In the last seven years we are proud to say we've accurately named 168 of the 223 (75.3%) players selected in the first round in our PLAYBOOK NFL Mock Draft, including 27 of 32 last year, as well as 38 players assigned to their designated teams.

The biggest coup was selecting 7 of the first 9 players drafted by their eventual teams in the 2020 draft.

Every team will be looking for a diamond in the rough but, after the combine and personal workouts, there is not much about this year's crop that teams and scouts do not know.

Pending trades, here is Playbook's final assessment on the 2023 NFL Draft based on expected player availability and team needs.

Note: Each team's needs are per NFL.com, and all talent is based on the provision that there are no trades (of which there are almost certain to be).

Meanwhile, enjoy this year's NFL Draft...

1 - Carolina - Primary needs: QB, Edge, WR
Projected Selection: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Comment – The top rated QB in the draft scored the highest in the S2 cognitive tests. Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, who drafted Peyton Manning, calls him the best quarterback to come out of college since ... Peyton Manning. Panthers didn't move up to No. 1 to watch another team select Young.

2 - Houston - Primary needs: QB, WR, Edge
Projected Selection: Will Anderson Jr. Edge, Alabama
Comment – With the top quarterback in the draft off the board, the Texans bypass their need at QB in favor of the best defensive lineman in the draft, only to circle back for their QB ten picks later.

3 - Arizona - Primary needs: DL, CB, OL
Projected Selection: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Comment – After losing J.J. Watt and Zach Allen from last year's team, landing the best DL in the draft is a no-brainer, baggage, and all.

4 - Indianapolis - Primary needs: QB, CB, OL
Projected Selection: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Comment – The Colts are rebuilding, and it starts right here with a quarterback falling into their lap who was the favorite to go No. 1 overall just a few weeks ago. Minor fall from grace reflective of poor S2 cognitive test but talent is there.

5 - Seattle - Primary needs: DL, WR, OL
Projected Selection: Nolan Smith, DL, Georgia
Comment – An ideal fit for Seahawks "3-4" defensive scheme they switched to last season. McShay calls him a disruptive edge rusher.

6 - Detroit - Primary needs: DL, DB, TE
Projected Selection: Tyree Wilson, DL, Texas Tech
Comment – Defensive linemen are going to go fast and after Carter and Smith, Wilson is next. Paired with Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions address their defensive issues last year.

7 – Las Vegas - Primary needs: CB, OL, DL
Projected Selection: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinos
Comment – Three year starter with the Illini and first-team All American in 2022. He has incredible agility and anticipation skills and plays physical.

8 - Atlanta - Primary needs: Edge, CB, WR
Projected Selection: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Comment – Falcons added six defensive starters in free agency which is never enough for a team that ranked 26th overall in team defense. Outstanding athlete with remarkable quickness and agility.

9 - Chicago - Primary needs: DL, OL, CB
Projected Selection: Myles Murphy, DL, Clemson
Comment – Three-year starter for the Tigers with excellent size and length who plays with a high motor who can also bull rush. Our Lads rates him as its second DL/Edge.

10 - Philadelphia - Primary needs: S, DL, RB
Projected Selection: Calijah Kancey, DL, Pittsburgh
Comment – Kancey makes it five defensive linemen in the first 10 picks. Named first-team All- America and ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season. Elite athleticism and a non-stop motor.

11 - Tennessee - Primary needs: OL, WR, DB
Projected Selection: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
Comment – Expect a run on offensive linemen starting here. Johnson was a two-year All Big Ten starter with the Buckeyes and is a powerful and explosive run blocker.

12 - Houston - Primary needs: QB, WR, Edge
Projected Selection: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Comment – The Texans get their signal caller with a first-round steal. Third highest S2 cognitive QB test score behind Brice Young and Jake Haener. Lacks consistency but athletic ability is off the charts.

13 – Green Bay - Primary needs: S, TE, WR
Projected Selection: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
Comment – An ideal addition for Jordan Love as Kincaid is a receiving threat that utilizes great separation quickness and foot speed. In other words, a lethal weapon with the ball downfield.

14 – New England - Primary needs: DB, OT, WR
Projected Selection: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
Comment – A Bill Belichick special. An intelligent three-time all-Big Ten performer and the grandson of former Green Bay Packer tackle Bob Skoronski. Excellent footwork who excels in space.

15 – NY Jets - Primary needs: OL, DT, S
Projected Selection: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Comment – The goal now is to surround Aaron Rodgers with as much protection as possible. Once he took over the full-time job protecting the blindside of quarterback Stetson Bennett, he never looked back. Our Lads calls him an elite athlete with a kind of quick trigger of his stance.

16 - Washington - Primary needs: CB, OL, TE
Projected Selection: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Comment – Porter is the son of former NFL star linebacker of the same name and was a three-year starter in Happy Valley. Quarterbacks have a hard time getting the ball into the tight window he creates.

