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Zierlein NFL.com mock draft 3.0

Lucky

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
Can you envision a draft where the Texans don't come away with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Will Anderson? Lance Zierlein can.

Lance Zierlein 2023 NFL mock draft 3.0: Ravens select C.J. Stroud after trade; Patriots pick QB
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1.2 Tyree Wilson Texas Tech · Edge · Senior (RS)
If the Texans miss out on Young, they might not be a lock to take Stroud. With needs along the defensive front and two 2023 first-round picks, the choice could be between Wilson and Will Anderson Jr.


1.7 Will Levis Kentucky · QB · Senior (RS)
PROJECTED TRADE WITH LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

With 12 picks in this year's draft and additional capital in 2024, Houston spends some to move up for the strong-armed but erratic QB from Kentucky.

This is a draft not even a mother could love.
 
Lucky said:
Can you envision a draft where the Texans don't come away with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Will Anderson? Lance Zierlein can.




1.2 Tyree Wilson Texas Tech · Edge · Senior (RS)
If the Texans miss out on Young, they might not be a lock to take Stroud. With needs along the defensive front and two 2023 first-round picks, the choice could be between Wilson and Will Anderson Jr.


1.7 Will Levis Kentucky · QB · Senior (RS)
PROJECTED TRADE WITH LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

With 12 picks in this year's draft and additional capital in 2024, Houston spends some to move up for the strong-armed but erratic QB from Kentucky.

This is a draft not even a mother could love.
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In fairness he tweeted Texans fans were going to have a cow over his 3.0. I've seen this scenario mentioned a few times but its Anderson at 1:2. They'd be crazy to pass on WA.
 
Lucky said:
Can you envision a draft where the Texans don't come away with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Will Anderson? Lance Zierlein can.




1.2 Tyree Wilson Texas Tech · Edge · Senior (RS)
If the Texans miss out on Young, they might not be a lock to take Stroud. With needs along the defensive front and two 2023 first-round picks, the choice could be between Wilson and Will Anderson Jr.


1.7 Will Levis Kentucky · QB · Senior (RS)
PROJECTED TRADE WITH LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

With 12 picks in this year's draft and additional capital in 2024, Houston spends some to move up for the strong-armed but erratic QB from Kentucky.

This is a draft not even a mother could love.
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I have recently been seeing more and more mocks with Wilson going ahead of Anderson, not necessarily either to Texans just the order of the two. Must be some legit talk going on behind the scenes
 
pirbroke said:
I have recently been seeing more and more mocks with Wilson going ahead of Anderson, not necessarily either to Texans just the order of the two. Must be some legit talk going on behind the scenes
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I think mockers are tiring of putting out the same mocks. Wilson hasn’t been able to workout and is more likely to drop a bit than go above Anderson.
 
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Lucky said:
I think mockers are tiring of putting out the same mocks. Wilson hasn’t been able to workout and is more likely to drop a bit than go above Anderson.
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Depends on the team selecting and their defense. Wilson is a true 4-3 DE. Anderson is a true 3-4 OLB.
 
Lucky said:
I think mockers are tiring of putting out the same mocks. Wilson hasn’t been able to workout and is more likely to drop a bit than go above Anderson.
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So the draft reality is that most years by pick five ( and for sure pick ten) the actual NFL has rendered every mock draft useless because something unexpected has happened. Between that backdrop, boredom, and a need to market a mock draft over another, not surprising to see more and more mock drafts try to come up with the expected unexpected.
 
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I did not take LZ for a “shock factor” mocker. But I guess if you’re asked to do these mocks you’ve gotta change things up.
 
JB said:
Why?
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Anderson and Wilson were both 3-4 OLB (Jack) at Bama and TX Tech respectively.

If Ryans is good with Anderson being a OLB in his 4-3 scheme….that should be good enough. At 6’-3.5”, 253 pounds, and having a 33.75” wingspan, it would make a nice OLB in a 3-4 defense, but I’d be a bit more hesitant to ask him to an every down DE in a 4-3.

