2013 NFL Mock Draft – Round 1

Of course, on the back of the draft mockery column, we were going to have a mock draft. The draft grades given out by experts for this draft have been widely varying. As such, it can be difficult to pinpoint what differentiates players at each position and what teams have in mind when they make their selections. How important is character? Are teams ready to believe in unproven quarterbacks, and potentially throw another year down the drain rather than select one now? How important are speed and strength? Intangibles? These are all questions teams have, and concerns mock drafters have when writing their piece. It will be interesting to go over this later and see how many picks were right, and how many trades were made. Speaking of which, there are no trades here. Perhaps in future years that will have to change, but not right now. And without further adieu….

 

With the 1st pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

This deep into the offseason it is no surprise that the Chiefs have Joeckel set in their sights. They hired Andy Reid and traded a high second round pick for Alex Smith, which would appear to blow previous quarterback projections out of the water. Reid has been fawning over Alex Smith on the press circuit over the last two months, so it seems improbable that Kansas City intends to invest both their first and second round picks into the quarterback position. Peter King has reported that the Chiefs have been looking to deal franchised tackle Branden Albert for a high second round pick, which would seem to further cement the position that the Chiefs will take a tackle. All things taken into consideration, it is more likely that the Chiefs will take the Texas A&M product who has faced better competition than his counterpart, Eric Fisher.

 

With the 2nd pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon

I think Seattle’s selection of Bruce Irvin in the first round of last year’s draft is a big tell here. Pete Carroll and Gus Bradley (current Jacksonville head coach) prioritized speed for their defense over the last few years. Dion Jordan is a freak athlete and combine warrior, the type of player that Bradley fawns over. As a Raider fan, I have seen my team burned by guys like this before, so I’m not the biggest fan of the Oregon prospect. His physical talents are remarkable, there is no denying that. It is a great thing for the Jaguars to have this pick, as they are a team with many needs and a distinct lack of cornerstone players. With Blaine Gabbert on the roster, clearly Jacksonville needs a QB as well. I expect them to target one on Day 2. Eric Fisher would be another great pick for the Jaguars, but keeping the background of their coach in mind, they are more likely to take a defensive player.

 

With the 3rd pick, the Oakland Raiders select Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie appears to be interested in ditching this pick, so who knows if this is what will actually happen. Oakland is in need of bodies all over the field, so trading out and accumulating picks is the most natural course of action should McKenzie find a dance partner. However, if the Raiders do keep the pick, Floyd is exactly what the Raiders need. He is an interior force who will fit in well on a team that is in major need of quality talent. He is athletic, capable of fighting through double teams, and has a high motor. These things best fit a Raider defense which is looking for personnel to play a multiple front based scheme. The defensive line has been the lone area on defense which has not been supplemented with starting caliber players. I prefer Star Lotulelei as a player, but the mere possibility that he has a heart condition has lowered his draft stock. From my perspective, with Tommy Kelly, Richard Seymour, and Desmond Bryant all having left over the last few months, the Raiders have no choice but to take a defensive tackle should they keep the 3rd overall pick. Nothing else should be considered.

 

With the 4th pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

Picking a player for the Eagles has been the most difficult conundrum yet. Unfortunately almost every pick from here on out is that difficult. The Eagles need some of everything. They could use a second 3-4 pass rusher on the opposite side of Connor Barwin, but I think Chip Kelly will look to players on the current roster and try to plug them in or utilize later draft picks rather than take one so early. They also need a quarterback, but they brought Michael Vick back and a draftee would then be the #3 QB. I think they like Geno, but at #4?  I don’t know about that and I don’t have trades in this, so it doesn’t matter. Philadelphia canceled their meeting with Dee Milliner and have signed Cary Williams this offseason, so I’m bumping him out. They brought in Issac Sopoaga for the nose tackle position, which meant in the end I went with Eric Fisher. The Eagles offensive line is a wreck and has been for years, they need to fix it. Fisher is an athletic kid and in terms of what he has done on the field, the best offensive tackle left. Probably the best player left on the board as well.

