MOCK DRAFT 2.0

With just about 5 weeks remaining till the 2013 NFL Draft things are starting to heat up! Free agency as always has altered many rosters and no doubt plays a roll in determining where teams will go in the draft. The rumors of who is going where really start to fly from every direction and as I mentioned in my first draft the quarterback position always picks up steam as late April approaches. Geno Smith is rumored to go anywhere from number three to Oakland down to the Bills who just released veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick at number eight. The Arizona Cardinals are also in need of a QB and that was before releasing Kevin Kolb. I base my picks off a combination of needs and best player available. Some teams may have a bigger need but simply cant pass up a player they have higher on their board. With the first selection in the 2013 NFL Draft the Kansas City Chiefs select........

1. CHIEFS- Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M (6'5 3/4 306) -Andy Reid has been a busy man! Trading for QB Alex Smith, signing Dunta Robinson and Sean Smith to solidify the CB position and franchising OT Branden Albert. The Chiefs also cut RT Eric Winston and that is why I now have OT as their biggest need once again. Mock 1.0 Dee Milliner CB Alabama(6'0 3/4 197)
2. JAGUARS-  Dion Jordan DE Oregon (6'6 1/8 239)- This selection stays the same in 2.0! The Jags could use a tackle, corner and hell even a quarterback but I cant ignore the fact that their defense only amassed 20 sacks all of last year. With money already invested in Blaine Gabbert its hard for me to put Geno Smith here but this is becoming more of a possibility as the weeks pass. This could be a great spot for Arizona or Buffalo to move up to if they really want Smith and fear the Raiders want him.
3. RAIDERS- Sharrif Floyd DT Florida (6'3 298)-  The Raiders just cut 2 former top 10 picks in Darius Hayward-Bay and Michael Huff and have a ton invested in a bad deal for Carson Palmer. Drafting Geno Smith would be a huge risk they still may take. Oakland was second worst in the NFL last season with only 25 sacks and just lost two starting defensive lineman with Desmond Bryant signing with Cleveland and Richard Seymour unlikely to return. Floyd would give them help from the tackle or end position as he played both in college. Mock 1.0 Geno Smith QB West Virginia (6'2 3/4 208)
4. EAGLES- Dee Milliner CB Alabama ( 6'0 3/4 197)- The Eagles were another busy team in free agency as they added OLB Connor Barwin from Houston, CB Cary Williams and 2 safeties. The signing of Williams doesn't mean that they don't need another corner as many believe. They have to replace both starters at the position and with the rookie wage scale Milliner is a bargain they wont pass up. Mock 1.0 Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M (6'5 3/4 306)
5. LIONS-  Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan (6'7 1/4 305)- With  LT Jeff Backus retiring and RT Gosder Cherilus signing with the Colts the Lions have to find another book end to go along with Riley Reiff. Pass rush is still a need as is CB but Milliner is gone and protecting Stafford is the biggest concern. The Lions can address the pass rush with a player like Tank Carradine or Damontre Moore with their early second round selection. Mock 1.0 Ezekiel Ansah DE BYU (6'6 273)
6. CHARGERS- TRADE!!! Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma (6'6 1/4 302)- The Chargers trade their second round pick (No. 45 overall) to the Browns to grab the sky rocketing offensive tackle from Oklahoma. The new rookie wage scale means teams pay less for top tear talent which means teams will be asking for more compensation from the teams looking to move up just as the Rams did last year when they got the Cowboys 2nd round pick when Dallas moved up from 14 to 6 to take CB Mo Claiborne. This move helps both teams as the Chargers get a potential stud at left tackle and jump in front of tackle needy teams like Arizona, Buffalo and New York and the Browns gain an additional second round pick to go along with their supplemental second round pick WR Josh Gordon.
