By John McMullen
PHILADELPHIA - The latest NFL Draft shakeup came on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally completed a long-rumored trade with the New York Jets for cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The Bucs sent the 13th overall selection in Thursday's first round, along with
a conditional 2014 selection, to north Jersey for the former All-Pro.
There had been speculation since January, when John Idzik took over as Jets
general manager for the fired Mike Tannenbaum, that Revis was on the trading
block.
"It became quite evident, we had some discussions with his representation, and
it became quite evident to us that there was a substantial difference between
Darrelle's view of his value and ours," Idzik said during a conference call
after the deal went down. "So we felt like there would have to be a
significant change on either side in order to create a path toward reaching an
agreeable deal for the long term. So you had to really weigh that into the
situation, too."
Now that the Revis domino has fallen, it's time to take one final educated
guess at the 78th Annual selection meeting, albeit one which doesn't take into
account any potential trades or unstable personnel people around the league.
So let's lock it in with The Sports Network's final 2013 NFL mock draft:
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M - The Chiefs have done
everything possible to make this pick seem more valuable to teams thinking
about trading up, flashing "interest" in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith
and trying to beat the drum for Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher. In
the end, this is just not a sexy draft at the top, so Kansas City will stand
pat and take Joeckel. Scouts often reference the potential "ceiling" of a
particular prospect and rarely talk about a player's "floor." Joeckel's floor
is significantly higher than Fisher's and that's the real difference between
the two players.
Previous Pick: Joeckel
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU - There is a lot of momentum
building for Fisher to Jacksonville since the Jags need an offensive tackle
but remember who the new head coach of the team is. Gus Bradley, is a
defensive-minded mentor who wants to address the Jaguars' paltry pass rush,
specifically off the edges. Oregon's Dion Jordan has emerged from the pack as
the best prospect off the edge but his frame is best-suited for the 3-4. Ansah
is an athletic freak with a Jason Pierre-Paul-like upside as a pass-rusher.
Previous Pick: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah - Matt Flynn isn't going to
generate a ton of excitement in the Bay Area, but his presence enables the
Raiders to stop thinking about Smith and focus in on defensive tackles
Sharrif Floyd or Lotulelei. If Oakland believes the doctors and are convinced
Lotulelei's heart scare is behind him (his left ventricle was pumping at below
normal levels at the combine), he's the choice. Star is a versatile player who
fits in playing multiple techniques and shows more on tape than the up-and-
down Floyd.
Previous Pick: Lotulelei
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma - The Eagles went through
their first OTAs under Chip Kelly last week and one thing was abundantly
clear, the former Oregon mentor is going to push the tempo and play basketball
on turf in Philly. That means conditioning and athleticism are going to be
paramount, and Johnson, who can run a faster 40-yard dash and leap higher than
some wide receivers, is a better fit in the City of Brotherly Love than the far
more traditional Fisher.
Previous Pick: Fisher
5. Detroit Lions - Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan - Detroit needs to solve
its tackle situation because right tackle Gosder Cherilus left for Indianapolis
in free agency and veteran left tackle Jeff Backus called it quits after a
solid 12-year career. The Motor City Kitties will sprint to the podium when
they see Fisher is still on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnson
6. Cleveland Browns - Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia - It's pretty clear that
the Browns' new brain trust of president Joe Banner, GM Mike Lombardi and
head coach Rob Chudzinski isn't all that enamored with Brandon Weeden. Smith
has been sinking like a stone in most people's eyes after getting trashed in a
Pro Football Weekly scouting report but he remains the top signal-caller in
this draft and Cleveland will ignore the white noise and continue the reboot
of the franchise.
Previous Pick: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina - Arizona's draft
prospects changed markedly when the team acquired Carson Palmer from the
Raiders. Palmer may be on the downside on his career and is certainly not the
Pro Bowl player he once was in Cincinnati, but he is a massive upgrade on the
terrible triumvirate of Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley which
eventually cost Ken Whisenhunt his job in the desert. Rebuilding perhaps the
worst offensive line in football is now the priority, and while the Cards would
prefer a tackle, the top three will almost assuredly be off the board in the
first five picks. That leaves a choice between the two best guards and
Cooper's athleticism vaults him ahead of Alabama's Chance Warmack.
Previous Pick: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
8. Buffalo Bills - Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama - It's finally sinking in that
new Bills coach Doug Marrone simply can't use up all of his political capital
by taking his former quarterback at Syracuse, Ryan Nassib, this early. So,
it's either trade down or take Warmack, an excellent fit after the Bills
lost star guard Andy Levitre in free agency as well as reserve Chad Rinehart.
