A couple of weeks ago I produced the 5 Yard College Mock Draft 1.0 with our 5YC feature writers providing an insight into each pick and it was always the plan to produce a 2023 Mock Draft 2.0.

But it was not in my plans to just re-produce a mock draft article with a few changes on the picks and I wanted it to be a little different, slightly left-field.

It was decided that the 2023 Mock Draft 2.0 would be decided by the Twitter universe by way of votes, a “you decide” situation where I had no idea what the picks would be. But there had to be some rules put in place to prevent anarchy and chaos and because the Twitter polls only allow you to post four options on the votes.

THE RULES

• As with the Mock Draft 1.0, there would be no trades.
• Aaron Rodgers is considered a Jet and Lamar Jackson a Raven.
• I collated the top mock drafts from analysts across the media and the 4 names which were mock-picked the most would then feature as an option at each pick.
• Voting (or the clock) would last 1-2 hours depending on the time and day and the player with the most votes at the end would be the selection.
• In the event of a tied vote, I had an independent adjudicator on stand-by who would have the final decision on that pick.

In relation to point number three above, I wanted a consensus selection for people to vote from not just players from my warped imagination. However, in the event of there only being 2 or 3 main options available there were, at times, a couple of wildcard names thrown in just to make it interesting.

The “you decide” Mock Draft 2.0 was declared open and I eagerly awaited the wild decisions which would flood into the 5 Yard College mock draft desk.

The Top Ten

Pick #1 – Carolina Panthers – C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

With 49% of the votes, the Ohio State quarterback was the number 1 pick off the board according to the fans and just 6% behind in the vote was Bryce Young with Anthony Richardson gaining 8% of votes. The fourth selection, Will Levis, did not receive a single vote.

Pick #2 – Houston Texans – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

Having just missed out on the number 1 pick, Bryce Young would be selected with the second pick by Houston, with a massive 83.3% of the votes. It was a mix bag of selections with Anthony Richardson still an option but Will Anderson and Tyree Wilson were thrown into the mix given all the talk about Houston potentially “not selecting” a quarterback. Richardson saw his vote drop to 2.1% and Tyree Wilson had the same share. Will Anderson took 12.5% of the votes in what a small market of fans see as a defense pick here.

Pick #3 – Arizona Cardinals – Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

That made it two Alabama players off the board in quick succession. All four options for Arizona were defense at this pick and Anderson wiped the floor as he took 84.6% of the votes with the fans sending him to the Cardinals. Jalen Carter was there to be selected but gained just 7.7% in the voting. Tyree Wilson achieved 3.9% and Devon Witherspoon 3.8%.

Pick #4 – Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Two quarterbacks, a tackle and defensive back were the options available for the Colts at number 4 and it was Anthony Richardson who stormed home with 80%. However, Will Levis, who had not received a single vote earlier, picked up 13% of votes and the remaining votes were shared between Paris Johnson Jr. on 4% and Devon Witherspoon with 3%.

Pick #5 – Seattle Seahawks – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

The stage of the draft where things would start to get interesting with the voting and the thoughts of Jalen Carter moving down the board were put to bed but the voting was not as clear-cut as the previous picks. Carter obtained under half the votes at this pick with 41%. His rival in the voting and it went back and forth a lot, was Tyree Wilson who obtained 35%. Nolan Smith and Lukas Van Ness were the final two options at pick number 5 and picked up 15% and 9% in the voting respectively.

Pick #6 – Detroit Lions – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

All four options for the Lions came from defense at this pick and it was Witherspoon who took the vote with 43%. That man Tyree Wilson was again second in the voting with 30%, closely followed by Christian Gonzalez on 27% and Calijah Kancey as the fourth option received no votes.

Pick #7 – Las Vegas Raiders – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

What made this selection interesting followed on from pick number six with Detroit. With that selection, Tyree Wilson finished ahead of Gonzalez. But, one pick later and it was Gonzalez who moved ahead of Wilson taking 44% of the votes compared to that Wilson on 25%, who shared the same number of votes with Paris Johnson Jr. The fourth selection Nolan Smith picked up 6%.

Pick #8 – Atlanta Falcons – Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech

After being looked over in the previous three picks, Tyree Wilson would take the voting here for Atlanta, amassing 80% of the votes. It was not a close vote, the next player was Myles Murphy on 13.3%, followed by Joey Porter Jr. on 6.7% and Lukas Van Ness with no votes.

