Dan Levine 2013 NFL Mock Draft – 15 January 2013

January 17, 2013 · Dan Levine

1. Luke Joeckel 2. Jarvis Jones 3. Bjoern Werner 4. Barrett Jones 5. Star Lotulelei

Round 1
1	Kansas City	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
At this point, Kansas City needs all the help it can get. Especially at quarterback. But whomever that quarterback is, they need to be protected. Luke Joeckel protected the Heisman winner last season, and he is a strong pick here for the struggling Chiefs.
2	Jacksonville	Jarvis Jones	LB	Georgia
Jacksonville needs to decide who their quarterback is. They may consider one here or even an offensive tackle. But in a division with Matt Shaub and Andrew Luck their defense is going to have to improve quite a bit. Jones gives them a pass rush threat on the outside.
3	Oakland	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
This pick stays the same. Oakland is a lot like Jacksonville. They could use help anywhere. Here they concentrate on defense with a value pick. Werner is a freak athlete with a relentless knack for finding the quarterback.
4	Philadelphia	Barrett Jones	OL	Alabama
Philadelphia sticks with the offensive line, but they go with Barrett Jones. A four-year starter that’s played nearly every position on the line. He is a versatile player and a mauler. He was instrumental in Alabama’s national championship this season.
5	Carolina	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
Carolina sticks with defensive line. Lotulelei is considered the best player in the draft according to a lot of people. Carolina needs more beef up front and Lotulelei instantly improves their ability to thwart offenses. He could be a sack threat from the interior as well.
6	Tennessee	DeMontre Moore	CB	Texas A&M
As soon as DeMontre Moore declared, GM’s were happy. He is considered the best corner on the board (he and Dee Milliner are battling for the top spot). Tennessee’s defense did them no favors this season, so they concentrate on that side of the ball.
7	Arizona	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
For now this pick stays the same, though the name of which quarterback drafted may change. Geno Smith is still a strong contender for the first quarterback taken. With his arm strength and his athletic ability, he has a shot to go in the top 10. The combine may determine his stock.
8	Detroit	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama
Detroit sticks with a really good cornerback. They could do a lot worse than Dee Milliner. They lack significant playmakers in the secondary. Here they snag the best corner on the best defense in the country.
9	San Diego	Marqise Lee	WR	USC
I think San Diego still sticks with the USC receiver. Philip Rivers needs more help if he intends to return to his winning form. Lee would add a great weapon on the outside. They also need to protect the quarterback, so they may continue to look at linemen.
10	Buffalo	Manti Te’o	LB	Notre Dame
Buffalo still scores with Manti Te’o at 10. Undoubtedly the most productive linebacker in college this year, Buffalo bolsters the middle of their porous defense with a relentless tackler who can also play the ball. He’ll be the leader there before too long.
11	Miami	Taylor Lewan	OL	Michigan
The future of Jake Long is in doubt in Miami, so the Dolphins can draft Lewan either as a replacement or a member of the line on the opposite side. Lewan is a top prospect at the tackle position, and they can protect their investment in Ryan Tannehill.
12	Cleveland	Sam Montgomery	DT	LSU
Montgomery is still available for Cleveland. Cleveland is a young team that is up-and-coming, especially on defense. They drafted Phil Taylor just last year, but Montgomery can add some depth. You can never have too many playmakers on the defensive line.
13	New Orleans	Barkevious Mingo	DE	LSU
Montgomery’s teammate Mingo still comes off the board directly after him. New Orleans defense is dreadful and they need to do whatever they can to improve their epically bad numbers. Mingo can rotate with Cam Jordan or whomever to add an edge threat.
14	Tampa Bay	David Amerson	CB	NC State
Tampa sticks here. Tampa’s secondary was the worst in the league by far. Mark Barron is a great young player, but Ronde Barber is older and Aqib Talib is no longer with the team. David Amerson was one of the best ball hawks in the ACC last year. They could use him.
15	NY Jets	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
The Jets could go a number of places, but here they stay with the line. The Jets need to add something to what was once one of the best lines in the league. Whoever is at quarterback for them next year needs to stay standing. Fisher is a good fit here.
16	St. Louis	Justin Hunter	WR	Tennessee
St. Louis could go with the offensive line, but the prospect of adding more options for Sam Bradford is too tantalizing. With Danny Amendola getting injured last year, the Rams cannot afford to be without production. Hunter has the ability to be the No. 1 option there.
17	Cincinnati	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State
Cincinnati has a strong defense that always seems to stock defensive linemen. They add one to the rotation here as well. Johnathan Hankins is a huge guy that can play the run. He works well in the 4-3 front that Mike Zimmer utilizes.
