2013 "Way-Way Too Early Mock Draft"

I know that it comes a little later than usual, but I’d like to thank everyone for waiting on this.  I have recently built a new database to try and get a better picture of all of the players I am evaluating. 

For all who are unfamiliar with the “Way-Way Too Early Mock”, this mock is done soon after the most recent draft to try and see which players could be names worth knowing as the new college football season gets started.  All possible draft eligible players have been considered, and the order has been determined by the inverse of my current power rankings for NFL teams.

I have zero expectation that this will be right, but at least it gets the conversation started, and get some players on some of my fan’s radars.

1.       Indianapolis Colts – Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

During this past draft, Indy landed some very talented prospects, but mostly on the offensive side of the ball.  Because of how raw they are, I expect that they may be picking again next year.  Now it is time for them to focus on the defense.  Star Lotulelei is a big talent up front, and he can be the new anchor for new coach Chuck Pagano’s defense.

2.       St. Louis Rams – Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia

The Rams are another team with some more work to be done.  I love Jarvis Jones, and I think the Rams will too.  He has an awesome motor, and really could be the best player in the whole country this year.  The Rams could use a guy with this talent and this attitude on their defense right now.

3.       Jacksonville Jaguars – David Amerson, CB, NC State

Although I loved the Blackmon pick this year, but it is not working out so well thus far.  This team still has some way to go before they become contenders.  There are considerable holes on the defense, especially in the secondary.  Amerson is the top corner at this point in the process.  He has really good cover skills, and a nose for the ball, that the Jags will find helpful immediately.

4.       Minnesota Vikings – Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU

The Vikes could use another pass rushing force, and Mingo would force opponents to look at someone other than Jared Allen.  Mingo is one of the two LSU d-ends who will get strong consideration for a first round selection.  He has serious upside, and if he pans out, he could be a real force.

5.       Seattle Seahawks – Johnny Adams, CB, Michigan State

Seattle is one of the teams I think could take a step backwards next year.  They are another team that is cornerback needy.  Johnny Adams is another super talent with a lot of upside.  Seattle has some talent at safety, but they need some more help at corner. If Adams fulfils his promise, this will make a very happy Pete Carroll.

6.       Cleveland Browns –William Gholston, DE, Michigan State

Gholston is a super freak of an athlete.  I expect he will light up the combine next March, and get teams salivating.  But he is more than just an athlete.  He has some technical skill, and he can use this season to further develop.  If he does, the Browns will be happy to land this talent.  He can fill a void of pass rushers this team has.

7.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Johnathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State

The Bucs need another OLB more than another corner, but there is no one worth the reach here.  Barber is back for this year, but how much longer?  They picked up Eric Wright this past offseason, but I think they will find him better suited for a nickel role.  Banks can come in a pair with Talib for a talented tandem.

8.       Carolina Panthers – Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU

Montgomery is the other LSU d-lineman who has real first round talent.  He is more sturdy against the run than Mingo, but not as good a pass rusher.  Carolina added a great talent in Kuechly this past year, and another talent like Montgomery could be just what this team needs to place them in serious contention.  Another WR in the second round, and they will be a team to watch.

9.       Arizona Cardinals – Matt Barkley, QB, USC

Last year the Cards added Kevin Kolb to be their future at QB.  A year later they were courting Peyton Manning.  Now, I’m not saying that they aren’t sold on Kolb, but the writing may be on the wall.  Barley would have pushed RG3 for the number 2 QB pick this past year, so adding him to the mix could be a real move to the future for this franchise.

10.   Miami Dolphins – Robert Woods, WR, USC

Miami had a very nice draft in 2012, and if they can parlay that success into another good draft in 2013, they could be on a serious upswing.  After trading Brandon Marshall, they are absent of a real playmaker at the position.  Woods is the most talented playmaker at the wide receiver position in the whole nation.  Now that Tannehill is in the fold, maybe a Tannehill-Woods pair could be the combo the Phins need to make the jump.

