| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  | Jacksonville | D.J. Fluker | OT | Alabama |
| Eventually some of these top quarterbacks will start falling down draft boards. As much as everybody wants Matt Barkley, Tyler Bray and Tyler Wilson to be the top three picks in the 2013 NFL Draft, it won't happen. If one of those signal callers does emerge as a can't miss, Andrew Luck type prospect, Jacksonville can trade down and still pick up a franchise left tackle in D.J. Fluker. | |||||
| 2 |  | Cleveland | Robert Woods | WR | USC |
| The Browns, presumably, will be another team that does not need a quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft. However, if they could get Matt Barkley, they probably should. But let us assume picking up Brandon Weeden at #22 overall in 2012 wasn't the stupidest thing the Browns have ever done and they will at least spend a couple years attempting to make that stupid decision seem slightly less stupid by picking up some offensive weapons. | |||||
| 3 |  | Minnesota | Matt Barkley | QB | USC |
| If all goes as planned, Matt Barkley will be the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He would have been the third quarterback taken in 2012, but he could be the top pick in 2013. Now it depends on need and who wants to move up and get him. The Vikings will not have far to go to move up and grab the top quarterback in the class. | |||||
| 4 |  | St. Louis | David Amerson | CB | North Carolina State |
| The Rams will be in a great position in the 2013 NFL Draft, even if they do a little better than expected. This is their first pick of two in the top eight. They'll be sad to see D.J. Fluker off of the board, but David Amerson will be one of the best corner prospects to come along in a while if he can live up to the expectations he created in 2011 at NC State. | |||||
| 5 |  | Indianapolis | Sam Montgomery | DT | LSU |
| This a nice fit for Indianapolis. Sam Montgomery is a good pass rusher and will fit well in the Colts new 3-4 scheme. The Andrew Luck era will take some time to get rolling, so the Colts will need to start building on the lines. | |||||
| 6 |  | Oakland | Tyler Bray | QB | Tennessee |
| Tyler Bray looks like a great quarterback. That has usually been enough for the Raiders. At 6-6, the Tennessee signal caller will dazzle during the workouts after the 2012 collegiate season. But we have to wait and see how the 2012 season goes for Tennessee first. With a couple solid receivers, the Volunteers and Bray could be in for a big year and Bray will stay up here as a top ten pick. | |||||
| 7 |  | Tampa Bay | Johnathan Hankins | DT | Ohio State |
| Tampa Bay might be looking quarterback here if they do finish with the seventh worst record in the league and there are certainly plenty to go around for now. But Johnathan Hankins is a fine defensive tackle and one can never go wrong working on the lines. | |||||
| 8 | | St. Louis (from WAS) | Barrett Jones | C | Alabama |
| The worse RGIII and the Redskins do, the better this pick will be for St. Louis. The Rams missed out on D.J. Fluker earlier in the draft, but now they can nab the ultra versatile Barrett Jones. Versatile is not really a word used to describe offensive linemen very often, but Jones has played everywhere on the Alabama line. | |||||
| 9 |  | Buffalo | Manti Te'o | LB | Notre Dame |
| Tyler Wilson? Landry Jones? Aaron Murray? Logan Thomas? All those quarterbacks are still on the board and still possible top ten worthy quarterbacks. Maybe one will solidify their status as a top ten pick and the Bills will pull the trigger, but Manti Te'o will make a big impact too and help out things on the other side of the ball. | |||||
| 10 |  | Seattle | Keenan Allen | WR | California |
| If the 2012 NFL Draft was any indication, the Seahawks will draft somebody who they could get a round later. And the one thing they won't do is help out their quarterback by taking a wide receiver. But instead of predicting the unpredictable, we'll just have the Seahawks taking the best wideout on the board. | |||||
| 11 |  | Tennessee | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Florida State |
| Xavier Rhodes has a lot to prove during the 2012 campaign before getting drafted this high, but he has the potential. And Tennessee needs some help in the secondary and with David Amerson off of the board, this is the best they can do. | |||||
| 12 |  | Arizona | Tyler Wilson | QB | Arkansas |
| It will not take much to improve upon Kevin Kolb. Arizona will realize that sooner or later and look for a real franchise quarterback. Tyler Wilson is next up on the big board, but there are plenty of other options at quarterback at this point in the draft. | |||||
| 13 |  | Kansas City | Landry Jones | QB | Oklahoma |
| Kansas City actually has a pretty good team. They just need a franchise quarterback and this could be the year to make the move and get one. Everybody tends to over rank quarterbacks when there is a year left before the draft, but it is very possible that the Chiefs could get a pretty darn good quarterback in the middle of the first round. | |||||
| 14 |  | Carolina | Dee Milliner | CB | Alabama |
| Nabbing some help in the secondary makes a ton of sense for Carolina. The defense has to get better if this team is going to reach the playoffs. Dee Milliner is the best corner on the board (and yes I realize Tyrann Mathieu is still out there). | |||||
| 15 |  | Chicago | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M |
| Chicago should have addressed the offensive line a little more in 2012. They might learn their lesson when Jay Cutler peels Soldier Field off of his ass on a weekly basis. Jake Matthews will have a new test in the SEC, but if he has another good season he can head off to the NFL early and be a first round selection. | |||||
| 16 |  | Cincinnati | Kawann Short | DT | Purdue |