7. CARDINALS- Geno Smith QB West Virginia  (6'2 3/4 208)- This is where it gets interesting. Bruce Arians has mentored Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck. Yes the Cardinals signed Drew Stanton but a guy like Arians knows a top QB can make every ones job easier and Stanton is not that guy! Arizona could look to address the tackle position with the 38th overall pick in the second round. Mock 1.0 Matt Barkley QB USC (6'1 7/8 228)
8. BILLS- Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia (6'2 242)- Jones ran a 4.9 40 at his pro day and this could have many teams running for the hills on him but remember one thing. Vernon Gholston had a great combine and got drafted in the top 10. The expression is "Look like Tarzan, play like Jane." Jones plays like Tarzan and maybe he runs like Jane but I still think he's going to be a beast.The Bills could be one of a number of teams to feature the "hybrid" defense this year. Some think Jones is perfect at OLB in a 4-3 and some think he is taylor made to be that sack specialist in a 3-4 defense. Well I guess that should work just fine for the Bills since they will likely be running both. Doug Marrone could look to land his former college QB Ryan Nassib with the 41st pick in the second round or he could look to move back into the first round if he really wants his man.Mock 1.0 Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee (6'3 205)
9. JETS- Ezekiel Ansah DE/OLB BYU (6'6 273)- Rex Ryan has stated that the Jets plan to use more 4-3 fronts this season and even if they still use the 3 man front Ansah can fit in either scheme. In the 4 man front Ansah would play DE opposite Quinton Coples and could play DE or OLB in their 3-4 sets. Corner could be a need if they trade Revis but if that happens they will have the 13th pick to possibly address that.Mock 1.0 Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan (6'7 1/4 305)
10. TITANS- Star Lotulelei DT Utah (6'3 320)- New head coach Mike Munchak stuck to his offensive line roots by signing the top guard available in free agency in Andy Levitre. With the signing the Titans can now turn their attention to the 24th ranked run defense that gave up 127 yards a game and 16 TD's on the ground. The mountain of a man that Star is should help fix that problem. Mock 1.0 Sharrif Floyd DT Florida (6'3 298)
11. BROWNS-  Barkevious Mingo DE/OLB LSU (6'5 240)- The Browns move down 5 spots, gain another second round pick and still get one of the top pass rushers in the draft! NOBODY could be unhappy in this scenario. I know what people point to when Mingo comes up. He didn't have all the sack numbers you would like to see. I understand that but LSU used him a lot in contain roles for some odd reason. Here is a little known stat for you: Clay Matthews Jr had 5.5 sacks in his entire college career and Jason Pierre Paul had 6.5 as a collegiate player! (stat courtesy of Chris Fedor)Those guys turned out pretty good didn't they? Mock 1.0 Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia (6'2 242)
12. DOLPHINS- Chance Warmack OG Alabama(6'2 3/8 325)- The Dolphins filled big needs in free agency by signing WR Mike Wallace, Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler and TE Dustin Keller. They could go a number of directions here but Warmack is said to be a guaranteed starter for ten years and putting him next to center Mike Pouncey could make the Dolphins interior one of the strongest in the league for years to come. Mock 1.0 Kenny Vaccaro S Texas (6'0 1/2 210)
13. BUCCANEERS- Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri (6'2 7/8 290)- The Bucs are another team that could make any number of selections here after addressing there biggest need with the signing of free agent safety Dashon Goldson. They could go best CB on their board, Tavon Austin to man the slot to round out a nice wide receiving corps with Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Corner is their biggest need but 13 is too high in my opinion for the next corner to be taken. So they follow my motto and add a defensive tackle that can get to the QB which will help the secondary cause they wont have to cover as long. Mock 1.0 Bjoern Werner DE Florida State (6'4 255)
14. PANTHERS- Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee (6'3 205)- Steve Smith will be 34 when the '13 season kicks off and besides him the Panthers wide receiver cupboard is bare! Patterson is a little raw with his route running but he makes up for that with his electrifying run after the catch ability. Tavon Austin could be the pick here as the Panthers have had a ton of success with smaller receivers like Smith but Patterson's potential is going to be hard to pass up. Mock 1.0 Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri (6'2 7/8 290)
