QB Geno Smith, Sr, West Virginia
6'3, 214 lbs
Hometown: Miami, FL
2012 Stats: 195-259, 75.3 comp %, 2271 yards, 25 TD, 0 INT
Things just aren't working out for Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville. If he was a second round pick instead of 10th overall just a year ago, the team would already have him banished to third string like the Panthers did with Jimmy Clausen. Gabbert has only completed 54% of his passes for 796 yards in five games. That is just not going to get it done in today's pass happy NFL. And with rookie and sophomore quarterbacks playing so well, along with the new rookie salary cap, now is the time for the Jaguars to move on. Geno Smith has surpassed Matt Barkley as the best quarterback in this draft. Even with the struggles in a loss to Texas Tech, his stats are eye popping. He has not let up in conference play. The Heisman favorite could follow in the tracks of Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III. Those two used tremendous Heisman seasons to vault up draft boards.
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2. Kansas City Chiefs
QB Matt Barkley, Sr, USC
6'2, 230 lbs
Hometown: Newport Beach, CA
2012 Stats: 121-193, 62.7 comp %, 1475 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT
It looks like the mediocre Matt Cassel era is finally winding down in Kansas City. The team is terrible, the fans are about to riot, and Cassel has looked worse and worse every game. Kansas City has got to draft a quarterback in the first round instead of using stopgap solutions like they have for the past 30 years. Barkley has been my number one pick since my first mock, but he has struggled some during his senior year and now looks to be well behind Geno Smith. Barkley is not an Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning sure fire first pick, but he is very solid. He can make all the throws, is a former top recruit and knows the pro style offense. Even with a less then spectacular senior campaign, he will be a top pick because of the value quarterbacks hold these days.
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3. Carolina Panthers
DT Star Lotulelei, Sr, Utah
6'4, 320 lbs
Hometown: South Jordan, UT
2012 Stats: 23 tackles, 2 sacks
I think Jarvis Jones is the best player in this draft but the one spot where Carolina looks solid on defense is linebacker. The Panthers have used several middle round picks on defensive tackles, but those guys just have not panned out. There are three very good defensive tackle prospects in this draft. I think Lotulelei is the surest thing of the bunch. He is good against the run and can get to the quarterback, and he has a motor and personality that coaches, teammates and fans will love.
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4. Tennessee Titans
DT Johnathan Hankins, Jr, Ohio St.
6'3, 317 lbs
Hometown: Dearborn Heights, MI
2012 Stats: 33 tackles, 1 sack
Like the Panthers, Tennessee could use help everywhere on defense except linebacker, so Jarvis Jones will last at least one more pick. The Titans have not had a difference maker since Albert Haynesworth took the money and waddled his way out of Nashville. He is not the pass rusher that Lotulelei is, but he is a beast against the run and will allow Tennessee's defensive ends to get to the quarterback more easily.
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5. Cleveland Browns
OLB Jarvis Jones, Jr, Georgia
6'3, 241 lbs
Hometown: Columbus, GA
2012 Stats: 37 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT
Jones will not be taken first overall, but I will probably have him second in most of my remaining mocks depending on needs. I think he is the best player in this draft. He reminds me of Von Miller in that he can play in any defensive scheme. In Cleveland he will pair up with D'Qwell Jackson to give Cleveland two very good linebackers. He will instantly become the Browns best pass rusher but has the talent to dominate against the running game and is adept at dropping back in coverage. Simply, there is nothing he cannot do.
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6. Oakland Raiders
DE Barkevious Mingo, Jr, LSU
6'5, 240 lbs
Hometown: West Monroe, LA
2012 Stats: 20 tackles, 2 sacks
Mingo has not had a tremendous season, but the potential and talent will be too good for the Raiders to pass up. Al Davis is gone, but the philosophy of drafting talent remains in the Raiders front office. Mingo has all the talent in the world to be the next Jason Pierre-Paul. He has a long frame and has the body to add 30 pounds of muscle without losing his quickness. The Raiders only have four sacks on the year and desperately need guys who can get to the quarterback.
