2013 NFL Mock Draft: 3 QBs in the top 10?

This latest pre-combine 2013 NFL  mock draft takes into account where players could be drafted so far in the process. The combine will definitely have a major impact on where players land, and could even knock a few out of the first round. A post-combine mock will be compiled to see where players dropped, and which players ascended, but for now here is the pre-combine mock. A couple of trades are also simulated due to team needs, and the biggest surprise is three QBs are taken in the top 10 at this point.

1. Kansas City Chiefs select: Geno Smith quarterback West Virginia

Geno Smith gives you 4 years worth of tape, and what you will find is a quarterback that can do it all. He has the arm, accuracy, pocket presence, athleticism and leadership qualities for the position. The Chiefs don’t have offensive line problems contrary to popular belief, and Smith is the type of quarterback Andy Reid can mold into a winner.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars select: Bjoern Werner defensive end Florida State

I had Jarvis Jones from Georgia going at this spot, but his spinal stenosis condition is too risky. Werner will provide the team with the best defensive end in the draft in a need they desperately have to fill.

3. Oakland Raiders select: Star Lotulelei defensive tackle Utah

The Raiders have a lot of needs on defense, but you have to start-up front. The overpaid defensive tackles Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly are going to be gone this offseason. That leaves Lotulelei to help fill that need immediately.

4. Philadelphia Eagles select: Luke Joeckel offensive tackle Texas A

Jason Peters’ ruptured Achilles tendon is a career threatening injury, and most players with a ruptured Achilles don’t come back playing at the same level they did before the injury. That’s why Luke Joeckel makes the most sense, and has the potential to turn into a top 5 offensive tackle for at least a decade.

5. Detroit Lions select: Eric Fisher offensive tackle Michigan State

There are so many places the Lions can go with this pick, but you have to protect the quarterback. Jeff Backus will hit 36 years old in September and it’s safe to say Stafford will still be on this team when Backus retires. Eric Fisher can fill the hole at left tackle, and make sure Stafford doesn’t retire before Backus.

6. Cleveland Browns select: Barkevious Mingo defensive end LSU

When you put on the tape of Mingo at LSU, you see a poor man’s DeMarcus Ware. Needs to add more weight, but can be perfectly fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker rush specialist. How many defensive ends do you know who can chase down LaMichael James? Mingo did.

7. Arizona Cardinals select: Lane Johnson offensive tackle Oklahoma

Levi Brown’s play has declined and injuries keep piling up.  The worst offensive line in the NFL in 2012 was the Cardinals. Johnson can develop into Brown’s replacement, and has tremendous upside.

8. Buffalo Bills select: Tyler Wilson quarterback Arkansas

I love Tyler Wilson. He’s a quarterback that GM’s and coaches will fall in love with in the interview process. They will ignore his negatives, and see a quarterback with tremendous mental toughness to get the job down at the next level. Buddy Nix in particular is looking for a quarterback here, and Tyler Wilson will fit the bill.

9. New York Jets select: Mike Glennon quarterback N.C. State

You have to give Jets fans hope. They don’t have a franchise quarterback, and it doesn’t matter what defensive end or tackle or safety or wide receiver you take; that will change that fact.

10. Tennessee Titans select: Chance Warmack guard Alabama

The best player in the draft is Chance Warmack, but he plays guard. The Titans need a left guard, and Warmack is a generational player at his position.

11. San Diego Chargers select: Dee Milliner cornerback Alabama

The Chargers will lose Quentin Jammer this offseason, because they have to re-sign Cason. Dee Milliner is the best player on the board and fills a huge need on defense.

12. Miami Dolphins select: Dion Jordan outside linebacker Dion Jordan

Playmakers, playmakers, playmakers is the word for the Dolphins this offseason. When did sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions not equate to big plays? The Dolphins can get their playmakers on offense in the latter rounds. Jordan is an exceptional athlete, and will make a stout defense even better beyond Cameron Wake in the future.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select: Damontre Moore defensive end Texas A

The Bucs need secondary help, but the best player on the board is Damontre Moore. This draft is deep at safety, but the premier pass rushers like Moore shouldn’t be ignored.

14. Carolina Panthers select: Cordarrelle Patterson wide receiver Tennessee

The Panthers biggest need is on defense, but I don’t believe you can pass on a player like Patterson at this point in the draft. Steve Smith is getting up there in age, and if Patterson stayed one more year in college. He would have been a top 5 pick.

15. New Orleans Saints trade the 15^th pick to the Dallas Cowboys who select: Sheldon Richardson defensive tackle Missouri

The Cowboys will need some big boys that can be disruptive inside with Monte Kiffin’s new defense. Sheldon Richardson is the embodiment of that need, and the Cowboys won’t find another player to fill that need if the Rams scoop him up with the 16^th pick.

