There is no offseason in the NFL.
Last week, the franchise and transition tag window opened around the league. Clubs have until 4 p.m. ET on March 7 to designate players before free agency begins eight days later.
Simultaneously, draft season is in full swing. This week, the football world gathers in Indianapolis for the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. A total of 319 prospects have been invited to attend the weeklong job interview, which will take place in from Feb. 28 through March 6.
The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft will start on Thursday, April 27, in Kansas City, Missouri with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 28, followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, April 29.
Before we get into what draft experts are saying, here's a refresher on the draft order:
- Chicago Bears
- Houston Texans
- Arizona Cardinals
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks (from Broncos)
- Detroit Lions (from Rams)
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Philadelphia Eagles (from Saints)
- Tennessee Titans
- Houston Texans (from Browns)
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots
- Green Bay Packers
- Washington Commanders
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Detroit Lions
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Miami Dolphins (choice forfeited)
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Minnesota Vikings
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New York Giants
- Dallas Cowboys
- Buffalo Bills
- Cincinnati Bengals
- New Orleans Saints (from 49ers through Dolphins and Broncos)
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Kansas City Chiefs
Now for what's out there in the latest mock drafts:
Pick: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Analysis: "I really like Flowers' skill set. He's elusive in the open field and has the speed to separate from coverage. Last season, he caught 78 balls for 1,077 yards and 12 TDs while forcing a bunch of missed tackles."
Pick: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Analysis: "Johnston is the big, fast and physical receiver they need. At 6-foot-4, he is tremendous after the catch, breaking tackles and running for long touchdowns. He understands how to use his frame to high-point the ball in the air."
Pick: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Analysis: "The Giants are desperate for some explosiveness at receiver. Hyatt provides plenty of it."
Pick: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Analysis: "Hyatt exploded onto the scene in Tennessee's vertical tempo offense, catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, all while averaging a clean 18.9 yards per catch. He is a certified deep threat, with one area scout telling me at the Senior Bowl that he'll likely run in the low 4.3-second range in the 40-yard dash."
Pick: O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Analysis: "I've always been of the mind that O'Cyrus Torrence is more of a second-rounder than a first-round prospect. There are still questions about his lateral agility and movement freedom, but his strength was borderline dominant at the Senior Bowl."
Pick: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Analysis: "The Giants need more weapons on the perimeter. Flowers is an electric playmaker with sticky hands and outstanding route-running skills."
Pick: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
Analysis: "Simpson has extremely rare speed as a linebacker. The Giants know they need to put players on the field who can run and chase the Eagles for years to come."
Pick: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Analysis: "Flowers lined up out wide on almost two-thirds of his snaps at BC, and while that may not be how he's used at the next level, he has the speed and route traits that Giants coach Brian Daboll could use on third down, specifically."
Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Analysis: "Head coach Brian Daboll has been a master at scheming to talent, and in the right role, there may be no better receiver in this class to scheme to than Smith-Njigba. He is nearly unguardable on option routes over the middle of the field and can easily take on a Cooper Kupp– or Amon-Ra St. Brown-esque slot role."
Pick: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Analysis: "Isaiah Hodgins opened eyes late in the season, and Wan'Dale Robinson will be back from a torn ACL, but adding a lengthy playmaker with burst and 50-50 skills makes sense."
Pick: Drew Sanders, LB, Alabama
Analysis: "Whether he's lining up off the ball to run and cover or dropping down to rush off the edge, Sanders has the length and speed to wear multiple hats in Wink Martindale's defense."
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah updated his ranking of the top 50 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
No. 50 Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
No. 49 Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
No. 48 John Michael Schmitz, IOL, Minnesota
No. 40 Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
No. 47 Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
No. 37 Steve Avila, IOL, TCU
No. 46 Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
No. 45 Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
No. 44 Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
No. 43 Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
No. 42 Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
No. 38 Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
No. 39 Cody Mauch, OT, North Dakota State
No. 36 Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
No. 41 O'Cyrus Torrence, IOL, Florida
No. 35 BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
No. 27 Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
No. 34 Joe Tippmann, IOL, Wisconsin
No. 32 Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
No. 31 Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
No. 30 Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU
No. 29 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
No. 28 Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech
No. 26 Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
No. 25 Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State
No. 33 Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
No. 24 Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
No. 21 Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
No. 22 Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
No. 20 Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
No. 23 Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
No. 17 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
No. 13 Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
No. 19 Broderick Jones, OT Georgia
No. 16 Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
No. 18 Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
No. 14 Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
No. 15 Jordan Addison, WR, USC
No. 12 Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
No. 10 Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
No. 11 Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
No. 9 Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
No. 8 Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
No. 7 C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
No. 5 Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
No. 6 Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
No. 4 Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
No. 3 Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
No. 2 Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
No. 1 Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Analysis: "Smith-Njigba barely saw the field during the 2022 season because of injuries but he's still one of the top wideouts in the class. It's easy to forget that he led the 2021 Buckeyes in receptions and that corps included first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and future first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr."
Pick: O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Analysis: "Torrence is an NFL-ready guard the Giants can plug in immediately. He'll improve the run and pass game for the G-Men."
Pick: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
Analysis: "The UNC WR can carve defenses up in space and generate downfield plays from the slot."
Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Analysis: "He feels like a slot exclusive player, as more than 85% of his snaps came from the slot over the past two years, but he's one of the savviest receivers and best route runners in the class."
Pick: Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
Analysis: "Clark Phillips III is a flat-out dog in coverage. His ability to take the football away may be his best trait. He will fit well in Wink Martindale's man-heavy defense."
Pick: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Analysis: "Johnston is an explosive vertical playmaker that should give Jones a big target to throw to and make things easier for him in the passing game."
Pick: John Michael Schmitz, IOL, Minnesota
Analysis: "John Michael Schmitz is a powerful interior offensive lineman who can play guard or center."
Pick: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Analysis: "This is a home-run style fit and a home-run need filled here in this NFL mock draft."
Pick: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Analysis: "Quentin Johnston gives the Giants some height in the pass game. The hope is that a healthy Wan'Dale Robinson returns and the two can complement each other for quite some time."
Pick: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Analysis: "He caught 59 passes for 875 yards and eight TDs this season, and the Giants would get a potential WR1 before a mini run on receivers here."
Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR, Ohio State
Analysis: "Adding a presence like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to go with the emerging Isaiah Hodgins would allow for the Giants' offense to stabilize and take off in year two under Brian Daboll."
