Author: Luke Krumich

Krumich’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Anthony Richardson: Florida Gators quarterback will no longer use 'AR15' nickname for this reason | CNN
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Alright, folks, it’s time, and I am just so confused by the first round of this draft. None of it makes sense, it doesn’t feel right, and I have no clue what is going on. So with that in mind, let’s get into this 2023 NFL mock draft.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: The Top 10

Pick 1: Bears, Jalen Carter DL

We kick off this 2023 NFL mock draft with Jalen Carter. Firstly, I think that Carter is the pick here. Not because he is the best player, but because he fits best with head coach Matt Eberflus. Don’t get me wrong, Carter is a freak. However, I think there are better players in the NFL draft. Carter with the Bears just feels right in this mock draft.

Pick 2: Texans, Bryce Young QB

Realistically, this is the guy for Houston. Bryce Young is the future for Demeco Ryans and the Texans. Young is a creative, intelligent, and accurate quarterback. He would be perfect for the Shanahan system, now that Ryans has hired an offensive coordinator who (presumably) runs that system.

Pick 3: Cardinals, Will Anderson EDGE

Will Anderson is the best player in this class. Point blank, period. New head coach Jonathan Gannon loves to rush the passer with speed, which is right up Anderson’s ally.

Pick 4: Colts, C.J. Stroud QB

Here is where things start to get weird. I genuinely believe any of C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, or Anthony Richardson could be headed to Indianapolis. I think it’s going to be Stroud, but man, it’s a toss up.

Pick 5: Seahawks, Christian Gonzalez CB

Firstly, at the year’s end, Pete Carroll said this about his defense: “It’s killing me.” So it only feels right he takes a corner early in the draft. This corner class is loaded, and Christian Gonzalez is the best of the bunch. With great length and athleticism, he and Tariq Woolen would be a deadly combo.

Pick 6: Lions, Devon Witherspoon CB

The Lions desperately need cornerback help. They can add a bonafide top-level corner in Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon has crazy instincts and plays the ball better than most corners. He is an excellent fit in Detroit.

Pick 7: Raiders, Will Levis QB

Listen, I am not the biggest fan of Will Levis, but he just makes more sense here than Anthony Richardson. Levis is very rough around the edges. He has excellent traits; however, he isn’t very refined. Levis’ career is going to be an interesting one.

Pick 8: Falcons, Tyree Wilson EDGE

Now, Tyree Wilson is a freak. His whole draft stock is going to be decided at the combine. He is strong, has prototypical size, and is super versatile. He is an excellent fit for the Falcons, who desperately need to rebuild their defensive line.

Pick 9: Panthers, Anthony Richardson QB

Firstly, Anthony Richardson is really good. Coaching is going to be really important for his development. Carolina feels like the perfect place for him. Head coach Frank Reich can unlock the huge potential of Anthony Richardson.

Pick 10: Eagles, Bijan Robinson RB

Surprisingly, I don’t know what to do with Bijan Robinson in this 2023 NFL mock draft. He is a weapon, but where is he going to get drafted? I have no clue. I know he will go in the first round, but he could go anywhere from 10-31. He makes no sense. Miles Sanders is a free agent, so the Eagles replace him with a better player.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 11-20

Pick 11: Titans, Peter Skoronski OL

Peter Skoronski will be the first offensive lineman off the board, but where will he play? He can try to play tackle, where he has good tape, but does he have the length to play there? He can play guard, but he feels better suited for tackle.

Pick 12: Texans, Lukas Van Ness EDGE

Realistically, with a defensive head coach, the Texans will go defense here. I think wide receiver is the bigger need, but Van Ness isn’t a bad pick. Firstly, he has a lot of strength. Secondly, his burst and bend are crazy for his size. Lastly, he has sky-high potential.

Pick 13: Jets, Paris Johnson Jr. OT

New York has a Mekhi Becton problem. Robert Salah has to make a choice, run with him or draft another tackle. I am taking the easy way out in this mock draft and drafting a guy who can play inside and out. Paris Johnson Jr. is a beast, but like Peter Skoronski, he can play guard and tackle.

Pick 14: Patriots, Quinton Johnston WR

Bill Belichick is a sicko. He loves fast downfield wide receivers, but only allows them to run curls and jet sweeps. Mac Jones desperately needs a weapon, and Quinton Johnston is just that. Fast, explosive, and has good hands — something I’m sure Mac Jones would welcome in New England.

