There’s no doubt that the 2013 NFL Draft is mostly about offensive tackles and pass rushers, with the top 5 consisting of Eric Fisher, Lane Johnson and Luke Joeckel, all offensive linemen, going to Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively, while the Miami Dolphins picked Dion Jordan and the Detroit Lions took Ezekiel Ansah, representing those going after quarterbacks.
No running backs and only one quarterback (EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills) were taken in the first round, while 9 offensive linemen and 8 defensive linemen were taking with the first 32 picks.
1 – Eric Fisher (OT), Kansas City Chiefs
Everyone knew the Chiefs were taking an offensive tackle with their first pick, but Fisher wasn’t the popular pick. Still, the left tackle coming out of Central Michigan seems to be the one that might be less ready to star right away, but has the ideal physical and athletic attributes to become one of the best left tackles in the NFL.
2 – Luke Joeckel (OT), Jacksonville Jaguars
The man who helped Johnny Manziel win the Heisman trophy was projected to be the number one pick all along, but dropped because the Chiefs wanted more athleticism with their first pick. Joeckel will still be a starter from day 1, probably on the right side, as the Jags are hoping this offensive line pick turns out better than those in the past couple of years.
3 – Dion Jordan (OLB), Miami Dolphins
Jordan had an impressive last couple of years at Oregon, recording a total of 12.5 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss. He is one of the most versatile edge players in this class, with the ability to line up at various spots along the defensive front and rush off the edge or cover receivers in space. He still isn’t as big as some would like him to be, but he might be the best athlete heading into the NFL out of college this season.
4 – Lane Johnson (OT), Philadelphia Eagles
Some consider Johnson, coming out of Oklahoma, to be the offensive tackle with the biggest upside heading into the NFL in this draft. His previous experience as a quarterback, tight end and defensive end might hurt his experience factor in the position, but he plays with a certain edge and tenacity not often seen in offensive tackles.
5 – Ezekiel Ansah (DE), Detroit Lions
The BYU pass rusher is quite a raw talent that lacks experience, but his 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss last season made him too good to pass over early on for the Lions, who really need an elite pass rusher to help their defense. He can also play in the middle of the pass rush, which should help him and the Lions be very aggressive next season.
6 – Barkevious Mingo (DE), Cleveland Browns
7 – Jonathan Cooper (OG), Arizona Cardinals
8 – Tavon Austin (WR) – St. Louis Rams
9 – Dee Milliner (CB) – New York Jets
10 – Chance Warmack (OG), Tennessee Titans
11 – D.J. Fluker (OT), San Diego Chargers
12 – D.J. Hayden (CB), Oakland Raiders
13 – Sheldon Richardson (DT), New York Jets
14 – Star Lotulelei (DT), Carolina Panthers
15 – Kenny Vaccaro (S), New Orleans Saints
16 – EJ Manuel (QB), Buffalo Bills
17 – Jarvis Jones (OLB), Pittsburgh Steelers
18 – Eric Reid (S), LSU
19 – Justin Pugh (OT), New York Giants
20 – Kyle Long (OG), Chicago Bears
21 – Tyler Eifert (TE), Cincinnati Bengals
22 – Desmond Trufant (CB), Atlanta Falcons
23 – Sharrif Floyd (DT), Minnesota Vikings
24 – Bjoern Werner (DE), Indianapolis Colts
25 – Xavier Rhodes (CB), Minnesota Vikings
26 – Datone Jones (DE), Green Bay Packers
27 – DeAndre Hopkins (WR), Houston Texans
28 – Sylvester Williams (DT), Denver Broncos
29 – Cordarelle Patterson (WR), Minnesota Vikings
30 – Alec Ogletree (ILB), St. Louis Rams
31 – Travis Frederick (C), Dallas Cowboys
32 – Matt Elam (S), Baltimore Ravens