On the other hand Wilson is a bit of a freak b/c he stands 6’-6” at 271 lbs and sports a solid 35 5/8” wingspan. I believe Wilson could be even better if his full time job was DE in a 4-3 scheme versus an OLB in a 3-4 base defense.

If Wilson became the first pick target, Texans could take a reasonable amount of picks from the Colts if they wanted either Young or Stroud bad enough. The Texans could probably gain the number 1-4, 2-35, 5-138 and their 2024 RD1 picks in this trade.

Panthers and Colts get their QB’s while the Cardinals land Anderson….leaving Wilson at 4 for the taking. Personally, I wouldn’t see Wilson making it past the Seahawks at 5.

Texans could play the Seahawks in an effort to drop one more spot while gaining another RD2 pick. They allow Seattle to select Wilson while adjusting their focus to DE- Lucas Van Ness. Two more picks in RD2 would be very good for the Texans.

Went a bit beyond the required answer but what the hail, we’re essentially talking about the draft.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
If Ryans is good with Anderson being a OLB in his 4-3 scheme….that should be good enough. At 6’-3.5”, 253 pounds, and having a 33.75” wingspan, it would make a nice OLB in a 3-4 defense, but I’d be a bit more hesitant to ask him to an every down DE in a 4-3.
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I was thinking in a similar fashion, but @TheRealJoker pointed out that 245 Lb Samson Ebukam had started at DE all 2022 for the Niners. I don't think the Texans would rule out Anderson, or another smaller edge.
 
KoolAid Sipper said:
@CloakNNNdagger can you give some insight into Tyree Wilson's foot injury, surgery and potential effects if you haven't already. Thanks
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As far as I can tell by the limited video that was available, he sustained a Jones fracture in Nov last season which require the placement of a screw. Last month, he underwent a second procedure for "removal of hardware." From what I can ascertain, the prominence of the screw head used to repair the fracture was giving him a problem and was removed. There is ~15% chance that when a player returns to play, there can be a "backing out" of the screw and potential refracture. But the likelihood of this being the case with no signs of non union or poor healing of the fracture is very small. His Draft stock could possibly drop, but shouldn't, as his future should experience no long-term ill effects of his injury.
 
leebigeztx said:
Wilson and Murphy are scheme adverse. Anderson is a 3-4 olb rush end. As a prospect, both Wilson and Murphy, imo are better prospects. That's not to say all three won't be good, but Murphy and Wilson have better physical traits.
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I thought you were about production... Anderson is far and away more productive. Why can't Anderson be scheme diverse? I think he could be as productive or more than Von Miller
 
JB said:
I thought you were about production... Anderson is far and away more productive. Why can't Anderson be scheme diverse? I think he could be as productive or more than Von Miller
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Anderson is scheme diverse. His position is pash rusher often called edge. The base 4-3, 3-4 talk is great except teams are in pure base defense 1/3 of the time and even then it is not just players standing in the classic alignment we learned 25-30 years ago.

The football-playing issue is whether or not Anderson can rush from both the standing position and with his hand on the ground. We have seen him standing up more at Alabama.
 
leebigeztx said:
Wilson and Murphy are scheme adverse. Anderson is a 3-4 olb rush end. As a prospect, both Wilson and Murphy, imo are better prospects. That's not to say all three won't be good, but Murphy and Wilson have better physical traits.
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Keion White is in the same boat.
The only thing holding his draft stock down is he played in a lesser division plus he did suffer a hamstring injury at the combine.
I love his motor too.
 
Texansphan said:
Keion White is in the same boat.
The only thing holding his draft stock down is he played in a lesser division plus he did suffer a hamstring injury at the combine.
I love his motor too.
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You could put Wilson, Murphy, Van Ness, & White in the same bucket. Pros? Wilson's length and power, Murphy's edge skills, Van Ness' upside, and White's overall athleticism. Cons? Wilson's foot, Murphy's power, Van Ness' lack of tools, and White's age.

