Ourlads' 2026 NFL Mock Draft Challenge

iikeane | First Round Mock w/ Explanations

Updated: 03/04/2013 11:49PM ET

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School
Round 1
1	Chiefs	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
Consensus pick now that they traded for Alex Smith. Next position that must be filled is a franchise LT.
2	Jaguars	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
Since Geno falls, the Jags decide that Gabbert is not the future.
3	Raiders	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
This seems like a bit of a reach but Ansah is more than just an athletic freak. He didn't prepare for the combine yet posted freak numbers. The JPP comparisons might be lazy but there's no better way of explaining Ansah. He's got a great combination of strength, speed, height and weight that the other defensive end prospects don't share.
4	Eagles	Dion Jordan	DE	Oregon
Jordan may be a little small but since he's had little opportunity to bulk up due to injury that problem should rectify itself. With the Eagles moving to a 3-4 defense, Jordan would be a great first step in their transition.
5	Lions	Dee Milliner	DC	Alabama
In order to be a consistent playoff team quality cornerbacks must be had. To take that next step the Lions take the best CB available in the draft. Value fits in with a big need.
6	Browns	Barkevious Mingo	OB	LSU
Even though the Browns have stated that they would be a hybrid 304 defense, they weren't. Therefore they'll need a pass rushing LB and Mingo is one of the best in the business.
7	Cardinals	Matt Barkley	QB	Southern Cal
The Cards QB play was nothing short of atrocious that there's little choice but to take a QB. Barkley may not wow the scouts but he has an excellent build with no glaring weaknesses.
8	Bills	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
With Geno and Barkley taken, the Bills might not want to reach for a QB. Fitzpatrick isn't the worst option so it would be a good plan to surround him with more talent.
9	Jets	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
Take a dart, throw it at the Jets offensive roster and it will have a hole. The Jets may be stuck with Mark Sanchez for another year but drafting a franchsie LT might make him serviceable.
10	Titans	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
The Titans could sue another pass rusher to pair with Derrick Morgan and Werner is the most polished one in the draft. Upside isn't as high as Ansah but he'll give you more immeidate value.
11	Chargers	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
Phillip Rivers may have a lot of interceptions but perhaps the number can be cut if he wasn't among the most pressured QBs in the game. Lane Johnson is a freak for someone over 300 lbs and is a solid prospect for left tackle.
12	Dolphins	Damontre Moore	DE	Texas A&M
Moore was considered the best DE prospect before his terrible combine. However the tape trumps all and he's still a top pick in my opinion. The Phins are among the many teams in need of an upgrade to their pass rush attack and Moore provides excellent value.
13	Jets F/TB	Xavier Rhodes	DC	Florida State
Tampa's secondary has been abused for a couple years now and the Bucs could have sued a CB before they cut Aqib Talib. Rhodes is a top physical specimen for a CB. He's the tallest CB of his class but also ran a very fast 4.41 40 yard dash. This combination of size and speed reminds many of Patrick Peterson and while Rhodes isn't anywhere as polished, his upside is still quite high.
14	Panthers	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida
It's been a trend to see DT as a need for the Panthers but this year it will be solved with fast riser Shariff Floyd. I don't buy that he's a suddenly top 10 pick but his hype coupled with Star's heart condition might make him the first DT taken. Regardless Floyd is still a great value here.
15	Saints	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
Like the Jets, you can shoot a dart at the defensive roster for the Saints and there's a hole. Sheldon Richardson is the best defensive player available at this point. His athleticism can make him a top interior pass rusher and before the Floyd hype began, Richardson was hat guy they pegged as a potential top 5 pick.
16	Rams	Keenan Allen	WR	California
The Rams are in a desperate search for a quality target for Sam Bradford. Allen was considered the best WR prospect during the college season and as rankings may change, this pick fills a big need for them.
17	Steelers	Jarvis Jones	OB	Georgia
Jones drops to medical problems but I have a gut feeling the Steelers will try to get the best value form the draft. Jones was destined to be a top 5 pick until his injury conditions. He claims that it will not affect his future but it is tough to tell what will actually happen in the future. Regardless the Steelers have a need for Jones in their LB corp and if he's healthy the Steelers should jump all over him.
18	Cowboys	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
Like the pick before, Star will drop because of a medical issue. Star has an irregular heart condition however a couple of NFL players have had similar issues with no major ill effects when they play the game.s However until this is cleared out Star will likely fall. The Cowboys in transition to a 4-3 have a huge need for defensive lineman and if Star is fine they also get an excellent value at 18.
19	Giants	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State
The Giants have a high reputation for their defensive line but in 2012 it as mainly inconsistent. Hankins is the best NT prospect in the draft and has had numerous comparisons to Vince Wilfork. If Hankins can consistently take on double teams, he'll be a big help to the likes of JPP, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.
20	Bears	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
Another recurring draft theme year in and year out is that the Bears offensive line is terrible. Warmack would be a match made in heaven. Warmack falls this far only because guards aren't valued highly in the NFL. Last year David DeCastro was lauded as the best guard prospect in a decade yet fell all the way down to the 20s.
21	Bengals	Manti Te'o	IB	Notre Dame
Despite a shaky combine, Te'o is still the best ILB prospect in the draft class. He was never a speed guy and the experts have predicted his 40 time just by watching the tape. However while the 40 yard dash gets the most attention, a more accurate measure would be the 10 yard split where Te'o was above average. The Bengals are in need of a middle linebacker and Te'o is still the best one.
22	Rams F/WAS	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina
Now that finding a weapon for Bradford is dealt with, the Rams have another issue in protecting him. Cooper is considered to be almost as highly regarded as Warmack.
23	Vikings	Kawaan Short	DT	Purdue
Minny needs to shore up its interior pass rush and Kawann Short was one of the most productive DT's in college. He wreaks havoc in the backfield and is lost in the conversation to the other DT's in the draft. But Short is a definite first round pick even if he doesn't get the hype.
24	Colts	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA
25	Vikings F/SEA	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
26	Packers	Kevin Minter	IB	LSU
27	Texans	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
28	Broncos	Kenny Vaccaro	FS	Texas
29	Patriots	Desmond Trufant	DC	Washington
30	Falcons	Cornellius Carradine	DE	Florida State
31	49ers	Johnthan Banks	DC	Mississippi State
32	Ravens	Alec Ogletree	IB	Georgia