In-play NFL Mock Draft 2023: Round Two
After the drama of night one of the 2023 NFL Draft, attention now turns to Day Two with the second round opening up proceedings on Friday.
Thursday night was full of surprises, but the deeper we go, it becomes even more difficult to predict. The later rounds are full of stud players and teams will be out to get a steal, especially with the talent which dropped out of the first round.
Here is an in-play mock of round two:
Round Two
32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
What an incredible scenario for the Steelers. Many projected Porter Jr. to be their first-round selection, but Pittsburgh get great value with him falling into Day Two. This is an ideal landing spot for the Penn State cornerback, who essentially grew up in the Steelers’ facility as his dad blossomed into a Pro Bowl inside linebacker for the black and gold.
33. Arizona Cardinals – Brian Branch, S, Alabama
34. Detroit Lions – Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
35. Indianapolis Colts – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
36. Los Angeles Rams – O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Last year’s injury crisis in Los Angeles highlighted that making improvements on offensive line is a real must this offseason, having allowed 59 sacks in 2022, the third-most in the NFL. Having met wit the team already, Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence seems a realistic option for the Rams and he will come in and fix the issues up front straight away.
37. Seattle Seahawks – Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
38. Las Vegas Raiders – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
39. Carolina Panthers – Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
40. New Orleans Saints – John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
41. Tennessee Titans – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
After a disappointing opening night for the Kentucky QB, Will Levis finally comes off the board and finds a home as Ryan Tannehill’s successor in Tennessee. A year as the understudy would help his game and give the team a genuine project to work on, after the disaster of Malik Willis from last year. Shrewd choice here by the Titans picking up Levis in the second.
42. Green Bay Packers – Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
43. New York Jets – Cody Mauch, T, North Dakota State
44. Atlanta Falcons – BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
45. Green Bay Packers – Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
46. New England Patriots – Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE, Northwestern
47. Washington Commanders – Steve Avila, G, TCU
48. Detroit Lions – Keeanu Benton, DI, Wisconsin
49. Pittsburgh Steelers – Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Arguably the best overall linebacker available this year, Sanders is coming off a 9.5 sack season and is an incredibly mobile athlete for his size. The Steelers benefit from Sanders falling (I was tempted to select him with the very first pick of this round) and he will become the latest star LB to head to Pittsburgh.
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
51. Miami Dolphins – Matthew Bergeron, T, Syracuse
52. Seattle Seahawks – Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
The same pick from our original second round mock, the Seahawks hit the jackpot with the Tennessee QB falling to 52. Injury and age concerns could put people off, but Hendon Hooker is genuinely one of the best quarterbacks available this year. Geno Smith is the starter in Seattle after an excellent 2022, but Hooker could excel for the Seahawks in years to come.
53. Chicago Bears – Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
54. Los Angeles Chargers – Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
55. Detroit Lions – Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
56. Jacksonville Jaguars – Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
57. New York Giants – Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
58. Dallas Cowboys – Zach Charbonnet, HB, UCLA
After going defensive lineman with Mazi Smith in the opening round, the Cowboys add an offensive weapon. Running back is a position of need after Ezekiel Elliot was released, and UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet is an ideal replacement. He’s quick, has great balance and is a good ball carrier; the Cowboys will love having Charbonnet in tandem with Tony Pollard in 2023.
59. Buffalo Bills – DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
60. Cincinnati Bengals – Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
61. Chicago Bears – Clark Phillips III
62. Philadelphia Eagles – Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
63. Kansas City Chiefs – Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
