2023 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft: Raiders get a gift at No. 7 overall

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General overall view of the stage as the Oakland Raiders prepare to select Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (not pictured) as the No. 24 pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General overall view of the stage as the Oakland Raiders prepare to select Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (not pictured) as the No. 24 pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI – NOVEMBER 12: Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 12, 2022, in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI – NOVEMBER 12: Bryce Young #9 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 12, 2022, in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

2023 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft: Raiders get a gift at No. 7 overall

The Houston Texans hold the No. 2 overall pick, this after Lovie Smith orchestrated a win in Week 18, even though he was about to be fired. Maybe that was a parting gift to the Texans, who once again fired a head coach after one season.

With this pick, Houston tries to get their next franchise quarterback, selecting Bryce Young from Alabama. Widely considered the best quarterback in this class, Young instantly becomes a starter as a rookie.

Here is where the draft starts to get interesting, as the Arizona Cardinals will be going through some major changes this offseason. With a new head coach in place, Arizona is going to look to start building around quarterback Kyler Murray, and bolstering the defense may be the best way to help him.

The edge rusher is a real issue for Arizona, and Myles Murphy is the kind of edge rusher that will land in the first ten picks. After all the draft process finishes up, he will be widely regarded as a top player, and Arizona needs to just start stacking talented pieces.

The second quarterback of the first round comes off the board here, as the Indianapolis Colts swing for the fences with CJ Stroud from Ohio State. There has not been stability at this position in Indianapolis since Andrew Luck retired, and hopefully, for Colts fans, Stroud is the answer moving forward.

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