2013 NFL Mock Draft

by Cory J. Bonini on February 18, 2013 @ 09:00:29 PDT

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KFFL.com has released its first update to our NFL mock draft series of the 2013 NFL Draft season. Full commentary has been added to this update to help you better understand the reasoning behind the projected selections, and be aware that this will receive many updates as well as additions over the coming months. Please feel free to leave comments below.

Pick	Team	Player name	Pos	School	Notes
1	Kansas City Chiefs	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M	Could go with Geno Smith, which would be a mistake. Free agency will dictate the direction of this pick, especially if Branden Albert doesn't return.
2	Jacksonville Jaguars	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State	The Jags need more help than the No. 2 pick can provide, but Werner provides a solid foundation.
3	Oakland Raiders	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah	DT is a big need, as is stopping the run: a perfect marriage. OAK has to address defense first, especially the front seven.
4	Philadelphia Eagles	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan	Regardless of what Chip Kelly does at QB, someone has to protect the passer. Fisher is the best remaining man for the job.
5	Detroit Lions	Damontre Moore	DE	Texas A&M	Detroit has facing a crisis situation at defensive end, and Moore's beastly ability could be felt immediately in Motown.
6	Cleveland Browns	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama	The Browns are making the switch to 3-4 ... again. QB could be an option here, but I doubt it. The defense needs help on the backend, and what a CB duo they could have.
7	Arizona Cardinals	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia	Barely a first-round talent, in my opinion, Smith will go in this area because of the dearth of talent at the position.
8	Buffalo Bills	Matt Barkley	QB	USC	FS or OG are top targets. Chance Warmack makes sense if Andy Levitre leaves. Doug Marrone's offense will have Sean Payton likeness, which could make Barkley a good fit.
9	New York Jets	Barkevious Mingo	OLB/DE	LSU	Is Mingo a DE or OLB? Hard to say. He's risky as a 3-4 OLB, but that hasn't stopped teams before. Consider this pick to be as fluid as any.
10	Tennessee Titans	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama	The best interior lineman in the draft should bolster this line that is in need of an upgrade between the tackles.
11	San Diego Chargers	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma	This is probably a reach, but the Chargers need help at both tackle positions, as well as guard, and cornerback. OLB could even be in the cards. Johnson is an athletic freak.
12	Miami Dolphins	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri	LT will be the pick if someone worthy is available. DT needs a lot of work, WR could be addressed, as could cornerback. Many options for MIA.
13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington	Cornerback is the argubly the biggest need for the Bucs right now, but defensive end could come into play with this pick. A deep DE class means they can hold off, however.
14	Carolina Panthers	Keenan Allen	WR	California	This is a bit a luxury pick, and it could change depending on free agency. DT is a need, as is DB help. Steve Smith isn't getting any younger, and Cam Newton needs more targets.
15	New Orleans Saints	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	Brigham Young	Ansah may be a hair on the overrated side, but the Saints could use pass-rushing help. WR and OT are also possibilities here.
16	St. Louis Rams	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida	St. Louis is building a formidable defense, which will only be stronger with a force like Floyd in the middle. OT help is possible, too.
17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee	It seems like it will take a miracle for Mike Wallace to return, so Patterson's explosive play could make for a nice replacement. LB is in the mix, as well.
18	Dallas Cowboys	Kenny Vaccaro	FS	Texas	Vaccaro may not even make it this far, depending what the Bills do. Dallas needs OT and front seven help just the same, though.
19	New York Giants	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA	Defensive end help is a must. TE, MLB, LG, LT all could be on their radar with this pick. NYG has plently of routes they can take, so expect this pick to be fluid.
20	Chicago Bears	Jesse Williams	DT	Alabama	Middle linebacker or defensive tackle, depending on what happens with Brian Urlacher and Henry Melton, should be in Chicago's first-round draft plans.
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State	Right tackle, right defensive end, middle linebacker - all could take priority over CB, depending on what happens in free agency.
22	St. Louis Rams (from Redskins)	Eddie Lacy	RB	Alabama	Steven Jackson's contract situation will determine this pick. If he decides to opt out, Lacy makes for a great fit in this offense. Otherwise, OL or LB help will be considered.
23	Minnesota Vikings	Jarvis Jones	OLB/DE	Georgia	I'm skeptical about Jones as a 4-3 OLB, but he could move to DE in the NFL. This pick is highly likely to change. Jones could go much earlier, too.
24	Indianapolis Colts	Alec Ogletree	OLB	Georgia	A dynamic LB prospect, Ogletree is risky but comes with unlimited potential. Indianapolis needs LB help, so this could be a great fit if the Bulldog is still on the board.
25	Seattle Seahawks	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State	This pick is predicated on what happens with Alan Branch; however, DT depth would be helpful. WLB is an option, too.
26	Green Bay Packers	Barrett Jones	C	Alabama	OL help in general is a high priority for the Packers, although this may be a bit of a reach for Jones.
27	Houston Texans	Kevin Minter	ILB	LSU	Houston needs ILB help as well as cornerback depth. Right tackle could be addressed here, too. A successor to Matt Schaub might even be the pick. Plenty of directions to go.
28	Denver Broncos	Kawann Short	DT	Purdue	Denver has to tend to the interior line as their top priority, assuming Ryan Clady returns at LT.
29	New England Patriots	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina	This selection would be a luxury pick of sorts, considering the needs at WR, possibly RT, and cornerback. Expect it to change with FA moves.
30	Atlanta Falcons	Alex Okafor	DE	Texas	Okafor isn't a dynamic pass rusher, but he is a serviceable player for a team that may be looking for DE help. RB, TE, LT, C and CB all options.
31	San Francisco 49ers	John Jenkins	NT	Georgia	Completely based on what happens in FA with Isaac Sopoaga. LB depth is another option.
32	Baltimore Ravens	Manti Te'o	ILB	Notre Dame	Te'o was exposed vs. Alabama, but that doesn't mean he will be a total bust. This selection is a good fit for both parties and mitigates much of the risk in drafting Te'o..

About Cory J. Bonini

Cory is KFFL's General Manager. In late 2002, he joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Bonini has been featured in print, on radio and on scores of websites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors. Follow @CoryKFFL