15. SAINTS- Johnathan Jenkins NT Georgia (6'3 5/8 346)- The Saints rush defense was dead last in 2012 giving up 147 yards a game on the ground and they were one of only 4 teams to give up atleast 18 rushing touchdowns. With that being said they are also switching to Rob Ryan's 3/4 defense and it all starts with the NT in the middle. OLB is also a need but the top guys have all been taken at this point. Mock 1.0 Barkevious Mingo OLB LSU (6'5 240)
16. RAMS- Tavon Austin WR West Virginia (5'8 3/8 173)- The Rams have already added LT Jake Long and TE Jared Cook to the offensive side of the ball via free agency. Landing Austin would give Sam Bradford his first legitimate wide receiver since coming into the league in '10. Safety Kenny Vaccaro and guard Johnathan Cooper could also be taken at this spot. Mock 1.0 Chance Warmack OG Alabama (6'2 3/8 325)
17. STEELERS- Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame (6'6 250)- Heath Miller destroyed his knee at the end of last season and his availability for the first half of the season could be in jeopardy. Big Ben loves to use the tight end and Eifert is by far the best one in this draft. Tyler high points the ball like a wide receiver and catching a ball in traffic doesn't bother the 6'6 tight end one bit. WR/NT and OLB could all be possible here as well as the Steelers do indeed have holes to fill. Mock 1.0 Star Lotulelei DT Utah (6'3 320)
18. COWBOYS- Jonathan Cooper OG North Carolina (6'3 320)- It is hard to imagine Cooper making it to this spot because many have him taking over the top guard spot because of his athleticism.The Cowboys guard play was near the bottom of the league last season and they must address this problem unless they hope Tony Romo can continue to pull magic tricks in the backfield. Defensive end Bjoern Werner could be the guy if Cooper is gone as Dallas is switching to the 4-3 defense and needs a long term option at DE opposite DeMarcus Ware.
19. GIANTS-  Alec Ogletree ILB Georgia (6'3 237): The Giants signed Dan Connor but the linebacking corps is still weak. Ogletree is a bit of a problem child but when you watch him play you see possibly the most gifted athletes in this draft and can play any of the three linebacker positions.
20. BEARS- Manti Te'o ILB Notre Dame (6'1 248): Brian Urlacher has been told that the team will move on without him and clearly his position needs to be filled. Manti's draft stock benefits even more now that it looks like Urlacher is definitely gone. Te'o didn't run a great 40 at the combine but looked good in drills and the LB position is more about instincts and play recognition than strait line speed. Offensive tackle is a big need still even after the Bears signed Jerman Bushrod so Alabama's DJ Fluker could be selected here.
21. BENGALS- DJ Fluker OT Alabama (6'4 7/8 355)- The Bengals replace one massive Alabama tackle with another one. Andre Smith will seek income elsewhere as it appears the Bengals have no interest in bringing him back. The Bengals offensive line is one of the best in the league and I believe they intend to keep it that way. Running back is more of a want than a need and that is why the selection of Fluker over Lacy makes more sense here. Mock 1.0  Eddie Lacy RB Alabama (5'10 220)
22. RAMS- Eddie Lacy RB Alabama (5'10 220)- The Rams are trying to replace RB Steven Jackson who had 8 strait 1,000 yard seasons and Jeff Fisher loves defense and a strong running game (Eddie George and Chris Johnson come to mind). The Rams young and fast defense was in the middle of the pack last year with the 15th ranked rushing and passing defense. They could select Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro here but I think they grab their safety with the 46th pick in the second round. Mock 1.0 Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame (6'6 250)
23. VIKINGS- Bjoern Werner DE Florida State (6'4 255)- Jared Allen has 74 sacks in his 5 seasons with Minnesota (14.8 a season) without any help on the other side. Imagine what he could do if he had any kind of a threat on the opposite side! The big German has a relentless motor and I'm sure Allen would embrace him and show him a thing or two as long as Bjoern is willing to go hunting with him.