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7. Indianapolis Colts
MLB Manti Te'o, Sr, Notre Dame
6'2, 255 lbs
Hometown: Laie, HI
2012 Stats: 59 tackles, 3 INT
Te'o is having a tremendous senior season for the undefeated Irish and is flying up draft boards, perhaps even into the top five. He is a tackling machine and a high character team leader. He would be a great fit for the Colts new 3-4 defense. The Colts have some talented young middle linebackers but nobody who can make an impact like Te'o.
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8. New Orleans Saints
DE Sam Montgomery, Jr, LSU
6'5, 260 lbs
Hometown: Greenwood, SC
2012 Stats: 21 tackles, 4 sacks
The Saints drafting part time back Mark Ingram has basically cost them two drafts. The defense is now hurting bad for some talent. The guys they have just are not able to hang with opposing offenses. The Saints should just go best defender available with all of their 2013 picks. Montgomery showed how dominant he could be against his hometown South Carolina Gamecocks and could be a special NFL pass rusher. One thing we know is that pass rushers are going to go early and often in this draft as defenses try to adapt to the new passing NFL.
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9. Buffalo Bills
QB EJ Manuel, Sr, Florida St.
6'5, 240 lbs
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
2012 Stats: 132-183, 72.1 comp %, 1804 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT
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10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB Dee Milliner, Jr, Alabama
6'1, 199 lbs
Hometown: Millbrook, AL
2012 Stats: 18 tackles, 0.5 sack, 2 INT
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11. Detroit Lions
CB Johnthan Banks, Sr, Mississippi St.
6'2, 185 lbs
Hometown: Maben, MS
2012 Stats: 25 tackles, 3 INT
Detroit's draft philosophy has been to take the best player available, regardless of need. That is a good idea for a team that needed talent as bad as they did. But this off season they have got to address a secondary that just cannot keep up most weeks. Nobody is talking about the undefeated Bulldogs, but people respect how great Banks is. He is a four year starter in the SEC, giving him a ton of experience against big time receivers. His 15 career interceptions leads college football. Teams simply do not throw his way, and when they do he picks it off.
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12. New York Jets
WR Keenan Allen, Jr, California
6'3, 210 lbs
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
2012 Stats: 52 receptions, 633 yards, 5 TD
Mark Sanchez has been very bad this year, but it is hard to be successful when you are forced to throw to bums like Chaz Shilens and Jason Hill all game long. Stephen Hill was a good draft choice in 2012 but he is still very raw and will need a couple of years to develop. Allen would be a good choice here. He has great hands and very solid route running ability and has the experience to step right in and be Sanchez go to guy.
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13. Philadelphia Eagles
OT Luke Joeckel, Jr, Texas A&M
6'6, 310 lbs
Hometown: Arlington, TX
The Eagles offensive line is an absolute mess. They are lost without Jason Peters. Joeckel is the best offensive tackle in the country. He is a three year starter with the Aggies, and this year gets to face SEC pass rushers, which will give him even more experience. The Eagles love to draft offensive and defensive lineman in the first round, so this would be a pretty safe bet.
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14. Cincinnati Bengals
S Eric Reid, Jr, LSU
6'2, 205 lbs
Hometown: Geismar, GA
2012 Stats: 39 tackles, 2 INT
Cincinnati needs secondary help bad. The Bengals drafted Dre Kirkpatrick but he hasn't been able to make an impact yet. Things are so dire that the terrible Taylor Mays is actually starting. The Bengals love to target the SEC for their first round picks and they go there again with Reid, a big, strong safety who is great against the run as well as the pass.
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15. Philadelphia Eagles
OT Jake Matthews, Jr, Texas A&M
6'5, 305 lbs
Hometown: Missouri City, TX
Joeckel's college teammate goes two picks later. The Rams have two first round picks, so they have no reason whatsoever not to draft some offensive line help. Like Joeckel, Matthews has a great deal of experience and has done well against SEC pass rushers. The worry is that he has played right tackle in college and may struggle to adapt to the left side at the pro level. But he should be a long term starter at a great position of need for the Rams.
