Sunday, March 10, 2013

2013 Steelers 101 – NFL Mock Draft – First Round (Update 1 – 3/10/13) - Steelers 101

No one can argue that time is flying by in 2013. In less than a week, the official NFL calendar year begins signaling the start of the free agency period. On top of that, the NFL Draft is less than two months away and pro day workouts are popping up across the nation.

When breaking down the NFL, things are fluid and with that, especially with mock drafts, they are constantly requiring updates. Here is our second edition of the Steelers_101 NFL Mock Draft. Many of these projections will change over the next few weeks once the free agency period begins, but it is always a fun process to speculate what teams will do. As always, we would truly appreciate any and all feedback on this attempt at a mock draft or any of our articles at Steelers101. Feel free to interact with us on these picks by commenting on the post, on our facebook fan page or on twitter @Steelers_101.

 Round One

1.  Kansas City Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel – Texas A&M – Even though the Chiefs announced they will franchise offensive tackle Branden Albert, rebuilding their offensive line to protect new quarterback Alex Smith will be  a priority. Joeckel is a talent and should come in and solidify the left side of the offensive line for years to come.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – DE/OLD Dion Jordan – Oregon - The Jaguars need help on defense and especially need to boost their pass rush and their defensive line. Jordan can come in and make an impact.

3. Oakland Raiders –DT Sharrif Floyd – Florida - The Raiders need help on defense and especially need to boost their pass rush and the interior of their line. This pick could easily be one of the defensive end prospects such as Ezekiel Ansah, but Floyd seems like a safe pick.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – OT Eric Fisher – Central Michigan -  Fisher has taken advantage of this pre draft prospect and is rising on draft boards across the league. The Eagles could go different directions, but solidifying their offensive line makes the most sense.

5. Detroit Lions – CB DeMarcus Milliner – Alabama - The Lions have needed help at cornerback during their entire rebuilding process and they are finally in a spot where pulling the trigger on one makes sense. Milliner is a playmaker and could come in and start day one and be an upgrade.

6. Cleveland Browns – OLB Jarvis Jones – Georgia – Jones draft stock is all over the place due to some medical flags. If deemed healthy, he is possibly the top prospect in this entire draft. The Browns need to upgrade their pass rush and Jones fits that bill.

7. Arizona Cardinals – QB Geno Smith – West Virginia - The Cardinals are searching for a franchise quarterback and Smith is the closest thing to that in this draft. Smith has the talent to make all of the required throws and has shown a solid understanding of the passing game. He may need some refinement, but could be a home run at this point.

8. Buffalo Bills – WR Cordarrelle Patterson - Tennessee - The Bills have many needs on both sides of the ball, but seem to fall here into no-man's land near the backside of the top 10. They may trade up in front of the Cardinals for Smith, but if they stay put, they snatch a prospect that could be true number one.  

9. New York Jets – CB Desmond Trufant – Washington – There is no doubt that the Jets need a corner and will likely use this pick to grab one. There are a couple cornerbacks battling for this position including Xavier Rhodes from Florida State, but Trufant is rising fast after a solid Senior Bowl and combine and could find a landing spot here.

10. Tennessee Titans – OG Chance Warmack – Alabama – Warmack is a tremendous talent and should come in and anchor the interior of the Titans offensive line for a decade. A guard may not be a traditional selection in the top 10, but Warmack is possibly the best and safest prospect in this entire class.

11. San Diego Chargers – OT Lane Johnson – Oklahoma – Johnson has been another fast riser on draft boards, and has definitely benefitted from a great senior bowl week and combine. The Chargers must rebuild their offensive line and Johnson could slide in and solidify the left side early in his career.  

12. Miami Dolphins - DE Ezekiel Ansah – BYU - The Dolphins could go a few ways with this selection but decide to go with Ansah, who is raw but could come in and upgrade their defensive end position. He is a talented and natural fit for their schemes.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – NT Star Lotulelei – Utah – Lotulelei should go much higher. Unfortunately, due to medical concerns, there is a ton of questions concerning this talented defender. A heart condition prevented him from working out during the NFL Combine, and no news has broken on the severity. While I would usually leave him out until these medical concerns are clarified, he is too talented to do that to.

14. Carolina Panthers – OG Jonathan Cooper – North Carolina – Cooper may not be at the elite level as Warmack, but he may be more versatile. Cooper has the ability to come in and start at any of the three interior spots along the offensive line, and would become a starter on day one.