17 - Pittsburgh - Primary needs: OL, CB, DL
Projected Selection: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Comment – Not an overpowering physical presence but he rewrote the program's record book, leaving Boston College as the all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns as a four-year starter with the Eagles. He creates separation both with and without the ball with a sense of sudden explosion.

18 - Detroit - Primary needs: DL, DB, TE
Projected Selection: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Comment – Perfect slot for the draft-rich Lions to reel in a mega talented, yet largely untested, quarterback-athlete who can marinate behind Jared Goff.

19 – Tampa Bay - Primary needs: OL, S, DL
Projected Selection: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Comment – Our Lads says he has the look and play style of a guy who will be in the league for a long time. Tall and wide with plus-arm length. A hard blocker to get around because of sheer size alone.

20 - Seattle - Primary needs: DL, WR, OL
Projected Selection: Brian Breese, DT, Clemson
Comment – Yet another steal that falls to Pete Carroll at a time of need. Missed significant time over the past two seasons due to an ACL in 2021, and an illness in 2022. When on the field he has been a dominant force for Clemson. A perfect fit for the Seahawks.

21 – LA Chargers - Primary needs: WR, DL, TE
Projected Selection: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Comment – If the goal is to arm Justin Herbert with quality weapons then Addison is a home run. A former Biletnikoff Award winner, he set a program record with 100 receptions at Pitt before moving on to USC. An injury hampered him last year, but the potential is off the charts. He and Herbert are now members of the Beach Boys.

22 - Baltimore - Primary needs: WR, CB, QB
Projected Selection: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Comment – It's time to surround Lamar Jackson with targets and Smith-Njigba, who has played in only 10 game the past two seasons due to injuries and COVID, is a physical presence lacking in the Ravens attack.

23-Minnesota– Primary needs: CB, DL, WR
Projected Selection: Emanuel Forbes, DB, Mississippi State
Comment – Third-ranked DB is a reactive corner with elite ball skills. Eight interceptions and three pick sixes led the nation in ball production.

24 - Jacksonville - Primary needs: CB, OT, DE
Projected Selection: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
Comment – Played the Star position in the Alabama secondary. He's physical at rerouting a receiver and at the catch point he wins most 50/50 battles and can separate a receiver from the ball.

25 – NY Giants - Primary needs: WR, OL, CB
Projected Selection: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Comment – The pick will leave Giants fans delirious. Elite speed and leaping ability makes him a physical marvel. He is a tough, hard-nosed, physical gamer who plays bigger than his already-big frame. His Achilles heel is too many drops.

26 - Dallas - Primary needs: DL, OL, TE
Projected Selection: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Comment – With RB Ezekiel Elliot gone and Tony Pollard a wound soldier, the steal of the draft once again falls into the lap of Jerry Jones. Robinson will likely be a leading candidate for NFC Rookie of the Year, he's that good.

27 - Buffalo - Primary needs: WR, DT, LB
Projected Selection: Jaylin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
Comment – First team All American and SEC honors in addition to winning the Biletnikoff Award last season. Hyatt was one of the country's breakout performers in 2022, leading the power five conferences with 15 touchdowns. Another Day One toy for Josh Allen.

28 - Cincinnati - Primary needs: OT, TE, RB
Projected Selection: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
Comment – Fits the Bengals M.O. – protect Joe Brrr at all costs. All-Big 10 honors the past two seasons and All-America in 2022. The former Division I basketball recruit has one of the more unique bodies in the entire class. Elite length and width. His frame is massive, 6-foot-8, 340 pounds. Will immediately be one of the largest men in the league full of giants.

29 – New Orleans - Primary needs: DL, TE, OL
Projected Selection: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Comment – A huge value pick, was ranked as the top TE by many. He rewrote the Notre Dame record book, finishing atop the program's all-time tight end ranking list in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. An every down threat, Mayer possesses every tool in the box.

30 - Philadelphia - Primary needs: S, DL, RB
Projected Selection: BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU
Comment – Versatile defender who has aligned as an outside linebacker, edge and inside pass rusher. Possesses leadership skills as he was named captain as a junior and was given LSU's prestigious number 18.

31 – Kansas City - Primary needs: WR, OT, Edge
Projected Selection: O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
Like the Bengals looking to protect their franchise quarterback, so too are the Chiefs. A four-year starter, shined in his lone season in the SEC last year, earning first team All-SEC and All-America honors.

The tallies by conference read – SEC (12), Big Ten (7), ACC (4), Big 12 (4), PAC-12 (3), Independent (1).

The tallies by position read – DL/Edge (8), OL (6), DB (6), WR (5), QB (4), TE (2).

FYI: This will be Mel Kiper Jr.'s 40th draft for ESPN. And speaking of time flying by, Heisman Trophy winner halfback Jay Berwanger was the first selection in the inaugural 1936 NFL draft. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him as the top choice in the draft but could not meet his salary demands of $1,000 per game. Salaries were so meager that the first No. 1 overall pick chose to become a foam rubber salesman in Chicago rather than a pro football player. Instead, they traded his negotiating rights to the Chicago Bears for tackle Art Buss. With it, Berwanger would never play a game in the NFL.