NFL Mock Draft 2013: Post-Super Bowl Edition
By Josh Hill
Each week FanSided.com will have a new mock draft to preview and showcase this upcoming April’s draft. For more in depth analysis of each pick, be sure to visit the FanSided site of your favorite team and check back each Monday for a new and updated Mock Draft.
1.
– Luke Joeckel, OT/Texas A&M
The Chiefs need a signal caller, but they can easily get on later in the draft. With Andy Reid in town, the Chiefs will be going in an entirely new direction (well actually it’ll just be nice for them to be going in a direction), plus both Reid and new GM John Dorsey have said the Chiefs will draft the best player available with the first pick, and that’s Joeckel. Reid lost his job because his offensive line in Philly couldn’t block and now that he’s in Kansas City, it has got to be in the forefront of his mind. If the Chiefs go with Joeckel here, expect Landry Jones or Matt Barkley to come off the board at the start of the second day.
2
.The Jaguars are under new leadership from top to bottom but don’t think that means they’re going to take a quarterback. The Jaguars need a pass rusher to come off the edge and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Werner is hands down the best edge rusher in this years class and he’s quickly risen to the top of the draft. Had the Chiefs a need for a pass rusher, Werner would be in discussion for the No. 1 pick, so Jacksonville’s getting a stud in the former Seminole.
Moore’s a monster of a prospect and he’s in the top 5 of both Mel Kiper Jr., and Todd McShay’s big boards. It’s only January and Moore has insane hype, hype that should only build over the months and boost his already high draft stock. The Raiders need a boost on defense, and if nothing else, Moore can be a menacing edge rusher for the Raiders, something they desperately need.
Just because Chip Kelly is in town does not mean Geno Smith will be taken here. Kelly will likely try Nick Foles out for a season before making a decision on replacing him. With a lack of top-tier offensive tackles available, the Eagles will look to shore up a defense what was pretty abysmal this season. Jarvis Jones is a top 5 prospect that many view as the best impact player in the draft. Injury concerns aside, he may end up being one of the better picks of his class.
The Lions have a defense full of potential, but they’re starting to age on the ends and they’ll need to adjust this if they have any hopes to be competitive down the road. Detroit would love to grab an end that can come in and replace either Cliff Avril or Kyle Vanden Bosch, both of whom are likely on their way out in Detroit. Mingo is still raw as a prospect but he’s undeniable as a talent and if the Lions take him at No. 5, they likely won’t be sorry.
Milliner is starting to fall in some mocks, but the combine should fix that right up. Teams often don’t look for corners very early in the draft, but when they’re as good as Milliner, they’re hard to pass up. Ray Horton would love to have Jarvis Jones or Barkevious Mingo fall to them at No. 6 and they might trade up to get one, or trade back to draft Ezekiel Ansah. With a suspect secondary currently in place, Milliner would at least give fans and Horton some piece of mind when it comes to stopping the pass.
It’s cliche at this point to say the Cardinals need a quarterback, seeing as they have three already on roster. But while none of their current signal callers are particularly special, taking a quarterback is something better suited for the second day of the draft. Bruce Arians is going to want to protect whoever ends up taking snaps for him and upgrading an atrocious offensive line is the best place to start building for the future.
The Bills need a quarterback, but they won’t be reaching to get one. Unless Mike Glennon’s value shoots up between now and April –which it very well could– the Bills might want to opt for a pass rusher to compliment Mario Williams. Ansah is a guy who has seen his draft value skyrocket, and is now cracking the top 10 in most mocks. He’s got raw talent, is quick off the line and will be a menace when paired with Williams
This is a little different for New York but it could end up working. He might not fall this far but if he somehow makes it to the New York Jets, he may not be falling any further. New York could use a stout nose tackle to plug the middle, and if anything they need to upgrade that defensive, and Lotuleleli is the best in the draft at defensive tackle. Scouts say Lotulelei is the most complete and NFL-ready tackle in the draft and he’d help plug a terrible run defense in Carolina as well as penetrate the line.
If Star Lotulelei is here for the Titans, they are going to seriously consider taking him, but after watching Jake Locker get abused last season, they’ll want to find a way to protect him in the future. Warmack is one of the best players in the country and he could go higher than No. 10 come April. The Titans would love help on the defensive line, but Warmack ensures Locker will be protected in 2013.
Thanks to some great Senior Bowl practices, Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson is rising up draft boards at a pretty quick rate and due to some names dropping out he could go higher than expected. Jake Matthews and Taylor Lewan deciding to return to college means there’s a lack of supply for the high demand of offensive tackles at the top of the NFL Draft. San Diego is going to want to protect Philip Rivers and that starts with improving the offensive line.
Again, this seems to be the consensus pick across the board for the Dolphins. Patterson’s a huge deep threat that Ryan Tannehill will be able to make his No. 1 target in Miami. It’s a flashy pick too, so fans should fully be behind it, something Dolphins management won’t mind after last offseason. Patterson’s got great height, he can go up for balls and he’ll make Tannehill even better next season.
Everyone knows the Buccaneers need a cornerback, but there simply isn’t one good enough to take at No. 13 without reaching. Kenny Vaccaro, however, is top 15 talent at safety and will give the Buccaneers one of the most ferocious tandems in the NFL. Mark Barron literally burst his way onto the scene and into the minds of offenses in the NFL during his rookie season, and with Vaccaro along side him in the secondary, the Buccaneers will have two vicious safeties for Greg Schiano to play with. I personally think the Bucs should trade down and double up on corners with either Johnthan Banks and Desmond Trufant or some variation of cornernback tandem. But if they stay put, Vaccaro is not a bad option.
The Panthers need to improve their defensive line and they need to do it fast. Ron Rivera wants to keep his job and that means taking a talent like Floyd with their first round pick. Floyd is quickly becoming one of the best defensive tackles in the draft and he’s only going to keep rising up on draft boards as we go through the combine and get closer to the draft.
The Saints won’t be young forever, and they could use a lighting fast edge rusher to beef up an already great defense. Dion Jordan is a name quickly climbing mock drafts and big boards and it’s not for no good reason. He’s got Jason Pierre-Paul potential as Jordan is fast, athletic and his stock is only going up. It might be a better option to stop the other team from scoring rather than trying to outscore them.