 

With the 5th pick, the Detroit Lions select Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

The two top tackles are gone, which doesn’t leave Detroit in a great place. Many people think they’ll take Dee Milliner if such a situation occurs, but after much deliberation, I don’t think so. The Lions drafted three cornerbacks in the 2012 Draft and I’m not a believer in taking players in positions that you’ve already sunk picks into so recently. Cliff Avril left in free agency, but I don’t think GM Martin Mayhew plans to take a pass rusher until the second day. While the Lions are notorious for taking best player available, the best player available is a guard. While Chance Warmack does look like an All-Pro guard, that may be tough to justify. The Lions badly need exterior pass protectors to keep Matthew Stafford healthy. Jeff Backus retiring made this an absolute priority. Lane Johnson is an athletic kid who has flown up draft boards after the combine. It remains to be seen if that can translate to on-field performance in the NFL, but I believe the Lions will certainly have heavy interest in attempting to make it work.

 

With the 6th pick, the Cleveland Browns select Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

This would be a great pick for the Browns. They are most likely to trade down of the teams listed thus far, but I love the prospect of Cleveland taking Milliner to have opposite Joe Haden. His speed will cause him to have the responsibility over Haden in covering the types of speedsters which occupy AFC North rosters. I’m not a huge fan of Buster Skrine, to me he’s just a guy playing cornerback in the NFL. Not an impact player, but a guy, a body. The Browns need a quarterback very badly, but I think they’ll wait on that until next year or trade out of this spot to get a second round pick they can take one with, but they will not take a QB with the #6 pick. If they do trade down, I think it would be with the Chargers should Lane Johnson get past Detroit. Then Geno Smith would be in play for the Browns at #11. Cleveland also shored up their DL with some big free agent signings, and the Browns needed that. The general malaise which has permeated the Browns organization has gone on for far too long and they need to take strides past becoming an average team, but to become a winning team. Dee Milliner will help get them on that path.

 

With the 7th pick, the Arizona Cardinals select Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

The Arizona Cardinals offensive line is undeniably the worst unit in the NFL. While their preferred targets (offensive tackles) are gone, they cannot afford to not take an offensive lineman. Yeah, it’s a little early for a guard, but how early? Warmack is possibly the best offensive lineman in the whole draft, and if a team trades up, it’s very possible that’s the choice they want to make in the first place. With the news about Ezekiel Ansah’s age coming out, I think that drops his stock enough that the Cardinals won’t consider it. Taking a raw player who will be 24 when the season starts is not what teams do with a high first round pick. There are other pass rushing choices Arizona could make, but I think it’s a few picks too soon. Arizona’s new GM was promoted through the organization, an organization which has numerous times taken players below the supposed value of the pick. Bruce Arians is an offensive guy and I believe he will work in concert with Steve Keim in solidifying a front that is very poor throughout this draft. Carson Palmer has to be protected.

 

With the 8th pick, the Buffalo Bills select Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

A lot of thought was put into this. First I took into account that GM Buddy Nix is completely full of trash, a double talker. Then I also considered that he seems like the kind of GM who would undermine his coach and not put that much input into what Marrone thinks. They’re an extremely difficult team to mock draft for because they have some distinct needs and have shown that they are an organization that does not have much interest in addressing them. Buddy Nix talks about the Bills having good guards, then praises Warmack and Jonathan Cooper in the next sentence. It’s way too early for Buffalo to take Ryan Nassib. I’m not doing trades, but the Bills haven’t traded their first round pick in 8 years. You have to assume they aren’t going to now.  The writing is on the wall that they will draft a QB in the first round, but it’s hard to be sure. In the end I went with Patterson. He is a big wideout and the Bills receiving corps is really lacking depth. Tavon Austin is worth a look here too. While the signs point towards Buffalo taking a QB, it’s Buffalo and you can’t be sure of it.

 

With the 9th pick, the New York Jets select Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

The Jets need everything. QB, RB, WR, TE, DL, LB, FS are all relatively poor positions for Rex Ryan’s squad. In this case, they’ll look to take the best player available. That man on my board is Star Lotulelei. Kenrick Ellis has been a failed pick, Antonio Garay is certainly no long term starting option. Lotulelei is a force, one of the few game changing defensive players in the draft and the kind of player opposing offenses have to scheme around. If the Jets are able to trade Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay they may have another pick to play with and use on a pass rusher. At this stage the Jets have to be looking at the future and past this season, because the roster and cap situation isn’t where they would like it to be. There are better offensive skill players in next year’s draft, and all things considered, they will likely be able to get one of them with a high draft pick.

