Given what we know, it's time for AJ and Diego to put their heads together on a 2013 mock draft. What follows is our take on who's going where in the first round of the 2013 draft. Enjoy!
1) Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel (OT), Texas A&M: Andy Reid went out and grabbed a QB that he believes will give his team a chance to be competitive. This pick shows his commitment to keeping Alex Smith upright. (AJ)
2) Jacksonville Jaguars - Dion Jordan (DE), Oregon: There are a number of different ways Jacksonville could go with this pick, and although many believe a stud DT will be the pick here I am actually not this high on any of the those prospects. The Jaguars' lack of pass rush is equally as concerning as their interior defensive line problems, and this Oregon product should be able to come in right away and provide a boost for them. (Diego)
3) Oakland Raiders - Sharrif Floyd (DT/DE), Florida: The Raiders are bad. Epically, titanically horrific. Especially on defense. Any pick that they make in this spot has got to be a winner...and in this draft, the most obvious "can't miss" player is Floyd. He's young, immensely talented, the best player available here, fills an immediate need and has the potential to anchor the Raider defense for the next decade. (AJ)
4) Philadelphia Eagles - Eric Fisher (OT), Central Michigan: You knew this pick was coming after I talked Fisher up in our Post Combine piece. Philadelphia has got to move on from Jason Peters as a future answer at LT, and even if Peters remains healthy next season Fisher can be plugged in at RT moving Todd Herremans inside to OG where he would be much more effective. (Diego)
5) Detroit Lions - Lane Johnson (OT), Oklahoma : The Lions came crashing back down to earth in 2012 after earning a playoff berth in 2011 ... primarily because starting QB Matthew Stafford spent much of 2012 getting crashed into. Look for the Lions to invest in the future of their offense with Johnson, who should start from day one, improving a marginal offensive front. (AJ)
6) Cleveland Browns - Ezekiel Ansah (DE/OLB), BYU: Cleveland will not be successful making the transition to a 3-4 defense unless they seriously address their pass rushing issues, and converting Jabaal Sheard to OLB doesn't really scream championship. Ansah's lack of experience will become a non-issue as he continues to to develop the raw skills that make him worthy of this top 10 selection, and the potential he brings to this team is much more critical to the Browns' success than adding a #2 CB. (Diego)
7) Arizona Cardinals - Geno Smith (QB), West Virginia: Bruce Arians just swung a trade to nab Carson Palmer as his starting QB ... but Palmer only has a few years left ... especially behind Arizona's line. Even though he isn't the best player available, the Cardinals need a QB of the future ... and in this year's draft, Smith is their best bet. (AJ)
8) Buffalo Bills - Chance Warmack (OG), Alabama: If Geno fell to this spot, Buffalo would run his name to the podium, but he's gone and personally I don't think any QB in this draft is worthy of a top 10 pick (though I agree with AJ's pick). I feel the same way about WR's. Warmack solidifies the Bills' offensive line which may just give Kevin Kolb a chance to succeed up north. (Diego)
9) New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo (OLB), LSU: The Jet defense is in need of a pressure generating pass rusher (among other things)... and Mingo fits the bill. (AJ)
10) Tennessee Titans - Dee Milliner (CB), Alabama: Tennessee ranked 26th in the league last season in opponents' passing yards, so the Titans are thrilled to have a potential #1 CB fall to them. Milliner and Jason McCourty should be a strong 1-2 tandem for Tennessee the next few seasons. (Diego)
11) San Diego Chargers - Jonathan Cooper (G), North Carolina: the Chargers need help up front ... bad. The San Diego O-Line was easily one of the worst units in the game last season. With his combination of balance, agility and footwork, Cooper will pay dividends immediately in the run game, and help keep QB Phillip Rivers off of his back, too. (AJ)
12) San Francisco 49ers (via Miami Dolphins) - Sheldon Richardson (DT), Missouri: San Francisco trades the 31st, 34th, and 74th overall picks to Miami to move up to this spot while also getting the 82nd overall pick in return. The 49ers utilize their arsenal of draft picks to get a much needed bona fide prospect who can play both as a DE in their 3-4 defense as well as inside at DT when San Francisco puts out four linemen (more often than you would think). Richardson's versatile combination of strength, length, and agility should give Jim Tomsula lots of options. (Diego)
13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Desmond Trufant (CB), Washington: The Buccaneers' secondary might have been the most ineffective in the NFL last season. To go with newly acquired free agent safety Dashon Goldson, the Bucs reach for the best corner on the board. Trufant should be able to start day one, and will provide immediate improvement for a less than stellar defense. (AJ)
14) Carolina Panthers - Star Lotulelei (DT), Utah: Carolina needs an upgrade at the position, and Lotulelei, who before his heart condition was discussed in the top 5, will certainly provide that for them. He could arguably be a starter for the Panthers by week 1. (Diego)
15) New Orleans Saints - Bjorn Werner (DE/OLB), Florida State: Rob Ryan has been hired to take over the Saints' less than stellar defense ... and given that their biggest need is on that side of the ball, Christmas comes to New Orleans a little early, and Werner falls to the Saints. As a 3 down edge rusher, he should have an immediate impact for the Saints. (AJ)
16) St. Louis Rams - Kenny Vaccaro (S), Texas: St. Louis needs safety help, and Vaccaro is by all accounts the best safety prospect in the draft. If he can live up to his potential then his presence behind Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins will give the Rams a formidable secondary. (Diego)
