With the first pick: Panthers have two QBs in mind for No. 1 overall, plus NFL Draft position rankings

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By Webdesk



Welcome to the Thursday edition of the With the First Pick newsletter, where you’re free to graze on a delicious array of NFL Draft topics to satisfy your insatiable craving for all things draft as an aperitif to the Thirsty Thursday festivities later on.

If you missed Monday’s debut edition, Tuesday’s episodeor version from yesterday, we’re rebranding the Pick Six newsletter through the end of April. And I, CBS Sports NFL Draft Analyst Chris Trapasso, will be with you every step of the way.

Before I start, this paragraph will be your daily reminder to tell all your friends and that one uncle who always sends you fake draft links to sign up for the With the First Pick newsletter. Just click here and share this link with them.

NFL mock draft today 🔮: Bijan Robinson to the Cowboys?

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From our resident NFL Draft analysts, Josh Edwards meticulously crafted his three-round mock draft for us today, and it’s a dandy. Traded Lamar Jackson, a Top 5 club traded for Will Levis, and the Packers provide the most fitting end to the Aaron Rodgers saga by drafting a receiver in the first round after losing their old, future Hall of Fame quarterback have traded.

But I buried the party. Deliberately. It was too juicy. Bijan Robinson to Dallas Cowboys ranked No. 26 overall. Jerry Jones just couldn’t resist the temptation to recall a University of Texas to keep him in position to replace Ezekiel Elliott. All the while, franchise-tagged Tony Pollard says “HELLO, what’s a man gotta do to get a drink here?!” After all, Pollard averages 5.1 yards per carry on 510 rushes in the regular season and went over 1,000 yards in 2022.

Here are some other notable combinations of prospects and teams in Josh’s multi-round, trade-filled mockery, which you can read in its entirety here:

1. Carolina panthers – CJ 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, RAND, Tennessee

Rumor mill: CJ Stroud or Bryce Young?

We have a MAJOR development at #1 overall, with reports surfacing that the Carolina Panthers have limited their options to two quarterback — Stroud or Young. Head coach Frank Reich made it clear that he doesn’t consider lack of height a deterrent for a quarterback in the NFL, and while he praised Anthony Richardson, Carolina “basically ruled out Richardson or Will Levis for the No. 1 roster.”

So will it be Stroud or Young? I know who I would pick, and he played in the Big Ten. I’ve made it clear I have a strange scout eye or something. All kidding aside, I really like both Stroud and Young and wouldn’t give the Panthers a bad mark for selecting a passer with the best pick.

Rank position groups from best to worst 📈

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In an extensive but necessary exercise each design season, I ranked position groups from best to worst in the class of 2023. Interestingly, just like last year, edge rushers and corners topped the list, but the rest of the list is different from what the 2022 group delivered. It makes sense for pass rushers and cornerbacks to be loaded from the outside, because every college team has some 14 great receivers, a wide-open, pass-happy playbook, so covering and pressuring the quarterback is damn important on Saturday.

Since I’m a generous dude, here’s a look at the middle of the rankings:

6. Tight ends
5. Wide receivers
4. Quarterbacks

Meet these little school perspectives 👀

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and CBS Sports HQ’s Emory Hunt analyzes every NFL-capable prospect no matter where they played their college ball. Your band can be filmed in the stands by your mom and uploaded to a fake YouTube site, and Emory will find it, write a detailed scouting report, and project your game to the next level on-air while dressed in a debonair business suit. It shall to happen.

Emory wrote an on-brand article choosing an incipient attack consisting only of small school prospects. Shepherd offensive guard Joey Fisher is causing a stir in NFL scout circles, and of course Emory has him on the list. Chattanooga’s McClendon Curtis looked good in the Senior Bowl and is a gargantuan individual at six feet tall and 331 pounds. He’s also on Emory’s from 11. If you want to impress your friends with knowledge of a prospect from say Incarnate Word when he’s drafted, you’ll want to study Emory’s piece thoroughly.

News & Notes 📝

    VSATSI

  • Ravens non-Lamar QB options. Buried in the 9,000,000 takes on the Lamar Jackson situation is a breakdown of what the Ravens could do as a quarterback if they did indeed trade the former MVP quarterback. Tyler Sullivan explains it all for you here.
  • Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott evaluated Prescott’s interceptions in 2022. Despite appearing in 12 regular season games, Prescott achieved the most picks in football in 2022. It makes sense that he and his head coach spent time analyzing what happened during those plays. McCarthy pointed to decision as the main culprit. While this self-recon is sensible and in itself doesn’t indicate anything, the Cowboys aren’t going to field a quarterback, are they? RIGHT?!
  • Colts are unlikely to be traded upwards? Colts general manager Chris Ballard explained why the team has not traded to the No. 1 spot and hinted that a trade to the top 3 is unlikely for Indianapolis. OK.”





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