Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Here it is. My one and only first-round NFL Mock Draft for 2023.
This year was extremely challenging with so much uncertainty right at the top of the draft.
Of course there will be trades, but to make things more streamlined, I don't predict them for the mock and just keep teams in their original positions throughout the entire round.
As far as the Buffalo Bills' with the 27th pick, they can really go in a lot of different directions. General manager Brandon Beane may want to trade down to add more picks to the six they're scheduled to make.
But for this exercise, even I was surprised how the board fell for them.
Listen to WGR now!
Here's the first round... on me:
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1.) Carolina Panthers (from Chicago): Bryce Young - QB - Alabama
2.) Houston Texans: Will Anderson - EDGE - Alabama
3.) Arizona Cardinals: Tyree Wilson - EDGE - Texas Tech
4.) Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis - QB - Kentucky
5.) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Jalen Carter - DT - Georgia
6.) Detroit Lions (from L.A. Rams): Devon Witherspoon - CB - Illinois
7.) Las Vegas Raiders: CJ Stroud - QB - Ohio State
8.) Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson - RB - Texas
9.) Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Paris Johnson Jr. - OT - Ohio Stete
10.) Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans): Nolan Smith - EDGE - Georgia
11.) Tennessee Titans: Anthony Richardson - QB - Florida
12.) Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Jaxon Smith-Njigba - WR - Ohio State
13.) Green Bay Packers (from N.Y. Jets): Lukas Van Ness - EDGE - Iowa
14.) New England Patriots: Peter Skoronski - OT - Northwestern
15.) New York Jets (from Green Bay): Darnell Wright - OT - Tennessee
16.) Washington Commanders: Christian Gonzalez - CB - Oregon
17.) Pittsburgh Steelers: Broderick Jones - OT - Georgia
18.) Detroit Lions: Calijah Kancey - DL - Pittsburgh
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Myles Murphy - EDGE - Clemson
20.) Seattle Seahawks: O’Cyrus Torrence - OG - Florida
21.) Los Angeles Chargers: Michael Mayer - TE - Notre Dame
22.) Baltimore Ravens: Deonte Banks - CB - Maryland
23.) Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison - WR - USC
24.) Jacksonville Jaguars: John Michael Schmitz - C - Minnesota
25.) New York Giants: Quentin Johnston - WR - TCU
26.) Dallas Cowboys: Dalton Kincaid - TE - Utah
27.) Buffalo Bills: Zay Flowers - WR - Boston College
If you had asked me before I started this mock to list some players the Bills would love to add, but who wouldn't be available to them when they pick, I'd have Flowers on that list. There's no way I would've seen him falling to 27.
However, as the board fell, Flowers was still there when the Bills went on the clock. So I did what I think Beane would do in that scenario, and get his name on the card.
At 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, Flowers is a smaller receiver who will play in the slot in the NFL. That's what the Bills need to add to their roster.
With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis on the outside, they need a reliable target between them who will force defenses to focus more on the middle of the field. Flowers can do that, opening up their opportunities, but taking advantage of his own with the ability to get from Point A to Point B quickly and without hesitation.
The Bills missed that type of player so much last season, they re-signed Cole Beasley late in the year to try and replicate, well, Cole Beasley, and what he meant to the offense from 2019-2021.
They did sign Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty, who can play inside, but only to one and two-year deals, respectively. Flowers would be a long-term solution in the slot.
Khalil Shakir is also still in the mix there, but the addition of Flowers would give offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey the ability to move him, Sherfield, and Harty around to figure out where they would all fit best. In other words, more options.
Finally, Flowers' position coach at Boston College, Darrell Wyatt, was also Davis' position coach at Central Florida. Beane and his staff would most likely value the way Davis developed under Wyatt, and should have a good enough relationship with him to have as much information as possible on Flowers.
By the way, Flowers caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for Boston College.
28.) Cincinnati Bengals: Jahmyr Gibbs - RB - Alabama
29.) New Orleans Saints (from Denver via San Francisco): Will McDonald IV - EDGE - Iowa State
30.) Philadelphia Eagles: Joey Porter, Jr. - CB - Penn State
31.) Kansas City Chiefs: Mazi Smith - DL - Michigan
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