TOUCHDOWN

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks go 1-2 (with trade) after C.J. Stroud's coronation

Doug Farrar

USA TODAY Sports

Georgia coach Kirby Smart speaks with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff semifinal game between Ohio State and Georgia on Sunday, Jan 1, 2022, in Atlanta. Georgia won 42-41.

News Joshua L Jones

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young's performance against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl -- he completed 15 of 21 passes for 321 yards, five touchdown passes to five different receivers, and no interceptions -- should easily solidify his status as the first player selected in the 2023 draft. While some teams have expressed concern over Young relatively slight frame (6-foot-0, 194 pounds), he possesses enough of the key attributes to easily overcome that potential deficit when you watch the tape. The Houston Texans should just start sewing those Bryce Young jerseys now.

Mock drafts have been easy when it comes to the first overall pick. After that is where it has been interesting. Georgia's Jalen Carter is widely regarded as the best overall prospect in this draft class, and for good reason, and as the Chicago Bears don't need a quarterback with the second overall pick, they'd do well to add his furious pass rush and dominant skill set to their roster.

That's one way the second overall pick could go. Another way it could go is for another, more QB-needy team, to trade up with the Bears and go get the second-best quarterback in this class.

The question has been, who is that quarterback? Ohio State's C.J. Stroud had an amazing regular season, but the perception all along with Stroud is that he's amazing in the pocket, but he tends to regress when things break down.

Then came Ohio State's 42-41 loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl CFP Semifinal. Stroud's team may have lost that game, but Stroud picked up a lot of juice in this draft because of the things he did that he hadn't really done before. He was a different quarterback under pressure, and as expected, the Bulldogs' amazing defense brought all kinds of it.

This was especially true on the two touchdown passes Stroud threw to Marvin Harrison Jr. in the first half of the game. There was this 31-yard touchdown pass thrown with 8:16 left in the first quarter, in which Stroud drifted to his right, directed Harrison out of the way of coverage, and made the throw he needed to make.

Then, there was this 16-yarder with 10:56 left in the second quarter, where Stroud was pressured by multiple Bulldogs defenders, escaped the problems, and threw an absolute dart off-platform.

Stroud had everything else on point already, but these kinds of throws against the best defense in the country makes him the kind of quarterback you trade up to get so that he can be the face of your franchise.

In this mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts have done exactly that -- moving from fifth to second in a trade with the Bears that also gives Chicago Indy's 2024 first-round pick.

Here's how the rest of the first round might go in the 2023 NFL draft.