Pick 15: Packers, Myles Murphy EDGE

We all know this won’t be a wide receiver. However, it will be a freak in Myles Murphy. Murphy is 6’5, 275lbs with crazy speed and burst. However, with how this EDGE class stacks up, I have no clue how far he falls. The Packers just felt like the right place for him.

Pick 16: Commanders, Joey Porter Jr. CB

I don’t think Porter is the best cornerback available (I feel like I have said this a lot). I do think he fits the best in Washington. Porter has an impressive combo of height, weight, and speed. He has also improved technically every year he’s played.

Pick 17: Steelers, Broderick Jones OT

Pittsburg needs offensive line help, and a lot of it. Luckily, Broderick Jones is a lot of human. Jones is a people mover who will help Najee Harris and Kenny Pickett stay upright next season. He would make for an instant starter next year for Pittsburgh.

Pick 18: Lions, Bryan Bresee DL

Many things are going on in Bryan Bresee’s life. Hopefully, the former number 1 recruit in the nation can return to that level. I think Bresee’s versatility will be a huge asset for him. He can play 4i, 3T, or nose tackle on pass downs. The superb athlete has picked up a few severe injuries over the past three years, which is a concern.

Pick 19: Buccaneers, Cam Smith CB

Cam Smith is my CB3 in this class and feels like a steal at 19. The Buccaneers might be blowing it all up. If so, you can’t go wrong with a blue chip corner. A physical and quick cornerback with fluid feet and hips, Cam Smith makes any unit better.

Pick 20: Seahawks, Keion White EDGE

White is a freak off the edge, making him a good fit with Pete Carroll. 6’4 ¾” and 280 pounds with 33 ⅝-inch arms and blazing speed off the edge. Much like their earlier round one pick, Pete Carroll wants a great defense again.

2023 NFL Draft: Picks 21-32

Pick 21: Chargers, Zay Flowers WR

GET JUSTIN HERBERT A PLAYMAKER, PLEASE! That’s really it. Zay Flowers will continue to shoot up draft boards as the cycle continues. He showed out in his one day at the Shrine Bowl, and the buzz was that the Chargers fell in love with him there.

Pick 22: Ravens, Jaxson Smith-Njigba WR

A little run on wide receivers here. The Ravens need to find Lamar Jackson a wide receiver 1 or 2. Honestly, they just need wide receivers. Jaxson Smith-Njigba was the best wide receiver in college football in 2021. With some injuries and the emergence of Marvin Harrison Jr., Smith-Njigba fell to the wayside. Hopefully, he can get back on track in the NFL.

Pick 23: Vikings, Brian Branch S

It is no secret that the Vikings’ secondary was bad. Brian Branch is one of the best athletes in this draft, and new defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves athletes in the secondary.

Pick 24: Jaguars, Kelee Ringo CB

The Jaguars need corner help. Luckily for them, this corner class is absolutely loaded. Kelee Ringo is a super raw corner and is going to need some time. He will be great paired with Tyson Campbell.

Pick 25: Giants, Jordan Addison WR

The Giants have been looking for a game-changing wide receiver. They finally get one in USC’s Jordan Addison. A reliable target throughout his college career, Addison would be an instant impact player in New York.

Pick 26: Cowboys, Jalin Hyatt WR

Jalin Hyatt is a Jerry Jones pick, no questions asked. He has next-level straight-line speed and is good enough at everything else. The majority of his production came on go routes at Tennessee.

Pick 27: Bills, O’Cyrus Torrence IOL

The first true interior offensive lineman off the board, O’Cyrus Torrence is a big man. I think he drops down from his Florida playing weight to get more mobile for the next level. The Bills need to work on their run game, and a blue-chip guard is a perfect place to start.

Pick 28: Bengals, Michael Mayer TE

It feels like we have been talking about Michael Mayer as the next big thing for five years, but now the time has come for him to leave South Bend and head to the NFL. There is no good offensive line value here for Cincinnati, so why not add a great blocking and receiving tight end.

Pick 29: Saints, Nolan Smith EDGE

Nolan Smith is electric. A great athlete, but he doesn’t have a great pass-rush arsenal. He falls here to 29, making the Saints’ pass rush even more deadly. Smith is going to test really will at the combine, which could lead to him climbing draft boards.

Pick 30: Eagles, Emmanuel Forbes CB

After the Super Bowl, it feels like secondary will be on the Eagles’ minds. Emmanuel Forbes has been shooting up draft boards of late, and now makes it into the first round with Philly.