16. St. Louis Rams select: Keenan Allen wide receiver CAL

The Rams need more explosive wide receivers, and Keenan Allen isn’t the most explosive, but he is the most physical. He will add physicality to the passing game that will make it one of the best in the NFL.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers select: Jarvis Jones outside linebacker Georgia

James Harrison’s future is up in the air at this point, and Jones can help solidify that position into the future. However Jones’ spinal stenosis is not joke. Jones could have a career ending hit on any play, but the Steelers will worry about that later due to Jones’ tremendous ability to get to the quarterback.

18. New Orleans Saints select: Johnathan Hankins defensive tackle Ohio State

The Saints defense was the worst in the NFL in 2012. They also need a nose tackle to run the 3-4 defense. Hankins fills that need.

19. New York Giants select: D.J. Fluker offensive tackle Alabama

The Giants need to solidify the offensive line if Eli Manning is going to continue to survive in the NFC East. Fluker provides that stability.

20. Chicago Bear select: Alec Ogletree inside linebacker Georgia

Brian Urlacher’s last days in a Bears uniform are over. Ogletree may not be the second coming of Urlacher, but he has all the tools to be a long-term solution at the middle linebacker position.

21. Cincinnati Bengals select: Manti Te’o inside linebacker Notre Dame

The Bengals have been marred by aging or inconsistent talent at linebacker. Te’o may have fooled the world into believing he had an imaginary girlfriend, but the Bengals would be fouls to not draft Te’o to fill their need at middle linebacker.

22. St. Louis Rams select: Kenny Vaccaro safety Texas

The Rams are a team on the edge of becoming a contender, and upgrading the safety position with a playmaker can take the defense to another level. Vaccaro has those skills to make the Rams secondary one of the best in the NFL.

23. Minnesota Vikings select: DeAndre Hopkins wide receiver Clemson

Christian Ponder is quarterback that has to have playmakers around him to succeed. Uncertainty with Percy Harvin and a lack of a compliment on the other side forces this pick. Hopkins is an explosive receiver, but is more suited as a number 2.

24. Indianapolis Colts select: Alex Okafor defensive end Texas

Dwight Freeney is no longer a Colt, and they need a stud 3-4 outside linebacker where Freeney used to occupy. Lane Johnson said the best pass rusher he ever faced in college was Okafor. That’s high praise from a tackle that Okafor will eventually play against in the NFL.

25. Seattle Seahawks trade the 25^th pick to the New England Patriots who select: Quinton Patton wide receiver Louisiana Tech

The Patriots have never drafted a wide receiver in the 1^st round since the Belichick era, but Patton has the skills to be the “X” receiver the Pats have never been able to draft under Belichick. Defensive needs can be dealt with in the latter rounds, because Patton is a catalyst to another ring for Brady.

26. Green Bay Packers select: Matt Elam safety Florida

The Packers released long-time safety Charles Woodson, and the Packers need a lot of help on defense, but it starts at safety. Elam is an instinctive playmaker, and will help solidify the crumbling defense of the Packers.

27. Houston Texans select: Tavon Austin wide receiver West Virginia

The Texans have to become more explosive on offense, and pairing Austin with Andre Johnson is a step in the right direction. Austin is an explosive playmaker that can help Matt Schaub get his groove back.

28. Denver Broncos select: Johnthan Banks cornerback Mississippi State

Champ Bailey is nearing the end of his career, and the Broncos have to add a cornerback to eventually be his successor. Johnthan Banks is the man for that job.

29. Seattle Seahawks trade the 29^th pick to the Arizona Cardinals who select: Matt Barkley quarterback USC

The Cardinals will not want to wait to find their future quarterback, and will trade up to get Matt Barkley. Barkley can make every throw, and be the face of the franchise for years to come.

30. Atlanta Falcons select: Ezekiel Ansah defensive end BYU

Ansah is a very raw prospect with a lot of upside. A tight end could be slated for this spot, but the Falcons need a pass rush to get to the next level. Ansah can become that man, and he doesn’t have to start right away due to John Abraham.

31. San Francisco 49ers select: Xavier Rhodes cornerback Florida State

The 49ers don’t have enough playmakers in the cornerback position. Carlos Rogers is getting up there in age, and they lost the Super Bowl, because of the secondary. Rhodes will fill that need, and be the nickel corner until he can become a starter down the road.

32. Baltimore Ravens select: Sam Montgomery defensive end LSU

The Ravens have a need at safety, but the best player on the board is Sam Montgomery. Montgomery will bring a dynamic pass rush to the Ravens, and be a great compliment to Terrell Suggs on the other side.

This concludes the pre-combine mock draft. A lot of changes will be made after the combine. So stay tuned for the updated mock coming soon.

To see the entire 2013 NFL Mock Draft Database check out  Dcprosportsreport.com

James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.