2013 NFL Mock Draft

It is time to unveil my 2013 NFL Mock Draft! This year's draft is very interesting because there are no "sexy" names at the top of the draft. There are no big-name, franchise Quarterbacks, or well-known skill players at the Running Back and Wide Receiver positions at the forefront of this year's draft class. Trying to come up with a mock draft was very difficult because there are so many players that are flat out mysteries in this group of players. As always, I tried to be a little different and creative. I put in some trades that I thought would be fun to see, and hopefully my mock draft will resemble the excitement that we see in this year's draft. Without further ado, here is my 2013 NFL Mock Draft:

ROUND 1
#1-Kansas City Chiefs select Luke Joeckel: OT-Texas A&M 
-The Chiefs answered their QB question when they traded for Alex Smith, so they now grab what they hope is a franchise LT in Joeckel.

#2-Jacksonville Jaguars select Dion Jordan: DE-Oregon
- When you are picking this high in the draft, you need an instant impact player. Jordan can give the Jags that with this pick. You can't pass up an elite level pass rusher, and many people feel that Jordan can be that type of player.

#3-Oakland Raiders select Sharif Floyd: DT-Florida 
-Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen is a defensive guy, and he gets a playmaker on defense in Floyd. The Raiders need help all over, but defensive line is certainly a spot they can upgrade, and Floyd can help them on their way.

#4-Philadelphia Eagles select Ezekiel Ansah: DE/LB- BYU
-It is enticing to think that Chip Kelly might make a big splash with his first ever draft choice, but he goes for the boom or bust pick with the athletic Ansah.

#5-Detroit Lions select Dee Milliner: CB Alabama
-It seems like the Lions always need help in the secondary, and they get a really solid player in Milliner to help upgrade that part of their defense.

#6-TRADE: 1)    Cleveland swaps picks with Tennessee. Cleveland gets pick # 10, and Tennessee’s 2^nd round pick (40 overall) and their 4^th round pick (# 105 overall)

Tennessee selects Eric Fisher-OT Central Michigan

-The Titans continue to fill holes in their offensive line, and they make the move to trade up and get Fisher, who slides to #6. The Browns trade back and recoup some extra picks.

#7-Arizona Cardinals select Lane Johnson: OT-Oklahoma
-We all know how bad the Cardinals offensive line was last year, so this pick seems like a no-brainer. Watch out for San Diego trying to jump over Arizona to get Johnson.

#8-Buffalo Bills select Tavon Austin: WR-West Virginia
-A player like Austin is so valuable in today's NFL. You can put him in the slot and watch him torch a defense underneath. He is a playmaker, and the Bills add him to an offense that includes C.J. Spiller and Stevie Johnson.

#9-New York Jets select Barkevious Mingo: DE/OLB-LSU
-The Jets could be tempted to take Geno Smith here, but they will pass on him, and go with another pass rusher. They need help on a lot of levels of their team, but you can't pass on a quality pass rusher like Mingo.

#10-Cleveland Browns select Xavier Rhodes: CB-FSU
-You can never have enough CBs in the NFL, and the Browns go with Rhodes here to match up him on the other side of Joe Haden.

#11-TRADE: San Diego trades the pick to Carolina. San Diego receives Carolina's 1st round pick (#14 overall) and their 2nd round pick (#44 overall.)

Carolina Panthers select Cordarelle Patterson: WR- Tennessee 
-The Panthers need to make a splash in this draft, and they need to give Cam Newton another weapon in the passing game. They go for it with the trade up for Patterson.

#12-Miami Dolphins select Chance Warmack: G- Alabama
-The Dolphins don't have to trade up to get the lineman of their choice. Warmack might be one of the best players in the entire draft.

#13-NY Jets select  Matt Barkley: QB- USC
-The surprise move of the 1st round goes here with Barkley to the Jets. Barkley-not Geno Smith-is the first QB to go in Round 1.

 #14-San Diego selects Jonathan Cooper- OG UNC

-The Chargers really need to upgrade their offensive line in this draft, and they get a really good prospect in Cooper to help build around Philip Rivers.

#15-New Orleans selects Star Lotulelei- NT Utah

-The Saints need some starters on their defense, and Lotulelei falls to them here at #15. Lotulelei could provide immediate impact for that New Orleans defense. 

#16-St. Louis selects Kenny Vaccaro- S Texas

-The Rams need help in the secondary, and Jeff Fisher tabs Vaccaro to help him at the Safety position.

