleticism and size knock him down a notch and Stroud gets the nod as the safer bet. Young has a slightly higher ceiling but the chances that he achieves peak performance are lower.

Developmental Starter:

Anthony Richardson Florida RSO Height: 6'3" Weight: 236 Rating 1.5

Moves well inside and outside the pocket. Agile  enough to evade and fast enough to escape. Uses greasy fast speed to break long runs regularly.

Mediocre processing. Sporadic accuracy. Hits at all levels, but misses badly too. He isn’t ready.  Like i said above, if you believe in a quarterback take him wherever you think you need to to get him. Think Richardson will go top 5? Fine, go get him, but patience is the key. Do something different than every other team that drafts a QB high. Start him in his rookie year.. but only enough for him to get a taste to know what he doesn’t know. Let him learn the league. Learn defensive schemes. Figure out his life. 

Give in to the hype and the pressure to go all in right away and i don’t think you’re maxing out his potential. Richardson is the X factor in this class. Someone will drool over his athletic traits and snatch him up. 

Backup Fodder:

Stetson Bennett Georgia RSR Height: 5'11" Weight: 190  Rating 3.4

The fourth annual Tyler Huntley Memorial award goes to.. Stetson Bennett?? It seems weird to give an award for being the most underrated QB prospect of the year to a guy that just won back to back national titles, but here we are. I really didn’t expect to like this guy going into this and in a lot of ways i still don’t.. usually i’m smitten with the winner of the THMA. It typically goes to a player that i want on my team that i think has an outside chance have a moment in the league. Bennett doesn’t cross those thresholds for me the way others have in the past like Bailey Zappe or the original man himself, Mr. Huntley.  

Is it because Bennett is following in the footsteps of Jake Fromm and we expect the same not-really-pro-caliber outlook? Is it the sloppy recent public intoxication arrest? Maybe it is just because his name is Stetson Bennett and i can only picture him cruising around late at night with his bros Hunter and Truman making cringey mischief (Actually..not too far off. See TMZ).  

No, Bennett doesn’t really profile as a likable prospect that i can get behind and i don’t really think he has high end potential, but watching him play there are pro caliber traits. He doesn’t seem to be getting the time of day from draft analysts, but is he really that different than Mac Jones? Low ceiling, 16-20 tier starter at best but probably a solid backup. Cerebral, good instincts. Doesn’t have a cannon for an arm. Isn’t going to throw with laser precision. But he’ll move around a little bit and make a good smart play with the ball. Jones and Kenny Picket got first round nods and chances to start. I wouldn’t advise a team to go that direction with Bennett but i like the idea of him coming in for a few weeks when your starter goes down and playing well enough to not sink your season. This is way rich compared to other rankings I’ve seen. Sorry, i don’t like it either, but he’s just better than the rest of the class.

Will Levis Kentucky RSr Height: 6'3" Weight: 232 Rating 3.5

Rugged muscle bound dude with a cannon  arm. Intangibles supposedly  off the charts.  I’ve heard him knocked for his muscularity and inability to make finesse throws in a Tim Tebow sort of way.  He looked fine on short to intermediate throws to me. He’s not going to throw it through a key hole but he does alright and even feathers a ball over coverage every once in a while. Although, if he’s going to throw a deep ball the dude is going to have to be WIDE open. If he has any long range accuracy i didn’t see evidence of it in the games i watched.  Granted, Kentucky was pretty run heavy and focused more on short range passing. His pocket awareness is mediocre at best. He’ll slide around to avoid pressure occasionally, but i also saw him get earholed NOT from the blind side a couple times where he just didn’t read or feel the pressure and an edge guy lit him up. I don’t think his processing is quite where it needs to be either. Some guys just have that sixth sense where they know when and where to let it rip (and more importantly when not to pull the trigger).  Levis is not one of those guys.  He’s getting lumped into a big four in this class but i don’t think a team should sign up for him as plan A.  Need a backup that might get an impromptu chance to start and surprise us?.. I think he’s a good option. Anything more aspirational than that and i’m worried.  

Jaren Hall BYU JR Height: 6'1" Weight: 209 Rating 4.3

THMA honorable mention. Jaren Hall was robbed! The media is outraged! Hall profiles closer to what usually sucks me in as an underrated QB prospect that i’m rooting for with a decent chance to surprise people.

