2023 NFL Three-Round Mock Draft: NFC East loads up on defense, Bucs take Tom Brady heir in Round 2

We’re through the college all-star games and the NFL combine, and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and I were on the road last week to watch three of the top four quarterbacks throw at their pro days.

We recapped C.J. Stroud’s strong performance on the With the First Pick podcast, and you can check that episode out here:

And a day after watching Stroud in Columbus, Ohio, we made our way to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to get a glimpse of Bryce Young and you can see our recap of his pro day here:

So it should be no surprise that I had those two QBs going No. 1 and No. 2 in this mock draft, my first three-rounder of 2023. Perhaps more noteworthy, however, is that Will Levis, for the first time in a long time, falls outside the top 10. And while he had a solid pro day (Rick and I will be talking about that on Monday’s podcast), it wasn’t enough to catapult him into the same conversation as Stroud and Young. In fact, the Raiders and Titans passed on him in this mock and the “F Dem Picks” Rams traded up to pick No. 18 get him, just ahead of the Buccaneers.

In related news, five quarterbacks were drafted among the first 102 selections, along with 13 pass rushers, 16 cornerbacks and 18 offensive linemen.

And remember: check out the aforementioned With the First Pick, our NFL Draft podcast, because we’re live THREE times a week: every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm ET.  You can watch us live on the NFL on CBS YouTube channel. And you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Finally: there are only 31 picks in the first round of this mock draft because the Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick due to tampering.

For more draft content, check out our latest prospect rankings and mock drafts, as well as our new weekly podcast, “With the First Pick,” featuring former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. (Check out the latest episode below.)

Round 2

Round 3