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16. Pittsburgh SteelersDE/OLB Damontre Moore, Jr, Texas A&M
6'4, 250 lbs
Hometown: Rowlett, TX
2012 Stats: 52 tackles, 8.5 sacks
The Steelers have suddenly gotten very old on defense. Usually in the top ten of every defensive category, Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain is simply average. Damontre Moore has been one of the best pass rushers in college football. In fact, his 8.5 sacks are second in the nation. The Steelers would be able to groom him to be a future starter like they do with most of their defensive first round picks.
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17. Arizona Cardinals
OT Brennan Williams, Sr, North Carolina
6'7, 310 lbs
Hometown: West Roxbury, MA
If
you have been watching some Cardinals game it is no question that
Arizona's offensive line is in complete shambles. The Cardinals cannot
run the ball at all and Kevin Kolb seems to get sacked every other game.Williams has quietly had a very good senior season and has the prototypical size you look for in your starting left tackle. He has not faced elite competition though, so that is a worry.
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18. St. Louis Rams
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Jr, Clemson
6'1, 200 lbs
Hometown: Central, SC
2012 Stats: 49 receptions, 777 yards, 8 TD
The
Rams have used a bunch of middle round picks on wideouts but haven't
invested in a premium talent yet. Hopkins is having a monster junior
year for the Tigers and is one of the best deep threats in college
football. He has a tremendous 15.9 average on 49 receptions this year
and would give Sam Bradford a great deep threat.
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19. Dallas Cowboys
DT John Jenkins, Sr, Georgia
6'3, 358 lbs
Hometown: Meridan, CT
2012 Stats: 23 tackles
The Cowboys defensive line is playing well but some of their starters are getting up in age. I think Jay Ratliff would be better off at end if the team can get a bigger nose tackle. Enter
Jenkins, who is a mountain at 6'3, 360. He is an immovable object
against the run and can chase down ball carriers despite weighing the
size of a Hyundai.
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20. Minnesota Vikings
DE Bjoern Werner, Jr, Florida St.
6'4, 255 lbs
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
2012 Stats: 21 tackles, 6.5 sacks
The
Vikings defense is playing very well, but they have struggled getting
to the quarterback. Starting end Brian Robison is a very mediocre option
across from Jared Allen. Werner has cooled off following a very hot
start now that Florida State is facing better competition, but he is
squarely in the first round conversation. The German born end is new to
the game, but the raw tools are there for him to be a monster. Expect
him to wow in workouts. Other then quarterbacks, pass rushers are the
most coveted players in the draft.
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21. San Diego Chargers
CB/S David Amerson, Jr, North Carolina St.
6'3, 194 lbs
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
2012 Stats: 15 tackles, 3 INT
The Chargers secondary has been a weakness this year. Quentin Jammer has lost a step and may need to move to safety. Amerson has a lot of experience and even more interceptions on his resume. He does not have great natural instincts for the corner position, though, and may be a better fit at safety.
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22. Miami Dolphins
22. Miami Dolphins
WR Justin Hunter, Jr, Tennessee
6'4, 200
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
2012 Stats: 35 receptions, 497 yards, 4 TD
Brian Hartline is playing very well for the Dolphins, but the Miami front office is still trying to land a legit number one weapon for Ryan Tannehill. There is rumors that the team is interested in trading for Dwayne Bowe. Hunter
has stayed healthy this season and is putting up huge numbers, though he has slowed down the last few weeks. He has
the size and speed to be a legit number one in the league.
23. Green Bay Packers
The Packers have not valued the running back position since Ahman Green's decline, but it may be time for them to invest in a premium talent. Lattimore is by far the best running back in this class and an absolute steal at this point in the draft. His game is built very well for the grind of the NFL, and he has the body to absorb 20 touches per game.