 

With the 10th pick, the Tennessee Titans select Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina

I’m not sold on Jake Locker as a long term solution, which puts them in a similar boat as the Jets are in. The difference is, they had cap space this offseason and utilized it very well. Much needed depth and quality was added to the Titans roster across the board. While they did sign a big money guard in Andy Levitre back in March, the Titans still have a need for quality offensive linemen. Protecting an injury prone quarterback is a wise solution, and with this pick new GM Ruston Webster will have provided Locker with the offensive pieces to be successful and start building towards being a winning team. If they can’t, the axe will fall on Mike Munchak. The Titans still need work on the defensive side of the ball though. More to that point later.

 

With the 11th pick, the San Diego Chargers select Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU

If the Chargers don’t trade up to take a tackle, I’d be fairly surprised, but for the sake of the exercise this seems like what they would do should they not. Although they have poured picks into defense over the last few years, they’ve only received a bit of impact talent. Corey Liuget looks like a real player, Melvin Ingram not so much. Another player to look at should the Raiders trade out of #3 is Sharrif Floyd. He seems like the kind of guy San Diego has been looking for in the first round over the last few years. Floyd would likely fall quite a bit should such a situation occur, and perhaps right into the Chargers range. It’s difficult to predict what new GM Tom Telesco will do. He may decide that Philip Rivers lacks weapons, which he absolutely does, and take a receiver like Tavon Austin. In my opinion Mingo is an elite prospect with great speed and size. Just needs to put on a little muscle.

 

With the 12th pick, the Miami Dolphins select Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

This next sequence of picks is the toughest to project in any way, and has had to be changed multiple times. One position the Dolphins did not address during free agency was the defensive tackle position. With the best tackles gone, and it being a little too early for DJ Fluker, Sheldon Richardson is a great fit for the Dolphins 4-3 scheme, or in somebody else’s 3-4 defense as a 5 technique. He plays the game with high intensity and has great strength to throw blockers aside. With the way NFL defenses are changing, picking a player who can adapt to multiple schemes is always good. I’m somewhat surprised his stock didn’t rise over the last few months, because while watching tape of his games against SEC opponents, Richardson looks like a great defensive tackle.

 

With the 13th pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

If Tampa Bay still has this pick, it means they did not trade for Darrelle Revis, in which case they need a cornerback. Rhodes is clearly the best corner left on the board. Tampa also has some issues on the defensive line having lost a few linemen to free agency, DaQuan Bowers having a bad wheel, and Adrian Clayborn having blown out his knee last season. Rhodes is an excellent athlete, with great size for the cornerback position. In a division with receivers like Marques Colston and Julio Jones, that is just about mandatory. He is a jam type corner and those are the kinds of corners I prefer. Plus, the Buccaneers are in need of help at that position anyway. Even if he is to return, Ronde Barber is just too old to matchup against #1 and #2 receivers.

 

With the 14th pick, the Carolina Panthers select Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

There comes a point where the Carolina Panthers have to start putting Cam Newton in a position to win football games. He is clearly getting frustrated due to a lack of quality offensive talent and quality scheme around him, and I don’t blame him. I don’t know why the Panthers hired Mike Shula, but Steve Smith isn’t getting any younger. They need another receiver to pair with him now, and one for when he leaves. Last year Carolina put a building block in place on defense by drafting Luke Kuechly, this year it’s time to add one on offense. Lacking 3rd and 7th rounders this year, they have minimal room for mistake picks. I’m also a big fan of Carolina adding a defensive back, their secondary is quite bereft of talent. A move down with a view to adding a pick would be wise. Should they not, Austin is one of the more exciting prospects in this draft. He has elite speed and can make things happen out of nothing. On top of all that, he’s the only receiver in this draft with his skillset. Marquise Goodwin is a great sprinter but it remains to be seen what he can do as a contributor to a winning football team at any level.

 

With the 15th pick, the New Orleans Saints select Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

I’m very interested to see what happens with Ansah now that his true age has been revealed to be 24 years old when next season starts. He looks older, but the information NFL teams have to go on (passport) is good enough for me. I think his draft stock is going to drop because his raw talent has less time to be molded into an elite player. I believe this is a typically shrewd Saints draft pick. New Orleans is clearly in “win now” mode, so his age wouldn’t be as relevant to them as it is to the other teams which are clearly attempting to rebuild. There is good value here as well. With the Saints shift to a 3-4, Ansah is a great fit for their defense and would slot in as an outside linebacker. He is a freakish athlete. There are some questions about his motor, but the Saints have shown themselves to be a model organization in getting the most out of the talent on their roster. I’m not worried about it. Like many other teams ahead of them, the Saints could use a corner, but finding 3-4 fits is likely the priority.

