After what seems to be a never ending flood of hype, scrutiny, and rumors, the biggest day of the NFL offseason is finally here. Today, hundreds of college kid’s lives change forever and every NFL franchise has the same chance to improve their roster. It is time, finally, for the 2013 NFL Draft.
And what better way to start the day’s festivities then with one of the thousands of mock drafts FL fans will read today.
In mock 1.0, I drafted the first round as it sat. In the final version, I will put the GM hat on for each of the teams and make moves where I see fit to do so.
So without further delay, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock.
1. Kansas City- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan.
The Chiefs traded for Alex Smith this offseason and will now find the man to protect his blindside. Fisher is an athletic marvel, with great fit, hands, and a chip on his shoulder coming out of the MAC. He is the tackle with the biggest upside in this draft and should step in immediately on the KC offensive line.
2. Jacksonville- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M.
Joeckel is the best player available and also fills a huge need for the talent strapped Jags. It also gives them a guy who will protect Blaine Gabbert if they are serious about keeping the young QB around. Even with this pick though, I would not be surprised to see the Jags get a QB later on to challenge Gabbert.
3. Oakland- Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida.
Oakland is rebuilding and needs to begin in the trenches. They lost Tommy Kelly and Richard Seymour this offseason and can replace them with a guy who has the potential to be as good as both players were in their primes. The Raiders may also trade out of this pick, but I think they will stay and grab themselves a new defensive cornerstone.
4. Philadelphia-Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly will be reunited with the man he recruited to play WR at Oregon as the Eagles grab a stout pass rusher for their new hybrid defense. Jordan is a supreme talent, with great athleticism, bend, and a knack for getting to the QB.
5. Detroit- Ziggy Ansah, DE/OLB, BYU
The Lions should grab OT Lane Johnson at this spot, but instead choose to strengthen their pass rush following the loss of Cliff Avril in free agency. Ansah could be the best player in this draft in three years, but could also be a bust. He’s extremely raw but will get great coaching in Detroit.
6. San Diego via Cleveland- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma.
If Lane Johnson is on the board at six, expect the phone to ring off the hook for the Browns as teams will want to get ahead of the Cardinals at seven. If San Diego wants to move up five spots, they should be willing to give up their second round selection to do so. In Johnson, the Chargers get an athletic tackle to keep Philip Rivers standing up and should strengthen their line as a unit. Great move for both teams.
7. Arizona- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama.
With Johnson off of the board, the Cards go for the best player available and give their pathetic offensive line a much needed boost. It will make things easier for new additions Carson Palmer and Rashard Mendenhall, while giving new head coach Bruce Arians a chance to run his offense. Warmack is a dominate guard who should solidify his spot on the o-line for the next decade in the desert.
8. Buffalo- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina.
The Bills want a QB but is reaching for Nassib or Barkley or even Geno Smith really worth it here? I believe they will say no at this point and worry about a signal caller later. Cooper is strong in the run game, with great feet and hands and should be a future pro bowler.
9. NYJets- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia.
The Jets roster, especially on offense is awful. Mark Sanchez has no playmakers, it’s no wonder the guy has been awful. Austin is a game changer. He can play anywhere on the field and will make plays wherever he is. His stature, at 5’8” and 175 pounds will be overlooked as his potential is terrifying to opposing defenses.
10. Tennessee- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah.
The Titans are at their best when they have a strong defensive line. The addition of Lotulelei gives them their best tackle since Albert Haynesworth. Star is disruptive force who is a great run stopper and solid at pushing the pocket.
11. CLEVELAND- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama.
Milliner is a steal at this point and will bring back the glory days of Dixon and Minnifield when he teams up with Joe Haden. While I believe the Browns want a pass rusher, it is too hard to pass on Milliner at this point in the draft. With talk of injury concerns with the Crimson Tide DB this is more of a possibility then most think.
12. Miami- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame.
The Dolphins spent the offseason adding pieces to make Ryan Tannehill’s job easier. They continue to do that in the draft by adding Eifert. While he may not be a Vernon Davis or Kellen Winslow type TE, Eifert has great ball skills and runs good routes to get open.
13. NYJets via Tampa Bay- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU.
The Jets add a much needed pass rusher to Rex Ryan’s 34 defense. Mingo offers extreme athleticism and speed off of the edge and should thrive under Ryan’s tutelage. He will also help the Jet’s CB’s look better without Darrelle Revis.
14. Carolina- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri.
Carolina needs to strengthen the middle of their defense and adding Richardson would do just that. He is big, strong, manimal in the middle of the defense with pass rushing skills like a defensive end.
15. New Orleans- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia.
As the Saints move to the 34 defense under Rob Ryan, they will need to add an explosive pass rusher off of the edge, and Jones is just that. While he disappointed in work outs, he still shows on the field that he has a knack for getting in the back field.
