Welcome to Monday's installment of the With the First Pick newsletter. As we near the commencement of the 2023 NFL Draft, I'm warning you to keep your head on a swivel. Why? Because the seismic, big-time, draft-altering rumors are going to be flying through the air -- every. single. day. -- from now until draft night.
You probably know this by now, but in case you don't: We've rebranded the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April. And I, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way. This daily newsletter's sole purpose is to track everything transpiring in the NFL and spin it into a draft angle.
Before I begin, here's your daily reminder to tell all your buddies and that one uncle who's always texting you mock draft links to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. Just click here and share this link with them.
Today's NFL mock draft 🔮: Ryan Wilson's seven-round mock
Given that the draft STARTS NEXT THURSDAY (!), everyone and anyone who covers the draft must pump out a seven-round mock by this week, and our very own Ryan Wilson is first up here at CBS Sports. All 259 picks mocked, so get your blue-light blocking glasses out before staring at this one.
In it, Ryan starts with C.J. Stroud, not Bryce Young, at No. 1 overall to the Panthers and has the Texans circling back at No. 12 overall to select Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Diving deep into this full mock, Jahmyr Gibbs and his Alvin Kamara comparisons land in an appropriate locale, New Orleans, in Round 2. At the quarterback spot, the Rams pick Hendon Hooker in Round 3 and the Commanders snag Aidan O'Connell in Round 5.
There's obviously A LOT to get to in this mock. I'll leave a few notable prospect-team pairings below:
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
25. New York Giants - Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
46. New England Patriots - Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
102. San Francisco 49ers - Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
158. Minnesota Vikings - Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
Building the perfect 2023 QB prospect 🥇
Cody Benjamin compiled answers from our NFL Draft analyst trio -- Ryan, Josh Edwards and myself -- on how to build the most exquisite quarterback prospect using traits from only 2023 passer prospects. To the surprise of absolutely no one, C.J. Stroud was the selection for the "accuracy" component, while Anthony Richardson was the easy choice in the "size" and "speed" categories. Other elements included "pocket presence," "poise," "arm strength and "leadership," among others.
The quarterback we managed to construct -- and, yes, we used many more quarterbacks than just the top-four consensus passers -- would make for an incredibly clear decision for the Panthers at No. 1 overall. If only it were that simple.
Prospect of the day 📈: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
Notable combine results: 41.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-6 inch broad jump, 6.63 second three-cone
Combine measurements: 6-foot-2 3/4" and 193 pounds
Current CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 67
Highlighting Brents because of his surprise, but certainly not crazy, inclusion in the first round of Ryan's seven-round mock. Take this with you into next Thursday night: Round 1 is often much more about traits than simply finding good football players. And what's great news for Brents ... he's a freaky athlete and quite good at football, too!
Ironically, in a receiver class loaded with smaller, lighter prospects, the cornerback class is littered with tall, long outside prospects, and Brents is one of them (he has 34-inch arms!). While he was beaten for touchdowns relatively often in 2022, he countered with four picks and the same number of pass breakups. Because of his uncoachable measurables, strong Senior Bowl showing, and monster combine, Brents is certainly on the "surprise first-round pick" radar. Smart for Ryan to fit him into Round 1. Read the full, football-nerdy scouting report on Brents right here.
Ranking teams with two Round 1 picks by opportunity 👀
Josh Edwards recently analyzed four teams with multiple first-round selections -- Texans, Seahawks, Lions, and Eagles -- and ranked them in order of "opportunity" to make a sizable impact on their respective rosters in this draft, using an updated trade value chart from CBS Sports mad scientist R.J. White as a guide. Here's what Josh wrote about the Eagles, the club he has at No. 4 on the list:
"Philadelphia added a top-10 overall selection in this year's draft after trading a first-round pick to New Orleans a year ago. The NFC champions are in a prime position to add a potential long-term starter to the roster; a luxury their own choice at No. 30 overall may not be able to accomplish. The total point value of their two first-round selections is 545.68. While they may not stack up favorably to others on this list, Philadelphia is in an enviable position to add two key contributors."
News & Notes 📝
- Jalen Hurts agrees to mega extension. The five-year, $255 million deal features a whopping $179.304 million in guarantees, which slots only behind Deshaun Watson among all NFL players, and includes the first no-trade clause in Eagles history. Cha-ching. Read all about Hurts' record-setting deal, here.
- Steelers to trade up for Jalen Carter? Staying true to today's intro, here's a juicy rumor for you via NBC Sports' Peter King, who's been plugged into the league for-ev-er. King gets specific with the rumor, stating the Steelers would move from No. 17 to No. 9 in a swap with the rebuilding Bears to pick the former Georgia superstar. Told you! Seismic Draft Rumor SZN is upon us!
- Quinnen Williams skipping part of Jets offseason program. The All-Pro and former No. 3 overall pick wants a new deal and therefore won't be attending the start of offseason work in Florham Park, New Jersey, for Gang Green.
