Joel Welser 2013 NFL Mock Draft – 13 April 2013
April 13, 2013 · Joel Welser
1. Luke Joeckel 2. Geno Smith 3. Sharrif Floyd 4. Star Lotulelei 5. Eric Fisher
| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  |
Kansas City | Luke Joeckel | OT | Texas A&M |
| Kansas City is eyeing Luke Joeckel with the top overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Joeckel is a superb offensive tackle and can play on either side. Eric Fisher is also an option here, but Joeckel is more NFL ready right now and that is enough to give him the edge over Fisher. | |||||
| 2 |  |
Jacksonville | Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia |
| If Jacksonville really believes that Geno Smith is a superstar quarterback, they will probably take him here. There are a lot of other ways the Jaguars could, and probably should, go here, but that has never stopped a team from reaching for a quarterback way too early in a bad quarterback class. | |||||
| 3 |  |
Oakland | Sharrif Floyd | DT | Florida |
| Sharrif Floyd could be considered the best player available at this point and the Raiders are in dire need of some girth on their defensive front. Floyd has been shooting up draft boards since the end of his collegiate career and he is pretty much a lock for a top five selection at this point. | |||||
| 4 |  |
Philadelphia | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
| Now medically cleared, Star Lotulelei is quickly moving back up draft boards. If his health remains a concern, Lotulelei could slide down, but he is definitely a top five talent in this class. Moving to a 3-4 scheme, the Eagles desperately need a big body to fill the middle of the defensive line and Lotulelei is that man. | |||||
| 5 |  |
Detroit | Eric Fisher | OT | Central Michigan |
| The Lions do need help at the end spots and are reportedly smitten with Ezekiel Ansah out of BYU. However, if the draft works out like this, there are a couple of other players who fill a big need. Cornerback, with Dee Milliner still on the board, and offensive tackle will also be considered. With the retirement of Jeff Backus, Detroit better jump on Eric Fisher while they can still get a franchise tackle. | |||||
| 6 |  |
Cleveland | Jarvis Jones | DE | Georgia |
| Dee Milliner and Tavon Austin are options, and it is also very possible that Cleveland will trade this pick away, but all the pass rushers are still on the board and that is where the Browns will likely look. Cleveland can likely move down a few spots and still nab Jones or another pass rusher like Barkevious Mingo to replace Shaun Phillips. | |||||
| 7 |  |
Arizona | Dion Jordan | DE | Oregon |
| This is a team that desperately needs an offensive lineman, but the top two are off the board. If the Cardinals are not happy with Lane Johnson or one of the top guards in this class, they may try and trade down. If that fails, one can never have too many pass rushers and with Dion Jordan sliding down, the offensive line can wait until later. | |||||
| 8 |  |
Buffalo | Tavon Austin | WR | West Virginia |
| Buffalo wants a quarterback and is apparently willing to trade up to get one. If they have to trade up to the second pick, the Bills will likely have to give up more than they want to. There are decent enough quarterbacks who will be available later. In the meantime, they should pick up a top receiver and give their quarterback some actual weapons to work with. And Tavon Austin is the best playmaker on the board. | |||||
| 9 |  |
NY Jets | Dee Milliner | CB | Alabama |
| This is a value pick for the Jets. They do need some help in the secondary, but there is no way they should pass on Dee Milliner if he happens to fall this far. However, finding a pass rusher is also a huge need and Barkevious Mingo and Ezekiel Ansah are still on the board. Either way, the Jets are getting a quality player with the ninth pick. | |||||
| 10 |  |
Tennessee | Chance Warmack | G | Alabama |
| The Titans hope the Jets like Barkevious Mingo more than Dee Milliner since Tennessee is in dire need of a cornerback. Xavier Rhodes and Desmond Trufant are options here as well, but the Titans also need to fill some holes on their offensive line and Chance Warmack is the best guard to enter the draft in quite some time. | |||||
| 11 |  |
San Diego | Lane Johnson | OT | Oklahoma |
| The Chargers may trade up to nab one of the top tackles in this class. They may also have to trade up to get Lane Johnson who, as the third best tackle in this class, could be long gone by this point in the draft. Also available is guard Jonathan Cooper. San Diego has to address their needs on the offensive line more than once during this draft. | |||||
