January 15, 2013 NFL Mock Draft
Kansas City Chiefs: OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M- Andy Reid saw firsthand last season what happens when there are big problems on your offensive line. Joeckel may be the safest first-round pick in this year’s draft. He will be an upgrade over Branden Albert (a free agent) and may be the anchor of Kansas City’s offensive line for a decade. The Chiefs need a quality quarterback, but there’s no perfect pick to justify the first overall pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars: DE/OLB Jarvis Jones, Ga.- Every draft the Jags face tries to bolster a woeful passer rush. No team put less pressure on opposing quarterbacks than Jacksonville last season. Jarvis Jones is a disruptive running back who makes a lot of sense for the Jags.
Oakland Raiders: DT Star Lotulelei, Utah- The Silver & Black were black and blue from being trampled by opposing running backs in 2012. Utah’s huge nose tackle/defensive tackle has the power and quickness to help cover up the middle of Oakland’s defensive line. .
Philadelphia Eagles: CB Dee Milliner, Alabama- The Eagles are optimistic that Jason Peters will return healthy at left tackle. The secondary has trailed the Eagles on defense the past two seasons. Nnamdi Asomugha has been a bitter disappointment ever since he signed as a pricey free agent. The Eagles will hope they have better luck at cornerback with some local talent via the draft. Milliner is an excellent combination of size, speed, and physical play.
Detroit Lions: DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M- The Lions believe their defensive line should anchor the defense. Moore provides them with a talented young player at defensive end.
Cleveland Browns: DE Bjoern Warner, Florida State- The Browns played several close games last season. A disruptive pass rusher will help them win more of them. Cleveland’s offense has some young talent and the new coaching staff has the chops to develop them. Werner plays with leverage and has a punch to penetrate the backfield. He’s the type of player who could take the Browns to another level on defense.
Arizona Cardinals: QB Matt Barkley, USC- Arizona can’t get through another season with a train wreck at quarterback. The Cardinals aren’t shy about picking another USC quarterback after Matt Leinart proved to be a dud. Barkley had a terrific junior season and faces a smoother transition to the pro game than Gino Smith.
Buffalo Bills: QB Geno Smith, West Virginia-Smith has to hope new Bills head coach Doug Marrone doesn’t take into account his poor performance on the snow against Syracuse. There are a number of teams looking at the Bills that don’t need a quarterback. Buffalo knows Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t the answer at quarterback. Buddy Nix decides to take a chance on Smith to reinvigorate the franchise.
New York Jets: DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU- Rex Ryan loves his defense, which lacks a great pass-rusher. Mingo is a great athlete and Ryan believes he can turn him into a pass-running outside linebacker in New York’s 3-4 scheme.
Tennessee Titans: OG Chance Warmack, Alabama- Mike Munchak certainly believes in the value of a strong offensive line. The Titans want to run the ball better and add the best offensive guard in the draft.
San Diego Chargers: OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan- The Chargers haven’t been able to adequately replace Marcus McNeill or Kris Dielman. Fisher provides San Diego with a possible long-term answer at left tackle.
Miami Dolphins: CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State: Miami could really use a quality coverage corner and Banks has the height and long arms to take on the biggest receivers in the NFL well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State- The Bucs were among the worst teams in the NFL at pass defense and could certainly use some help at cornerback. Rhodes is a great cornerback who could shoot up the draft boards if he runs well in the postseason.
Carolina Panthers: DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri- Carolina continues to try to improve their defense. Richardson has the quickness to penetrate and provide the Panthers with a disruptive force at defensive tackle.
New Orleans Saints: DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU- New Orleans has a long way to go on defense and Steve Spagnuolo thinks he starts with the front four. Ansah has an excellent lead and might be reminiscent of Saints defensive coordinator Jason Pierre-Paul.
St. Louis Rams: WR Keenan Allen, Cal- The Rams believe in Sam Bradford and add another weapon for him. Allen provides Bradford with a great receiver who could become a quality leading receiver.
Pittsburgh Steelers: NT Johnathan Jenkins, Georgia- Casey Hampton is at the end of his career and the huge, athletic Jenkins would be a talented successor.
Dallas Cowboys: C/G Barrett Jones, Alabama – The inside of Dallas’ offensive line was a mess last season. Jones could be the Cowboys’ offensive line quarterback, and his versatility is a huge asset.
New York Giants: DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State- Jerry Reese can’t believe the huge, athletic Hankins has made it this far. The Giants struggled to stop the run last year and Hankins will help toughen up the run defense.
Chicago Bears: MLB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame- The Bears couldn’t have dreamed of a better draft situation. Brian Urlacher’s body has a lot of wear and tear. Te’o has the skills to be a good replacement.
Cincinnati Bengals: S Eric Reid, LSU- Cincinnati needs a playmaker at safety. Reid is a solid tackler and can help with pass coverage.
St. Louis Rams: S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas- St. Louis is getting better on defense and a tough safety like Vaccaro has to be attractive to Jeff Fisher (a former tough safety).
Minnesota Vikings: ILB Alec Ogletree, Georgia- Jasper Brinkley doesn’t have the speed and athleticism to be a great playmaker. Ogletree can really run and the wide receiver position will be addressed a bit later in the draft.
Indianapolis Colts: OT DJ Fluker, Alabama- Andrew Luck took too many hits in his rookie season. Fluker could be a looter at right tackle for the Colts. His ability to be a liability as a run blocker also makes him very quarterback friendly.
Seattle Seahawks: DE Alex Okafor, Texas- Pete Carroll is a defensive-oriented head coach. Seattle really missed Chris Clemons in the playoff loss to the Falcons. Clemons is 31 years old and faces a long rehab from knee surgery. Okafor defends the run well and can go after the passer.
Green Bay Packers: DE/OLB Sam Montgomery, LSU – You can never have too many pass rushers. The Packers selected Nick Perry in the first round last year, but he missed time with injury and no one knows how good he’ll be. Montgomery represents too much value for Ted Thompson to pass up.
Houston Texans: WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee – The Texans are still incredibly reliant on Andre Johnson at wide receiver. Patterson is a great receiver with speed. His ability to return kicks is an advantage.
Denver Broncos: DT Sharrif Floyd, Fla.- Denver needs to get stronger in the middle of their defense. He starts at defensive tackle. Floyd can help stop the run and get a push up the middle. This should make Denver’s edge runners even more effective.
Baltimore Ravens: S Matt Elam, Florida- Ed Reed’s brilliant career is coming to an end and Elam is a physical player at safety. The Ravens face the daunting task of replacing Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Elam isn’t the next Ed Reed, but he should be a good pro. Baltimore will tackle the inside linebacker position a bit later in the draft.
Atlanta Falcons: DE Dion Jordan, Oregon- John Abraham will soon be 35 and is frequently injured. Jordan is a fantastic athlete with a lot of potential to run to the passer. The Falcons select Abraham’s successor as the team’s top pass-rusher.
San Francisco 49ers: NT Jesse Williams, Alabama- The 49ers have some age on their defensive line. Isaac Sopoaga will enter its tenth season in the fall. The big nose tackle will be an unrestricted free agent and San Francisco may choose to find a young nose tackle. Williams had a good season playing nose for Alabama.
New England Patriots: DT Kwann Short, Purdue- The Patriots continue to strengthen their defense. Short has great quickness and leverage. Short would be an intriguing player for Bill Belichick to add to his defensive line. The short could play in 3-4 or 4-3 fronts. The former Purdue star could prove to be a handful in third-down passing situations when he places himself next to Vince Wilfork.