The NFL Scouting Combine – the most overly scrutinized event in all of sports. Every
year the top college football players from across the nation display their skills in a series of tests, workouts, and drills. Thousands of talent evaluators representing each of the 32 NFL teams
attend this event looking to find “The Next Big Thing.” However, in today’s age, many of these
scouts focus more on 40-yard dash times than on-field performance itself. It is such a shame that
a player who put up incredible statistics against great competition, drops down in the Draft due
to a poor performance at the Combine. So now that this circus is over with and free-agency is
about to kick-off here is an in-depth look at a 2013 1st round mock draft:
1. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M –Andy Reid made a bold move trading much for Alex Smith. Looks like Brandon Albert is going to walk away in free agency so left tackle is a big need and Joeckel’s likely the pick over Eric Fisher.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida – Floyd has been flying up draft boards. Star Lotulelei left the Combine with a heart condition, so Floyd should be the guy at 2.
3. Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia – The worst franchise in the league makes another incredibly poor pick here. This squad has so many bigger needs than quarterback, but take a wild guess which QB ran the fastest 40? Geno Smith.
4. Philadelphia Eagles – Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan – Michael Vick was absolutely destroyed last year. With Chip Kelly’s new offense in place, that cannot afford to happen. Tackle makes the most sense and Fishers not too far behind Joeckel.
5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milner, CB, Alabama – The Lions always take the best player available and Milner is that guy here, which actually bodes well for them as the Lions’ secondary is absolutely horrific.
6. Cleveland Browns – Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon – Jordan is a fairly interesting prospect as he had a down senior year, but his freakish athleticism was displayed at the Combine. Hybrid lineman/linebacker who can provide major help to Cleveland’s D.
7. Arizona Cardinals – Chance Warmack, G, Alabama – Guards are never taken this high but Arizona’s offensive line was that bad last year.
8. Buffalo Bills – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee – Very raw prospect but would be a interesting complement to an offense featuring the explosive C.J. Spiller and Stevie Johnson.
9. New York Jets – Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia – When was the last time the Jets had a decent pass rush? Not since the New York Sack Exchange of the 1980’s! So many needs for this team that new GM John Idzik would be wise to trade down and get more picks. Jones has some injury concerns, but his upside is scary, and he would immediately make an impact.
10. Tennessee Titans – Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina – The Titans would love to have Warmack if he falls to them, but if he does not then they’ll settle for Cooper.
11. San Diego Chargers – Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB, BYU – Ziggy’s potential is ridiculous and the Chargers would love to add his skill set to their defense. He has all the makings of a Jason-Pierre Paul type of guy.
12. Miami Dolphins – Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma – With former number one pick Jake Long likely leaving, the Dolphins are going to need a guy to protect Ryan Tannehill’s blind side.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington – The Buc’s secondary was even worse last season after trading Aqib Talib to the Pats. Trufant’s 4.3 40 should put him in play for Tampa.
14. Carolina Panthers – Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah – Star was a consensus top-5 pick before his heart scare at the Combine. His stock all depends on the results of his tests, but the Panthers would love to add him to their defense.
15. New Orleans Saints – Bjoern Wener, DE, Florida State – The Saints should make every single one of their draft picks on defensive players. New coordinator Rob Ryan has his work cut out for him trying to fix the worst D in history, and Werner would be a great piece to start with.
16. St. Louis Rams – Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas – The Rams have been looking to add a leader in their secondary and the clear top safety in this draft Vaccaro would certainly help the Rams out.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU – the Steelers always seem to draft solid defensive players in the early rounds and Mingo would add some youth to their aging D.
18. Dallas Cowboys – Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri – the Cowboys would jump on this guy in a second as Jay Ratliff is coming off a poor season and Monte Kiffin is looking to implement his 4-3 Tampa Cover 2 D in the Big D.
19. New York Giants – Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M – Moore is coming off a huge season with the Aggies, but his poor combine performance will prevent him from being a top-10 guy. With Osi gone and Tuck struggling, Moore would be a nice selection for the G-Men.
20. Chicago Bears – Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame – Chicago got no production whatsoever from their tight ends last year, and Eifert looks to be a special talent.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama – BenJarvus Green-Ellis may have the most awesome name in the NFL, but he simply is not a workhouse back. Lacy can definitely be that type of player for them.
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) – D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama – another Bama product comes off the board as the Rams second 1st rounder, from the RG3 trade, should be a lineman to protect the fragile Sam Bradford.
23. Minnesota Vikings – Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia – Austin looks like a Percy Harvin clone and if the Vikings decide to trade the out-spoken Harvin, Austin is the selection here.
24. Indianapolis Colts – Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State – Value pick here as the Colts secondary has been weak for a while now, and Rhodes has a ton of upside.
25. Seattle Seahawks – Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina – The only hole on the Seahawks defense seems to be a lack of an interior lineman, and Williams fits the need well.
26. Green Bay Packers – Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama – The three time national champion’s versatility would be a nice addition to the poor Packer O-Line.
27. Houston Texans – Keenan Allen, WR, California – If it weren’t for Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub would have probably put up Mark Sanchez-type numbers. The quarterback needs a clear-cut number two receiver and Allen could be the answer.
28. Denver Broncos – Matt Elam, safety, Florida – After the disastrous conclusion to the AFC Divisional Round game against Baltimore, the Broncos will look to upgrade at safety and Elam’s
potential is tremendous.
29. New England Patriots – Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia – Top 10 talent with plenty off the field issues. Won’t be a problem for the Pats though as they will shape Ogletree up to be an absolute stud alongside Jerod Mayo.
30. Atlanta Falcons – Margus Hunt, DE, SMU – Sleeper pick here as the Falcons have a need for a defensive end with the release of John Abraham.
31. San Francisco 49ers – Jonathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State – the Niners are the most well- rounded team in the league, and with a record 15 draft picks look for them to trade up. Despite a
poor Combine, Banks could shine in San Francisco.
32. Baltimore Ravens – Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame – the most overanalyzed college player in recent memory, Te’o will be assigned the incredibly difficult challenge of replacing one of the greatest linebackers the NFL has ever seen – Ray Lewis. Good luck with that Manti!
