Mock Draft: Eagles make a risky pick at No. 10

I don't need to get wordy in the preamble. The 2023 NFL Draft is a little more than two weeks away. We're all trying to decode smokescreens and forecast the next 15 years of football players who are only 20 years old. It's a wild little thing we've got going on here.

Do the Eagles take a big swing, and maybe a risk? Where do the quarterbacks land? What is Mel Kiper Jr.'s hair really made of?

It's time to make some picks:

1. Panthers: QB Bryce Young, Alabama

Young is short, which has some teams worried, but he can flat-out play and this is a gamble worth taking. Young completed 65% of his passes, averaged 8.8 yards per attempt, and threw 79 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in two years as a starter.

2. Texans: QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

I like Stroud's combination of polish and potential. He completed nearly 70% of his passes in two years as a starter, has good size and ball placement, and gets to establish a new culture in Houston with DeMeco Ryans. This feels like it has potential.

3. Cardinals: EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

Just a total no-brainer for Arizona. Anderson was a production monster in three years with the Tide, racking up 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss in 41 games. Barring something unexpected, this will be your Defensive Rookie of the Year.

4. Colts: QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

Richardson completed just 53.8% of his passes last year with Florida and threw just 17 touchdowns, but he ran 103 times for 654 yards and nine TDs and he stands 6-foot-4, weighs 244 pounds, and set records at the NFL Combine. It's a Josh Allen-sized bet on athleticism and potential for Indy.

5. Seahawks: EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

The Seahawks continue to add pieces to a defense keen on regaining its former reputation as a juggernaut. Wilson turned it on in his final two seasons in college, tallying 27.5 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks in 23 games with Texas Tech. He's long and athletic, a deadly combination as an edge rusher.

6. Lions: CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Witherspoon is a physical, downhill cornerback who loves to make a big hit and has a combination of springiness and body control that makes him impressive on the outside. Witherspoon nabbed three interceptions in his senior year and will likely be a Day 1 starter.

7. Raiders: CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

The Raiders take a speedy cornerback in Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez brings size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and production (four interceptions in 2022) to play opposite Duke Shelley, and all of a sudden Las Vegas's defense is a little less of an embarrassment.

8. Falcons: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

A 6-foot-5 stud, he didn't have insane output at Iowa - just 13.0 sacks in 26 career games - but he could take off in the right system. The Falcons had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season and Van Ness can be the first step towards unlocking things down South.

9. Bears: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Justin Fields needs protection, and Johnson is the best tackle in this year's class, a behemoth at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds. He was first-team All-Big Ten and second-team AP All-American last year with the Buckeyes, playing his first season at left tackle after spending the previous year at right guard. Versatility is always good.

10. Eagles: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia

Jalen Carter has looked, on the field, like a great football player. At one point he was atop every big board as a can't-miss prospect who can transform a defense.

He was also given 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine last month after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in a crash that killed his teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler Lecroy in January. It was a smorgasbord of bad-decision-making and it dinged his draft stock across the league, for good reason.

Are the Eagles willing to take a shot on Carter and his future, both as a football player and a person? It's a gamble I think Howie Roseman is willing to make, if he and the organization have enough intel and interface with people who tell them that Carter has learned his lesson and is ready to grow up. Draw your own judgements and conclusions as you see fit.

Football-wise, Carter is everything the Eagles could want. He's huge, he's powerful, he's swift and athletic. He notched 6.0 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in his last two years as a Bulldog, rotating through a wildly-talented defense. Putting Carter and Jordan Davis on the line of scrimmage as Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat rush from the edges? That's nightmare fuel.

And letting Carter come into his own as a professional alongside guys like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham would make this an ideal situation for a young guy who needs to learn the ropes, both of the game and of the pro lifestyle. Those two are basically perfect role models of success on and off the field. It would be a perfect fit for the Eagles' needs, and also Carter's needs.

I think I would strongly consider pulling the trigger on this pick, and I think Roseman will be willing if the opportunity presents itself.

11. Titans: OT Broderick Jones, Georgia

Jones is a mountain of a man (6-foot-5, 311 pounds) who impressed with speed and mobility at the Combine. Tennessee needs some reinforcements basically all over the place, and a good foundational tackle is always a good place to start. 

12. Texans: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

Houston takes its QB of the future at No. 2, and now it gets him some help. Smith-Njigba can immediately open up the Texans' offense in a way that should give Stroud a reliable first option and safety valve under duress. His only full season at Ohio State was insane: 95 catches, 1,606 yards, 9 TDs.

13. Jets: OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

Skoronski might end up playing on the interior because of a lack of arm length, but his fundamentals are there and he'll help the Jets protect their aging quarterback plus create holes for Breece Hall as New York's offense looks to hit the turbo button in 2023.

14. Patriots: DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson

I could see Bresee going anywhere from 10 to 30 in the first round, but I think Bill Belichick jumps at the chance to take a versatile, athletic defensive lineman and plug him into the Patriots' defense. If the New England docs give him a clean bill of health I think he's headed to the AFC East.

15. Packers: WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

Aaron Rodgers is gone, and Green Bay needs to give Jordan Love a legit shot. Flowers is a fascinating and dynamic wide receiver, a player with a very high ceiling. He caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior year at BC. Flowers and Christian Watson are a pretty nice WR1 + WR2 combo.