18	St. Louis (from Was)	Alec Ogletree	LB	Georgia
Ogletree has been a stud for the latter part of the season. The Rams already have James Laurinitis but with Ogletree they all of a sudden can boast one of the best linebacking corps in the league. Ogletree is a relentless hitter and a solid tackler.
19	Dallas	Matt Elam	S	Florida
After signing Brandon Carr and drafting Morris Claiborne, Dallas just needs to get a young safety or two to form one of the best young secondaries in the league. Elam could be that guy. Jerry Jones values tall, athletic playmakers. Elam fits the bill.
20	Minnesota	Dion Jordan	DE	Oregon
Minnesota still takes Jordan here as a value pick. Jordan is massive at 6’7″ and he has to be accounted for on every play. Minnesota adds to their defensive line who face Aaron Rogers, Jay Cutler, and Matthew Stafford twice every season.
21	Pittsburgh	Johnathan Cooper	G	North Carolina
Pittsburgh has been having line problems for a few years now, and by drafting Cooper they continue to put pieces in place to keep Roethlisberger for getting sacked and getting injured. The Steelers are starting to get old. A little more youth on the line is necessary.
22	Chicago	Sharif Floyd	DT	Florida
Floyd has moved up a lot of boards, and Chicago could put him in play here. Last mock I had them taking a linebacker since Urlacher and Briggs are getting older, but they could really create some havoc up front with Floyd. The may still look at offensive linemen as well.
23	Seattle	Terrance Williams	WR	Baylor
Russell Wilson has been a revelation for the Seahawks this season. He has not thrown for very many yards, but he can make off-schedule plays. Perhaps if they add Williams here to pair up with Sidney Rice, Seattle becomes a legitimate passing offense.
24	Indianapolis	Alex Okafor	DE	Texas
Indy’s defense is getting older. They need valuable rotation guys to help get after the quarterback. Alex Okafor, the best of the front seven for the Texas Longhorns, would add a fresh set of legs to a pass rush that needs a boost.
25	NY Giants	Johnthan Banks	CB	Mississippi State
It seems every year that the Giants draft defensive linemen and cornerbacks. This year is no different. After a suspect secondary got exploited a few times this season, Johnathan Banks adds some depth to a secondary that seems to catch the injury bug every year.
26	Green Bay	Giovani Bernard	RB	North Carolina
Green Bay has not had a good running back since Ryan Grant was actually productive for them. Giovani Bernard came on strong this year for the Tar Heels, including a 267 yard performance against Virginia Tech. Now the Packers get stronger with a balanced offense.
27	Baltimore	Chance Warmack	OL	Alabama
Should the Ravens choose to stick with Joe Flacco, they are going to have to strengthen all areas of the offensive line. They are not spring chickens anymore. Chance Warmack was one of the big boys on Alabama’s line, and he automatically adds some youth and beef up front.
28	Denver	Kenny Vaccaro	S	Texas
Denver sticks with a safety but not the same one from the last mock. Vaccaro really played well at the end of the year, and the way the safeties played for Denver in the playoffs this season, they could certainly use the help of a ball hawk and a strong tackler.
29	San Francisco	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
San Francisco continues to add to their stellar defense with this pick. They could go a number of directions, but Rhodes gives them great value here. He breaks up plays and is a strong tackler, which are all things that Jim Harbaugh values.
30	New England	Eric Reid	S	LSU
New England and Denver just swap safeties. Reid proved he is worthy of a first round draft pick and he would be a big help to the Patriots in the secondary. With Devin McCourty playing well at the safety position, they could bolster that spot on the roster for years.
31	Atlanta	Sylvester Williams	DT	North Carolina
Atlanta stays with a tackle to help improve their rush defense but they go with the kid from North Carolina here. He is considered a top prospect by a lot of analysts. He would be a steal at No. 31 for the Falcons.
32	Houston	Logan Ryan	CB	Rutgers
Ryan seems to be riding up draft boards. He may not crack the first round, but if he does this would be a good spot. Kareem Jackson has been a little inconsistent for the Texans so they could use another defensive back.
Round 2
33	Jacksonville	Jesse Williams	DT	Alabama
After addressing the offensive line, Jacksonville hits the defensive line with Williams, who really stood out this season for Alabama.
34	Kansas City	Mike Glennon	QB	North Carolina State
Kansas City is able to get their quarterback with the second pick in the second round. It’s not Matt Barkley but Mike Glennon. He is rising quickly on draft boards, and he may end up in the first round.
35	Cincinnati (from Oak)	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
Cincinnati takes best player available even though they already got a defensive lineman. They bolster what seems will be a truly stout defense.
36	Carolina	D.J. Fluker	OL	Alabama
To protect Newton, Carolina takes someone from the best offensive line in college football. Fluker will compete right away.
