There are a few people that are more well-connected in the NFL Draft community than Mel Kiper, Jr. So when the godfather of mock drafts makes a prediction, those in the NFL world typically listen.
With 16 days remaining until the 2023 NFL Draft, Kiper released his latest mock draft. The longtime ESPN draft analyst has Alabama’s Bryce Young going to the Carolina Panthers with the first overall selection and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud going to the Houston Texans with the second overall pick.
Following the first two picks, Kiper throws a huge changeup. He has the Tennessee Titans trading all the way up to the No. 3 overall selection, leapfrogging the Indianapolis Colts in the process, and selecting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Kiper has the Titans trading up with the Cardinals, just a day after ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter’s shocking report that Arizona was considering a potential blockbuster trade.
Here’s his explanation for the selection:
Here’s that quarterback for the Titans. The 6-foot-4 Richardson might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in this class. If he puts together all of his tools and isn’t rushed into being the guy in Week 1, he could be a star. It’s a big “if,” though, because he was extremely inconsistent as a passer in college and has a ways to go to clean up his mechanics. Now, the hope for Tennessee is that it can coach him up, unlock some of those traits and let him show his dual-threat ability. And it could sit him behind [Ryan] Tannehill in Year 1.
As we saw last season when Tannehill got injured, though, [Malik] Willis was forced to step in, and there’s no doubt it hurt his development. Willis wasn’t ready to play. Richardson needs time as well, and I hope whichever team takes him understands that.
It remains to be seen if the Titans do pull off this blockbuster trade, but it’s something worth monitoring as they contemplate making a splashy move for a quarterback over the next two weeks.
[ESPN]