He’s tall enough.  His arm is ok. His instincts are ok. Mobility seems to be trending up as a prerequisite to excel at the position and he has that.. Not the elite game breaking variety, but he can keep a defense honest, keep plays alive, and pick up some first downs. What sets him apart from the athletic quarterbacks ranked lower is his potential with the more typical IT traits for QB prospects. Processing, pocket awareness, accuracy.. Hall doesn’t wow on any of those fronts but he flashes. There are shreds of ability there that i think can develop where other guys i don’t see much hope.

Probably only a Backup:

Hendon Hooker Tennessee RSR Height: 6'4" Weight: 218 Rating: 4.9

Quick, nice running skills. Navigates through traffic and upfield for 5 to 7 yards with ease. Scattershot accuracy. Only accurate within 15 yards and loses way too much ability to locate the ball when someone’s in his face. Torn ACL late in the year. Likes to sit in the pocket and stay calm.. but gets rocked now and then because of it. He has backup potential on his running ability alone.  Not hopeless as a passer but has to find some accuracy somewhere.  Really simple offense with a lot of slants and crossers. Decision making is ok but i’m not confident he’ll make the the hard throws. He seems to have the leadership skills and the demeanor you want, but tragic flaws facing blitz pressure and throwing downfield just can’t be ignored.

Jake Haener Fresno State RSR Height: 6'0" Weight: 195  Rating 5.3

Smart and accurate on short to intermediate throws. Not a gifted runner, but not a statue. Limited deep ball.

Clayton Tune Houston SR Height: 6'3" Weight: 220 Rating 5.6

Looks like a tank in the pocket. Moves like one too, but if he gets rolling into the second level he’s a headache for defenders breaking tackles and flashing surprising speed. It’s like driving as Bowser in Mario Kart. No acceleration, but if he gets up to speed watch out.  Not a standout thrower on any level, but flashes enough to take on as a development project.

Tanner McKee Stanford JR Height: 6'6" Weight: 226 Rating 5.8

6’6” and not a stiff. There should be room for him on someone’s roster. Not ready to be a qb2 yet. Makes quick decisions. Delivers the ball consistently but often a foot or so underthrown creating more contested ball situations than need be.  Offense doesn’t ask a lot. A lot of quick game in their offense so it’s difficult to tell what you really have but he’s  worth a roster stash.

Practice Squad All-Stars:

Max Duggan TCU SR Height: 6'2" Weight: 210 Rating 6.4

Has enough running ability to intrigue some ambitious GM.  YOLO magician throwing the ball downfield.. but more like the sad kind that does kids’ parties, not the David Copperfield T.V. special kind. Takes too many risks and gets burned in college.  I can only imagine what will happen against pro DB’s if he doesn’t reign it in.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson UCLA RSR Height: 6'1" Weight: 205 Rating 6.9

Good command.  Decent runner. Needs to develop as a passer. Pummels short to intermediate routs. Not much of a downfield threat.

Adrian Martinez Kansas State SR Height: 6'3" Weight: 225 Rating 7.8

Has an it factor. Good frame. Nice urgency. Almost no downfield throwing abilities.  It feels like i said that ten times up above. Apologies to the Martinez family..he makes those other guys look like  Justin Herbert throwing it long.

XFL or Bust:

Malik CunninghamLouisville RSR Height: 6'1" Weight: 200 Rating 8+

Position change? Classic college QB. Good runner. Slings the ball, but not really in a good way. 

Tanner Morgan Minnesota RSR Height: 6'2" Weight: 216 Rating 8+

Looks a little bit like Matt Ryan and even wears number 2. Plays a little bit like him too but more like the late career version.  Lots of RPO’s but a lot more R’s than P and when he keeps it it’s a short to intermediate slant which he throws just okay. Not much threat to run or throw deep or escape pressure. 

Aidan O'Connell Purdue RSR Height: 6'3" Weight: 210 Rating 8+

Lumbering pocket passer. Sitting duck. Makes some throws but doesn’t have nearly enough pocket mobility or processing power to make up for his lack of athleticism. 

2023 NFLDraft Part 1: Play the Fields

Draft season baby! As always the center of gravity for unlocking how April will unfold revolves around the quarterbacks.  Lovie Smith  even gave us all a belated Christmas present  winning on his way out the door in Houston to give this year’s QB debate an extra winkle. 