15. New Orleans Saints – DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo – LSU- Mingo fits the mold of what the Saints have been looking for on defense. He is an explosive edge player and is the best player available, and a player who could be an upgrade as soon as he arrives in camp.

16. St. Louis Rams – S Kenny Vaccaro – Texas – The Rams would love to see one of the top offensive linemen fall to this spot. With no interior players that fit the bill, the decide to upgrade their secondary. Vaccaro is a four down player and one that can step in early.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Tavon Austin - West Virginia – The Steelers have many needs and could go many different ways with this selection. In the end, they go with the player who can give them the most impact day one. It is rare for rookies to start on defense for the Steelers, but offense is a different question. Austin is a playmaker that can help in all phases of the offense. While on the small side, he is an explosive athlete, who backed up his game tape with a tremendous combine.

18. Dallas Cowboys – DE Bjoern Werner – Florida State – The Cowboys are transitioning to a 4-3 and could go a few ways with this selection but decide to go with Werner to come in and upgrade their defensive end position. He is a talented and natural fit for their 4-3 schemes.

19. New York Giants – DT Sheldon Richardson – Missouri – The Giants want to build their defensive line and Richardson is a talented performer who could have gone much higher, providing the Giants with some value at this selection. 

20. Chicago Bears – TE Tyler Eifert – Notre Dame - The Bears would love to add a speed receiver to their stable at this point, but instead focus on upgrading their overall passing game with Eifert. After a solid combine, Eifert solidified himself as a first round prospect and helps the Bears build their passing game.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – CB Xavier Rhodes – Florida State - The Bengals secondary struggled in 2012 and could use some upgrades. Rhodes is a solid athlete and experienced cornerback who also has the versatility to slide inside to safety.

22. St. Louis Rams – LB Alec Ogletree – Georgia - The Rams could use some help at linebacker and Ogletree is the best one available. Of course, he does have character concerns and was recently arrested for DUI, but should not deter the Rams. Head coach Jeff Fisher has a record of accomplishment of looking past the off-the-field concerns and finding playmakers.

23. Minnesota Vikings – WR Keenan Allen - California - If Allen passes medical checks and has a solid workout on his pro day, he may go much earlier in the draft. He is possibly the most complete wide receiver in the draft and has some upside. The Vikings need a boost in the passing game and Allen would be a perfect fit. 

24. Indianapolis Colts – OT D.J. Fluker – Alabama - The Colts continue to build their offensive line with the selection of Fluker, who is the top rated lineman on their board.

25. Seattle Seahawks – DE Datone Jones – UCLA – Seattle is building a dominant defense under head coach Pete Carroll, and he continues this process with another stout defensive end. He could decide to look at the interior of the defensive line, but Jones is too good to pass up.

 26. Green Bay Packers – WR Justin Hunter – Tennessee - Hunter is a big target with solid athleticism. He may not have had a great season coming back from injury, but he is rounding into shape. At this point, his stock is rising and the Packers decide to pull the trigger.

27. Houston Texans – LB Kevin Minter – LSU - The Texans would love for Allen or Austin to fall, but they are not available. Instead they look at Minter, who will fill a need at inside linebacker. Last season, their defense faltered once Brian Cushing went down and they need quality on the inside. Minter is an experienced player, who would be an immediate upgrade.

28. Denver Broncos – DT Kawann Short – Purdue - The Broncos look like a team that could use a boost at the interior of the defensive line. Short is one of the top rated players remaining at the point and head coach Jon Fox pulls the trigger.

29. New England Patriots – CB Johnthan Banks – Mississippi State - The Patriots could go many different directions with this selection. In the end, they decide to boost their defense with a natural ball hawk to help defend in this pass happy league. 

30. Atlanta Falcons – DE Damontre Moore  - Texas A&M – Moore is falling after a terrible combine performance. Luckily, for him, he shows better on tape than his 12 reps and slow 40 times would hint to. The Falcons may be looking for a pass-rusher after free agency starts and Moore would be a good fit.

31. San Francisco 49ers – DT Johnathan Hankins – Ohio State - The 49ers can go many ways to add talent to their roster. Hankins has been slipping lately after a sub par performance at the combine. The 49ers let the draft come to them and select a player who should have come off the board earlier.

32. Baltimore Ravens – LB Manti Te'o – Notre Dame - The Ravens round out the first round of the draft with Te'o. Yes, he has had a rough stretch over these past two months between the girlfriend scandal, the lackluster BCS Championship Game and a uneven combine, but that allows him to slip to the Super Bowl Champions.

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Tags: Football, Mock Draft, NFL, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tavon Austin

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