 

With the 16th pick, the St. Louis Rams select Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

The Rams could use a safety at either of the two positions; their current roster players don’t cut the mustard as starters in a competitive NFC West. Frankly, they are not good enough to start in the National Football League. Over time I believe Vaccaro will slot in as a strong safety due to a lack of size. He’s one of those players who gives 100%, will never be caught acting lazy on the football field and will make the most of his talent. This pick is more of a going with the tide thing, I do not think he is the best safety in the draft and am surprised to see him consistently ranked ahead of Eric Reid and Matt Elam. On the football field, those two stood out far more. This pick does not preclude St. Louis from taking another safety in later rounds, as they need two of them. My justification for taking a safety now rather than a different one with the #22 pick is that Jeff Fisher went with a Texas safety before and he turned out to be an All-Pro. Going back to the well is wise.

 

With the 17th pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

The Steelers pass rush has been mediocre over the last few years. Under their current cap situation they cannot fix that through free agency, so the draft is where they must turn in order to find a guy who can hit the quarterback. I don’t see the Steelers reacting to Heath Miller’s injury by taking a tight end in the first round. That isn’t how they operate. They look to find players who are dropping for odd reasons (medical, character related, teams undervaluing pure speed) and hit that hard throughout their draft. Jones is BPA and he was the best defensive player in college football last season. No-brainer pick and an ideal James Harrison replacement, spinal issue or not. His speed is going to give offensive linemen fits.

 

With the 18th pick, the Dallas Cowboys select DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama

Doug Free is a bad football player and the Cowboys can no longer afford to have him dragging down their offensive line. With the huge investment put into Tony Romo, the Cowboys have to surround him with linemen who can keep him standing. Fluker is an enormous tackle and would be a great selection for Dallas. It’s no surprise that members of the best offensive line in college football last season have, and will continue to be selected highly by NFL teams. It’s hard for blockers to shove off a lineman who weighs nearly 340 pounds, and possibly could get even bigger. Safety is also a need, and they will look to find one in the second round rather than here. All that being said, as always, trading up is a distinct possibility.

 

With the 19th pick, the New York Giants select Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia

Continuing the run of SEC players is the best inside linebacker in the 2013 Draft. New York is very thin at linebacker and could do with the addition of a playmaker on the second level, past their always excellent defensive line. Much like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the issues that call players into question for other teams don’t seem to affect Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin. They go into the draft with my favorite mindset, just looking for quality players no matter what. Ogletree seems to have character issues, but when the player is so obviously the best at his position, I think to some extent they should be marginalized. The Giants cannot stop the run and cannot depend on their current roster linebackers to fill the position. It wouldn’t floor me if the Giants took a pass rusher, but this would seem to make the most sense value wise, need wise, and just in terms of taking pure talent. I am a big fan of his closing speed and aggressive approach to finding the ballcarrier.

 

With the 20th pick, the Chicago Bears select Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

All of the top offensive linemen are off the board, so this seems like a logical step for the Bears. Kevin Minter is a legitimate option, but I believe supplementing the offense is of more importance to new HC Marc Trestman. The Bears also signed DJ Williams, so I’m quite unsure they intend to put a rookie in the ILB spot on a team full of veterans. Their pick is very difficult to make, but I believe the Bears along with many other teams are going to attempt imitating New England’s two legitimate pass catching threat tight end attack over the next couple of seasons. The Bears threw Greg Olsen away, but with the change in coaching staff I believe they value tight ends much more. Eifert is very athletic and should be a huge receiving target in the pros. Such a selection with Martellus Bennett as their other tight end could prove beneficial for the Bears. I also think this is a great slot for somebody to trade up for Geno Smith, as the Bears are low on picks and wouldn’t be very likely to refuse. Provided my Geno to the Jets with the pick traded for Revis scenario doesn’t play out…

 

With the 21st pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

This year the Bengals find themselves pick flush. As such, they are likely to move up to select an offensive lineman of their choice and throw this thing into chaos. I don’t think that they should. Eddie Lacy is the best running back in the draft and is not likely to be hanging around with Cincinnati makes the first of their two 2nd round picks. I expected them to select a linebacker here once the offseason started, but surprisingly Rey Maualuga re-signed and that changed things for me. Running back is the perfect fit for a team with few problems, unless you count being inexperienced as one of them.  Filling other organizational needs (S, OL, LB) with later picks would be prudent.