| For Cincinnati this is mostly a bargain pick. Kawann Short should be flirting with a top ten selection, but has happened to fall. The other option for Cincinnati is to reach for a running back. If Marcus Lattimore can stay healthy, he would not be a reach half way through the first round. | |||||
| 17 |  | Miami | Jarvis Jones | DE | Georgia |
| Jarvis Jones is already garnering a lot of hype for the 2013 NFL Draft. He is a superb athlete, but he needs to build off of his very impressive 2011 season at Georgia and keep the good times rolling before he is a consensus top ten pick. For now he falls to Miami who desperately need a pass rusher. | |||||
| 18 |  | Dallas | Alex Hurst | OT | LSU |
| Dallas did not do much during the 2012 NFL Draft to address their needs on the offensive line. That was understandable since the secondary was a bigger concern. But now they need to get a good young tackle to fill in for now and anchor the line for years to come. Alex Hurst is just one of a couple options from LSU. | |||||
| 19 |  | New York Jets | T.J. McDonald | S | USC |
| The Jets picked up Quinton Coples in the 2012 NFL Draft and in 2013 they should address the secondary. T.J. McDonald is a superb safety and will likely make a name for himself during the 2012 season at USC…now that the men of Troy have something to play for. | |||||
| 20 |  | Detroit | Barkevious Mingo | DE | LSU |
| Yet another LSU player who is worthy of a first round selection, Barkevious Mingo is a fine pass rusher and would turn the Lions defensive front into one of the best in the nation. Mingo may emerge as one of the top pass rushers in this class, so he could be long gone by now, but in this case he is a good value for Detroit. | |||||
| 21 |  | San Diego | Chris Faulk | OT | LSU |
| Along with Alex Hurst, Chris Faulk will pave the way for the LSU offense once again in 2012. That very well could lead to a high draft pick in 2013 for the 6-6 junior. San Diego could add more youth to the front line and there is nothing wrong with adding more protection for all of San Diego's skill players. | |||||
| 22 |  | New York Giants | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
| Star Lotulelei has flown under the radar during his time at Utah, but that will not last too much longer. He will need to have a good senior season with the Utes and perform well at the combine to garner a first round selection, but both of those things are quite likely. | |||||
| 23 |  | Atlanta | Khaled Holmes | C | USC |
| Atlanta took Peter Konz in the 2012 NFL Draft, but the Falcons still need help on the interior part of their offensive line. Khaled Holmes is the only true center on the board that is a borderline first round draft pick right now. | |||||
| 24 |  | Pittsburgh | Tyrann Mathieu | CB | LSU |
| Tyrann Mathieu has a lot of hype surrounding him right now, but he is still listed as 5-9. At the least, he is a risky pick and expect his stock to drop even if he has another great season at LSU. The Steelers may not be the team to take a chance on Mathieu, but he should not drop too much further than this. | |||||
| 25 |  | New Orleans | Jelani Jenkins | LB | Florida |
| If Drew Brees sticks around, the Saints should grab a pass rusher of some sort. Jelani Jenkins not only fills a need, but he is also the best available player on the board at this point in the draft. It is a win-win for the Saints. | |||||
| 26 |  | Denver | Johnthan Banks | CB | Mississippi State |
| The Denver secondary is getting old and they will have to address that issue one way or another. If it comes down to the draft, Johnthan Banks is the best cornerback available. Banks is a solid corner who could shoot up draft boards by April of 2013. | |||||
| 27 |  | Baltimore | Sean Porter | LB | Texas A&M |
| The Baltimore defense has a few holes to fill. Sean Porter is not an inside linebacker that can replace Ray Lewis, but he is a versatile outside linebacker who can add some more toughness to the Ravens defense. | |||||
| 28 |  | Philadelphia | Brandon Jenkins | DE | Florida State |
| The Eagles took defensive tackle Fletcher Cox in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. They could stick with the defensive line early in the 2013 NFL Draft as well. Brandon Jenkins still has something to prove to be considered a first round draft pick, but he is an experienced and talented end. | |||||
| 29 |  | Houston | Robert Lester | S | Alabama |
| Houston always seems to be in the market for help in the secondary. If there is not a cornerback worth taking, which there is not at the moment, Robert Lester can help bolster the Texans secondary. | |||||
| 30 |  | San Francisco | Alex Okafor | DE | Texas |
| If San Francisco makes it this far in the playoffs, they should be pretty happy with what they have on the field. However, one area of concern is their pass rush. Alex Okafor is a solid pure pass rusher and can at least provide some help on obvious passing situations. | |||||
| 31 |  | New England | Marquess Wilson | WR | Washington State |
| When all is said and done, Marquess Wilson could be the best receiver eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft. Fellow Pac-12er Keenan Allen will have plenty to say about that, as will a handful of others, but Wilson is a true number one receiver who should have a big year in 2012. If he does, he will be a first round draft pick in 2013. | |||||
| 32 |  | Green Bay | Marcus Lattimore | RB | South Carolina |
| Marcus Lattimore probably should not fall this far, but the Packers will be very happy if he does. Green Bay may not run too much these days, but that is no reason to not have any good running backs on the roster. Lattimore could be a game changer from day one. | |||||
Joel Welser 2013 NFL Mock Draft - 29 April 2012
1. D.J. Fluker 2. Robert Woods 3. Matt Barkley 4. David Amerson 5. Sam Montgomery
Sun, 04/29/2012
