# Ryan Fowler: Fowler offers six bold 2023 NFL Draft predictions: a team trades up for Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the lone first-round wide receiver, seven cornerbacks go in Round 1, BJ Ojulari is picked on Night 1, multiple kickers are drafted, and five quarterbacks go in Round 1 with Hendon Hooker joining the top four. **Claimed:** Apr 3, 2023 **Pundit:** Ryan Fowler — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ryan-fowler **Outlet:** The Draft Network — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-draft-network **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://thedraftnetwork.com/6-bold-predictions-2023-nfl-draft/ 4 checkable claims — 4 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 2 of 4 have settled so far, averaging 42.5 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls. > In a talent pool that touts a ton of WR2s and WR3s, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just the former Buckeye who hears his name called on night one before a run on wideouts starts early on day two. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Hendon Hooker to be picked “First round” (picks 1–31)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Hendon Hooker - Verdict: scored 20.13 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **BJ Ojulari to be picked “Night 1 (first round)” (picks 1–31)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: BJ Ojulari - Verdict: scored 64.84 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess - **Jaxon Smith-Njigba to be picked “Only WR selected in Round 1”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Jaxon Smith-Njigba - Verdict: not settled yet - **Bijan Robinson to be picked “A team trades up to draft him”** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Bijan Robinson - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Hendon Hooker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/hendon-hooker - BJ Ojulari — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/bj-ojulari - Jaxon Smith-Njigba — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jaxon-smith-njigba - Bijan Robinson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/bijan-robinson ## What others said about the same people - Danny Parkins on Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Parkins picked Seattle to win 27-16 with Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Super Bowl MVP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3667c28e-88b0-4d8e-bebd-6ef088550e4f (scored 0) - JP Acosta on Bijan Robinson: JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named their own first-team All-Pro roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/660e3494-2b0b-415e-beb7-9e3bf3464e30 (scored 100) - Jeremy Brener on Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Brener projects Seattle's wide receiver room to include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Tory Horton, Jake Bobo and rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr. on the 53-man roster, leaving Montorie Foster Jr. fighting for a spot despite a strong camp and preseason showing. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/088305f4-1eb4-405b-ab92-b6fd87dfb228 (scored 100) - Ryan Wormeli on Bijan Robinson: Warmley expects Derrick Henry to post another huge rushing season in Baltimore, sees real upside in Brian Robinson Jr. as Washington's lead back, and calls Javonte Williams, Justice Hill, Jordan Mason and Bijan Robinson values at their current costs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7e39aa08-50b4-4e2a-a7d1-da0572181aa9 (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Brockman argued Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already the best receiver in the NFL and deserves to be the highest paid, called their shot that three quarterbacks (Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck) go in the first round with Mendoza first overall, and suggested New England is headed for a 7-10 season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c47d130c-5598-4cd0-b546-1121046b9166 (scored 100) - Pat Gustavson on Bijan Robinson: Gustafson picks the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks and Bears in the divisional round with a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl, predicts Mike Tomlin and Matt LaFleur stay, Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, and lays out their own coaching landing spots. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/06884586-5b21-40c8-9439-e303a3e8a806 (scored 75) ## More mock draft picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Chris Simms on Malachi Corley: Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; they also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c0fd4647-2de8-4a5f-bac2-950fed303ee9 (scored 11.46) - Todd McShay on Keelon Russell: While breaking down LSU's offense, McShay called receiver Jackson Harris a top-50 NFL draft prospect, and later said LSU's Sam Levitt and Alabama's Keelan Russell are potential top-10 picks in a future draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15d40546-2ab9-4ab8-b5bd-ed0ef7f26ae5 (scored 0) - Philip Hughes on Kyle Kennard: Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/605a686a-b5f1-4611-82b4-961abf8de93e (scored 33.86) - Blaine Grisak on Brian Thomas Jr.: Grisak argues the Rams should not trade a second-round pick for Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., calling it too great a risk and too high a cost. In an embedded tweet of their own from the 2024 pre-draft period, they suggested the Rams could select Thomas at pick No. 19. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/627bcf5d-9f1d-4a34-a1b7-53b8f0aebc40 (scored 84.09) - Charlie Campbell on Xavier Williams: Campbell's draft stock report projects Indiana WR Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in 2027, Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones as a first-rounder, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick, and Texas OT Trevor Goosby as a top-10 pick, while suggesting Arch Manning could still be a first-rounder if they declare. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2dd4bf46-e5eb-4dff-8500-95d9fdbd2986 (scored 0) - Walt on Fernando Mendoza: In a running series of coach/GM hiring and firing grades, Walt projects Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick of the Raiders in the 2026 draft and has LSU's Garrett Nussmeier going No. 2 overall in their 2026 mock draft. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29bb2d31-fbe3-40db-b378-be5ba5d990b0 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=ryan-fowler