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23. Green Bay Packers
RB Marcus Lattimore, Jr, South Carolina
6'0, 218 lbs
Hometown: Duncan, SC
2012 Stats: 129 rushes, 584 yards, 10 TD
The Packers have not valued the running back position since Ahman Green's decline, but it may be time for them to invest in a premium talent. Lattimore is by far the best running back in this class and an absolute steal at this point in the draft. His game is built very well for the grind of the NFL, and he has the body to absorb 20 touches per game.
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24. Denver Broncos
DT Kawann Short, Sr, Purdue
6'3, 315 lbs
Hometown: East Chicago, IN
2012 Stats: 20 tackles, 4 sacks
The Broncos have done a good job of filling out their defense, but they have failed to really address their troublesome defensive tackle position. Short does not have the imposing physical tools that the other defensive lineman in the first round possess, but he has been a very productive player for the Boilermakers. He has good size but the speed to get to the quarterback. He may be the best pass rushing tackle in this class.
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25. New England Patriots
DE/OLB Corey Lemonier, Jr, Auburn
6'4, 246 lbs
Hometown: Hialeah, FL
2012 Stats: 15 tackles, 5 sacks
Though devoting pick after pick to that side of the ball, New England's defense remains very weak. Maybe the scheme needs to drastically change? Regardless, the Patriots need to continue to add talent to the D. Lemonier is about the only thing that has gone right for the Auburn Tigers this year. He has tremendous speed off the edge and would be a very nice backup end/linebacker for New England's hybrid defense.
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26. Seattle Seahawks
OG Chance Warmack, Sr, Alabama
6'3, 320
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Warmack might be one of the ten most talented players in this draft, but like David DeCastro before him, he falls because of the position he plays. Warmack is dominant in the run game and the best player on Alabama's elite offensive line. He would fit in perfectly with Seattle's power running game and be a huge upgrade over Pul McQuistan at guard.
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27. San Francisco 49ers
DE/OLB Alex Okafor, Sr, Texas
6'4, 265 lbs
Hometown: Pflugerville, TX
2012 Stats: 15 tackles, 5 sacks
The Niners are now in position where they can just draft the best player available because they are so deep and talented. Of course, they did not do that last year when they reached big time for AJ Jenkins, but whatever. As you can see with my mock draft, pass rushers go in the first round, early and often. Okafor is one of the lone bright spots on a terrible Texas defense this year. He is a great pass rusher and someone who could provide depth for the 49ers. You can never have too many guys who can get to the quarterback.
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28. Baltimore Ravens
WR Robert Woods, Jr, USC
6'1, 190 lbs
Hometown: Carson, CA
28. Baltimore RavensWR Robert Woods, Jr, USC
6'1, 190 lbs
Hometown: Carson, CA
2012 Stats: 36 receptions, 360 yards, 5 TD
Robert Woods looked like a top ten pick entering the season but he has taken a clear back seat to Marquis Lee in the Trojans passing game. He does not have great size or great speed, but he catches everything thrown to him and would make a nice slot receiver in Baltimore's offense.
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29. New York Giants
The Giants have been so badly bitten by injuries the past few seasons. The secondary has been hit especially hard. The Giants drafted Prince Amukamara in the first round a couple of years ago, but you really need three good cornerbacks in the NFL these days. Poyer has been great for the surprising Oregon State Beavers with five interceptions thus far.
29. New York Giants
CB Jordan Poyer, Sr, Oregon St.
6'0, 190 lbs
Hometown: Astoria, OR
2012 Stats: 15 tackles, 5 INT
The Giants have been so badly bitten by injuries the past few seasons. The secondary has been hit especially hard. The Giants drafted Prince Amukamara in the first round a couple of years ago, but you really need three good cornerbacks in the NFL these days. Poyer has been great for the surprising Oregon State Beavers with five interceptions thus far.