| 12 |  |
Miami | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Florida State |
| The Dolphins have some needs all over the field, but the biggest right now is certainly at cornerback. Xavier Rhodes is the best available and has had some good years with the Seminoles of Florida State. | |||||
| 13 |  |
Tampa Bay | Ezekiel Ansah | DE | BYU |
| The Buccaneers have some needs in their secondary and on the front line. The Buccaneers also want to take a tight end early in the draft, but it may be a touch too early for Tyler Eifert. With Ezekiel Ansah sliding down to the 13th spot, he is too much to pass up. Tampa Bay had a horrible time garnering any type of consistent pressure from their front line and Ansah could change that in a hurry. | |||||
| 14 |  |
Carolina | Sheldon Richardson | DT | Missouri |
| Sheldon Richardson is the best player available that fills one of Carolina’s needs. Unless they really, really like one of the wide receivers still available, Richardson just makes too much sense to pass on at this point in the draft. | |||||
| 15 |  |
New Orleans | Bjoern Werner | DE | Florida State |
| The Saints have needs all over their defense. With the move to a 3-4 scheme, pass rushers are at a premium and Bjoern Werner is the best on the board. Even if Werner is gone, there should be a top defensive end still available at this point for the Saints to grab. | |||||
| 16 |  |
St. Louis | Jonathan Cooper | G | North Carolina |
| The Rams have a few massive holes to fill on defense, but Jonathan Cooper fills a need on the offensive line as well. Instead of slightly reaching for a safety, the Rams can pick up a great interior lineman. Cooper is a bit behind Chance Warmack in the guard pecking order, but he is still worthy of a first round selection. | |||||
| 17 |  |
Pittsburgh | Barkevious Mingo | DE | LSU |
| Barkevious Mingo is widely considered a boom or bust type of player. He is not exactly a well-rounded player, but he can get to the quarterback. Mingo is also a great value in the second half of the first round and Pittsburgh has the luxury of taking a little risk. | |||||
| 18 |  |
Dallas | Kenny Vaccaro | S | Texas |
| Moving to a 4-3 defense leaves quite a few holes for Dallas. Offensive line is a huge need, but there is not value there with this pick. For now, the Cowboys can get the versatile safety they need with Kenny Vaccaro. After that, they will need to grab a shutdown defensive tackle and help their offensive line. | |||||
| 19 |  |
NY Giants | Alex Ogletree | LB | Georgia |
| The Giants have some needs at linebacker. Arthur Brown is shooting up draft boards right now, but Alex Ogletree may be a better value for New York at this point in the draft. Off-field issues are a concern, but that is why he is still available for the Giants with the 19th pick in the draft. | |||||
| 20 |  |
Chicago | Arthur Brown | LB | Kansas State |
| It remains to be seen if Arthur Brown will continue his rise up the draft boards, but one thing is for sure; the Bears need linebackers. With Nick Roach and Brian Urlacher gone, Chicago will have to add some youth to the middle of their defense at some point. For now Brown is a great option and could turn into a staple at inside linebacker for the Bears. | |||||
| 21 |  |
Cincinnati | D.J. Fluker | OT | Alabama |
| Cincinnati may have bigger needs on defense, but being able to protect quarterback Andy Dalton is a big need as well. Fluker is a big, versatile lineman who can play at guard or right tackle. That versatility is a big bonus for a Bengals team that could use him right away. | |||||
| 22 | |
St. Louis (from WAS) | Eddie Lacy | RB | Alabama |
| Eddie Lacy is easily the best back in this class. If the Rams want to find a workhorse who has the speed and agility to go for six any time he touches the ball, they better pick up Lacy right now. With just one receiver off of the board, the Rams could also look for a value pick with Cordarrelle Patterson or Keenan Allen. | |||||
| 23 |  |
Minnesota | Cordarrelle Patterson | WR | Tennessee |
| With Percy Harvin gone, Minnesota could use another wide receiver. With the 23rd and 25th overall picks, they should be able to get a good one. In this case, they have their pick between Cordarrelle Patterson and Keenan Allen. Patterson has the most upside and could even be the top receiver on their board. | |||||
| 24 |  |