Honestly, the foot scares me with Wilson. Maybe it's just a reflex action from the Stingley experience. White is maxed out, but he can still learn new tricks. Van Ness has amazing upside, but how long before he becomes elite? Murphy is probably the safest, but he doesn't jump off the tape as much as the other guys. It's a tough call.

That's why I would take Anderson over all of them.
 
Lucky said:
You could put Wilson, Murphy, Van Ness, & White in the same bucket. Pros? Wilson's length and power, Murphy's edge skills, Van Ness' upside, and White's overall athleticism. Cons? Wilson's foot, Murphy's power, Van Ness' lack of tools, and White's age.

Honestly, the foot scares me with Wilson. Maybe it's just a reflex action from the Stingley experience. White is maxed out, but he can still learn new tricks. Van Ness has amazing upside, but how long before he becomes elite? Murphy is probably the safest, but he doesn't jump off the tape as much as the other guys. It's a tough call.

That's why I would take Anderson over all of them.
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Nolan Smith and Will McDonald would be in the conversation too except they are lighter than the former. Smith's speed is intriguing though - he could possibly transition to MLB and be very valuable there.
 
Texansphan said:
Nolan Smith and Will McDonald would be in the conversation too except they are lighter than the former. Smith's speed is intriguing though - he could possibly transition to MLB and be very valuable there.
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Outside of Smith running fast in tights, what makes you think this?
 
Mr teX said:
i mean we've heard this before with Jax's Josh Allen & at least with him i saw the 1st step explosion..I don't necessarily see it with WA. & Josh Allen in 4 years has just been 'aight.
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That's why they call it a crapshoot. Want to is huge
 
Mr teX said:
i mean we've heard this before with Jax's Josh Allen & at least with him i saw the 1st step explosion..I don't necessarily see it with WA. & Josh Allen in 4 years has just been 'aight.
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Allen is an excellent athlete and had a very good rookie season that sent him to the Pro Bowl. But he has regressed as a pass rusher, since. Allen doesn't have Anderson's intensity or physicality, and it's not easy keeping intensity playing in Jacksonville over the years. But, he is going into the last year of his rookie deal, so I expect Allen's best effort.
 
JB said:
That's why they call it a crapshoot. Want to is huge
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i get it, i'm just weary of folks comparing the potential impact of him on our defense versus us passing on a potential franchise qb in Stroud or Young. Even if he does excel in any system as you say &/or we hit it out the park & he's a stud, his impact would still pale in comparison to a Stroud or Young if we even came close to doing the same thing.

I think i've said it before on here, but i believe the only position players worthy of a top 3 slot are qbs..& probably LT's. Any other position is on an talent-basis...As in once in a generation level talent..& i just don't see WA as that.
 
rmartin65 said:
Outside of Smith running fast in tights, what makes you think this?
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With that kind of speed, he will run sideline to sideline. Played the edge and LB positions in college.
Very efficient against the run and his speed was obvious on game tape.
 
Mr teX said:
i get it, i'm just weary of folks comparing the potential impact of him on our defense versus us passing on a potential franchise qb in Stroud or Young. Even if he does excel in any system as you say &/or we hit it out the park & he's a stud, his impact would still pale in comparison to a Stroud or Young if we even came close to doing the same thing.

I think i've said it before on here, but i believe the only position players worthy of a top 3 slot are qbs..& probably LT's. Any other position is on an talent-basis...As in once in a generation level talent..& i just don't see WA as that.
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I think the only question on Young is size and injury concerns. The questions on Stroud are performance under pressure and working with less talented teammates
 
Texansphan said:
With that kind of speed, he will run sideline to sideline. Played the edge and LB positions in college.
Very efficient against the run and his speed was obvious on game tape.
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Edge and OLB have different responsibilities than MLBs; it's a different skillset. Being fast is great, but defending against the run outside the tackle box looks different than inside it. Being further off the LoS changes things too. Then there is the whole coverage aspect.

