NFL draft 2023 predictions: the stars, the needs and the lower-round gems

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama. I’m guessing you’ve heard that Young is short. And he’s slender too: he looks more like a yoga instructor than an NFL quarterback. But Young is a pocket wizard. There have been comparisons to Patrick Mahomes’ bobbing and weaving style in the pocket, but even those fall short: Young is a more sudden manipulator than the bulkier Mahomes. He creates space when it appears there isn’t any. That’s his superpower, and why he’s separated himself from the other QBs at the top of the class. OC

Young. No need to be clever here. The Chicago Bears, having won the Justin Fields sweepstake, decided they had no need to pick first in a quarterback-heavy draft so they fleeced the Carolina Panthers, who desperately need a QB, in a March trade. By all accounts, Carolina have their eye on Young. HF

Young. If Young were 6ft 2in, he’d be perfect. But he’s still about to be a Carolina Panther thanks to his talent and high football IQ, an especially important trait for his soon-to-be head coach Frank Reich. And Reich recently debunked the notion that he’s a quarterback heightist. MJ

Cornerbacks. John Harbaugh said he expects 10 corners to go in the first two rounds. But the Baltimore Ravens coach was probably underselling things. The corner class is loaded. The standouts are Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon), who should both go in the Top 10. It’s a passing league – and defenses need corners who can keep up with all the fun and games modern offenses are throwing at them. OC

After last year’s quarterback-deficient draft, we will be treated to another Year of the Quarterback. The Athletic’s mock draft has Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson all being selected in the span of the first four