 

With the 22nd pick, the St. Louis Rams select DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

The Rams find themselves in the cushy position of having two first round picks. Their wide receiver situation isn’t so cushy though. I would say that the Rams once again getting out of the first round without a receiver would be an abject failure and waste of having those two picks. If Tavon Austin is gone before #16, and I believe that there is no doubt he will be, the Rams will wait until this pick before grabbing one. The Rams could also use a tackle, but like I said, it has to be out of the question here. Hopkins looks like the right fit for St. Louis on tape, his numbers and play at Clemson were both very impressive. He is consistent and that’s what the Rams need. This was my pick before the news of Hopkins trashing a hotel room at the combine came out, but I don’t think that’s a huge factor for the Rams. Jeff Fisher is notable for picking up players with questionable character.

 

With the 23rd pick, the Minnesota Vikings select Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame

Minnesota GM Rick Spielman has been keeping tabs on Manti Te’o during the whole course of this year’s pre-draft activities. I haven’t assigned percentages to my picks, but I’d give Te’o to the Vikings about a 90% chance of happening. If it doesn’t, somebody pulled a shocker and took him far earlier. I don’t really need to go over Te’o’s game, that’s a bit overdone. He fits in well with the current Vikings scheme. Two quality linebackers, good linemen in front of him (although aging), good looking young safety in Harrison Smith. I think that’s a good place to slot in a young inside linebacker. He has gone from overhyped to underrated, if you can get him at the end of the first round, that’s perfectly alright. Especially when you have two picks. If he busts, obviously that’s not great, but it’s manageable.

 

With the 24th pick, the Indianapolis Colts select Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

The Colts have multiple directions in which they can head, which all in all causes this to be a brutal pick to make. I took all the defensive linemen out of the picture. Cory Redding, Aubrayo Franklin, and Ricky Jean-Francois are likely secure in their starting spots. So are Robert Mathis and Erik Walden (why) as OLB’s in their 3-4. Then, due to value of what’s on the board and an overall lack of picks (only 3 in the first 5 rounds), the Colts have added enough decent-to-good players that it then becomes about upgrading upon what you have. I believe Chuck Pagano is the type of defensive mind that will be thinking his team needs to have three or four good cornerbacks. Talented receivers are getting stockpiled around the league and teams need to be able to cover all of them. Desmond Trufant is the best cornerback available and will fit in well opposite Vontae Davis. That pick also allows the Colts to shunt Greg Toler down to a more appropriate nickel back role. I think he needs to bulk up a little, but he has great athleticism and NFL pedigree.

 

With the 25th pick, the Minnesota Vikings select Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina

It’s really popular of late for mock drafters to give Minnesota wide receivers with one of these two picks, but I’m not seeing it. There’s a lot of things being said about Keenan Allen at this time, none of them good. Only time will tell if they are true, but a scout did say that Allen is not going in the first round due to character concerns. I think I believe it. The Vikings have a distinct need at defensive tackle, Williams is the best one on the board. He’s a huge player who can replace Kevin Williams long term and in the short term provide Minnesota with another huge run stopper. Everyone in that division has issues with their offensive line and surely won’t enjoy blocking him. I was really tempted to pull a Geno Smith to the Vikings pick, honestly. I don’t think their organization has too much faith in Christian Ponder, so there will come a point in this draft where they decide to hedge their bets by taking a quarterback.

 

With the 26th pick, the Green Bay Packers select Datone Jones, DE, UCLA

The Packers need to supplement their defensive scheme. While it currently is full of talent, the players on the field do not seem to get the results required for Green Bay to be more than a one and out team in January. I like Jones as a 5 technique in Dom Capers 3-4 defense. He has a big body and can use it to push inside or outside tackles. His 20 yard shuttle time at the combine (4.32) shows that even with a very large frame that is can put on more weight, he is not losing agility or athleticism in the process. With this pick I think the chance of Green Bay trading out is high, because they could use a R2 running back or receiver in addition to another defensive player with their existing second round pick. However, in the long run, I think they would benefit much more from adding the best 5 technique left on the board.

