2023 Backward NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

This is our 14th-annual backward mock draft. It’s what it sounds like: What would the 2023 NFL Draft look like if the order were reversed? Who would the Chiefs take with the first pick? My annual Backward NFL Mock Draft is listed below.

Go here for my 2023 NFL Mock Draft or here for my 2024 NFL Mock Draft.


  1. Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs: Will Anderson, DE/OLB, Alabama Alabama
    This shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Chiefs have to compete with Joe Burrow-, Josh Allen-, and Justin Herbert-led offenses every year in the brutal AFC, so they could use as much pass-rushing talent as possible. Obtaining an elite edge rusher would be a huge boost.

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  2. Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Georgia
    The Eagles drafted a defensive tackle out of Georgia last year, so I’m sure they’d love to do that again if Jalen Carter were to fall to No. 10 in the real draft. Carter may not be available at No. 10, but he’ll be here at No. 2, allowing Philadelphia to obtain its successor for Fletcher Cox.

  3. New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama Alabama
    The Saints would love to obtain an elite pass rusher, but I don’t think they could eschew a top-end quarterback prospect if given the chance. They’d be able to comfortably trade up for one of Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud if they hadn’t traded away this year’s first-round pick.



  4. Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals: Paris Johnson, OT/G, Ohio State Ohio State
    Cincinnati seemingly solidified its offensive line by signing Orlando Brown, but Jonah Williams requested a trade. In this scenario, the Bengals could trade Williams and still secure a great bookend for Brown with the top offensive lineman in this class.

  5. Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Texas
    I’m often against teams using first-round picks on running backs. The exception comes when a prime contender selects one because a stud running back can put them over the top. That applies in this scenario. The Bills could take Jahmyr Gibbs in real life.



  6. Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys: Tyree Wilson, DE/DT, Texas Tech Texas Tech
    Given that the Cowboys have to chase around Jalen Hurts twice per year, they would be interested in an elite pass rusher if they can obtain him.

  7. New York Giants New York Giants: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State Ohio State
    The Giants would love it if one of the top four receivers fell to them at No. 25. In this scenario, they have their pick of the litter!



  8. Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Illinois
    The Jaguars have issues at cornerback, which is why they were 32nd against the pass at some point during the 2022 season. They’ll have interest in one of the top corners in the 2023 NFL Draft class.

  9. Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Ohio State
    Kirk Cousins gets a lot of flak, but he’s not a bad quarterback. The problem with him is that he’s way overpaid. The Vikings can go cheaper at quarterback, giving themselves lots of hope for the future.



  10. Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Florida
    The Ravens would have no problem allowing Lamar Jackson to walk if they could secure one of the top three quarterbacks in this class. Trading up from No. 22 would be too difficult, however.

  11. San Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Oregon
    The Chargers need all the talented cornerbacks they can get, given how much quarterbacking talent exists in the AFC.

  12. Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks: Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Iowa
    The Seahawks had the 10th-worst pressure rate in the NFL. They’re desperate for edge-rushing help.

  13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Tennessee
    The Buccaneers have someone named Brandon Walton slated to start at left tackle, just to give you an idea of how dire this situation is.

  14. Detroit Lions Detroit Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Alabama
    The Lions love Bijan Robinson to consider him at No. 6 overall. They also love Jahmyr Gibbs enough to take him at No. 18 if Robinson is off the board by then. They are not happy with D’Andre Swift’s poor durability.

  15. Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Penn State
    T.J. Watt’s return has bolstered Pittsburgh’s pass defense, but help is still needed at cornerback. Patrick Peterson was signed, but he’s obviously not a long-term answer. There are plenty of talented cornerbacks who will be available at this juncture. And we’ve now reached the portion of the backward mock where the picks are the same as the real mock.



  16. Washington Commanders Washington Redskins: Brian Branch, CB/S, Alabama Alabama
    Again, these picks in the middle are boring. The Redskins can’t cover anyone, thanks to William Jackson being a complete bust as a free agent signing. They desperately need someone new to stay with A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb.


  17. Go to 2023 Backward NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

    Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.

Real 2023 NFL Mock Draft | Fantasy Football Rankings









NFL Picks - Dec. 11


2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11


NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9


2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29


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2012 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2012 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2012 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Pick History (4/23) /Emmitt Mock (4/19) /Not Mock (4/19) /Backward Mock (4/17) /Celebrity (4/15) /Goals (4/10) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Greg Cox (9/9)
2013 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2013 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2013 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /GM Mock (4/21) /Charlie's Trade Mock (4/20) /Goals (4/19) /Rapid Reader Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/14) /Not Mock (4/13) /Pick History (4/5) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Archived 2013 NFL Mock Drafts
2014 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATE 5/8): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2014 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/10): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2014 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/8) /Goals (5/3) /Not Mock (4/27) /Emmitt Mock (4/20) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Celebrity Mock (4/11) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2015 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2015 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/2): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2015 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/30) /Goals (4/25) /Not Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/3) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/5) /Overreaction Mock (12/29)
2016 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2016 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2016 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Combo (5/8) /Goals (4/23) /Not Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2017 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2017 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2017 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Combo (5/7) /Goals (4/22) /Not Mock (4/21) /Emmitt Mock (4/16) /Backward Mock (4/9) /Celebrity Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Overreaction Mock (1/2)
2018 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2018 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2018 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Combo (5/6) /Goals (4/21) /Not Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Backward Mock (4/8) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/11) /Senior Bowl (1/27)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2019 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /Combo (5/5) /Goals (4/20) /Not Mock (4/18) /Witten Mock (4/14) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Emmitt Mock (4/7) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/26) /Video Mock (1/8) /Overreaction Mock (12/31)
2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2020 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23) /Combo (5/3) /Goals (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/12) /Trades Mock (4/8) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/16) /Corey Long (3/13) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2021 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2021 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/1): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2021 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/17) /Goals (4/23) /Backward Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/11) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/30) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2022 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2022 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2022 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Goals (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/5) /Overreaction Mock (1/10)
2023 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2023 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2023 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Backward Mock (4/19) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/4) /Overreaction Mock (1/9)
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /April Fools Mock (3/31)
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 12/11): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (12/6)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/23)
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