17) Pittsburgh Steelers - Cordarelle Patterson (WR), Tennessee: The Steelers lost speedy wideout Mike Wallace this offseason ... but this pick should make life easier for Ben Roethlisberger. Patterson is big, fast, fluid and strong. He'll improve a flagging Steeler receiving corps, and could develop into an elite offensive weapon given time. (AJ)
18) Minnesota Vikings (via Dallas Cowboys) - Tavon Austin )WR, West Virginia: The Vikings trade the 23rd, 102nd, and 155th pick to the Cowboys to move up to this spot and snatch Percy Harvin's replacement, who they will most likely not be able to get drafting behind the Rams. Austin has the potential to be just as good as Harvin without the headaches and, of course, much cheaper. (Diego)
19) New York Giants - Sylvester Williams (DT), North Carolina: In 2012, the Giants gave up the second most yardage in the NFL. They go with Sylvester Williams here to help bolster their front four, and create pressure up front to help out the back end of their defense. They consider going with Xavier Rhodes here, but having already spent a high draft pick on Prince Amukamara recently, they decide to go with a big ugly instead. (AJ)
20) Chicago Bears - D.J. Fluker (OL), Alabama: I don't know a whole lot about Chicago, but I do know that it's really windy over there, that they have very passionate fans all around, and that the Bears's offensive line needs so major upgrades. In comes Fluker, who could make a push to take over as a RT or slide inside to an OG position. Either way he seems like a perfect fit in Chicago. (Diego)
21) Cincinnati Bengals - Jarvis Jones (OLB), Georgia: The Bengals need a noisemaker at OLB, and Jarvis Jones fits the bill. Though spinal stenosis has caused him to fall a bit, this guy led the SEC in sacks ... and that should be good enough for the Bengals. If he plays up to his potential, he has the ability to be absolutely destructive off of the edge. (AJ)
22) St. Louis Rams - Alex Ogletree (LB), Georgia: Although this pick doesn't address the Rams' most pressing need, they shouldn't reach at this spot when Ogletree addresses one of their needs as well. The former 4-star safety recruit, who became a key player as an ILB in Georgia's 3-4 defense, will make the transition to OLB in the Rams' 4-3 defense, pushing Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Rocky McIntosh for a starting gig. (Diego)
23) Dallas Cowboys (via Minnesota Vikings)- Datone Jones (DE), UCLA: With the Cowboys' pending switch to a base 4-3 defense, they'll grab a difference maker at DE. Though Jones' collegiate career has been less than stellar overall, his outstanding senior season coupled with his performance at the Combine make him the best available option at a position of need. (AJ)
24) Indianapolis Colts - Damontre Moore (OLB/DE), Texas A&M: Simple case of best available player at a position of need. Indianapolis must address their lack of pass rush immediately if they want to take the next step in their rise in the AFC, and Moore brings a nice resume to go with his versatility and ability to get to the QB. (Diego)
25) Minnesota Vikings - Cornelius "Tank" Carradine (DE), Florida State: The Vikings were a surprise playoff participant last season, despite some serious issues on both sides of the ball. With the offensive side of the ball addressed earlier in the draft, the Vikings shore up the hole in their front four with Carradine, a very productive edge rusher with a solid skill set, an impressive body of work in college, and a good chance to become a productive NFL defender. (AJ)
26) Green Bay Packers - Eddie Lacy (RB), Alabama: Don't think I'm getting lazy with this pick, Green Bay hasn't had a legitimate presence in the backfield since Ahman Green in the early part of the last decade (sorry Ryan Grant), and their offense is simply too one-dimensional at this time to compete for another Super Bowl run. The Packers get the best running back in the draft to fix this issue. (Diego)
27) Houston Texans - DeAndre Hopkins (WR), Clemson: for the past two seasons, the Texans have advanced to the second round of the playoffs ... and both times, they've fallen apart. With QB set (for now, anyway), an all universe RB, a game breaking WR, and a great defense, it's time for the Texans to add a dimension. In this case, that dimension is a speedy complement to big-play WR Andre Johnson. Hopkins is a bit of a reach here, but the Texans are complete enough to reach for quality ... even in the first round. (AJ)
28) Denver Broncos - Johnathan Hankins (DT), Ohio State: Yes, another player I discussed in that Post Combine piece. Denver needs to re-haul their front line on defense, and Hankins will be a great anchor for them with his ability to play different techniques. (Diego)
29) New England Patriots - Xavier Rhodes (CB), Florida State: The Pats were horrific against the pass last season, ranking 31st in the NFL. They look to shore up their secondary with Rhodes, who has a very solid skill set and enough talent to start immediately. (AJ)
30) Atlanta Falcons - Tyler Eifert (TE), Notre Dame: Atlanta's biggest need is pass rush, but I'm not going to reach for a pass rusher here and although I considered a trade down with another team I can't see the Falcons going that route either. Tony Gonzalez coming back is great for them, but they need to start planning for his soon farewell to the league and Eifert will be a great replacement for him when that time comes, and form a nice 1-2 tandem with Gonzalez in the meantime. (Diego)
31) Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco 49ers) - Jamar Taylor (CB), Boise State: With the departure of Sean Smith, the Dolphins are looking for help at CB. Need wins out here, and with a solid body of work, a great combine and a solid mix of speed, size and strength Taylor should be able to full that need nicely. He's a bit of a reach at #31, but is the best corner on the board at this point. (AJ)
32) Baltimore Ravens - Manti Te'o (LB), Notre Dame: While the popular pick here would be a safety, Te'o at this point in the draft represents a tremendous value at a position where Baltimore lost both their starters to free agency (Dannell Ellerbe) and retirement (Ray Lewis). Te'o may be able to become the next young leader for the Ravens' linebackers for the next few years. (Diego)
Have at it ...
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