With the First Pick: Panthers have 2 QBs in mind for No. 1 in general, plus NFL Draft position rankings

Welcome to the Thursday edition of the With the First Pick newsletter, where you’re complimentary to graze on a tasty spread of NFL Draft subjects to please your pressing desire for whatever draft-related as an appetiser prior to Thirsty Thursday celebrations later on.  

If you missed out on Monday’s launching edition, Tuesday’s installation, or the other day’s variation, we’re rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through completion of April. And I, CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso, will be with you every action of the method.

Before I start, this paragraph will be your everyday suggestion to talk your pals which one uncle who’s constantly texting you mock draft links to register for the With the First Pick newsletter. Just click on this link and after that share this relate to them.

Today’s NFL mock draft 🔮: Bijan Robinson to the Cowboys?

One of our resident NFL Draft experts Josh Edwards diligently crafted his three-round mock draft for us today, and it’s a dandy. Lamar Jackson getting traded, a club trading up for Will Levis inside the Top 5, and the Packers supplying the most fitting end to the Aaron Rodgers legend by preparing a receiver in the preliminary just after trading their longtime, future Hall of Fame quarterback. 

But I buried the lede. Purposely. It was too juicy. Bijan Robinson to Dallas Cowboys at No. 26 total. Jerry Jones simply wasn’t able to withstand the temptation of preparing a University of Texas running back to keep him in-state to change Ezekiel Elliott. All the while, the franchise-tagged Tony Pollard resembles “HELLO, what does a guy need to do to get a drink around here?!” After all, Pollard averages 5.1 lawns per continue 510 profession regular-season hurries and reviewed 1,000 lawns in 2022. 

Here are some other noteworthy prospect-team pairings in Josh’s multi-round, trade-filled mock, which you can check out in its totality right here:

1. Carolina Panthers – C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
2. Houston Texans – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. Arizona Cardinals – Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
20. Seattle Seahawks – Jordan Addison, WR, USC
30. Philadelphia Eagles – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
54. Los Angeles Chargers – Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
82. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
87. Minnesota Vikings – Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
98. Cleveland Browns – Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee

Rumor mill: C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young? 

We have a MAJOR advancement at No. 1 in general, with reports appearing that the Carolina Panthers have actually narrowed their choices to 2 quarterbacks — Stroud or Young. Head coach Frank Reich made it clear he does not see absence of height as a deterrent for a quarterback in the NFL, and while he did appreciation Anthony Richardson, Carolina has “effectively ruled out Richardson or Will Levis for the No. 1 selection.”

So will it be Stroud or Young? I understand who I’d choice, and he played in the Big Ten. I have actually made it clear I have an unusual hunting eye or something. All joking aside, I truly like both Stroud and Young and would not offer a bad grade to the Panthers for choosing either passer with the leading choice. 

Ranking position groups from finest to worst 📈

In a detailed however essential workout each draft season, I ranked position groups from finest to worst in the 2023 class. Interestingly, similar to in 2015, edge rushes and corners were at the top, however the remainder of the list is various from what the 2022 group supplied. Makes sense that outdoors pass rushes and cornerbacks are filled due to the fact that every college group has like 14 incredible receivers, and a wide-open, pass-happy playbook so covering and pressing the quarterback is darn crucial on Saturdays.  

Because I’m a generous guy, here’s a peek at the middle of the rankings: 

6. Tight ends
5. Wide receivers
4. Quarterbacks

Familiarize yourself with these small-school potential customers 👀

There are 3 certainties in life — death, taxes and CBS Sports HQ’s Emory Hunt examining every NFL-capable possibility no matter where they played their college ball. Your tape can be shot by your mommy in the stands and published to a knockoff YouTube website, and Emory will discover it, compose an in-depth hunting report, and task your video game to the next level on-air while worn a debonair match. It will occur. 

Emory composed an on-brand short article choosing a beginning offense just including small-school potential customers. Shepherd offending guard Joey Fisher is creating buzz in NFL hunting circles, and naturally Emory has him noted. Chattanooga’s McClendon Curtis looked the part at the Senior Bowl and is a massive person at 6-foot-5 and 331 pounds. He’s on Emory’s beginning 11 too. If you wish to impress your good friends with understanding of a possibility from, state, Incarnate Word when he’s prepared, you’ll wish to completely study Emory’s piece.

News & Notes 📝

• Ravens non-Lamar QB choices. Buried in the 9,000,000 handles the Lamar Jackson circumstance is a breakdown of what the Ravens might do at quarterback if they undoubtedly trade the previous MVP quarterback. Tyler Sullivan lays everything out for you right here. 
• Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott assessed Prescott’s 2022 interceptions. Despite appearing in 12 regular-season video games, Prescott connected for the most choices in football in 2022. Yikes. Makes sense he and his head coach hung out examining what occurred on those plays. McCarthy indicated decision-making as the primary perpetrator. While this self-scouting is sensible and itself does not suggest anything, the Cowboys aren’t going to prepare a quarterback right? RIGHT?!
• Colts not likely to trade up? Colts GM Chris Ballard discussed why the group didn’t trade as much as the No. 1 area and hinted that a trade into the leading 3 is not likely for Indianapolis, specifying “we feel like there was enough depth in the draft that we were gonna be OK.”