Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports NFL Draft Analyst

We continue at his exact Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We're going to do a little fun exercise right here with one of the best NFL draft experts in the country for CBS Sports and that of course is Chris Gipasso. We're going to do a top 10 mock draft. I'm going to take the odd picks and Chris is going to take the even picks and we're just going to see what does transpire after our five selections each. First off, Chris, appreciate you doing this as always. How you been?

I've been really good. This is fun. This is what we should be doing a week out from the draft. I mean, it feels like the draft could already be here, but we have to fill some air until next weekend.

I'm really, really looking forward to it and this top 10 should be a lot of fun. And you know what's so compelling about this is there's so many times like earlier in the week I made 10 predictions for this NFL draft. And then I'm thinking about, okay, if Chris says this, how is this going to mess up my predictions? And I basically just ripped everything up in the air. I was like, all right, whatever I said in the past, it's out the window. This is a brand new fresh edition Chris Gipasso, Zach Gill top 10 mock draft. Yeah. And it's like outside of the first overall pick and I'm pretty sure I know what direction you're going in.

It's like what happens after that? I mean, there's a lot of times and like the past couple of years, we know who's going one. There's Joe Burrow. There's Trevor Lawrence, number two, number three. And it's like the draft doesn't start until pick four, pick five this year.

It's at pick two. And we don't really know which teams are in on these quarterbacks, who doesn't like them. There's a lot more intrigue at the top of this draft than I can remember in a very long time. And I think the only thing we know, and that's what I'll make my selection first overall, the Carolina Panthers are going to take Bryce Young. And it's funny because I remember being on the air the night when they made that trade to move up into the number one spot and the Chicago Bears fall back to nine. The immediate feel was it was going to be CJ shroud.

And it really does kind of remind me of a few years ago when you saw the 49ers move into the three spot. And right away, everyone was like, Oh, it was Sims, Chris Sims, who came out and said he was like best friends with Kyle Shanahan, that it was going to be Mac Jones. And eventually it was Trey Lance young is the right pick.

I think he's the best quarterback in this draft class. But it is kind of interesting to me, Chris, your pass. So how they had to be won over by Bryce Young and it appeared to be like shroud was the initial choice. Yeah, it was interesting that at the owners meetings, Frank Wright came out and said like, Hey, it's not going to be will have us not going to be Anthony Richardson, but it's between either Bryce young or CJ Stroud.

I think it's truly not that there's any infighting going on in Carolina, but it's the classic example of like the owner might love someone, the head coach might love someone, the GM might feel differently. They have to spend those weeks and they probably did after they made that trade to get to one to all have at least somewhat of a consensus opinion. And it does appear that it is going to be Bryce young. So I thought for sure, depending on who would go one who would go to that it was going to be in some order, Bryce young and CJ shroud, your first selection is the second pick with the Houston Texans and you wake up this week and it's like, Oh, wait a second, maybe it's not going to be CJ shroud because we know the Texans really wanted Bryce young. So what is Christopher Passo doing with the number two overall pick to the Texans? All right, I'm going to follow the trade wins or the the wins that are going around now, the rumors with the Texans, they're not going to pick a quarterback, they're going to select Will Anderson, the defensive end from Alabama with D'Amico Ryan's, they're the head coach who spent time in San Francisco with Nick Bosa, who was just like a slam dunk edge rusher when he came into the league in 2019.

Will Anderson isn't quite as good, but I could see Ryan's kind of leaning in that direction to say, Hey, look, this guy's been productive for multiple seasons, he's young, he could get better. I understand the impact that a premier edge rusher can have on my defense, and ultimately lean in that direction still knowing that one of these quarterbacks could fall to them, either at 12 overall or within striking distance of them, where they can move up just a little bit, they have a litany of picks to then pick that quarterback later, not just at number two. But doesn't that scare you at all because I operate under the belief that if you're going to take a quarterback, you may as well not get into that game of okay we're at 12 maybe we'll move up to go get our guy, like if you believe in the quarterback just take him at two. I 100% agree but we did say off the air that this is going to be what we think will happen.

And from what you just said it. The fact that these rumors are out there, I don't understand like what leverage or what advantage the Texans could be gaining from this, and you're right that I think most teams operate that way that they're like hey we need a quarterback. We're here at number two let's just pick him, why these rumors are all of a sudden swirling around makes me think that there is some credence to them, and that that defensive player might be actually prioritize with that number two overall pick they just don't love the idea of any of the quarterbacks outside of Bryce young at number two.