37	Tennessee	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame
Eifert is most likely going to be an upgrade from Jared Cook. Locker could use another pass catcher and blocker up front.
38	Arizona	Arthur Brown	LB	Kansas State
Arizona has a good defense, but they take a linebacker for depth in this position. Offensive line is also a very strong possibility.
39	Detroit	Tony Jefferson	S	Oklahoma
Detroit once again goes with the secondary and this time at safety. Jefferson finds the ball better than a lot of safeties in the country.
40	Philadelphia	Anthony Barr	LB	UCLA
Philly looks to improve a defense that gives up a ton of yards by adding to their linebacking corps. Barr really came on strong this season to be a leader for the UCLA defense.
41	Buffalo	Robert Woods	WR	USC
Buffalo gets a receiver opposite of Stevie Johnson to finally create a legitimate receiving corps. Robert Woods is a productive guy with good hands and NFL receiver height.
42	Miami	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
Miami gets their playmaker in the passing game with Tavon Austin. He gets yards in chunks and he will be a matchup problem for defenses throughout the league.
43	Cleveland (supplemental)	Zach Ertz	TE	Stanford
Cleveland grabs a tight end to go with a really young offense. With Ertz, they can add another dimension to the passing game.
44	New Orleans (forfeit)	Chase Thomas	LB	Stanford
New Orleans goes defense again to help the worst unit in the league. Chase Thomas is a tackling machine all over the field.
45	San Diego	Montee Ball	RB	Wisconsin
Based on Ryan Matthews recent performances, San Diego might think about taking Monte Ball here. Rivers was his best when he had a great running back (LaDanian Tomlinson).
46	NY Jets	Matt Barkley	QB	USC
The Jets would be happy to draft Barkley here. He looks like a guy that can deal with the mental and physical aspects of the NFL.
47	Tampa Bay	Kawann Short	DT	Purdue
With Tampa’s injury issues on the defensive line, Shortt adds depth to an already young team.
48	St. Louis	Ricky Wagner	OT	Wisconsin
St. Louis protects its investment in Sam Bradford.
49	Washington	Oday Aboushi	OT	Virginia
The Redskins first pick of this draft is used to help protect an at-risk RGIII by taking a big boy from Alabama to line up across from Trent Williams.
50	Dallas	Corey Lemonier	DE	Auburn
Dallas could go with offensive line here, but DeMarcus Ware is getting older and they continue to improve the pass rush.
51	Minnesota	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
Christian Ponder needs help to create some production in the passing game. Minnesota can’t win strictly relying on Adrian Peterson. Hopkins gives them speed and production.
52	Cincinnati	Andre Ellington	RB	Clemson
Ellington gives Cincinnati a one-two punch in the running game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been very good. Ellington can spell him and churn out some more yards on the ground.
53	Pittsburgh	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
The Steelers get more lineman. Big Ben has gotten battered this season on a line that has played subpar for the better part of two seasons.
54	Seattle	Louis Nix	DT	Notre Dame
Seattle drafts a rotational player for Red Bryant in the middle. Seattle could go offensive line or linebacker here as well.
55	Chicago	Justin Pugh	OT	Syracuse
Chicago tries again to draft some protection for Cutler. Pugh is not the highest rated prospect, but depth means a possibility to find a good combination of starters.
56	Miami (from Ind)	T.J. McDonald	S	USC
McDonald is an athlete and a leader on defense. He is an instant upgrade from Rashad Jones.
57	NY Giants	Bacarri Rambo	S	Georgia
The Giants can always use more depth in their constantly injury-depleted backfield.
58	Baltimore	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington
Baltimore addresses their defense, which has been unlike Ravens defenses of the past. Trufant has pedigree and pairs up well with Jimmy Smith.
59	Green Bay	Dallas Thomas	OL	Tennessee
Green Bay has to keep defenders from flushing Aaron Rogers out of the pocket. They stay home and draft Wagner out of Wisconsin.
60	Denver	Jordan Poyer	CB	Oregon State
Denver again goes defense by taking Jordan Poyer out of Oregon State, who ranked second in the country in interceptions. They may look at a tight end here if one is available.
61	San Francisco	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
As if San Francisco needs more defense. Ansah is the best player available and a steal here.
62	New England	Jackson Jeffcoat	DE	Texas
Jeffcoat was an animal at Texas and New England would jump to add a pass rusher to go with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. That’s all of a sudden a scary rotation.
63	Atlanta	Larry Warford	G	Kentucky
Matt Ryan has come into his own this year as a top quarterback. Atlanta makes sure he is protected by taking an interior lineman as a rotational player.
64	Houston	Corderelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
Houston may finally get a secondary receiver opposite Andre Johnson. They need another weapon on the outside.

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Dan Levine 2013 NFL Mock Draft – 15 January 2013

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