Indianapolis | Keenan Allen | WR | California |
| Indianapolis has been busy on the free agent market, so there are not a whole lot of needs. However, depth at wide receiver is one of those needs and Keenan Allen is a great bargain this late in the first round. | |||||
| 25 | |
Minnesota (from SEA) | Kawann Short | DT | Purdue |
| Kawann Short did not garner too much national attention during his collegiate days at Purdue. But he pretty much made everything happen for the Boilermaker’s defense. The Vikings could use some girth in the middle of their defensive line and Short has plenty of that. | |||||
| 26 |  |
Green Bay | Tyler Eifert | TE | Notre Dame |
| It is quite likely that the Packers will need a new tight end in 2014. In the meantime, providing Aaron Rodgers with more offensive weapons to help replace Greg Jennings cannot hurt. However, Green Bay could also help Rodgers by beefing up the offensive line. | |||||
| 27 |  |
Houston | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | Clemson |
| Here we are again…the Texans are looking for a second wide receiver. Imagine that. The reason Houston will use a first round draft pick on a receiver this time around is because Andre Johnson is not a young pup anymore. The hope will be that DeAndre Hopkins will emerge as a #1 receiver in a few years. | |||||
| 28 |  |
Denver | DaMontre Moore | DE | Texas A&M |
| DaMontre Moore has been falling down draft boards and that is great news for Denver in this scenario. Moore is a top 15 or 20 talent, but a handful of defensive ends are passing him on most draft boards and that has inevitably led to a slide. The Broncos need a pass rusher and will likely take the best on the board even if Moore is gone. | |||||
| 29 |  |
New England | Sylvester Williams | DT | North Carolina |
| The Patriots have done a pretty good job filling their holes via free agency, but they still need some young receivers and depth across the defensive line. With Sylvester Williams still on the board, New England should go ahead and take him now and worry about the rest later. | |||||
| 30 |  |
Atlanta | Alex Okafor | DE | Texas |
| Alex Okafor is flying under the radar a bit more than some think he should. Okafor is a proven pass rusher in the collegiate ranks and will be able to do the same in Atlanta. However, the Falcons will need to believe Okafor is a good fit for their scheme since he is a bit of a tweener. | |||||
| 31 |  |
San Francisco | Desmond Trufant | CB | Washington |
| For the most part, the 49ers have the luxury of taking the best player available. Desmond Trufant could easily be the highest player left on their board, but San Francisco also has some questions in the secondary after getting gutted in the Super Bowl. | |||||
| 32 |  |
Baltimore | Kevin Minter | LB | LSU |
| Baltimore already has a lot of new faces on defense, but they still need a linebacker or two. Kevin Minter and Manti Te’o are the best two available and Minter’s motor could pull him up over Te’o on the Raven’s board. Minter, like Te’o, has been extremely productive throughout his collegiate career and should be able to step right into a starting role. | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
| 33 | |
Jacksonville | Datone Jones | DE | UCLA |
| After taking quarterback Geno Smith way too early in the first round, Jacksonville gets the pass rusher they so desperately need. | |||||
| 34 | |
San Francisco (from KC) | Margus Hunt | DE | SMU |
| The 49ers need some depth on the ends and the huge 6-8 Margus Hunt is worth the risk in the second round. | |||||
| 35 | |
Philadelphia | E.J. Manuel | QB | Florida State |
| There are still a lot of quarterbacks left on the board, but they are going to start flying off in round two. E.J. Manuel may not be the best available, but he does fit Coach Kelly’s scheme. | |||||
| 36 | |
Detroit | Johnthan Banks | CB | Mississippi State |
| Johnthan Banks is a great value in the second round. He is a tested cornerback who has all the tools to at least be a consistent starter in the NFL. | |||||
| 37 | |
Cincinnati (from OAK) | Matt Elam | S | Florida |
| Matt Elam has first round talent. For Cincinnati he is not just a good value pick, but he also fills a big need. | |||||
| 38 | |
Arizona | Matt Barkley | QB | USC |
| Teaming up Matt Barkley with Carson Palmer may not sound all that great, but Barkley is still a solid quarterback who does not deserve to drop out of the first round. In fact, Arizona may have to move up to get him. | |||||
| 39 | |
Cleveland (supplemental) | |||
| 40 | |
