2013 NFL Mock Draft: Best Possible Picks for Every NFL Team in Round 1

NFL scouts are working overtime now in the month of March, hitting every possible pro day and spending countless hours poring over game tape to find the hidden gems of the 2013 NFL draft.

Every team hopes the player it picks in Round 1 is a sure thing, but as we all know, the draft is a crapshoot. Some players get hurt and some never live up to expectations, while others become Pro Bowlers and All-Pros.

That said, it's fun to imagine we have a clue about which players would fit best with each team, which is the premise behind this mock draft.

Highlighted players with some additional analysis are italicized.

1. Kansas City Chiefs—DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

This pick comes with a huge asterisk.

If Lotulelei's heart checks out and he's given a clean bill of health, he's the perfect fit for the Chiefs as a 3-4 defensive end who can also play inside on nickel packages as a tackle. 

A disruptive player who dominates the line against running plays and passing plays alike, he'll be a monster inside for Kansas City. 

Although Lotulelei didn't participate in the combine after doctors found an abnormality in his heart, USA Today's Mike Garafalo recently wrote that his condition may have been due to dehydration, high sodium intake or rapid weight loss, as he lost nearly 10 pounds in three days leading up to the combine.

Before March 4, the obvious pick here was offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, but after the Chiefs tagged Branden Albert, that pick no longer makes absolute sense. 

2. Jacksonville Jaguars—DE Barkevious Mingo, LSU

The Jaguars were the worst team in the NFL last season at sacking opposing quarterbacks, tallying just 20 all year. New head coach Gus Bradley will be implementing the same defensive scheme he ran in Seattle, which calls for an athletic pass-rusher at the "Leo" position. 

Mingo is a prototypical Leo pass-rusher, and his freakish speed and quickness off the edge will be a big boost to Jacksonville's defense next season.

3. Oakland Raiders—DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

The Raiders may end up losing Desmond Bryant to free agency, and Richard Seymour won't be coming back. This team needs to establish a group of young defenders to anchor its defense, and adding a disruptive player like Floyd would be a great first step.

4. Philadelphia Eagles—OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

Reunited, and it feels so good...

New Eagles head coach Chip Kelly could use this pick on an offensive tackle, but there's always a chance Philly could land someone like Terron Armstead in Round 2.

Shoring up the team's defense is just as important, and Jordan, who played for Kelly at Oregon, is one of the most explosive pass-rushers in this draft.

5. Detriot Lions—OT Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

No team is happier about Kansas City franchising Albert than the Lions. At best, Joeckel is sitting here for them at No. 5, and at worst, Eric Fisher is the team's consolation prize. 

6. Cleveland Browns—OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

Yes, Jones' spinal stenosis has reportedly scared some teams away from viewing him as a first-round pick (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio), but he's still one of the top players in this draft. Jones is also a dominant pass-rusher who is well-versed in the nuances of playing the 3-4 outside linebacker position, and he would be able to start on the edge from the opening day of training camp. 

7. Arizona Cardinals—OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

Arizona gave up 58 sacks last season, and the team's quarterbacks seemed to be suffering with PTSD for most of the year as a result. The quickest way to cure what ailed the Cardinals offense a year ago is to bring in offensive linemen, and Fisher is one of the best. 

8. Buffalo Bills—QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tarvaris Jackson will reportedly duke it out in training camp for the staring quarterback spot, but neither one of them is a franchise quarterback. Smith's athleticism and strong arm make him a perfect player for Doug Marrone to craft into his quarterback of the future. 

9. New York Jets—G Chance Warmack, Alabama

With Brandon Moore hitting the market as a free agent, and given the Jets' salary-cap woes, drafting this year's top guard would be a great way to bolster the team's offense. Warmack would give Rex Ryan the sledgehammer on offense he's been missing, and the team could finally have the power-running game it needs.

10. Tennessee Titans—CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

Tennessee was one of the worst teams against the pass last year. Adding a lockdown corner like Milliner to play opposite Jason McCourty would give the Titans one of the top duos in the NFL for years to come. 

11. San Diego Chargers—OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

If Philip Rivers is ever to get back to playing at a high level again for the Chargers, he needs protection. The Chargers will be thrilled to see Johnson land in their lap here with the No. 11 pick. 

12. Miami Dolphins—WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

Young quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a solid season as a rookie, but he needs better weapons to work with. The Dolphins will be thrilled to see the best receiver in this year's draft class fall to them here in the middle of Round 1. 

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

The Buccaneers couldn't stop the pass last year, giving up more yards than any other team in the league. Adding a dominant man-to-man defender like Rhodes would give the team more flexibility to rotate coverage to the other side.

