1-Kansas City: Chance Warmack, Offensive Guard, Alabama
- Why can’t the best overall player be selected first anymore? People talk about and watch Chance Warmack and say how good he is, but then fall into the cliche’ trap of not drafting an interior lineman high in the draft. So what? Wouldn’t Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles benefit from having a player like Warmack blocking for them? He was maybe the best player on the best college team last season. If there is a collegiate program team that’s close to being professional, it’s Alabama’s.
- Besides, Kansas City has tackles Branden Albert and Eric Winston on their roster. Even if Albert doesn’t come back, are you honestly saying Luke Joeckel is better than Warmack? Don’t think so.
2-Jacksonville: Dee Milliner, Cornerback, Alabama
- The Jaguars have more than one hole to fill. They could go with a pass rusher, but they’d be better served to select the only elite cornerback in the draft. Dee Milliner is big, strong, fast (4.37 40-yard dash) and can tackle. Going against the likes of Andrew Luck, Matt Schaub, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Kendall Wright twice each season means you better have a strong pass defense.
3-Oakland: Geno Smith, Quarterback, West Virginia
- Geno Smith is the best quarterback prospect in this draft. Carson Palmer isn’t effective anymore and the Raiders have two young burners on the outside waiting to explode (wide receivers Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey). Add a healthy Darren McFadden to the mix and all of a sudden Oakland has one of the six best collections of athletes at the skill positions (San Francisco, Green Bay, New Orleans, Dallas, Philadelphia).
4-Philadelphia: Luke Joeckel, Offensive Tackle, Texas A&M
- Did you see Philly’s offensive line last year? Sure, Jason Peters got badly injured, which should tell you they need insurance at that position.
5-Detroit: Bjoern Werner, Defensive End, Florida State
- A tireless worker who produces big-time results. Detroit could grow fond of Bjoern Werner in a hurry.
6-Cleveland: Cordarrelle Patterson, Wide Receiver, Tennessee
- If the Browns take Cordarrelle Patterson, no longer can they complain about not having a legitimate game-breaker at the wide receiver position. NFL scouts compare him to Demaryius Thomas.
7-Arizona: Jonathan Cooper, Offensive Guard, UNC
- What one position do the Cardinals need more help at than quarterback? Offensive line. Jonathan Cooper is incredibly strong and moves like a pro (footwork and hand placement).
8-Buffalo: Dion Jordan, Defensive End, Oregon
- Adding Jordan’s atypical blend of size and athleticism to a defensive line that features Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus? Yikes.
9-N.Y. Jets: Star Lotulelei, Defensive Tackle, Utah
- Rex Ryan was the Ravens defensive coordinator when they drafted Haloti Ngata. Star Lotulelei flashes signs that remind you of Ngata. If Ryan wants to rebuild this roster, and assuming Lotulelei’s heart condition doesn’t hinder his play, this would be a smart pick for the Jets to make. Although, their fans at Radio City Music Hall would still probably boo.
10-Tennessee: Lane Johnson, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma
- Jake Locker, Chris Johnson, Kendall Wright. All young, big-time athletes. You might as well draft the most athletic tackle in the draft to play alongside them.
11-San Diego: Eric Fisher, Offensive Tackle, Central Michigan
- The Chargers really need a left tackle and Fisher, by some accounts, could be the best tackle in this draft.
12-Miami: Keenan Allen, Wide Receiver, California
- Ryan Tannehill can’t do everything himself. He played above expectations last year but still needs help. Allen put up good numbers despite a lack of help around him. If he goes to Miami, he won’t have to worry about not having a strong-armed quarterback.
13-Tampa Bay: Xavier Rhodes, Cornerback, Florida State
- The skill position players in the NFC South are generally bigger than their opponents. If the Buccaneers chose to draft Xavier Rhodes, he could be an equalizer for a young, improving Tampa Bay squad.
14-Carolina: Sheldon Richardson, Defensive Tackle, Missouri
- Carolina may have wanted a defensive tackle in last year’s draft, but Luke Kuechly was too good to pass up. This year, they can get their pick from a deep defensive lineman draft.
15-New Orleans:Barkevious Mingo, Defensive End, LSU
- First of all, I doubt he will be a defensive end, though that is the position he’s listed at. Second of all, if he drops this far, the Saints will have acquired a gem. Barkevious Mingo is relentless. He had his way in the SEC on a regular basis (think about that). Not to mention, he played his college ball 81 miles away from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints are pissed off and ready to get back to work. Adding Mingo’s ferocity to the mix would be an easy decision for Sean Payton.
16-St. Louis: Kenny Vaccaro, Safety, Texas
- Their cornerbacks are set, between Janoris Jenkins and Cortland Finnegan. Adding Vaccaro would be adding yet another top-notch athlete to that defense that has to play against top-notch athletes such as Colin Kapernick, Russell Wilson and Larry Fitzgerald, each, twice a year.
17-Pittsburgh: Sharrif Floyd, Defensive Tackle, Florida
- Casey Hampton isn’t what he used to be, although he never stops giving effort. Floyd has been mocked by some to the Raiders at No. 3. If he falls to Pittsburgh, he’ll likely be wearing black and gold in 2013.
18-Dallas: Ziggy Ansah, Defensive End, BYU
- Ziggy Ansah and Demarcus Ware? Watch out. Ansah is a bit raw but is already showing signs of big-time potential. Could Jerry Jones resist this pick?