With the Bears in the driver seat and a developing QB already in the fold, they suddenly had a grab bag of options available on which direction to steer the franchise and the masses weren’t shy about weighing in on the debate.

Stay put and draft a quarterback anyway?  

Draft two and try to get one! It has some credence but  managing two young QBs is a high wire act NFL franchises aren’t ready to stomach yet. Not at number one overall anyway. The Eagles pulled it off, but that was with seeds of doubt already planted on Carson Wentz and a much lower second round investment in Jalen Hurts.

Stay put and pick the best non quarterback? The Bears roster looks like a blanket that someone decided to use for target practice with a machine gun.  Leaving trade assets on the table never seemed like a viable option as multiple teams lined up for the chance to trade up to the top slot. If an elite WR or OT were available, i think they might have paused a little longer, but Calvin Johnson and Walter Jones are not available on their big board. 

That likely left the Bears with two main options:  trade Justin Fields or trade down. 

The initial assumption was that Chicago would move the pick, snag an elite defender in the top ten and be done with it, but there was plenty of chatter on the other side of the fence: 

Fields hasn’t exactly lit it up as a passer. If the Bears love one of the QB’s in this class, they’d be better off dealing Fields and extending their window with a rookie contract at QB.  

Some people even took the stance the Bears should just explore both options and take the best offer.

The debate was heating up, but just when it was starting to sizzle, the Bears made their move. Chicago sent the number one pick to Carolina for:

-#9 overall

-A late 2 

-a first next year

-a second in 2025

-and D.J. Moore

How’d they do?

Some imagine scenarios where Chicago could’ve come out of this richer than they are now with potential suitors at 2 (Houston), 4 (Indianapolis), 6 (Detroit), 7 (Las Vegas), and 8 (Atlanta), but it’s hard to say if any of the logical trade partners would’ve actually played ball. Maybe only one of those teams was legitimately interested. 

Could they have waited longer and driven up the price? Maybe. But the real fault line here was free agency. The value could have gone up if free agency didn’t go as planned for a certain team. Unfortunately the flip side is also true and teams might have filled needs and chilled the market.

The Bears opted to lock in at the current price. They still have a chance to snag a great young player early. They’ve added three top 70 picks over the next three years, and if the Panthers are starting a rookie, next year’s 1 might prove to be more valuable than you think . On top of all that, they now have an anchor for their receiving corps. D.J. Moore isn’t an elite WR1 but he can at least pretend to be one while whatever young weapon they find acclimates to the league. Trading what became pick 32 for Chase Claypool at the trade deadline was a massive blunder, but if he’s their WR3 all of a sudden maybe they’re light years ahead of what they rolled out last year. 

Add it all up and i think the Bears got a fair deal. Thoughts of pulling off some gambit where they traded down to 2 and then traded down again to get more capital sound great but probably aren’t as realistic as they feel. 

The real question is whether Chicago could have secured a higher bounty by trading Fields?  Even if they could have should they have gone for it?  

The offer would have to have been pretty juicy for me to move off Fields at this point. He has seasoned for two years. We know he is an electric runner. Detractors are acting like he has been a zero as a passer, but look closely.  There are enough flashes to remain faithful.  Focus early in games when the script is best and the game plan is still fresh. Wow throws are there. Then as  games progressed the infrastructure didn’t hold up. The o-line, the receivers, the defense, none of it was good enough. The pressure on Fields mounted. He pressed and made mistakes.  

Blame him some. He absolutely still needs to improve. But roll out all of the poor passing statistics that you want … he’s the 33rd rated passer in this advanced metric or that. Ok, but who had a worse supporting cast? Texans? Patriots? Colts? Titans? Cardinals? Rams post Kupp injury? The Bears win that contest pretty easily. No, Fields wasn’t able to elevate everything around him, but that would have been something like getting the Titanic to float. 

Support him and he’ll be good. Maybe great. Beyond that it the decision boiled down to an evaluation of the 2023 quarterback class. C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis have been touted as the big four and there’s no consensus favorite as the top guy.  I would take Fields over all of them and it’s not close. He still has the highest ceiling and might also have the lowest floor. There are no sure fire franchise QB’s in this draft class. I say let it ride Chicago. Play the Fields.

Part 2, i’ll break the main prospects in the 2023 QB class.