#17-Pittsburgh selects Jarvis Jones- DE/OLB Georgia

-The Steelers get the benefit of a player like Jarvis Jones falling to them at this point of the 1^st round. Jones was a consensus top 10 pick a few months ago, but he falls all the way to #17.

#18-  Dallas selects Sheldon Richardson- DT Missouri

-The Cowboys have needs in different areas, but they will look to shore up their offensive line on Day 2, so they go with a solid player in Richardson to help them on their defense.

#19-New York Giants select Tyler Eifert-TE Notre Dame

-It seems unlikely that the Giants would use a 1^st round pick to select a TE, but I think that they will jump at the chance to snag Eifert and replace the departure of Martellus Bennett.

#20-Chicago selects D.J. Fluker- OL Alabama

-The Bears always seem to need an offensive lineman, and they will benefit from Fluker falling to them at #20.

#21-TRADE: Cincinnati trades their 1^st round pick to Philadelphia. The Bengals receive the Eagles 2^nd round pick (# 35 overall) and their 4^th round pick (#101 overall.)

Philadelphia selects Geno Smith- QB West Virginia

-It took awhile but Smith finally gets selected in the 1^st round. The Eagles need a future at QB, and this is the spot that they decide is the area to trade up and get their Quarterback of the future.

#22- St. Louis selects Alec Ogletree- LB Georgia

-We know that the Rams need a WR, but I think they will wait and grab one in the 2^nd round. Ogletree makes sense for them here, and he might be an instant starter for them on defense.

#23- Minnesota selects Manti Te’o- LB Notre Dame

-I am not so sure that Te’o will be selected in Round 1, but if he is taken it will be in this spot. The Vikings could use help at LB, and a guy like Te’o might fit right in with this team and this market.

#24- Indianapolis selects Bjoern Werner- DE FSU

-The Colts have some holes in other spots, but they look to grab Werner to help solidify their defensive line.

#25- Minnesota selects Justin Hunter- WR Tennessee

-The Vikings desperately need help at receiver, especially after the departure of Percy Harvin. They key on Hunter, whose name has come up a lot in the 1^st round the last few days.

#26- TRADE: Green Bay trades pick to Buffalo. GB receives Buffalo’s 2^nd round pick (#41 overall) and their 4^th round pick (#105 overall.)

Buffalo selects Ryan Nassib- QB Syracuse

-The Bills need a Quarterback in this draft, and they need one in the first two rounds. The fit between Nassib and the Bills is too good to pass up, so the Bills trade back into the first round to get their man.

#27- Houston selects DeAndre Hopkins- WR Clemson

-One thing that the Texans needed late last season was some more weapons in their passing game opposite of Andre Johnson. Look for them to address that concern early with the pick of Hopkins.

#28- Denver selects Tank Carradine- DE FS
-The Broncos suddenly have a need for a pass rusher after Elvis Dumervil signed with the Ravens. There has been a lot of buzz for Carradine, and look for the Broncos to snag him to help fill the void in their pass rush.

#29- New England selects Desmond Trufant- CB Washington
-The Patriots seem to need help in their secondary every year. Last year, they got torced in the AFC Championship, so they need to get a Corner to play opposite of Aqib Talib.

#30- Atlanta Falcons select D.J. Hayden- CB Houston
-The Falcons need help in their secondary, and they could use a CB in this spot, so they go with the underrated Hayden.

#31- San Francisco selects Matt Elam- S Florida
-The Niners are loaded with picks, and they move up to get a player they want earlier in the 1^st round, but I think they stand pat and pick a replacement of Dashon Goldson.

#32- Baltimore selects Eric Reid- S LSU
-The Ravens find their replacement for Ed Reed by drafting another Reid.

2013 Denver Broncos Schedule!!!!

The NFL released the 2013 schedule on Thursday night, and the Broncos schedule has finally been unveiled. Here is the Broncos schedule with my analysis at the end...

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Time	Network
1	Thursday	Sep 5	vs Baltimore	8:30pm	NBC
2	Sunday	Sep 15	@ Giants	4:25pm	CBS
3	Monday	Sep 23	vs Oakland	8:40pm	ESPN
4	Sunday	Sep 29	vs Philadelphia	4:25pm	FOX
5	Sunday	Oct 6	@ Dallas	4:25pm	CBS
6	Sunday	Oct 13	vs Jacksonville	4:05pm	CBS
7	Sunday	Oct 20	@ Indianapolis	8:30pm	NBC
8	Sunday	Oct 27	vs Washington	4:25pm	FOX
9	BYE
10	Sunday	Nov 10	@ San Diego	4:25pm	CBS
11	Sunday	Nov 17	vs Kansas City	4:05pm	CBS
12	Sunday	Nov 24	@ New England	8:30pm	NBC
13	Sunday	Dec 1	@ Kansas City	1:00pm	CBS
14	Sunday	Dec 8	vs Tennessee	4:05pm	CBS
15	Thursday	Dec 12	vs San Diego	8:25pm	NFL
16	Sunday	Dec 22	@ Houston	1:00pm	CBS
17	Sunday	Dec 29	@ Oakland	4:25pm	CBS