Pick #9 – Chicago Bears – Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

With the previous four selections coming from defense, it was time for the offense to make a comeback and the votes for the Bears at pick number nine saw Peter Skoronski chosen with 56% of the votes. It was, mid-vote, very tight between Skoronski and Paris Johnson Jr., who finished second with 38%. The other contenders were Lukas Van Ness (6%) and Calijah Kancey (0%).

Pick #10 – Philadelphia Eagles – Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

Interesting pick this one. Nolan Smith became the second Georgia player off the board with 37.5% of the votes. However, Bijan Robinson would appear for the first time as an option and he obtained 31.3% in the voting. If he had received a few more votes, that could have been an interesting pick. Paris Johnson Jr. was again involved with 25% and Lukas Van Ness on 6.2%.

The Midway Point

Pick #11 – Tennessee Titans – Will Levis, QB, Northwestern

Four selections at this pick were all different. Will Levis, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Paris Johnson Jr. and Bijan Robinson. Unlike the previous pick at number ten, Robinson was not fancied at all with being a Titan and picked up just 9% of the votes. In what was a very close voting ballot, Levis won out with 36% of the votes, followed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba on 32% and Johnson with 23%. The fourth quarterback would go off the board at number 11.

Pick #12 – Houston Texans – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

A second pick for Houston here and the decision was to take JSN, with 67% of the votes. Another receiver, Jordan Addison, did not pick up a vote and the rest was split between two defensive players, Lukas Van Ness (22%) and Myles Murphy (11%).

Pick #13 – New York Jets – Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

The pick at 13 was dominated by offensive linemen and it would be Paris Johnson Jr. who would win out with 77% of the votes. His next challenger was Broderick Jones on 14% with two new names for selection Darnell Wright and O’Cyrus Torrence finishing 5% and 4% respectively.

Pick #14 – New England Patriots – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

A tackle, wide receiver, defensive back and running back were all on offer here at pick number 14 and it was the first one which ended in a tie, both for the selection and second place. Broderick Jones and Quention Johnston both finished with 33% of the votes and it was sent to the independent adjudicator who selected Jones. The battle for second place was between Joey Porter Jr. and Bijan Robinson who both received 17% in votes. This was the third time Robinson’s names was put on the board for selection and so far he was being overlooked.

Pick #15 – Green Bay Packers – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Two tight ends and two receivers were offered up for the Packers here and it would be Dalton Kincaid who took the selection with 38.9% of the votes and his fellow tight end union member, Michael Mayer, finished second with 27.8%. It was the receivers bringing up the rear. Quentin Johnston, who was so close to being a Patriot in the last pick, received 16.7% and Jordan Addison 16.6%.

Pick #16 – Washington Commanders – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

Both defense and offense were put up for this pick and it would be Joey Porter Jr. who would find himself a Commander, receiving 40% of the voting and Brian Branch was close behind on 30%. The two offense players bringing up the rear, O’Cyrus Torrence (20%) and Darnell Wright (10%).

Pick #17 – Pittsburgh Steelers – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Overlooked twice in the last four selections, Darnell Wright was chosen to be a Steeler with 46.2% of the votes and his next challenger was Deonte Banks on 30.8%, with Brian Branch receiving 23%. Anton Harrison appeared for the first time but did not receive any votes.

Pick #18 – Detroit Lions – Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

Van Ness had not appeared as an option since the Houston pick at #12, but he was back and with the voting was off to the Motor City with 53.3%. Another name returning, Calijah Kancey took 26.7% and in third Myles Murphy on 20%. The fourth name, Bijan Robinson, did not receive a single vote.

Pick #19 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson

An interesting vote. However and more importantly an interesting set of consensus options. Myles Murphy became a Buc with 46.2%, followed by Brian Branch (30.8%), Anton Harrison (23%) with Deonte Banks receiving no votes.

The Run-In

Pick #20 – Seattle Seahawks – Quention Johnston, WR, TCU

Johnston last challenged at the Green Bay pick, but was selected here for Seattle obtaining 38.9% of the voting. Brian Branch was again involved with 27.8%, closely followed by Jordan Addison on 22.2% and Drew Sanders appeared for the first time and he took 11.1%.