Pick 31: Chiefs, Dawand Jones OT

Dawand Jones is a mountain of a human. Nicknamed “Big Thanos” by teammates, Jones is a certified people mover. The Chiefs’ two tackles are free agents, and everyone knows there is never enough money to go around after you win a Super Bowl. This solves a potential tackle problem.

With that, this 2023 NFL mock draft comes to an end. We only have 31 picks this year (thanks, Miami), so one less player will be getting first-round money. This is just the first iteration of this year’s mock draft, and a lot will change post-combine.

Match Made in Kansas City: The Best 2023 NFL Draft Fits

Photo Credit: Shepherd Football

The 2023 NFL Draft is just over 70 days. This cycle has flown by, so as we get into final report season, I am here to give you my favorite team/player fits of the draft. However, I am not taking the easy way out. We all know Bryce Young is a good fit for the Texans — or Bijan Robinson basically anywhere. It’s time to dive deep and find some matches made in heaven or, this year, Kansas City. These are my favorites NFL Draft fits

Best Prospect/Team Fits in 2023 NFL Draft

McVay and a project QB:

Stick with me here. Matthew Stafford is getting old; Sean McVay must be thinking about finding his heir apparent. I know a strong-arm, tough, pretty mobile QB who could really benefit from a mentor. That QB? Shepherd’s Tyson Bagent.

Tyson Bagent is a lot of fun, but he needs some ironing out. Who better to get the best out of a player than Sean McVay? I got to watch Bagent at the Senior Bowl, and you can see that he has the traits. He just needs to be smart and work on placement.

The Rams have a late fifth-round pick, and three sixth-round picks they could snag Bagent with.

A bell cow in Buffalo:

I would just like to remind the Bills of two things:

  1. Josh Allen is not a running back
  2. You play outdoors in Buffalo… WHICH IS PERFECT FOR A POWER BACK.

Now that we got that out of the way, how about we add a power back and get this train moving in the right direction again, okay? Texas’ Roschon Johnson would be perfect in Buffalo. The Bills could get him late day 2, plug him into their lineup, and would completely revitalize their run game with one draft pick.

Mahomes’ New Weapon

It has been rather obvious the Chiefs are lacking in the wide receiver department. Even though they made the Super Bowl, MVP Patrick Mahomes needs new threats downfield. Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas would be a perfect fit for the Chiefs.

Iosivas is similar to Christian Watson, who KC brought on a top 30 visit last year. He is fast, a great deep threat with good ball skills, and would be a great option to improve on the corps of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

These are just the first few NFL Draft fits that I love. There are many more where these came from — whether it’s a new “Legion Of Boom” or literally any wide receiver and the Giants. Stay tuned for more!

New Look Alabama: Tommy Rees, Run the Damn Ball

Photo Credit: Getty Images

It is no secret that with Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young, the Alabama Crimson Tide got away from running the ball. You can afford to get away from the run when you have NFL quarterbacks who consistently make good reads. However, Bryce Young is gone, and Nick Saban is getting back to his roots with Tommy Rees: running the damn ball.

Meet Tommy Rees:

For those who don’t know much about college football but know a lot about the NFL, remember Ian Book? Yeah, well Tommy Rees brought that guy to the college football playoffs. Why is Rees so interesting? Well, he is a career QB and QB coach whose play-calling specialty is running the rock. His run schemes are some of the best in the country.

Saban brought in a recruiting class that features the number 1 offensive lineman in the country and the number 2 running back. With this class and the current team, Rees can change the game for Alabama.

The Tommy Rees Offense:

If you can’t tell by the title and introduction, Tommy Rees likes to “Run the Damn Ball” — something it feels like Alabama hasn’t done in forever. The Alabama backfield is loaded this year, and depending on who the quarterback is, Alabama could have the most dominant run game in all of college football.

Jalen Milroe, who was Bryce Young’s backup all year, is probably the best-rushing quarterback in college football. However, there are questions about him as a thrower. The other option is Ty Simpson, Alabama’s younger 5-star QB. He is a much more pure thrower of the football. Simpson isn’t the runner that Milroe is, but he can get on his horse.

Tommy Rees had just brought QB Sam Hartman over from Wake Forrest to Notre Dame. Simpson is definitely more in that style of quarterback. I think Rees will hold a legit QB competition at Alabama this spring.

Who Can Rees Unlock?

I personally think the big one is Justice Haynes. The freshman running back came in for bowl practices, and Will Anderson spoke highly of him. Haynes should dominate quickly in a very downhill, creative running offense.