Previous Pick: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
9. New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU - Although Mingo has fallen
on most draft boards, the Jets are reportedly smitten with the LSU pass rusher
and will try to finally give Rex Ryan a difference maker off the edge.
Previous Pick: Smith
10. Tennessee Titans - Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama - The Titans addressed their
most glaring holes in free agency by signing Levitre from Buffalo, inking
strong safety Bernard Pollard from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens,
and getting running back Chris Johnson and young quarterback Jake Locker
backups by convincing Shonn Greene and Ryan Fitzpatrick to leave the AFC East
behind. Tennessee still needs to improve a defense that allowed a league-worst
29.4 points per game in 2012 and getting the draft's best pure cornerback is a
step in the right direction.
Previous Pick: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
11. San Diego Chargers - Dion Jordan, OLB/DE, Oregon - The Chargers' offensive
line is abysmal, but D.J. Fluker figures to be the best prospect left on the
board here and the Alabama right tackle can't compare as a prospect to the
suddenly sliding Jordan, who fits another need for the Bolts, albeit a lesser
one.
Previous Pick: Cooper
12. Miami Dolphins - D.J. Fluker, RT, Alabama - Miami also wants a tackle
after losing former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long in free agency. Jonathan
Martin is set to move from the right side to the left and that move will open
up things for Fluker in South Beach.
Previous Pick: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
13. New York Jets (Acquired from Tampa Bay) - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
- Getting Rhodes here, a player who could be better than Milliner down the
line because he has better ball skills, makes a lot of sense for a franchise
in rebuilding mode.
Previous Pick: Ansah
14. Carolina Panthers - Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida - Teams drafting for need
will send the loser of the Lotulelei versus Floyd battle in Oakland here and
Carolina will be thrilled with either. The Panthers need to sure up their run
defense.
Previous Pick: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints - Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia - Poor 40 times have
sent Jones crashing out of the top 10, but the Saints, who are switching to a
3-4 scheme, need edge players and Jones could be a Terrell Suggs-like steal in
the Big Easy.
Previous Pick: Jones
16. St. Louis Rams - Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia - Some have Austin going
in the top 10, but at the end of the day, he is a specialist, a slot receiver
who doesn't project outside the numbers. That said, Austin is the most dynamic
playmaker in this draft and will be a nice fit in St. Louis because the Rams
lost slot stalwart Danny Amendola to New England in free agency.
Previous Pick: Austin
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame - Pittsburgh could go
wide receiver, but Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson as well as Cal's Keenan
Allen have been falling. Eifert, on the other hand, has been rising rapidly
and some have the former Notre Dame star landing in the top 10. With Heath
Miller coming off ACL surgery in late December, Eifert could be in the heir
apparent in the Steel City.
Previous Pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri - The 'Boys are one of
the few teams making the switch from the 3-4 to a Tampa-2-like 4-3 and
Richardson has a chance to be an impact player as a three-technique.
Previous Pick: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
19. New York Giants - Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State - When the Giants have
succeeded in the past, Eli Manning got a lot of the credit and deservedly so,
but it was the pass rush that was the engine of Big Blue's Super Bowl teams.
The rush was derailed in 2012 and Werner was a top five-level prospect earlier
in this process, but his closing speed off the edge, or lack thereof, has
scared off some teams. New York will take advantage of that since Werner has
the type of motor to excel in the NFL and projects as a solid fit with the
Giants as the replacement for Osi Umenyiora.
Previous Pick: Werner
20. Chicago Bears - Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame - The Brian Urlacher era is
over in the Second City and taking Te'o, would accomplish a couple of things.
It gives Chicago an heir apparent and keeps him away from NFC North-rival
Minnesota.
Previous Pick - Te'o
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State - For whatever
reason (it's money), the Bengals have let incumbent starting right tackle
Andre Smith, who was one of the best in all of football last season, dangle in
free agency. It looks as if the organization doesn't have the stomach for the
paycheck Smith wants, so bringing in Watson as a replacement makes a lot of
sense.
Previous Pick: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) - Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas - The
Rams could continue attacking the receiver spot or look for Steven Jackson's
replacement at running back, but their need at safety is just too great and
Vaccaro is the best available, a player who has the ideal combination of size
and athleticism to roam from sideline to sideline in coverage.