Pick #21 – Los Angeles Chargers – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Finally, Bijan Robinson found a home, but it was not a landslide vote as he received 50%. The remaining votes were shared between Jordan Addison (22.2%), Calijah Kancey (16.7%) and Michael Mayer (11.1%). At one point in the voting, it did look as though Bijan would be passed over again as Addison lead the way, but a late surge saw him end up a Charger.

Pick #22 – Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Addison, WR, USC

The offense train rumbled on with Addison taking 63.6% of the votes to become a Raven. Deonte Banks was the next best challenger on 18.2% with the rest of the votes shared between Zay Flowers and Will McDonald IV, appearing for the first time, each receiving 9.1%.

Pick #23 – MInnesota Vikings – Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Different options for the Vikings were suggested here and the vote went in favour of the fifth quarterback off the board with Hendon Hooker (38.9%). Zay Flowers made a leap in voting figures as he moved to 27.8%, followed by Deonte Banks on 22.2% and first time mention Emmanuel Forbes on 11.1%.

Pick #24 – Jacksonville Jaguars – Brian Branch, S, Alabama

Very close on the voting until around the last ten or fifteen minutes. It would be Alabama safety, Brian Branch, who would eventually get the selection with 42%. Bryan Bresee, appearing for the first time as an option came in second on 33%, followed by O’Cyrus Torrence on 25%. Deonte Banks, who had received some good votes in previous picks, did not pick up a single vote here for the Jaguars.

Pick #25 – New York Giants – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

It was the battle between the receivers and the O-Line at this pick, with Zay Flowers taking 50% of the votes to become a Giant. Joe Tippmann and O’Cyrus Torrence both received 21% and bringing up the rear was first time mention Jalin Hyatt on 8%.

Pick #26 – Dallas Cowboys – Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

Two defense and two offense were offered up here and we had our second tied voting of the mock draft. Mazi Smith and Michael Mayer both received 46% of the votes and after being sent to the independent adjudicator, it was Mazi Smith who was selected by the Cowboys. Will McDonald IV returned as a selection and received 8% with O’Cyrus Torrence not gaining any votes at all.

Pick #27 – Buffalo Bills – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

Our first three-way tie in the mock draft, with Dawand Jones, O’Cyrus Torrence and Anton Harrison all receiving 30% of the votes. The names were sent to the independent adjudicator and it was first time mention Dawand Jones who received the nod. Cody Mauch was the fourth option, he received 10% of the voting.

Pick #28 – Cincinnati Bengals – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

The selection here was not even close, with Michael Mayer taking 85% of the votes. Darnell Washington was second on 8%, Deonte Banks third on 7% and Anton Harrison did not receive any votes.

Pick #29 – New Orleans Saints – Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

Full-on defense options for the Saints here and it would be Bresee who would become a Saint after taking 64% of the voting. Calijah Kancey was back as an option and he gained 27%, Will McDonald IV on 9% and first time mention Felix Anudike-Uzomah did not receive any votes.

Pick #30 – Philadelphia Eagles – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

A second running back off the board in round one, with Gibbs taking a whopping 86% of the votes. The only other option to receive votes was Deonte Banks on 14%. Calijah Kancey and Darnell Washington both did not get any votes.

Pick #31 – Kansas City Chiefs – Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

Will McDonald was the final pick in round one with 70% of the vote and he was followed up Anton Harrison on 20%, Jalin Hyatt on 10% with Darnell Washington receiving no votes.