All times Eastern 

-I was not surprised at all that the Broncos will open up at home against the Ravens on Thursday night September 5th. It was going to be either Denver or Pittsburgh hosting Baltimore for the season opener, and it makes sense considering the fact that the Broncos and Ravens played that memorable playoff game last year. I love the fact that Denver opens the season at home on Thursday night. Revenge will be in the air for that game.

-Broncos get three out of their first four games at home. I was a little surprised that the game at the Giants will not be on primetime, but CBS must love the fact that they get that game to highlight their Week 2 doubleheader.

-Denver has back-to-back home games twice, and they have back-to-back road games twice. They end the season with two games on the road in Houston and in Oakland.

-It is no surprise that the Broncos are featured on primetime five total times. They have three Sunday Night Football games (Week 1 vs. Baltimore, Week 7 at Indy, and Week 12 at New England,) one Monday Night Football game (Week 3 vs. Oakland,) and a Thursday Night Football game (Week 15 vs. San Diego.) NBC really got lucky because they get Peyton Manning heading to Indy to take on his old team, and they get another installment of the Manning-Brady rivalry.

-I was shocked that the Broncos weren't heading to Dallas for Thanksgiving. The NFL and CBS must have been more comfortable putting that game on as an anchor game for one of their doubleheader weeks than showcasing it on Thanksgiving afternoon. 

-The Broncos kind of get of break near the end of the season because they host Tennessee on a Sunday afternoon game in Week 14, and then get to stay home and host San Diego on a short week for the NFL Network TNF game in Week 15, and they get to rest for 10 days before they head to Houston for a pivotal Week 16 game.

-Four out of their first six games are at home, and four out of their last six games are on the road. I would say that is a pretty fair and balanced schedule.

-Denver gets the entire NFC East out of the way by Week 8.

-Interestingly, the Broncos play the Chiefs twice in three weeks (Weeks 11 and 13.)

-For the first time since 2008, the Broncos end the season on the road (at Oakland.)

-Overall, it is a pretty fair schedule for the Broncos. We knew that they were going to get a lot of primetime games, and they did. They will also be the focus on many of the doubleheaders on CBS for most of the Sundays that they appear. I love the opener against Baltimore. I also like how they put the Broncos-Pats game in late November, and I am kind of happy that they are not playing on Thanksgiving in Dallas. 

NFL Draft Position Rankings-Cheat Sheet!

As we get ready for the NFL Draft in a few weeks, I put together a little cheat sheet of all of the top prospects at each position. It will be a fun way to keep track of some of the names coming off the list once the draft gets going (Props to Walterfootball.com for the exclusive rankings.)

QB:

1)    Geno Smith- West Virginia

2)    Matt Barkley- USC

3)    Ryan Nassib- Syracuse

4)    E.J. Manuel- FSU

5)    Mike Glennon- NC State

6)    Tyler Wilson- Arkansas

7)    Tyler Bray- Tennessee

8)    Matt Scott- Arizona

9)    Landry Jones- Oklahoma

10) Zac Dysert- Miami (Ohio)

RB:

1)    Eddie Lacy- Alabama

2)    Giovanni Bernard- North Carolina

3)    Montee Ball- Wisconsin

4)    Andre Ellington- Clemson

5)    Le’Veon Bell- Michigan State

6)    Knile Davis- Arkansas

7)    Johnathan Franklin- UCLA

8)    Stepfan Taylor- Stanford

9)    Joseph Randle- Oklahoma St

10) Kenjon Barner- Oregon

11) Christine Michael- Texas A&M

12) Mike Gillislee- Florida

13) Spencer Ware- LSU

14) Stefphon Jefferson- Nevada

15) Jawan Jamison- Rutgers

WR:

1)    Cordarelle Patterson- Tennessee

2)    Tavon Austin- West Virginia

3)    Keenan Allen- Cal

4)    Justin Hunter- Tennessee

5)    DeAndre Hopkins- Clemson

6)    Robert Woods- USC

7)    Markus Wheaton- Oregon State

8)    Stedman Bailey- West Virginia

9)    Terrance Williams- Baylor

10) Quinton Patton- Louisiana Tech

11) Ryan Swope- Texas A&M

12)    Da’Rick Rogers- Tennessee Tech

13)    Kenny Stills- Oklahoma

14)    Cobi Hamilton- Arkansas

OT:

1)    Luke Joeckel- Texas A&M

2)    Eric Fisher- Central Michigan

3)    Lane Johnson- Oklahoma

4)    D.J. Fluker- Alabama

5)    Menelik Watson- FSU

6)    Kyle Long- Oregon

7)    Justin Pugh- Syracuse

8)    Brennan Williams- UNC

9)    David Bakhtiari- Colorado

10) Terron Armstead- Arkansas Pine-Bluff

OG:

1)    Chance Warmack- Alabama

2)    Jonathan Cooper- UNC

3)    Larry Warford- Kentucky

4)    Dallas Thomas- Tennessee

5)    Travis Frederick- Wisconsin

6)    Barret Jones- Alabama

7)    Alvin Bailey- Arkansas

8)    David Quessenberry- San Jose State

9)    Brian Winters- Kent State

10) Hugh Thornton- Illionis

15)    Aaron Dobson- Marshall

TE:

1)    Tyler Eifert- Notre Dame

2)    Zach Ertz- Stanford

3)    Jordan Reed- Florida

4)    Gavin Escobar- San Diego State

5)    Travis Kelce- Cincinnati

6)     Ryan Otten- San Jose State

7)    Nick Kasa- Colorado

8)    Vance McDonald- Rice

9)    Dion Sims- Michigan State

10) Levine Toilolo- Stanford

C:

1)    Brian Schwenke- Cal
2)    Khaled Holmes- USC
3)    Braxston Cave- Notre Dame

4)    Braden Hansen- BYU
5)    Dalton Freman- Clemson

DES:

1)    Ezekiel Ansah- BYU

2)    Bjoern Werner- FSU

3)    Datone Jones- UCLA

4)    Tank Carradine- FSU

5)    Margus Hunt- SMU

6)    Damontre Moore- Texas A&M

7)    Alex Okafor- Texas

8)    Corey Lemonier- Auburn

9)    Sam Montgomery- LSU

10) William Gholston- Michigan State

DTS:

1)    Sharrif Floyd- Florida

2)    Star Lotulelei- Utah

3)    Sheldon Richardson- Missouri

4)    Sylvester Williams- UNC

5)    Jonathan Jenkins- Georgia

6)    Kawann Short- Purdue

7)    Johnathan Hankins- Ohio State

8)    Bennie Logan- LSU

9)    Jesse Williams- Alabama

10) Brandon Williams- Missouri Southern

OLBs:

1)    Dion Jordan- Oregon

2)    Barkevious Mingo-LSU

3)    Jarvis Jones- Georgia 

4)    Arthur Brown- Kansas State

5)    Khaseem Greene- Rutgers

6)    Jamie Collins- Southern Miss

7)    Sio Moore- UCONN

8)    Sean Porter- Texas A&M

9)    Chase Thomas- Stanford

10) Trevardo Williams- UCONN

ILBs:

1)    Alec Ogletree- Georgia

2)    Manti Te’o- Notre Dame

3)    Kevin Minter- LSU

4)    Kiko Alonso- Oregon

5)    Jon Bostic- Florida

6) Cornelius Washington-Georgia

7) Nico Johnson-Alabama

8) A.J. Klein-Iowa State

9) Bruce Taylor- Va Tech

10) Vince Williams- FSU

CBs:

1)    Dee Milliner- Alabama

2)    Xavier Rhodes- FSU

3)    Desmond Trufant- Washington
4) D. J. Hayden- Houston
5)    Johnthan Banks- Miss State
6)    Jamar Taylor- Boise State
7)    Blidi Wreh-Wilson- UCONN
8)    Darius Slay- Miss State
9)    David Amerson- NC State
10)    Jordan Poyer- Oregon State

Safety

1)    Kenny Vaccaro- Texas

2)    Matt Elam- Florida

3)    Jonathan Cyprien- Florida International

4)    Eric Reid- LSU

5)    D.J. Swearinger- South Carolina

6)    Phil Thomas- Fresno State

7)    Bacarri Rambo- Georgia

8)    Shamarko Thomas- Syracuse

9)    J.J. Wilcox- Georgia Southern

10) T.J. McDonald- USC