I'm not saying it is impossible, but I don't really see anything in his profile that suggests he should be a MLB in the NFL, not over playing outside. Then again, we seem to disagree on multi-positionality- I don't think Green should be playing tackle in the NFL, whereas I believe you said that he could play there.
 
rmartin65 said:
Edge and OLB have different responsibilities than MLBs; it's a different skillset. Being fast is great, but defending against the run outside the tackle box looks different than inside it. Being further off the LoS changes things too. Then there is the whole coverage aspect.
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This is only tangentially related to the topic, but I remember when Gil Brandt and Tom Landry drafted Randy White (Outland trophy winning DT) and decided to move him to MLB. Not a great idea. White did return to DT and went on to have a HOF career.
 
Texansphan said:
Nolan Smith and Will McDonald would be in the conversation too except they are lighter than the former. Smith's speed is intriguing though - he could possibly transition to MLB and be very valuable there.
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Just discussing, why would you transition Smith to MLB when Drew Sanders just had phenomenal season as MLB and available later?
 
rmartin65 said:
Edge and OLB have different responsibilities than MLBs; it's a different skillset. Being fast is great, but defending against the run outside the tackle box looks different than inside it. Being further off the LoS changes things too. Then there is the whole coverage aspect.

I'm not saying it is impossible, but I don't really see anything in his profile that suggests he should be a MLB in the NFL, not over playing outside. Then again, we seem to disagree on multi-positionality- I don't think Green should be playing tackle in the NFL, whereas I believe you said that he could play there.
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Smith is ideally suited to OLB/Edge where he settled in at Georgia.
Not sure I thought Kenyon Green would play tackle in the NFL, but was aware he had experience at the tackle positions.
 
I agree with Mr Tex and Lucky, but we both know how cute Nick likes to get. He favors traits over production. He had what I thought was an easy choice at 3 last year, but decided to go for traits and ignore production.

I know Demeco will play a large role in the first 2 or 3 picks as well, so it's not all on Nick, but he is the GM and it's ultimately on his record.

If he is going to pass on the "obvious" choice (Stroud) to reach for traits, he better hit or the natives are going to get really restless.
 
Texansphan said:
Smith is ideally suited to OLB/Edge where he settled in at Georgia.
Not sure I thought Kenyon Green would play tackle in the NFL, but was aware he had experience at the tackle positions.
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Here-
Texansphan said:
Kenyon Green can play every position along the line except C. He could probably do it in a pinch, but doesn't project well there.
Olusegun Oluwatimi C from Michigan is available around our 4th round pick and rated highly by PFF as another prospect to consider.
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rmartin65 said:
Outside of Smith running fast in tights, what makes you think this?
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If you watch much Georgia football Smith was their most versatile player, he takes away the outside on his side, can cover the TE, RB, and WR. With his speed no one can as well sideline to sideline. Often makes plays from behind. He bends lower than anyone else I've seen. And is great in the locker room. It would be a waste of his talent to put him in the middle.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
As far as I can tell by the limited video that was available, he sustained a Jones fracture in Nov last season which require the placement of a screw. Last month, he underwent a second procedure for "removal of hardware." From what I can ascertain, the prominence of the screw head used to repair the fracture was giving him a problem and was removed. There is ~15% chance that when a player returns to play, there can be a "backing out" of the screw and potential refracture. But the likelihood of this being the case with no signs of non union or poor healing of the fracture is very small. His Draft stock could possibly drop, but shouldn't, as his future should experience no long-term ill effects of his injury.
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I just came across a picture of Tyree Wilson being carted off after his season-end foot injury. Now I have to reconsider his injury. The bandage he is sporting in the pic is not one you expect for a Jones fracture. Rather, it's one I would place for a midfoot sprain..........specifically a Lisfranc injury. The fact that his surgery was Nov 21 and he missed not only the Combine, but also required a 2nd surgery to remove hardware and failed to perform at his Pro Day for which at the time of the Combine he promised he would be there.......................I am very guarded about his future. If a simple screw/screw head removal for a Jones fracture was performed, it makes no sense that his surgeon Dr. Robert Anderson well-known foot specialist would write a letter saying he should not work out for 2 weeks in order to avoid sweating and increasing chances of infection.

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