
Nov 12, 2022; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) pressures Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
John McClain: Mock draft 5.0: Nick Caserio uses first-round picks on Will Anderson Jr., Hendon Hooker
John McClain does his fifth of seven mock drafts leading up to the first round on April 27:
1. Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
All the reports about the Panthers switching to Young turn out to be true.
2. Texans: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
Nick Caserio pulls a stunner by giving DeMeco Ryans the best edge rusher in the draft.
3. Colts (trade with Cardinals): C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Chris Ballard trades up with the Cardinals to select their franchise quarterback.
4. Cardinals (trade with Colts): Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
The Cardinals trade down a spot and pick a pass rusher some believe is the best in the draft.
5. Seahawks: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Geno Smith signed a three-year contract, so Richardson will be given lots of time to develop.
6. Lions: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
One year after drafting edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Dan Campbell gets a great prospect with talent and character issues.
7. Raiders: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Josh McDaniels is tempted to go for quarterback Will Levis but pivots to the best cornerback prospect.
8. Falcons: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Arthur Smith is an offensive coach who takes the quarterback with the best arm in the draft.
9. Bears: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
The Bears need help up front on both sides of the ball and have their pick of the offensive linemen.
10. Eagles: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
It won’t be surprising if this exceptional prospect goes before the Eagles have a chance to get him.
11. Titans: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
It’s a wide receiver or help for a rebuilt offensive line, and Mike Vrabel elects to take a left tackle.
12. Texans: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
After bypassing C.J. Stroud at two, Nick Caserio pulls another stunner with an on-the-rise prospect who’s 25 and coming off major knee surgery.
13. Jets: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Robert Saleh gets protection for his new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, on an offense that could be loaded.
14. Patriots: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
A lot of coaches believe Witherspoon is the best player in the draft at his position.
15. Packers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Packers have their pick of tight ends and wide receivers and take one of the best in the draft.
16. Commanders: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Ron Rivera elects not to trade up for a quarterback and chooses an offensive tackle who can start on either side.
17. Steelers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Mike Tomlin knows second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett needs talent around him and goes for a large receiver.
18. Lions: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Dan Campbell improves his defense even more with another splendid pick on that side of the ball.
19. Buccaneers: Dewand Jones, OT, Ohio State
The Buccaneers make it five offensive tackles drafted within an 11-pick radius.
20. Seahawks: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
After taking a quarterback with his first pick, Pete Carroll goes for a talented pass rusher.
21. Chargers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
The Chargers need a tight end and wide receiver and could go either way, but they get the best prospect at his position.
22. Ravens: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
After signing Odell Beckham Jr., John Harbaugh gets an impressive prospect for his defense.
23. Vikings: Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia
Smith is undersized, but he’s got tremendous speed and quickness coming off the edge for the defending NFC North champion.
24. Jaguars: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
After losing Jawaan Taylor to the Chiefs, Doug Pederson has to fill that void with another tackle prospect.
25. Giants: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Flowers lacks size, but he has eye-opening speed and will give Daniel Jones another gifted player at a skill position.
26. Cowboys: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Mike McCarthy gets the most physical offensive lineman in the draft. He’ll help a running game that needs a lot of help.
27. Bills: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
Sean McDermott needs a linebacker more than another pass rusher, but the Bills didn’t think Murphy would still be on their board.
28. Bengals: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
The Bengals fill a need for Joe Burrow and make an explosive offense even more explosive.
29. Saints: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
It’s not fair to compare him to Aaron Donald just because they played at Pitt, but he’s an improving inside presence.
30. Eagles: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Because of age and free agent departures, this position must be addressed in the draft.
31. Chiefs: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Andy Reid never thought Addison would be available, and it’ll take him 2 seconds to select the outstanding receiver prospect.
(John McClain writes four columns a week for GallerySports.com. He can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on Sports Radio 610 and Thursday on Texans Radio. He does three weekly Houtopia podcasts for 610. He also can be read three times a week on SportsRadio610.com).