I would really like to see something out of tight ends this year. Alabama got basically 500 yards from tight ends in total. They added C.J. Dippre and Ty Lockwood. The Maryland transfer, Dippre, is going to HAVE to be Rees’ guy.

If you have watched any Notre Dame, you know they love tight ends. Rees definitely shows it.

Will Tommy Rees Succeed?

Personally, I think so. It might take a year for him to be the best version of his offense. However, Rees will be a breath of fresh air for Alabama fans. So Bama fans… please cut this dude some slack and be ready for big changes on offense.

Make The Case: Who should the New York Giants Draft at 25?

The New York Giants draft is undoubtedly going to look different than previous years. No top pick, no extra capital, and nobody clamoring for a quarterback. What is the move at pick 25 for head coach Brian Daboll and company?

What do the New York Giants need?

If you watched any Giants football this year, it was blatantly obvious they have large gaps in their roster. The question at 25 shouldn’t be “which position is the biggest need” it should be “what player best fills a hole on the team”. With that being said, the Giants need the following: wide receiver, interior offensive line, and cornerback the most. Followed by an edge rusher and tight end.

The New York Giants Draft Options:

The Giants have a few really good options at 25, but it’s a weird place to be. With a lot of questions ahead of them, New York has no control over the options and just has to sit put and hope.

Photo Credit: Butch Dill

Offensive Line:

The offensive line was a lot better under Brian Daboll. The interior offensive line is the biggest problem for New York. Quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley were able to make things happen with constant pressure up the middle. Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence would be a great option. He is a people mover. I got to see him down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl and he is one of the best O-line prospects in the draft.

Wide Receiver:

New York clearly needs wide receiver help. However, is this the class for them to take a receiver? I have no clue. Jordan Addison, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and most of the receivers in this class are smaller guys. Do they take one of these guys early, considering the wide receivers they already have on the roster in similar roles? Probably not. Look for a receiver later in the draft.

Cornerback:

This is a super tough one. If one of the top four corners are there, you take them INSTANTLY. The top two, Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon most definitely will not be there at 25. I don’t think Joey Porter Jr. or Cam Smith will be there, either. If they aren’t, corner is a no-go in my book. There is so much value later in this draft at corner that it just isn’t worth it.

The Best Draft Option for the New York Giants

Honestly, I don’t know that there is a “best” option for the Giants. If the Giants draft anyone I listed above, I would be happy, but it will all depend on the movement in front of the 25th pick.

USMNT, Gregg Berhalter and Blackmail

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter finds himself embroiled in a blackmail scandal
Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. soccer federation had a lot of momentum coming into 2023. A strong World Cup performance, joining (and hosting) the 2024 Copa America, and their young team finally seemed to be coming together. Then, in true American fashion, everything started to fall apart. From a young star being upset about playing time, to head coach Gregg Berhalter getting blackmail threats. Here is what we know:

What Lead to this

United States Men’s National Team’s young star Giovanni Reyna was unhappy during World Cup camp. He was told by the manager Gregg Berhalter that he would be a bench player. He was not too pleased with this, so he showed little to no effort during practice before the big tournament. Obviously, this is probably not the best way to gain favor with the coach — or your teammates.

Gregg Berhalter’s Blackmail

On Tuesday, January 3rd, Gregg Berhalter and his wife released a statement. The statement says that during the World Cup someone contacted U.S. Soccer “saying they had information about me that would ‘take me down.’”

The statement then goes on to talk about an event where Berhalter drunkenly gets into an argument with his wife (then girlfriend) that ended with Berhalter kicking her. “There are zero excuses for my actions that night,” he says in the statement, going on to say he “regrets to this day,” and that his wife Rosalind eventually forgave him after some time.

What this has to do with Gio Reyna

Well, it has come out today that Gio Reyna’s father, former national team star, Claudio Reyna, and wife Danielle were the ones behind the blackmail. Claudio Reyna and Berhalter go way back. Playing youth, high school, and college soccer together at UNC. This isn’t some random guy saying they can ruin Berhalter, this is a teammate, and probably someone he called a friend.

Claudio Reyna wasn’t the one who went to USMNT, his wife was. Claudio came out and said “I support my wife’s decision”. He also states that he “wasn’t pleased with how Gio was treated” at and after the World Cup. Danielle Reyna went to the head of the federation and said “I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for, and received, forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age.”

As of right now, that’s all we know. The US soccer federation will be having a press conference later today. Until then the Gregg Berhalter blackmail saga continues.