Previous Pick: Matt Elam, S, Florida
23. Minnesota Vikings - Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee - The Vikings have been
looking for the answer at split end since Randy Moss' first go-around in the
Twin Cities ended and the team believes Hunter is the answer, a player some
scouts are now calling the most physically gifted receiver on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
24. Indianapolis Colts - Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington - Chuck Pagano would
probably prefer to build up his 3-4 defense with another edge pass rusher but
he also needs to supplement a corner group which includes Vontae Davis, Darius
Butler and free agent acquisition Greg Toler. Trufant would project as the
best of that bunch early on.
Previous Pick: Mingo
25. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle) - Kevin Minter, MLB, LSU - This is
Minnesota's pick acquired in the Percy Harvin deal. The Vikings let their
middle linebacker in 2012 -- the pedestrian Jasper Brinkley -- walk to Arizona,
so they need a mike. Minny general manager Rick Spielman would love Te'o, but
with him off the boards, it's between Alec Ogletree, Arthur Brown and Minter.
Ogletree is the far more athletic player who is best-suited for the Vikings
somewhat antiquated Tampa-2 base scheme, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is
big on character and Minter is a solid prospect who trumps the other two
there.
Previous Pick: Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
26. Green Bay Packers - Matt Elam, S, Florida - Packers general manager Ted
Thompson has publicly stated he wants his team to be more physical and Elam is
a thumper from the safety position who would replace Charles Woodson.
Previous Pick: Watson
27. Houston Texans - Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee - Even before they
released veteran Kevin Walter, the Texans badly needed a complement to Andre
Johnson. Patterson is very raw and doesn't run routes all that well, but he's
the best YAC (yards after catch) receiver in the draft and more of a vertical
threat than Keenan Allen.
Previous Pick: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
28. Denver Broncos - Margus Hunt, DE, SMU - The Elvis Dumervil fax fiasco put
defensive end in play for the Broncos and the 6-foot-8, 280-pound Hunt is the
type of raw talent you gamble with late in the first round. Most project him
as a 3-4 end, but Hunt certainly has the size and frame to hold up as a base
end in a 4-3 also.
Previous Pick: Hunt
29. New England Patriots - D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston - Although the
Patriots got Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington back in free agency, the back end is
still the biggest problem on the New England defense and the team has been hot
on the trail of the rapidly ascending Hayden.
Previous Pick: Trufant
30. Atlanta Falcons - Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State - The Falcons replaced
the aging but always productive John Abraham with Umenyiora, a talented but
far less consistent player. Meanwhile Troy Biermann is a high-motor player on
the other side who is probably best-suited for fewer reps. They could put
Carradine in the picture, a player on the rise after ACL surgery.
Previous Pick: Carradine
31. San Francisco 49ers - Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina - The Niners
lost both Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois in free agency, so they need
bodies on the interior of their defensive line and will be happy to swoop in
on the falling Williams.
Previous Pick: Eifert
32. Baltimore Ravens - Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia - The Ravens may be a
little gun shy to take on a character concern especially after Rolando McClain
was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Sunday. But, with
Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe exiting to Miami, Baltimore badly needs
an inside linebacker and Ogletree is too talented to pass up here.
Previous Pick: Minter
ROUND TWO:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars - Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City) - Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
35. Philadelphia Eagles - EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
36. Detroit Lions - Keenan Allen, WR, California
37. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) - Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
38. Arizona Cardinals - Matt Barkley, QB, USC
39. New York Jets - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
40. Tennessee Titans - Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
41. Buffalo Bills - Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
42. Miami Dolphins - Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
44. Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
45. San Diego Chargers - Kyle Long OG/OT, Oregon
46. St. Louis Rams - Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
47. Dallas Cowboys - Eric Reid, S, LSU
48. Pittsburgh Steelers - Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
49. New York Giants - D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina
50. Chicago Bears - Barrett Jones, OC, Alabama
51. Washington Redskins - Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
52. Minnesota Vikings - Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
53. Cincinnati Bengals - Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers
54. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis) - Jesse Williams, NT, Alabama
55. Green Bay Packers - Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
56. Seattle Seahawks - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
57. Houston Texans - Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
58. Denver Broncos - Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
59. New England Patriots - Robert Woods, WR, USC
60. Atlanta Falcons - Chase Thomas, LB,Stanford
61. San Francisco 49ers - DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
62. Baltimore Ravens - Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin
Notes:
- Cleveland exercised its second-round pick in last year's supplemental draft
- New Orleans forfeited its second-round pick due to the Bountygate scandal
No comments:
Post a Comment