It's almost like they're trying to get the flame to go out. So it's not a real shock at draft night when they're on the clock at number two, and they go well Anderson who I think is a phenomenal player, but you know how fans are. They want quarterback quarterback quarterback especially with the Texans, we're trying to find that next guy after Deshaun Watson.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that is a pretty good theory that would not shock me especially with all the negative press that the Houston organization has had over the last couple years to put it out there and kind of let their fans know and let the NFL world kind of brace ourselves for it not being a quarterback in a position with a team that certainly has a gigantic quarterback need. Let me just ask you one more note on the Texans, I know the thought right now is it's going to be Bryce young number one overall, but with the initial report out there they made that move, and it was Joe person who had it from the athletic who covers the Panthers saying that the Panthers were going to intend to draft CJ shroud, is there any way on draft night on Thursday, we see a trade where the Texans move up to one, and then the Panthers fall back to two and the Texans then could draft Bryce young. Well, I think it would be a good idea that if you're that close to a quarterback that you apparently really really like, and you think that you wouldn't have to trade a ton to move up one pick, certainly to get the quarterback to pick that guy Bryce young over the Panthers, they would certainly ask for a fair amount. I think you would have to do it at this point if you're Nick a stereo the GM, and for D'Amico Ryan's yes a defensive guy with the history in San Francisco, he'll probably leaned a defensive player but there's nothing better to start your head coaching career with a franchise signal caller, they should certainly explore that option, because if they want to build up this team and they expect to be better next season, they're probably not going to have as good of a chance to pick a premier quarterback in the 2024 draft pressure pass so here with us so the first two picks off the board I have the Panthers taking Bryce young, you have the Texans that to going will Anderson. I'm going to do a little curveball here with the third overall pick.

I have the Raiders moving up to seven, moving up to three. Now I do think CJ shrouds the second best quarterback available. When I have the Raiders moving up to three I don't think shroud is a good fit for them, because he's NFL ready and you have Jimmy Garoppolo linked to a new contract, I'm going to say, Anthony Richardson is the pick here where you have the Raiders moving up to three, and then they end up taking Anthony Richardson which you can have him sit for a year or two and learn behind Jimmy Garoppolo, how fascinating would that be to have Josh McDaniels pick a quarterback that's not like Jimmy G that's not like Tom Brady the polar opposite of those two quarterbacks.

What I would like and what I would somewhat liken it to being here in Buffalo. This is kind of an underlying or like an underrated story in Josh Allen's development that he throughout the years has pointed to the fact that he had met Barkley as his backup who is the polar opposite quarterback of Josh Allen's talent his ability and and his weaknesses. So he's repeatedly mentioned that Matt Barkley, being an anticipatory thrower having to understand protections and read coverages, he helped a lot early in Josh Allen's career to take that next step to show him that he can't just fire 100 mile per hour fastballs every single time out and to understand where he needs to go with the football to make better decisions with Richardson there under the tutelage of Jimmy Garoppolo and Josh McDaniels I think it would actually be a really nice setup for him that again of course will not have him rushed onto the field right away. Chris Rapaso here with us a lot of reports and you have the fourth pick have the Colts taking Will Levis but in this mock draft CJ Stroud is available I would like to think Indianapolis is taking a quarterback but what do you think they're going to do here. I'm going to go CJ Stroud here yes we have gotten those reports of late that that it is more Will Levis than CJ Stroud at the top.

I'm going to go with Stroud the or with Stroud because I think he's just a better overall quarterback, I think he just checks the boxes and is more pro ready than Will Levis there will be some intrigue because of the Shane Steichen their head coach and his connection to Jalen Hurts and how much running he did in Philadelphia under Shane Steichen as his offensive coordinator and certainly Will Levis is more that guy than CJ Stroud but the Colts their GM Chris Ballard they need to win now they can't have a developmental player which I think is more of what will enter what Will Levis is at the quarterback spot with CJ Stroud to get someone that's ready to go week one, maybe doesn't have insane upside but I think is going to be a pretty good starter for a long time in the NFL. So, I'm gonna make my pick in just a second on the Seahawks I'm going to tell you right now I don't have them taking a quarterback, do you think there's a shot that either the Seahawks or the Lions back to back five and six you got Geno Smith and Jared Goff they end up taking a quarterback here with whoever's left. Yeah, I think there's a good chance but I do think it will matter what which player is there and with you already picking Anthony Richardson. I think if he's there at five Pete Carroll and john Schneider if you look back at their drafting history.