NY Jets | Tyler Bray | QB | Tennessee |
| The Jets are another team in need of some hope under center. Tyler Bray is a great prospect and will be one of many quarterbacks taken in the second round. | |||||
| 41 | |
Tennessee | Logan Ryan | CB | Rutgers |
| After missing out on a cornerback in the first round, the Titans almost have to go get the best on their board in round two. | |||||
| 42 | |
Buffalo | Tyler Wilson | QB | Arkansas |
| Buffalo nabbed a wide receiver in the first round and now they can get their quarterback. | |||||
| 43 | |
Miami | Barrett Jones | C | Alabama |
| Miami may be looking for a right tackle here, but they need a right guard too. Jones has the versatility to play anywhere on the interior line and has good value at this point in the draft. | |||||
| 44 | |
Tampa Bay | Jamar Taylor | CB | Boise State |
| With Jamar Taylor joining Ezekiel Ansah, the Tampa Bay defense is looking much, much better. | |||||
| 45 | |
Carolina | Jonathan Cyprien | S | Florida International |
| The Panthers get a great deal and add some needed depth to their secondary with the addition of Jonathan Cyprien. | |||||
| 46 | |
New Orleans (forfeit) | |||
| 47 | |
San Diego | Jesse Williams | DT | Alabama |
| Jesse Williams is a beast and a solid pickup in the middle of the second round. It is a nice pick up for the Chargers after getting offensive line help in the first round. | |||||
| 48 | |
St. Louis | Robert Woods | WR | USC |
| The Rams continue to boost their offense by picking up Robert Woods in the second round. | |||||
| 49 | |
Dallas | Sam Montgomery | DT | LSU |
| Dallas went with the best safety in the draft in the first round. This time around they fill their big need at tackle. | |||||
| 50 | |
Pittsburgh | Manti Te’o | LB | Notre Dame |
| If Pittsburgh really is looking for an inside linebacker, they should be very happy to pick up a falling prospect like Manti Te’o in the second round. | |||||
| 51 | |
NY Giants | Menelik Watson | OT | Florida State |
| With the linebacker concern taken care of in the first round, it is time to help keep Eli Manning healthy by finding a right tackle. | |||||
| 52 | |
Chicago | Larry Warford | G | Kentucky |
| The Bears need to address the interior of their line at some point and Larry Warford is the best guard on the board. | |||||
| 53 |  |
Washington | David Amerson | CB | North Carolina State |
| David Amerson is a proven playmaker, but how well he translates into the NFL is a big concern. The Redskins need depth at cornerback though and Amerson is full of potential. | |||||
| 54 | |
Minnesota | Jordan Poyer | CB | Oregon State |
| The Vikings add some needed depth to their secondary with the addition of Jordan Poyer. | |||||
| 55 | |
Cincinnati | Giovani Bernard | RB | North Carolina |
| Cincinnati is eyeing a complimentary running back and Giovani Bernard should be the next taken after Eddie Lacy. | |||||
| 56 | |
Miami (from IND) | Corey Lemonier | DE | Auburn |
| Miami will likely use one of their three selections in the first two rounds on somebody who can get to the quarterback. | |||||
| 57 | |
Green Bay | Eric Reid | S | LSU |
| The Packers need some help at safety and Eric Reid is one of the best players available. | |||||
| 58 |  |
Seattle | Johnathan Hankins | DT | Ohio State |
| The Seahawks do not have many holes to fill anymore. Even with the signing of Michael Bennett and Tony McDaniel, Johnathan Hankins could still add something to the defensive front. | |||||
| 59 | |
Houston | Justin Pugh | OT | Syracuse |
| Justin Pugh may not be a tackle in the NFL, but he could turn into a very good guard for Houston. | |||||
| 60 | |
Denver | Justin Hunter | WR | Tennessee |
| Justin Hunter could be long, long gone by now. Some receivers are going to fall a bit, but this is a great value pick for Denver. | |||||
| 61 | |
New England | Terrance Williams | WR | Baylor |
| Terrance Williams is yet another talented wide receiver who has first round potential. | |||||
| 62 | |
Atlanta | Cornellius Carradine | DE | Florida State |
| Sure Atlanta took a defensive end in the first round, but they can take a chance on Cornellius Carradine here. | |||||
| 63 | |
San Francisco | John Simon | DT | Ohio State |
| Depth at tackle would be very helpful to San Francisco and John Simon is a solid pickup this late in the second round. | |||||
| 64 | |
Baltimore | T.J. McDonald | S | USC |
| T.J. McDonald is a bit of a risk right here, but Baltimore needs help at safety and McDonald could be well worth the risk sooner or later. | |||||
