Jason L’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft
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04/25/13
1. Kansas City Chiefs Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
Andy Reid saw exactly how quickly bad O-Line play can derail an offense last year. I give the nod to Joeckel over Fisher but either ones are “safe” picks. Joeckel played against a higher level of competition and started 37 games. Just like Parcells did when Miami was picking #1 in a draft that was only fair at the top, you go with the safe player.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars Dion Jordan DE Oregon
Jacksonville REALLY needs to hit on a pick but it’s a tough year for sure things at the top end. They only had 20 sacks last year and need to be able to get to the QB either on the interior or at end. Gus Bradley will employ a base 4-3 but it will have a lot of looks, just like in Seattle. By adding Jordan and pairing him with Babin, they should be able to be more disruptive. Could look at both Floyd and Ansah too but I think Jordan allows for more creativity, even if he’s more of a pass rush specialist in year one. Also, while I don’t think Gabbert is going to be a top half QB anytime soon, I do think he should get a chance before replacing him already.
3. Oakland Raiders Sharif Floyd DT Florida
The Raiders are a mess. Coach, GM, talent, locker room, it’s all a mess. The best way to start when you are at rock bottom as a team is to either upgrade your QB situation or build the lines. They could go Geno here but they did trade for Matt Flynn and while I’m not a big Flynn fan, he should buy some time until they pick number one next year with a new coach at the helm. Sharif Floyd would give them some talent on the D-Line. They did bring in a couple of bargain basement guys in Sims and Walker but Floyd will be a significant upgrade. There is still some question about what scheme Oakland will be running but Floyd should be able to find a home in either a 3-4 or a 4-3.
4. Philadelphia Eagles Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan
I had Geno Smith going here but I am actually thinking that there might be a trade into this spot. Someone is going to want to get ahead of the Lions who could look at LT. Even if the Eagles stay here, Eric Fisher is the right pick. With Peters coming off an Achillesinjury, adding a stud OT should be in the mix. In his first year, Fisher could play at RT but by year two, I would expect Peters and Fisher to switch spots, allowing the 340lb Peters to move to RT. The Eagles have one pick in each of the first five rounds so adding a couple would make sense if they can trade down.
5. Detroit Lions Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
Going #5 is probably a bit high for Johnson. There is definitely a gap between the first two tackles and Johnson but I think the idea of Riley Reiff at LT is laughable. Stafford’s mechanics started to really break down by the end of the year and it’s got to be at least partially attributable to playing behind a bad O-Line for so long. The value isn’t here but it’s still the right pick. He’s a good athlete and is a much better LT than Reiff. I’m sure the Lions would prefer that one of the top two tackles but Johnson has been moving higher and should be picked in the top 10.