They love those big time athletes even if the guys are not amazing football players and finished products. A lot of their first round picks emphatically check those athleticism boxes and even DK Metcalf in the second round in 2019. There were questions about his route running but he's big he's explosive you couldn't really teach a lot of those things. So if it's Anthony Richardson I think for both of those teams I think it'd be a lot more intriguing than what it kind of falls to here with it being will love us. So the other day I said I believe that Tyree Wilson is going to be the first defensive player taken in this draft class, but I'm going to do what I think the Seahawks are going to do with this fifth overall pick. And I know you already have Will Anderson off the board, Seattle, the culture is tremendous we know what Pete Cowell and john Schneider have built out there I know there's off the field concerns but with the upside of the player and what he's shown before. I'm gonna have Seattle going with Jalen Carter out of Georgia at the fifth overall pick.

Yeah, that would make a lot of sense that it kind of feels like a culture up there in Seattle with Pete Carroll and john Schneider that could embrace Jalen Carter and really get the most out of him and I think they really need that leader on the inside of their defensive line. Pete Carroll has been around the block in the NFL and college he's dealt with players like this in the past that would be a home run pick for a team that was like a year or two ahead of their rebuild last season. Chris Rapaso here with us from CBS Sports so just to recap before we get to the six pick with the Lions Panthers take Bryce young Texans go well Anderson, I have the Cardinals moving back to seven Raiders moving into three taken Anthony Richardson, Chris Rapaso did have the Colts taken CJ shroud and I just went with the Seahawks, rocking and rolling with Jalen Carter, we go to Detroit, which they've made some good draft picks in the last few years Panais Sewell Aiden Hutchinson as well just off the top of the cabeza. When you look at six, who do you have the Detroit Lions taken here.

Devin Witherspoon from Illinois and I think it's between either Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez they just traded Jeffrey Acuda to the Atlanta Falcons the former number three overall pick who was not drafted by the, the current regime of GM Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell but I think Christian Gonzalez is a little bit too similar to Jeffrey Acuda that he's this long lanky athletic player, Devin Witherspoon is a little smaller I think he'll do better mirroring wide receivers in the NFL, he kind of fits what the Lions are building on defense he is a ferocious player, not as fast as Christian Gonzalez not as long as Joey Porter Jr or some of the other top corners in this class, but as a run defender as a hitter as a press man on an island corner I think he's the best one in this class. So then I moved to pick seven remember I had to trade the Raiders move up to three so then the Cardinals are here in at seven, it would not surprise me if the Cardinals trade back once again, because you have a new GM and Monti Hasen for it this kind of does feel like it's going to be a lost year anyway. In the first year of a rebuild with the Cardinals and you don't know when Kyler Murray's coming back and eventually DeAndre Hopkins will get traded but I'll make a selection here, and I'll have Tyree Wilson going off the board to the Arizona Cardinals, as they will make him the seventh selection of the NFL draft, you at eight, who do you have the Falcons taken. This is difficult. This would probably be. I don't want to say worst case scenario for the Falcons, but one that would be like, man with will with will Anderson gone and Tyree Wilson gone would not be that good of a scenario for them.

Give me a second here. How about Lucas van Ness from Iowa, Lucas van Ness is only 21 years old turns 22 this summer, didn't really play a lot at Iowa last season and that he was an underclassman and it's kind of weird but Kirk parents has this philosophy where the seniors that have paid their dues they get more of the playing time, the pass rush moves are there. The bowl rush is certainly there. He's long, he's six for 270 plus, and he's just scratching the surface on how good of a player he could be so a lot of what you said about the, the Falcons I think would really apply here to that defense that's what they need that true alpha pass rusher. All right, let's go to nine, and I have the Chicago Bears and this will be my final selection and then Christian pass will wrap things up with the 10th pick so far right now. Bryce young one to the Panthers will Anderson to the Texans Richardson three to the Raiders in a train, TJ shroud fourth to the Colts Jalen Carter fifth to the Seahawks.