11.   Buffalo Bills – Keenan Allen, WR, California

Getting Stevie Johnson back was a must do for the Bills, but they still need another playmaker at the position.  I think Woods is in a class all by himself, but Allen is not a bad get at all.  He has great hands, and is very consistent at finding the end zone.  Both of those qualities will play well in Buffalo.  Another consideration could be Logan Thomas at QB, but for now they seem dedicated to Fitzpatrick.

12.   St. Louis via Redskins – Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin

With this pick, the Rams begin to reap the benefits of the RG3 trade.  The Rams will have added Jones based on this mock, and to grab Wagner, the best OT in the class will be simply awesome.  With Wagner and Jones added to a team who already has Bradford, Jenkins, and Laurinatis could be a very good corp for the future.

13.   Tennessee Titans – Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas

Just like the LSU line, the Texas line has two top flight talents as well.  Jeffcoat has shown some great promise, and could be the presence that Tennessee needs to get pressure on opposing corners. 

14.   New York Jets – DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama

The Jets still have a major hole on the right side of that o-line, and as long as it exists, this team will be limited.  Fluker has all of the skills necessary to be a long term answer at the position, and he could be the link that allows for Sanchez/Tebow to stay upright long enough to make some plays.

15.   Oakland Raiders – Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia

The Raiders are an up and coming team, and new GM Reggie McKenzie will continue to build the ballclub.  Regardless of how long Palmer remains at QB, the team can only be successful if he remains upright.  Aboushi compares favorably to Reiff and Martin, both of whom were selected in this past draft.  He can be an anchor for this line for the next decade, and the raiders would love that.

16.   Chicago Bears – Luke Joeckel, OT, TAMU

I’m not sure if the Bears think their line is adequate, or if they were just unimpressed with the o-line prospects from this past draft, but they unwisely passed on improving a unit which I believe to be amongst the league’s worst.  It is a good thing they signed Jason Campbell, because I think both he and Cutler will be needed if the line plays like it did a year ago.  Joeckel is a slight reach here (maybe 8-10 picks), but this is the “Way-Way Too Early Mock”, so to those distinctions even matter at this point?

17.   San Diego Chargers – Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame

As of today, Te'o is the best of the possible inside linebacking prospects.  The Bolts still need to develop a better presence in the middle of their defense.  Teo has a lot of hype surrounding him, but he has been great in South Bend, so I anticipate him handling whatever pressure comes with being the top choice of the Chargers.

18.   Denver Broncos – Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford

At this point, my guess is the Broncos will look to add to the middle of that defense.  Von Miller showed he was worth the early pick last year, and if they can add a guy like Skov, the linebacking corp could be set for some time.  Adding a TE for Manning will also be a consideration, but I still Skov gives them more value here. 

19.   Atlanta Falcons – Alex Okafor, DE/OLB, Texas

The Falcons were without a first rounder this past year, so this pick will be of great value to them.  The team will look hard a TE as a replacement for Gonzalez will be necessary, but getting after the QB is a must too.  Okafor is the better pass rusher of the two round 1, Texas d-line prospects.  He can play up or with hands in the dirt.  In ATL I see him as an outside backer who serves as a pass rush specialist like Aldon Smith in San Fran.  If his results are similar, the Falcons will be all smiles.

20.   Kansas City – Michael Buchanan, DE/OLB, Illinois

Michael Buchanan is one of the best natural pass rushers in the nation.  He should be every bit as hightly rated as his former teammate Whitney Mercilus was this past year.  I think he could put up similar number this year too.  KC is a good, young team, and if they get pressure from the OLBs in their 3-4 scheme, they could win the AFC West by at least two games.

21.   Pittsburgh Steelers – Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

If Lattimore stays healthy, he will not only be the best RB in the nation, but he will be a Heisman candidate too.  He is simply that talented.  The Steelers have some other holes to look at filling, but with Mendenhall’s injury and impending free agency, it may be time to look to the future at the position.

22.   New Orleans – Barrett Jones, C, Alabama

Many of the early Mocks I have seen thus far seem to be discounting Jones, but he may just be the best all around lineman in the nation.  He has been a successful starter at both Tackle, and Guard thus far in his career in Tuscaloosa, and now the move to Center will show him to be a stud there too.  He is smart and tough, and that is what you need from your o-line’s captain.  The Saints could use him immediately to fill holes at either Center or Guard.