16. St. Louis- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas.
The Rams need to add playmakers on offense, but with two first round picks, they will take the best player available here, while filling a glaring need. Vaccaro is a versatile defender who can roam in centerfield or play in the box.
17. Pittsburgh- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida St.
The Pittsburgh secondary needs help. They lost their best young corner, Keenan Lewis to the Saints in free agency, and need to find his replacement. They do so by adding Rhodes, a big, physical cornerback who will fit perfectly into the Steelers zone blitz scheme.
18. Dallas- DJ FLuker, OT, Alabama.
The Cowboys need help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. With the top DT’s off of the board they will go tackle here. Doug Free’s status with the team is up in the air and the addition of Fluker, who mainly plays right tackle, will likely signal the end of Free’s days in Big D. Fluker is atheletic and can play all over the line.
19. NYGiants- Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse.
The Giants need help at linebacker and at tackle. With questions surrounding Ogletree and Te’o, I believe they will choose to get younger at the tackle position. Adding Pugh, who kept Ryan Nassib upright at Syracuse will do just that. Pugh is a solid player. He may never be top tackle, but he will be starter in the league for many years.
20. Chicago- Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas St.
Though they added LB’s in free agency to offset the losses of Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach, none of them are as talented as Brown. Brown is a tackling machine who has the ability to make plays all over the field. He will take some time to adjust and then start every game for the Bears for years to come.
21. Cincinnati- Matt Elam, S, Florida.
I believe the Bengals first choice is Brown. But with him off of the board they fill a need at safety and grab the playmaking gambler Elam from Florida. Elam is solid safety who made plays all over the field for the Gators.
22. St. Louis Via Washington- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson.
After losing their top two WR’s in free agency, the Rams try and add a true number one receiver for Sam Bradford to throw to in Hopkins. Hopkins has tremendous hands and ball skills, but does struggle to separate at times. He will make an immediate impact on the field for St. Louis.
23. Minnesota- Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee.
Following their trade of Percy Harvin to Seattle, the Vikings added Greg Jennings in free agency, but even Jennings isn’t enough of a playmaker to fully replace Harvin. Patterson is electric with the ball in his hands; however he catches with his body and will drive Vikings fans crazy in the short term. Long term however, he could be an excellent playmaker.
24. Indianapolis- D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston.
Hayden may be the best all around CB in this draft. He has great ball skills, recovery ability, and speed. However, a freak injury has pushed him down draft boards. Indy will grab him here and use him to shut down opposing wide outs across the league.
25. Philadelphia via Minnesota via Seattle- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia.
There is no way Geno Smith escapes the first round. In this mock trade, the Eagles trade their second round pick this year, as well as their second round pick next year, and other picks to move up to select Smith with the pick the Vikings acquired in the Harvin deal. Smith will be a great fit in Chip Kelly’s offense. While he may not start early, he gives Philly a true QB to lead them into the future.
26. Green Bay- Datone Jones, DE/DT, UCLA.
The Packers haven’t had a consistent pass rusher on their defensive line since losing Cullen Jenkins in free agency in 2011. Jones is a disruptive force and could give the Pack just what they need on the line to get their defense back to par.
27. Houston- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee.
Andre Johnson isn’t getting any younger. He also hasn’t been getting much help from other wide outs. Adding Hunter the Texans bring in a kid with number one ability, who can learn from Johnson while adding another dimension to their offense in his early years.
28. Denver- Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida St.
Werner is a pass rusher, who at times can be dominant. The former Seminole has a great motor and should help offset the loss of Elvis Dumervil. At this point in the first round, he is an excellent value selection.
29. New England- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington.
The Patriots seem to draft CB’s every year. Lately though, none have really worked out, so they’ll try it again by Grabbing Trufant. Trufant is very talented, though he does seem to have lapses at times. He shows solid ball skills and recovery ability and could be just what the Pats need to solidify their secondary.
30. Atlanta- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
The Falcons are very thin in the cornerback spot. They lost Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes this offseason and need to add some talented youth. They do so by adding Taylor, who is a good man-cover corner who rarely allows separation and has shown a great work ethic.
31. San Francisco- Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International.
The Niners lost Dashon Goldson to Tampa in free agency and with 13 picks in the draft; the Niners could be movers and shakers this weekend. They also have the opportunity to take chances on players and they will do so by taking Cyprien. Cyprien is a solid safety who has risen in the past few weeks up draft boards. However, he does show bust potential due to his tight hips.
32. Baltimore- Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame.
Te’o is a three down LB, who is only here due to his imaginary girlfriend issues. He is a leader on the field and shows great football instincts. He will be a perfect replacement for future hall of famer Ray Lewis who retired following the Super Bowl.