I have a spoon six to the Lions seventh I have Tyree Wilson go into the Cardinals and eight. You just had the selection of Lucas van Ness to the Atlanta Falcons at nine. I'm kind of stuck with Christian Gonzalez here a corner, which they could use, or I go an offensive lineman maybe and Peter Skironsky, just because the way that I've seen Gonzalez mocked as definitely a top 10 pick and some people are iffy on once you think it's a good player, but I don't know if he's going to go 10, I'll go with the corner here, Christian Gonzalez said at nine for the Chicago Bears. Yeah, I mean, they certainly addressed the secondary in last year's draft relatively early and they love Braxton Jones, the fifth round pick out of Southern Utah last season at left tackle. Like Tevin Jenkins on the right side, it wouldn't shock me though if they go back to that well, because Christian Gonzalez, probably on a lot of teams boards is the number one corner and to get him at at nine after trading back. You obviously got all those extra selections in the move back with Carolina wouldn't be a bad idea to build up the defense they certainly got DJ more chase Claypool at the trade deadline last year. I wouldn't like I wouldn't categorize this as a home run pick for the bears because I do think they do need to address more of the offense but they are kind of in a weird spot there and just truly going with the best player available I don't think is ever a bad idea. And finally 10 here's the fascinating scenario if you're an Eagles fan because they could use future help on the offensive line with guys like Kelsey and Lane Johnson getting up there and age, you have all the linemen available on the offensive side of the ball, but then at 10 he's on Robinson could be screaming at the Philadelphia Eagles so Chris your pass so take it away what are the Eagles do at 10. I don't think they're gonna go be Jen Robinson I think how he Roseman is smarter than that I mean, they signed Rashad penny to a very cheap deal and that's not to say that I think Rashad penny is going to be their bell cow and he's not going to get the fan and he's their long term answer, but the fact that they signed him to such a cheap deal makes me think that how he Roseman understands that you can get these veterans coming off the rookie deals for not a lot of money and get quality players much more likely to draft a player later than use a premium pick this extra selection at number 10 overall on be Jen Robinson, I'm going to have them picking Paris Johnson from Ohio State, and he does kind of feel like that redshirt type did it last year with cam Juergens and Jason Kelsey at that center spot with Paris Johnson you're getting someone, maybe not the cleanest film in the class, but super long arms played guard played tackle at Ohio State, very athletic, you know that you're getting an NFL caliber body and to what you mentioned Zach, they like to really load up in the trenches so whether it's Elijah can see here Broderick Jones, I think Paris Johnson though, is someone that if he did need to play as a rookie could do that plays with a high floor, and it also has big time upside because of his measurables and his athleticism.

Are you down on Peter Skowronski just wondering the fact that he didn't make in the selection here. I'm, I'm a little bit lower on him I view him as more of like a back half of the first round type player as opposed to top 10. And if we look at kind of the history of how he Roseman, he likes those measurables to like Lane Johnson was a physical freak former tight end at Oklahoma. And it would be surprising if I think if the Eagles picked Peter Skowronski at 10, the shorter ish arms and is he may be a guard but probably a tackle at the next level. And I think he's a good athlete but I don't know if he's a Philadelphia Eagles lineman caliber of athlete and what they've seemingly really prioritize or gravitated toward during the how he Roseman era. So this is a fun exercise last thing that I'll ask you before we let you go Chris your past so who's the one player to or give me one or two players that you're really optimistic on that we didn't address here in the top 10. Elijah can't see from Pittsburgh who I kind of just hinted at for the Eagles. They lost Yvonne Hargrave, he would be the perfect replacement if they picked him there at 10, I don't think that would be a bad selection now, of course what I just said about Skowronski he certainly would not check the measurables box being like, you know, six foot one 280 plus pounds with short arms but in terms of just getting after the quarterback I think he's the best pure pass rusher in the entire draft he's not as much run defense is Aaron Donald or a lot of these other smaller players but collage you can see with his athleticism, his pass rush move arsenal explosion, and that kind of being in vogue at the defensive tackle spot and in today's NFL they're hard to I feel like collage you can see the team that picks him will know what to do with him won't ask him to eat double teams won't ask him to play much on those obvious running downs, but just getting up the field he can beat blockers in so many ways I'll be in the NFL, Chris your pass so nice new cut, that's how you know we're getting closer and closer to the NFL draft because you're all business this time of the year. Appreciate you doing this. Thanks, Zach.