24. COLTS- Keenan Allen WR California (6'3 206)- The Colts were quietly one of the most active teams in the free agent market. They didn't make the big ticket purchase but they definitely added a few nice pieces. Safety was addressed with LaRon Landry and the defensive line saw two big men added to give Chuck Pagano the beef up front. Reggie Wayne looked great last year but he is 34 years old. TY Hilton had a tremendous rookie season and the TE position is very solid. So why wouldn't the team that stocked the wide receiver shelves for Peyton Manning do the same for Andrew Luck? Exactly why they add the big physical weapon! This franchise just gets it! Mock 1.0 Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina (6'2 3/4 313)
25. VIKINGS- (Acquired  in Percy Harvin trade with Seattle) WR Justin Hunter Tennessee (6'4 196)- The Vikings plucked Greg Jennings from the rival Packers in free agency which eased the blow of losing Harvin but why stop there? This is a team that has not had a wide receiver duo since Randy Moss and Chris Carter were terrorizing the league. That would give Christian Ponder Jennings, Rudolph and Hunter to throw to and it would also force teams to take the eight man out of the box to stop the run which would help Adrian Peterson. Can you imagine what AP can do against only 7 in the box?
26. PACKERS- Kenny Vaccaro S Texas (6'0 1/2 210)- The Packers secondary wasn't as bad as you may think when you look at the standings from last year: 21 points a game and 11th ranked pass defense. If Vaccaro falls this far the Pack would be as happy as a donkey in a briar patch. Eddie Lacy would be my pick if he was to make it to this spot. Mock 1.0 Demontre Moore DE/OLB Texas A&M (6'4 248)
27. TEXANS- DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson (6'1 214)- It is funny that every single year we talk about the Texans getting another wide out to help Andre Johnson but it never happens. I have seen multiple reports that this is Houston's number one priority this offseason. Well I guess its about time they actually follow through. The only problem is the top 4 receivers are gone here. Hopkins didn't run a blazing 40 at the combine but his agility and run after catch skills are what will attract teams. It would not surprise me if they go somewhere else cause well.....they have done it before! Poor Andre! Mock 1.0 Tavon Austin WR West Virginia (5'8 3/8 173)
28. BRONCOS- Desmond Trufant CB Washington (5'11 1/8 190): Denver made a number of big moves in free agency like WR Wes Welker, OG Louis Vasquez and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. But if you watched the Broncos in the playoffs you saw where their needs lie and Cromartie alone isn't enough. It could be another CB as many people have the CB class ranked differently after Milliner or it could even be a safety here but Trufant is my second rated CB.
29. PATRIOTS- Menelik Watson OT Florida State (6'5 1/8 310)- The Pats just restructured Tom Brady's contract and it appears Sebastian Vollmer will not be resigned unless they are waiting to see how the tackle market unfolds. It is very possible the Pats sign one of the tackles left on the market but they wont over pay. With the resigning of Aqib Talib corner isn't as big a need as it was but they could still go that direction here or do what Belichick is known to do and trade back and pick up additional picks. Wide receiver is also an option as their corps isn't very impressive. Mock 1.0  DJ Fluker OT Alabama (6'4 7/8 355)
30. FALCONS- Xavier Rhodes CB Florida State (6'1 215): After cutting Dunta Robinson Atlanta has made a big need an even larger one. Asante Samuel isn't exactly a spring chicken and Brent Grimes has yet to make a decision on where he will play next year. They could also use a TE to eventually replace Gonzalez who has said he will return for one more year. The Rams  signed RB Steven Jackson to replace Michael Turner who hit the wall last season.
31. 49ERS- Johnathan Banks CB Mississippi State (6'2 1/8 185)- The rich get richer! The defending NFC champs have 14 draft picks and that is after giving up a 6th round pick for WR Anquan Boldin. One of their few weaknesses is corner back opposite Carlos Rogers. Safety could be in play after Dashon Goldson left via free agency and John Cyprien or Matt Elam could be options here as well. The 49ers will also have the 34th pick in the draft now that the Alex Smith trade with the Chiefs is official to address one of these needs, so getting both positions filled is a strong possibility.
32. RAVENS- Kevin Minter ILB LSU (6'2 244)- The defending Super Bowl Champs will be replacing SIX starters off the defense that won it all! Ray Lewis (Retired) Ed Reed (HOU) Dannell Ellerbe (MIA) Paul Kruger (CLE) Cary Williams (PHI) Bernard Pollard (TEN) and Anquan Boldin who was huge for them on their playoff run. That's a lot to ask, even from Ozzie Newsome. This pick was so hard to project because of all the holes Ozzie must fill so I went with the one that replaces the face of the franchise Ray Lewis.