Here is the last edition
There are hours remaining during which moves could be made that shake-up all three days of the draft. Unfortunately the crystal ball is on the fritz so the last set of predictions will be based on the latest information. First will be one last seven-round run for the Purple and then an attempt at nailing all 31 of tonight's picks.
I don't know about you but I'm to get on with the real thing, here goes the last of 2023!
23 brought an offer of 28 & 2024's second from "Cincinnati" for 23. To add a little to Saturday, 206 was tacked-on. "Green Bay", "Las Vegas" & "Cleveland" all made offers which included future assets but the fifth-year option was more attractive.
Calijah Kancey (Pitt) was a defensive tackle possibility but Clemson LB Trenton Simpson seems like a Swiss-Army Knife sort of player for Flores' scheme.
Going back-to-back at the LB would be overkill but at 87 Oregon's Noah Sewell is another player to keep in mind. In this case Wisconsin's Keeanu Benton (DT) was well ahead of the other options.
At 119 it came down to Tennessee DE Byron Young, TCU CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson & Kentucky CB Carrington Valentine. Perhaps all three will be successful in the pros but Valentine could help make dreams come true.
With the age of Harrison Smith & the unknown of Lewis Cine the mid-to-late rounds could also use a safety addition. Florida's Rashad Torrence & Ohio State's Ronnie Hickman are possibilities to that end. Adding to the offensive line pool is at least as important and that is where Michigan's Olusegun Oluwatimi comes in. If the upcoming shows again that they need more physicality in the middle then double-O is the man!
In the early 200s Duke's Shaka Heyward (LB) is another piece of clay that would fit the fast & aggressive mold but unless the team trades down with seventh-round picks included, they could go in any direction & "reach" dramatically. Based on Paul Allen's conversation Wednesday before the draft, look for the team to add a traditional red-zone threat to compliment Jefferson & Hockenson, like Louisiana's Michael Jefferson perhaps.
To close out the whole-draft portion, I went with Eastern Michigan DE Jose Ramirez at 206 and at 211, QB Tyson Bagent (Shepherd).
Now for the 31-pick prediction
1. Bryce Young QB Alabama
2. Will Anderson Jr. EDGE Alabama
3. Tyree Wilson EDGE Texas Tech
4. C.J. Stroud QB Ohio State
5. Anthony Richardson QB Florida
6. Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon
7. Will Levis QB Kentucky
8. Jalen Carter DT Georgia
9. Paris Johnson Jr. OT Ohio State
10. Devon Witherspoon CB Illinois
11. Peter Skoronski OT Northwestern
12. Broderick Jones OT Georgia
13. Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio State
14. Myles Murphy EDGE Clemson
15. Darnell Wright OT Tennessee
16. Bijan Robinson RB Texas
17. Nolan Smith EDGE Georgia
18. Quentin Johnston WR TCU
19. Lukas Van Ness EDGE Iowa
20. Joey Porter Jr. CB Penn State
21. Jordan Addison WR USC
22. Deonte Banks CB Maryland
23. Bryan Bresee DT Clemson
24. Brian Branch S Alabama
25. Kelee Ringo CB Georgia
26. Calijah Kancey DT Pittsburgh
27. Trenton Simpson LB Clemson
28. Isaiah Foskey EDGE Notre Dame
29. Michael Mayer TE Notre Dame
30. Drew Sanders LB Arkansas
31. Dalton Kincaid TE Utah