19-N.Y. Giants: Alec Ogletree, Inside Linebacker, Georgia
- The Giants are just about 13 months removed from winning a World Championship. Injuries hurt them last year (most notable, Hakeem Nicks), and assuming that scenario doesn’t repeat this season, they should look to shore up their linebacking corps.
20-Chicago: Kevin Minter, Inside Linebacker, LSU
- The way Kevin Minter plays middle linebacker is exactly what you would think of when you think of a Chicago Bears defender. Really tough, strong and talented. Brian Urlacher can still play well, but for how much longer? Through this year? Chicago needs offensive line help, but the value here is in selecting Minter.
21-Cincinnati: Eddie Lacy, Running Back, Alabama
- Believe it or not, the Bengals are one of the best teams in the league already, even though they’re very young and have a lot of cap space. While running back isn’t quite a weakness for them, adding a player like Lacy will allow the Bengals to rotate running backs like most other teams in the league.
22-St. Louis (from Washington, 2012): Giovani Bernard, Running Back, UNC
- If you are a Rams fan or know about them, you know they’re going to need a running back soon. Bernard comes in at 5’8″, 202 pounds, and does just about everything well. He maximizes yardage, is a willing and able pass blocker and an average to above average receiver. He tore his ACL in 2010, so his medical history and future should be the only potential roadblock. If his knee checks out, he should definitely go in the first round.
23-Minnesota: Damontre Moore, Defensive End, Texas A&M
- Damontre Moore did not impress at the combine. But even still, his performance in games was really high or inconsistent. He’s a first-rounder, but shouldn’t go in the Top 5. Pairing him opposite Jared Allen is a scary thought for Minnesota’s opponents.
24-PROJECTED TRADE–San Francisco, from Indianapolis: Margus Hunt, Defensive End, SMU
- With the trade to Kansas City, San Francisco acquired even more draft picks. Why not use them on the star of the combine and a player who seems to keep improving? The 49ers really, if anywhere, need help at defensive back, but the value here is in Margus Hunt. He’s 6’8″, repped out 225 pounds 38 times (tied for most at combine) and ran a 4.6 40-yard dash. The scary thing is San Francisco doesn’t even need him to start.
25-Seattle: Sam Montgomery, Defensive End, LSU
- As one of the more polished defensive end prospects in this draft, Sam Montgomery could really give a lift to Seattle’s defense. They weren’t a bad defense, but their strength was their secondary in 2012. If they can create a better pass rush, their secondary instantly gets better as well.
26-Green Bay: Arthur Brown, Inside Linebacker, Kansas State
- Let’s just say that Green Bay’s defense, especially their linebackers, especially in the playoff game at San Francisco, was really bad last year. They have playmakers on the defensive line and in their defensive backfield. Arthur Brown is an athletic, sound, hard-working linebacker that projects to play inside or outside, depending on the defensive scheme. The Packers could go with a running back, and should pick a running back before too long, but Brown is going to be hard to pass up at this point.
27-Houston: Tavon Austin, Wide Receiver, West Virginia
- Think about a lot more single coverage for Andre Johnson. Now think about a lighter box for Arian Foster and company. Yeah, that’s the kind of difference-maker Tavon Austin is likely to be.
28-Denver: Eric Reid, Safety, LSU
- Did you see the playoff game versus Baltimore? The entire Broncos defensive backfield got flat-out whipped by Joe Flacco, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and that offense. Eric Reid is a premier playmaker and finds the ball almost as well as any defensive prospect in this draft.
29-PROJECTED TRADE–Atlanta, from New England: Tyler Eifert, Tight End, Notre Dame
- In one of the more obvious moves, the Falcons are likely to draft a tight end. Fortunately for them, the teams above them don’t really need one. Being that New England had about five tight ends on their roster last year and considering Rob Gronkowski’s and Aaron Hernandez’ injury history, don’t put it past them to take a tight end. Atlanta General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, who learned a great deal under Bill Belichick, knows that. Considering Belichick’s propensity to trade down and acquire more draft picks, this scenario is hardly a longshot.
30-New England, from Atlanta: Terrance Williams, Wide Receiver, Baylor
- At this point in the draft, teams are pretty much set. New England doesn’t need a lot, but they could use a wide receiver. Terrance Williams is a bit underrated, but it’s not clear why. He led the nation in receiving yards in 2012. Williams caught 97 passes for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns, the year after Robert Griffin III left Baylor. Put Williams in an offense with Tom Brady where he (Williams) won’t need to be the No. 1, 2 or 3 option? Sounds good if you’re a Pats fan.
31-Indianapolis, from San Francisco: Datone Jones, Defensive End, UCLA
- Remaining in the first round after the trade with San Francisco, Indianapolis is still able to select a big-time player. Datone Jones is a versatile defensive lineman who played multiple positions while at UCLA.
32-Baltimore: Jesse Williams, Nose Tackle, Alabama
- Four players (two on offense, two on defense) selected in the first round from Alabama? Not bad, Mr. Saban. Besides inside linebacker, a stout nose tackle is what the Ravens need the most. Jesse Williams is that player. Think of a bigger version of Kelly Gregg. Proper leverage, strength and work ethic. Another typical Crimson Tide product.
