Draft analysts' mocks are true projections of what they believe will happen based on what they're hearing -- my colleague Mel Kiper Jr. just unveiled his newest last week -- but I'm going a different route with my third annual GM mock. I'm sliding into the general manager chair for each team with a first-rounder and making my own picks. This isn't what I'm expecting but rather how I'd personally approach each Day 1 selection. And what follows is based off my own evaluations, preferences and philosophies.
1. Carolina Panthers (Chicago) - Bryce Young QB Alabama
2. Houston Texans - C.J. Stroud QB Ohio St.
3. Arizona Cardinals - Will Anderson Jr. OLB Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts - Will Levis QB Kentucky
5. Seattle Seahawks (Denver) - Hendon Hooker QB Tennessee
6. Detroit Lions (L.A. Rams) - Tyree Wilson DE Texas Tech
7. Las Vegas Raiders - Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon
8. Atlanta Falcons - Myles Murphy DE Clemson
9. Chicago Bears (Carolina) - Peter Skoronski T/G Northwestern
10. Philadelphia Eagles (New Orleans) - Broderick Jones T Georgia
11. Tennessee Titans - Anthony Richardson QB Florida
12. Houston Texans (Cleveland) - Quentin Johnston WR TCU
13. New York Jets - Paris Johnson Jr. T Ohio St.
14. New England Patriots - Darnell Wright T Tennessee
15. Green Bay Packers - Dawand Jones T Ohio St.
16. Washington (Red)skins - Dalton Kincaid TE Utah
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Devon Witherspoon CB Illinois
18. Detroit Lions - Jalen Carter DT Georgia
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bijan Robinson RB Texas
20. Seattle Seahawks - Lukas Van Ness DE Iowa
21. Los Angeles Chargers - Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio St.
22. Baltimore Ravens - Zay Flowers WR Boston College
23. Minnesota Vikings - Joey Porter Jr. CB Penn St.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars - Anton Harrison T Oklahoma
25. New York Giants - Jalin Hyatt WR Tennessee
26. Dallas Cowboys - Michael Mayer TE Notre Dame
I love this fit to replace Dalton Schultz. Mayer is 6-foot-5, blocks well and provides high-end receiving talent. He was very efficient last year with 67 catches, 809 yards and nine touchdowns -- each of which ranked top three among FBS tight ends. Schultz accounted for 14.8% of the Cowboys' receiving yards and scored five of their 28 passing touchdowns, but I think Mayer can immediately fill that void at a high level.
27. Buffalo Bills - Jahmyr Gibbs RB Alabama
28. Cincinnati Bengals - Emmanuel Forbes CB Mississippi St.
29. New Orleans Saints - (San Fran thru Mia, Den) - Jordan Addison WR USC
30. Philadelphia Eagles - Nolan Smith OLB Georgia
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Deonte Banks CB Maryland