Every year since before I can remember, I do my own Mock Draft. I only do one, and it’s done within a day or two prior to the NFL Draft.

This is the toughest first round I’ve had to come up with to date.

What do the Texans do at 2? What teams are taking the top QBs? There’s not as much top-end talent in this draft as in years past. So, who slides into the back-end of the first round that normally wouldn’t have gone that high in other years?

Without projecting trades and, instead, trying to match players to teams, I attempt to answer those questions and more now.

Round 1
Pick Team Position Player College
1 Panthers QB Bryce Young Alabama
2 Texans ED Tyree Wilson Texas Tech
3 Cardinals ED Will Anderson Jr. Alabama
4 Colts QB C.J. Stroud Ohio State
5 Seahawks DT Jalen Carter Georgia
6 Lions CB Devon Witherspoon Illinois
7 Raiders CB Christian Gonzalez Oregon
8 Falcons ED Nolan Smith Georgia
9 Bears OT Paris Johnson Jr. Ohio State
10 Eagles DT Lukas Van Ness Iowa
11 Titans OT Peter Skoronski Northwestern
12 Texans QB Will Levis Kentucky
13 Packers WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State
14 Patriots OT Broderick Jones Georgia
15 Jets OT Darnell Wright Tennessee
16 Commanders QB Anthony Richardson Florida
17 Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. Penn State
18 Lions DT Calijah Kancey
 Pittsburgh
19 Buccaneers CB Deonte Banks Maryland
20 Seahawks TE Michael Mayer Notre Dame
21 Chargers DT
 Bryan Bresee
 Clemson
22 Ravens CB Emmanuel Forbes Mississippi State
23 Vikings WR Jordan Addison USC
24 Jaguars S Brian Branch Alabama
25 Giants WR Zay Flowers Boston College
26 Cowboys RB Bijan Robinson Texas
27 Bills ED Myles Murphy
 Clemson
28 Bengals TE Dalton Kincaid Utah
29 Saints ED Will McDonald IV Iowa State
30 Eagles RB Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama
31 Chiefs OT Anton Harrison Oklahoma

Be sure to check out the rest of my Mock Draft, all seven rounds (going up midday on Thursday), on Twitter @ncoopdraft and check out all of our content on this year’s class at the SIS NFL Draft site.