23.   Philadelphia Eagles – Arthur Brown, OLB, Kansas State

Few guys in the nation have the kind of motor that Arthur Brown does.  He is like a missile on defense, with a nose for the ball carrier.  The Eagles have some talent on both sides of the ball, but they need to put it together better.  If they do, this will be a great luxury pick for this club.

 

24.   Dallas Cowboys – Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

I am expecting the Cowboys to have a resurgence of a season this year.  If they don’t they will have a few holes to fill as they will likely clean house.  If they are successful as I predict, I think adding a guy like Hankins makes a lot of sense.  He is very strong at the point of attack , and the NT in the Dallas defense need to be able to do that.  He can learn from the guys currently there, and then take over the reins in a few years.

25.   Cincinnati Bengals – Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor

Cincy is on the verge of becoming exceptional.  They just need a few final pieces.  AJ Green has huge upside, and I expect will be an elite receiving option for the next 5-8 years.  Getting another target on the other side of him for Dalton to throw too, could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle.  Williams will be compared to his former teammate Kendall Wright.  He is not a fast as Wright, but I think he is more fluid, and has better hands.  Either way, I see him as a great fit for the Bengals.

26.   Detroit Lions – Kevin Reddick, ILB, North Carolina

The Lions seem to be the new bad boys of the NFL, but they are relevant for the first time since Barry Sanders retired a decade ago.  They have some real talent on the d-line, but they still need an anchor in the middle of the defense.  Kevin Reddick is like many of the other Tar Heel linebackers: fast, fast, fast.  He is also a good leader for this unit and I think he can be a good influence on this Lions unit which should remain contenders for some time if they keep building.

27.   New England Patriots – Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers

The Pats are a real funny team.  Even though I still see them taking a step back this year (not winning the AFC), I still don’t think they have too many holes.  At this point, I see some room to improve the secondary still, and Logan Ryan is the next best prospect available.  Pairing him with his mentor, Devin McCourtey would be nice too.  Right now he has a second round grade in my book, but clearly those grades are meaningless to the Pats based on their most recent draft.  With New England, nothing should be surprising anymore.

28.   Houston Texans – TJ McDonald, S, USC

I have the Texans losing in next year’s AFC title game, landing them the 28^th pick in the draft.  With this pick, I can see them looking to add a big presence to their safety unit.  McDonald is a hitter at the position, but he has good ball skills too.  This team is on the cusp of being great, and a guy like McDonald could be that final straw.

29.   New York Giants – Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

The G-Men are the defending champs this year, but I do not see a repeat in their future.  This small step backwards will allow for them to grab the best TE in this class, Tyler Eifert.  Eifert is one of the new breed of TE’s who are more receiver than blocker.  Eifert has great hands, good speed, and needs to improve on his blocking.  The Giants could use a guy like him to try and regain their crown.

30.   San Francisco 49ers – Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech

Alex Smith finally emerged as a quality starter in the league last year, but then the Niners made a push for Manning.  Clearly they see Smith as a product of the system rather than its conductor.  Logan Thomas is earning comparisons to Cam Newton, and if Newton continues to develop, and Logan does too, the Niners would be lucky to land him here.

31.   Baltimore Ravens – Gerald Hodges, ILB, Penn State

Today I see the Ravens representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.  After that however, they need to start making arrangements for L.A.R.E.M. (Life After Ray, Ed, and Matt).  Replacing these studs will not be easy, but Hodges comes from a school where middle linebackers are bred.  I’m not saying that Hodges will be the next Ray Lewis, but he could help ease the pain upon his eventual retirement.

32.   Green Bay Packers – Bacarri Rambo, S, Georgia

I still think the Packers are the best team in football, and as such, I have them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end.  They do not have a lot of holes to fill, but getting a playmaker at Safety could be a real good option for them.  There has been talk of Woodson transitioning to Safety soon, and even if it does happen, he can’t play forever.  Rambo is one of my favorite players.  He is mean, plays with attitude, hits, and has good ball skills.  His questionable off-field decision making could hold him back though.