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30. Chicago Bears
MLB CJ Mosley, Jr, Alabama
6'2, 232 lbs
Hometown: Theodore, AL
2012 Stats: 51 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT
Lance Briggs has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL the past decade, but the other two positions are in transition. Nick Roach is not starting quality and Brian Ulracher is nearing the end of his excellent career. Mosley is the next great Alabama linebacker. He has the speed and coverage ability to be successful on the outside until he is ready to take over in the middle for Ulracher.
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31. Atlanta FalconsTE Tyler Eifert, Sr, Notre Dame
6'6, 251 lbs
Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
2012 Stats: 15 receptions, 246 yards, 2 TD
The ageless Tony Gonzalez has been the most productive tight end in the NFL. He says he will retire at the end of the season, but I will see it when I believe it. Eifert would be the perfect guy to learn from Gonzalez or step in and take over for him next season. His stats do not look very good, but the Irish offense has struggled mightily at times this season. He has great size and is a matchup nightmare.
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32. Houston Texans
MLB Alec Ogletree, Jr, Georgia
6'3, 232 lbs
Hometown: Newman, GA
2012 Stats: 23 tackles
Ogletree was suspended for the first four games, but has come back on a terror. He has 23 tackles in his first two games and seems to be all over the field. Houston's defense has played very well (their loss to the Packers not withstanding) but could use a game changer at middle linebacker. Ogletree has the frame to add strength to hold up as a 3-4 middle linebacker.
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Round 2 (If the draft was held today order)
33. Kansas City Chiefs - DE Margus Hunt, Sr, SMU
34. Cleveland Browns (pick forfeited due to drafting WR Josh Morgan in supplemental draft)
35. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders) - OLB Khaseem Greene, Sr, Rutgers
36. New Orleans Saints (pick forfeited due to bounty scandal)
37. Jacksonville Jaguars - OT Ricky Wagner, Sr, Wisconsin
38. Carolina Panthers - CB Xavier Rhodes, Jr, Florida St.
39. Tennessee Titans - OG/C Barrett Jones, Sr, Alabama
40. Pittsburgh Steelers - CB Desmond Trufant, Sr, Washington
41. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis Colts) - CB Sanders Commings, Sr, Georgia
42. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Louis Nix, Jr, Notre Dame
43. Dallas Cowboys - OG/OT Dallas Thomas, Sr, Tennessee
44. Detroit Lions - S Matt Elam, Jr, Florida
45. Cincinnati Bengals - RB Andre Ellington, Sr, Clemson
46. Buffalo Bills - OT/OG DJ Fluker, Jr, Alabama
47. Miami Dolphins - DE Cornellius Carradine, Sr, Florida St.
48. Philadelphia Eagles - WR Terrance Williams, Sr, Baylor
49. Washington Redskins - S TJ McDonald, Sr, USC
50. Green Bay Packers - DT Sharrif Floyd, Jr, Florida
51. St. Louis Rams - DT Bennie Logan, Jr, LSU
52. Seattle Seahawks - DT Sheldon Richardson, Jr, Missouri
53. San Diego Chargers - OT Alex Hurst, Sr, LSU
54. Denver Broncos - CB Justin Gilbert, Jr, Oklahoma St.
55. New York Jets - QB Tyler Wilson, Sr, Arkansas
56. New England Patriots - WR Da'Rick Rogers, Jr, Tennessee Tech
57. New York Giants - S Kenny Vaccaro, Sr, Texas
58. Minnesota Vikings - WR Marquess Wilson, Jr, Washington St.
59. San Francisco 49ers - CB Logan Ryan, Jr, Rutgers
60. Arizona Cardinals - OLB Chase Thomas, Sr, Stanford
61. Chicago Bears - TE Joseph Fauria, Sr, UCLA
62. Baltimore Ravens - CB Terry Hawthorne, Sr, Illinois
63. Houston Texans - WR Stedman Bailey, Jr, West Virginia
64. Atlanta Falcons - RB Stepfan Taylor, Sr, Stanford
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