 

With the 27th pick, the Houston Texans select Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee

Houston is a tough team to peg, because they seem to target other positions than their main need in the first round every year, then take a slew of players at their priority position and hope one meets the need. I think the Texans are very likely to take a nose tackle as well. They clearly need a wide receiver though, and I can’t in good conscience not draft one in their place. Tennessee has become a wide receiver breeding ground over the last few years, with one quality player taken in the late rounds by the Oakland Raiders in 2011, and two given first round grades in 2013. Hunter has ideal height for the position and would give the Texans another big downfield threat. Hunter also possesses the ability to go up and get the ball under perfect coverage, which is an attribute that cannot be taught to receivers. Either they have the leaping ability and size or they do not. In an offense that uses multiple downfield threats at receiver and tight end, Justin Hunter is a perfect fit for the Houston Texans.

 

With the 28th pick, the Denver Broncos select Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

I believe that the former Seminole is the best fit for Denver at this time, but John Elway could think otherwise. Werner’s measurables are very impressive and the Broncos may find themselves wanting another pass rusher with Elvis Dumervil having departed last month. I believe a team will move up to select Werner, but there’s no way to be sure about that. In such a situation I believe the Broncos may be the ones to do it. Werner is a very raw talent, but was one of the better pass rushers in college football last season. As such, it’s surprising that he has slipped under the radar over the last month or so. I’m not the biggest fan of Denver’s tandem at defensive tackle, should they choose to head in a different direction. Terrance Knighton is a good player, but Kevin Vickerson is a replacement level player whom the Broncos can upgrade upon.

 

With the 29th pick, the New England Patriots select Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State

This seems to be a popular pick for mock drafters over the last few months and I’m going to roll with the tide. Multiple reports have indicated that the Patriots are keeping watch and in contact with him. The Patriots need cornerback help after declining to address it in free agency, so there isn’t much more to say about this selection. As always there is the possibility of New England moving down and picking up another pick, which would be wise considering they are short multiple selections this year. Their three quality picks are likely be spent on a corner, a receiver, and a rush end.

 

With the 30th pick, the Atlanta Falcons select Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State

The Falcons have a lot of picks and are making noise about moving up. This pick suggests that should they move up, there is minimal doubt they are doing so for a cornerback. I believe they are taking one no matter what. If a trade happens, I believe the Colts are a great trading partner. Atlanta would then take Trufant, and the Colts could look to add a pass rusher, most likely SMU DE Margus Hunt. If the Falcons don’t do that, Jonthan Banks is a good plan B option. Banks needs to bulk up, but he is a solid press corner at this stage of the draft. He has great size and was very durable for the Bulldogs in his four years there. He is also a Jim Thorpe award winner. Personally, I have him ranked as the third corner in the draft behind Dee Milliner and Xavier Rhodes, but he didn’t have a great combine. Banks will be a consistent NFL starter.

 

With the 31st pick, the San Francisco 49ers select Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International

San Francisco is in great shape for the draft, having two picks in this immediate range is quite the luxury. In the end, I decided not to make a luxury pick on their behalf and went with filling their largest need. Also taken into consideration was that the teams in between San Francisco’s picks share the same need, so it is best for SF to get a jump on them. Cyprien is the hardest hitting and most athletic safety in the draft. I believe quality of competition has held him back from rising up draft boards even further. It’s easy to separate him from the other R1-R2 safeties because he has been the only one to be brought in for a visit by the 49ers before the draft.

 

With the 32nd pick, the Baltimore Ravens select Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU

I don’t believe that the Ravens will expect Rolando McClain to be a starting linebacker for them next season. I believe that Ozzie Newsome thinks filling the linebacker void left by Ray Lewis will be more important than filling the one left by Ed Reed. Minter is positionally aware and shows a high football IQ, which provides a stark contrast between he and McClain. Minter is not the fastest linebacker out there, but he is a durable linebacker with high work ethic. By and large those are the types of players the Baltimore Ravens generally target for their second level. I believe this is the best step for them instead of trading out of the slot to a team interested in QB Geno Smith.

 

The first round is concluded! With the variance in how teams are evaluating talent this year, many mock drafts are going to be proven wrong. The main thing mock drafters should be doing these days is looking for players in the proper position, because for all we know the team will be trading up to draft a higher valued player at the position we’ve mocked. While I did notably omit Geno Smith, unless a team trades back into the first round, I cannot see him being taken by any of the better teams in the NFL. Naturally that sends him down into the second round. I believe next year trades will need to be integrated into this feature, as this was quite difficult without them. The value between picks 12-32 are just about the same, so it depends on what positions those teams need. That means good luck guessing them. I also feel obligated to mention there are far more teams interested in moving down than those interested in moving up. It will be difficult for GM’s to find dance partners. Closing note, 15 of the 32 players selected played their college football in the SEC.