2013 NFL Mock Draft: Bold 1st-Round Predictions

The 2013 NFL Draft is just a little over four months away but it's never too early to start chalking up some potential landing spots for the next wave of NFL superstars.

Some people may think I am crazy for having the Kansas City Chiefs select Luke Joeckel at No. 1, but in my opinion, he is the best offensive tackle I have seen in recent memory. Many have Geno Smith going No. 1, but there is no way he is the best player on the board. 

Yes, the Chiefs need a quarterback, but Smith isn't their guy. I see him falling to the Buffalo Bills at No. 8. I might have him going at No. 7, but Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell states he will not give up on Kevin Kolb. The Cardinals were sacked more than any team in the league this year. Their main focus should be beefing up their offensive line, and Chance Warmack out of Alabama is a great fit for them.

Like the Cardinals, the Philadelphia Eagles desperately need help on their offensive line. If Luke Joeckel isn't taken No. 1 overall, there is a good chance the Eagles can draft him with the fourth pick. If he is off the board, I don't see how they can pass up on Bjoern Werner out of Florida State. Trent Cole is getting older and they just got rid of Jason Babin. Werner is a beast on the end.

Unlike last year's draft where we saw four quarterbacks taken in the first round, I truly believe Geno Smith is the only guy worthy of being taken in the first round in 2013. 

There is quite a bit of firepower at wide receiver. I see Keenan Allen, the 6'3" junior out of California, being the first receiver taken off the board at No. 12 by the Miami Dolphins. He's a lanky target with tremendous upside and would be great for Ryan Tannehill.

We should see three players from Texas A&M and Alabama taken off the board within the first 15 picks. This isn't the most appealing draft class we have seen from an offensive skill position standpoint, but there are some big names who can make immediate impacts in the NFL.

As far as a guy who won't be taken in the first round but can make a huge splash in the NFL, I really like running back Giovanni Bernard out of North Carolina. He is the best tailback available in this draft and will make an immediate impact wherever he goes. I see the New York Jets taking him in the second round.

This is just my first mock, so stay tuned for more. Once the playoffs are over and we have completely entered into the offseason, I will put together another mock based on the final draft order. Also, look for another one following the combine.

Below are my projected first-round picks as of January 2, 2013. Feel free to give me all of your wonderful feedback and enjoy.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College
1	Kansas City Chiefs	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
2	Jacksonville Jaguars	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
3	Oakland Raiders	Jarvis Jones	OLB	Georgia
4	Philadelphia Eagles	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
5	Detroit Lions	Manti Te'o	ILB	Notre Dame
6	Cleveland Browns	Damontre Moore	DE	Texas A&M
7	Arizona Cardinals	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
8	Buffalo Bills	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
9	New York Jets	Barkevious Mingo	OLB	LSU
10	Tennessee Titans	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
11	San Diego Chargers	Taylor Lewan	OT	Michigan
12	Miami Dolphins	Keenan Allen	WR	California
13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Dee Millner	CB	Alabama
14	Carolina Panthers	Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M
15	New Orleans Saints	Jesse Williams	DT	Alabama
16	St. Louis Rams	Eric Reid	FS	LSU
17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State
18	Dallas Cowboys	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
19	New York Giants	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
20	Chicago Bears	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
21	Cincinnati Bengals*	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
22	St. Louis Rams (from WAS)*	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
23	Baltimore Ravens*	Dion Jordan	DE	Oregon
24	Minnesota Vikings*	Robert Woods	WR	USC
25	Indianapolis Colts*	Matt Elam	SS	Florida
26	Seattle Seahawks*	John Jenkins	DT	Georgia
27	Green Bay Packers*	Barrett Jones	C	Alabama
28	San Francisco 49ers*	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina
29	Houston Texans*	Kevin Minter	ILB	LSU
30	New England Patriots*	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
31	Atlanta Falcons*	Sam Montgomery	DE	LSU
32	Denver Broncos*	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida

* pending playoffs