2013 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Combine Edition
17. Pittsburgh Steelers — Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
Jordan is a rising prospect who would be the heir apparent to James Harrison for the Steelers. Pittsburgh is going to need to re-structure or cut Harrison this offseason to get under the cap, and they don’t have a lot of depth at the OLB position.
18. Dallas Cowboys — Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
When the Cowboys transitioned to the 4-3 defense under Monte Kiffin, defensive line became arguably the team’s top need. They flirted with the idea of going after Dontari Poe last year before ultimately trading up for Morris Claiborne, so DL is an area they will address early.
19. New York Giants — Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
Bit of a darkhorse pick here. The Giants released Michael Boley, who was a productive player for their defense. I think Arthur Brown brings a lot of similar qualities to the table, but he’s got a much higher ceiling. I think this would be a great fit.
20. Chicago Bears — Johnathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
There’s no question the Bears need to upgrade their offensive line this offseason, and getting a guy like Cooper could go a long way. The defense is also getting old at some key areas, and I think they’ll look to that side of the ball as well though OL is clearly #1 on the priority list if you ask me.
21. Cincinnati Bengals — Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
The Bengals have a ton of cap space as well as a luxury not many teams have — not many pressing needs. Lacy has a chance to be a bruiser in the NFL, and I think would significantly upgrade the Bengals’ offense.
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington) — DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
The Rams had Titus Young on the roster for nine days, and that didn’t work out so well. I think they need a legit #1 and if you base anything off of last season, Hopkins is probably the best receiver in this year’s draft. He has great size and athletic ability, and showed throughout the year that he can make big plays.
23. Minnesota Vikings — Keenan Allen, WR, California
The Vikings are reportedly shopping Percy Harvin, and at the same time have no intentions of trading him. In other words, they don’t feel like he’s worth the money he is going to demand this offseason. That being said, they have no weapons on the offense outside of Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph if Harvin leaves, so adding playmakers is a must. Allen has a chance to be a very good receiver in the NFL if he stays healthy.
24. Indianapolis Colts — Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
The Colts have some rebuilding to do on the defensive side of the ball after they used basically every pick in last year’s draft on the offensive side of the ball. Hankins is a top talent at the DT position who could be a great nose tackle in Chuck Pagano’s defense.
25. Seattle Seahawks — Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
Chris Clemons tore his ACL, and Bruce Irvin hasn’t proven he can be an every down player. Okafor would be a great addition to the Seattle defensive front, and could be a great starter in this league for a while.
26. Green Bay Packers — Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
Green Bay takes advantage of the fall of one of the top linebackers in this year’s draft here. Ogletree had a DUI the week before the Scouting Combine, which is one of the absolute dumbest things you can do as a player. His judgment is in question but the Packers will forgive and forget to get a player this talented.
27. Houston Texans — John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
The Texans could go a number of ways here, but with Shaun Cody potentially hitting free agency and the crop of defensive tackles so deep this year, I think they’d be wise to add a big body like this as their nose tackle.
28. Denver Broncos — Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
The Broncos have one of the best teams in the NFL coming back, and somehow they have no returning defensive tackles besides hybrid end/tackle Derek Wolfe, last year’s second round pick. Williams is a guy who gives high effort on every play, and a player that John Fox and Jack Del Rio will love coming out.
29. New England Patriots — Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
The Patriots should work to retain Aqib Talib, but even if he comes back, the need for a cornerback still remains. Trufant is one of the hotter players in NFL Draft circles, and he could be a great fit at this juncture.
30. Atlanta Falcons — Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
Whether Tony Gonzalez comes back or not, the Falcons need to start planning for life without him. Ertz would be a great fit to replace one of the best tight ends — heck, players — of all time.
31. San Francisco 49ers — Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
Rhodes’ versatility would be most welcome on the San Francisco defense, which is already wildly talented but has some issues in the backfield. Rhodes was a shut-down corner at Florida State, but some think he could play safety in the NFL. Either way, I think this would be an excellent fit.
32. Baltimore Ravens — Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame
Manti Te’o will be under scrutiny for his fake girlfriend story — up until he plays some meaningful downs in the NFL. We’ll all soon forget about his problems off the field if he plays like the Pro Bowler he is capable of playing like. He’d be an excellent fit to replace Ray Lewis with the Ravens.