COMPARISONS

PICK	TEAM	SIMMO – MOCK DRAFT 1.0	YOU DECIDE – MOCK DRAFT 2.0	DANIEL JEREMIAH – NFL.COM	PETER SCHRAGER – GMFB	BUCKY BROOKS – NFL.COM
1	CAROLINA	C.J. STROUD	C.J. STROUD	BRYCE YOUNG	BRYCE YOUNG	C.J. STROUD
2	HOUSTON	BRYCE YOUNG	BRYCE YOUNG	C.J. STROUD	C.J. STROUD	BRYCE YOUNG
3	ARIZONA	WILL ANDERSON JR.	WILL ANDERSON JR.	WILL ANDERSON JR.	WILL ANDERSON JR.	WILL ANDERSON JR.
4	INDIANAPOLIS	ANTHONY RICHARDSON	ANTHONY RICHARDSON	ANTHONY RICHARDSON	TYREE WILSON	TYREE WILSON
5	SEATTLE	TYREE WILSON	JALEN CARTER	JALEN CARTER	ANTHONY RICHARDSON	JALEN CARTER
6	DETROIT	DEVON WITHERSPOON	DEVON WITHERSPOON	DEVON WITHERSPOON	JALEN CARTER	DEVON WITHERSPOON
7	LAS VEGAS	NOLAN SMITH	CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ	TYREE WILSON	PETER SKORONSKI	CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ
8	ATLANTA	CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ	TYREE WILSON	CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ	NOLAN SMITH	LUKAS VAN NESS
9	CHICAGO	JALEN CARTER	PETER SKORONSKI	PETER SKORONSKI	CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ	PETER SKORONSKI
10	PHILADELPHIA	LUKAS VAN NESS	NOLAN SMITH	LUKAS VAN NESS	BIJAN ROBINSON	NOLAN SMITH
11	TENNESSEE	PETER SKORONSKI	WILL LEVIS	JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA	HENDON HOOKER	PARIS JOHNSON JR.
12	HOUSTON	MYLES MURPHY	JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA	MYLES MURPHY	WILL LEVIS	JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA
13	NY JETS	PARIS JOHNSON JR.	PARIS JOHNSON JR.	NOLAN SMITH	BRODERICK JONES	O’CYRUS TORRENCE
14	NEW ENGLAND	BRODERICK JONES	BRODERICK JONES*	BIJAN ROBINSON	DEVON WITHERSPOON	BRODERICK JONES
15	GREEN BAY	DALTON KINCAID	DALTON KINCAID	PARIS JOHNSON JR.	JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA	MYLES MURPHY
16	WASHINGTON	O’CYRUS TORRENCE	JOEY PORTER JR.	DALTON KINCAID	DALTON KINCAID	JOEY PORTER JR.
17	PITTSBURGH	JOEY PORTER JR.	DARNELL WRIGHT	BRODERICK JONES	PARIS JOHNSON JR.	DEONTE BANKS
18	DETROIT	CALIJAH KANCEY	LUKAS VAN NESS	CALIJAH KANCEY	JOEY PORTER JR.	CALIJAH KANCEY
19	TAMPA BAY	DARNELL WRIGHT	MYLES MURPHY	WILL LEVIS	DEONTE BANKS	DARNELL WRIGHT
20	SEATTLE	B.J. OJULARI	QUENTIN JOHNSTON	JORDAN ADDISON	LUKAS VAN NESS	ANTHONY RICHARDSON
21	LA CHARGERS	BIJAN ROBINSON	BIJAN ROBINSON	ZAY FLOWERS	MICHAEL MAYER	BIJAN ROBINSON
22	BALTIMORE	JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA	JORDAN ADDISON	JOEY PORTER JR.	DARNELL WRIGHT	CAM SMITH
23	MINNESOTA	DEONTE BANKS	HENDON HOOKER	HENDON HOOKER	JORDAN ADDISON	ZAY FLOWERS
24	JACKSONVILLE	BRIAN BRANCH	BRIAN BRANCH	DEONTE BANKS	BRIAN BRANCH	BRIAN BRANCH
25	NY GIANTS	JORDAN ADDISON	ZAY FLOWERS	JOE TIPPMANN	ZAY FLOWERS	JOHN MICHAEL SCHMITZ
26	DALLAS	BRYAN BRESEE	MAZI SMITH	MAZI SMITH	JAHMYR GIBBS	BRYAN BRESEE
27	BUFFALO	QUENTIN JOHNSTON	DAWAND JONES	QUENTIN JOHNSTON	MYLES MURPHY	JORDAN ADDISON
28	CINCINNATI	MICHAEL MAYER	MICHAEL MAYER	DARNELL WRIGHT	DARNELL WASHINGTON	DALTON KINCAID
29	NEW ORLEANS	ADETOMIWA ADEBAWORE	BRYAN BRESEE	MICHAEL MAYER	JONATHAN MINGO	MICHAEL MAYER
30	PHILADELPHIA	FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH	JAHMYR GIBBS	FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH	WILL MCDONALD IV	MAZI SMITH
31	KANSAS CITY	ANTON HARRISON	WILL MCDONALD IV	WILL MCDONALD IV	QUENTIN JOHNSTON	ADETOMIWA ADEBAWORE

 

The Mock Draft 2.0 and as we speed towards Draft Day, all will become clear once the Commissioner declares the draft officially open.

Simmo – SimmoWorld