16. Commanders: QB Will Levis, Kentucky

Levis is the QB I'm sold on the least in terms of the first-round options, but NFL teams like a 6-foot-3 pocket passer. His TD-to-INT ratio at Kentucky (43 TD, 23 INT) is concerning, and I'll need to see more than just a strong arm before I believe he can legitimately play at the next level.

17. Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

Joey Porter's kid winding up in Pittsburgh is almost too perfect - except the Steelers need cornerback help, so it makes sense. Porter only tallied one interception in four years at Penn State, but he brings the size and skillset that projects to an impact player in the NFL.

18. Lions: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

After shipping out T.J. Hockenson before last year's trade deadline, the Lions use their second first-round pick to double down on the "surround Jared Goff with talent" experiment. It's a worthwhile approach that worked last season, and Kincaid could be a real weapon in the NFL. He caught 106 passes for 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns over his two seasons as a starter at Utah.

19. Buccaneers: S Brian Branch, Alabama

Branch can play corner or safety, but many experts see him winding up at the backend of the defense. Mike Edwards is eminently replaceable in the Bucs' secondary, and Branch brings speed, agility, and a knack for finding the ball and the ball carrier. His third year at Alabama was a doozy: 90 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two inteceptions, and seven passes defended.

20. Seahawks: DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

Kancey had a great week at the Combine, running the fastest defensive tackle 40-yard dash in 20 years. He's undersized at 6-foot-1, but he showed his mobility and his athleticism in Indianapolis and there's plenty of reason to believe Kancey can be disruptive up the middle.

21. Dolphins: Forfeited

Lol.

22. Chargers: WR Quentin Johnston, TCU

The Chargers have Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett. But they need a true speed demon to take the top off opposing defenses. Johnson has the wheels, the size, and the production at TCU (60 catches, 1,069 yards, 6 TD in 2022) to take this Chargers offense to the next level.

23. Ravens: EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson

Myles Murphy tallied 18.5 sacks and 36.0 tackles for loss in 35 games with the Tigers. 

24. Vikings: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

Patrick Peterson is a free agent and Minnesota likely wants to turn to the future at the position, so they opt for the big, impressive Banks who had just one interception last year as a starter with the Terps but is rising up draft boards all over the place.

25. Jaguars: WR Jordan Addison, USC

The Jaguars want Trevor Lawrence to take the next step in 2023, and giving him more help on the outside is the perfect way to do it. With Marvin Jones likely gone and Calvin Ridley back, a wide receiver room of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Ridley, and Addison would be a real-deal situation for Jacksonville.

26. Giants: OL O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida

How do you justify paying Daniel Jones and keeping Saquon Barkley? By adding offensive line talent at a reasonable price to keep the pocket clean and to open up the running lanes. Torrence is an absolute mountain - 6-foot-5, 330 pounds - who has the potential to dominate.

27. Cowboys: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas

Oh, the outcry from Philadelphia would be outrageous. And you know Jerry Jones just can't help himself. Robinson is undoubtedly a stud and will probably produce ungodly numbers for a few seasons; the question is whether drafting a running back in the first round is a smart use of resources. Jones doesn't care.

28. Bills: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

The Bills don't have a ton of holes, but they could use another legit wideout to pair with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Hyatt caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. Think Josh Allen could have some fun with a player like that? Me too.

29. Bengals: OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

The Bengals have come a long way from their O-line play in 2021, but they can still shore up Joe Burrow's protection heading into another Super Bowl-aspiring season. Harrison is big, long, and fluid and projects as a legit tackle with room to grow.

30. Saints: DL Keion White, Georgia Tech

White isn't as big as the top-of-the-table prospects like Tyree Wilson or Myles Murphy, nor as productive, but he's a relatively raw prospect with absurd athletic traits who could be molded into a deadly weapon on the edge with the right coaching.

31. Eagles: EDGE B.J. Ojulari, LSU

I have a feeling this pick is a strong trade candidate, in either direction. 

If someone is available a few picks up who the Eagles really love, don't be surprised if Roseman packages this pick with a future asset to grab a stud. And if they don't love anyone at this point on the board, Roseman could look to stockpile future picks while not falling too far. If there really are teams who love Hendon Hooker, getting that sweet fifth-year option for a first-round pick could entice someone to trade into the first round a la Baltimore and Lamar Jackson way back when.

But sometimes, Howie Roseman just can't help himself. And after going defensive tackle at No. 10, I still wouldn't be surprised if he doubled down on the defensive line and added an explosive pass rusher in Ojulari who could help fill the Brandon Graham-sized hole in the rotation once Graham is done, a date that is fast approaching.

Ojulari had 16.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 128 total tackles in just 31 games as a Tiger, and some evaluators sound even more excited about his potential than his college production. At 6-foot-3, 244 pounds, he's not gigantic and will have to overcome questions about his size. If he were a little bigger he'd be a no-doubt first-round pick because of his speed and athleticism.

This is a pick you can feel good about now, and great about in two years.

32. Chiefs: EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year because their defensive line got pressure on a busted Eagles play and created a game-changing turnover, one that nipped a ballooning Eagles lead and made Kansas City believe it had a chance. They double down on helping Patrick Mahomes with defensive pressure: McDonald had 34.0 sacks and 40.5 tackles for loss across his Cyclone career.