14. Carolina Panthers—DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

The Panthers already feature an impressive front seven, but the team's defense would be better off with a dominant interior lineman like Richardson. His ability to penetrate into opposing backfields on running plays and passing plays will make life easier for Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy and the rest of the team's pass-rushers.

15. New Orleans Saints—DE/OLB Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

Rob Ryan needs pass-rushers for his 3-4 defense. The Saints don't have any real options right now for 3-4 outside linebackers, and bringing in a young player like Ansah for Ryan to develop would be a great move for the future. 

16. St. Louis Rams—G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

Adding protection for Sam Bradford must be the No. 1 priority for Jeff Fisher and the Rams in 2013. Cooper is the best pass-protecting guard in this year's class, and he's also a capable run-blocker who is adept at putting himself in position to get good angles on opposing defenders.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers—OLB/DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

Pittsburgh's defense is getting old and slow, and the team has recently struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. James Harrison has lost a step or two, and it's time to bring in his replacement. 

Moore didn't fare well at the combine, posting average (at best) numbers in most of the drills. He lacks the explosiveness you look for in top pass-rushers and isn't strong, as his 12 reps in the 225-pound bench press demonstrated.

Nevertheless, his production last year for the Aggies can't be discounted. He tallied 26.5 sacks and 45 tackles for a loss in three years at Texas A&M, and he'll be a productive player in the NFL.

Moore will provide some youth and energy to Pittsburgh's defense and could be a building block moving forward.

18. Dallas Cowboys—DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State

DeMarcus Ware is getting older, and the Cowboys must bring in new pass-rushers that fit into Monte Kiffin's 4-3 scheme. Werner, like Moore, didn't have a great combine, but he's a talented pass-rusher who will thrive under Kiffin's rule. 

19. New York Giants—TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

As good as Eli Manning's wide receiver corps has been over the past few years, he hasn't had a dominant tight end to work with. The Giants would be smart to remedy this in 2013, and drafting Eifert would finally give him a security blanket over the middle.

20. Chicago Bears—OT D.J. Fluker, Alabama

There's no way to sugarcoat the fact that Chicago's offensive line has been atrocious the past couple of years. New head coach Marc Trestman was brought in to help Jay Cutler realize his potential, but he'll never get there if he doesn't have the protection he needs. Fluker is a dominant right tackle who will assist in this process and give the team a huge boost in the running game.

21. Cincinnati Bengals—WR Keenan Allen, California

Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have developed undeniable chemistry the past couple of seasons, but there's no doubt the Bengals still need to find another receiver to pair with Green. Adding a player like Allen, who does most of his damage after the catch, would open the entire offense in 2013. 

22. St. Louis Rams (via Washington Redskins)—S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

Quintin Mikell, Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins make for a dangerous trio in St. Louis' secondary, but adding another dominant safety to pair with Mikell would give the Rams a defensive backfield that would be comparable to Seattle's in the NFC West. 

23. Minnesota Vikings—WR Robert Woods, USC

Following their trade this week of wide receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks (h/t Fox Sports' Jay Glazer), the Vikings now need a new No. 1 receiver for QB Christian Ponder to target.

The team already has a dominant running back in Adrian Peterson and a studly tight end in Kyle Rudolph, but the offense has been limited on the edges.

Adding Woods to the mix would give Ponder a full arsenal of weaponry and would give the Vikings the ability to stretch defenses from sideline to sideline on any given play. He is a sure-handed receiver who is exceptional after the catch, which is ideal since Ponder isn't a strong-armed quarterback.

24. Indianapolis Colts—CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

Indianapolis gave up too many passing yards last year, and the team needs to upgrade its secondary. Trufant has been a revelation since the Senior Bowl, and after his performance at the combine, he has clearly become one of the top corners in this draft.

25. Minnesota Vikings (via Seattle Seahawks)—WR/RB Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Adding a dynamic playmaker like Austin to Minnesota's offense would help the team forget all about the departed Harvin. Austin may end up being just as effective, if not more so, than Harvin was for Minnesota, and he'll be an instant starter.

26. Green Bay Packers—C/G Barrett Jones, Alabama

Of all the teams with elite quarterbacks, the Packers have done the least to protect their investment. Aaron Rodgers has gotten sacked 87 times in the past two seasons, and much of the pressure he has seen comes through the middle of his offensive line. Jones is a skilled technician who can play all five positions on the line, and he'd be an invaluable player for Green Bay.

27. Houston Texans—ILB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

Houston must bolster its linebacking corps to continue featuring a dominant defense in 2013 and beyond. Ogletree comes with a red flag after being arrested for DUI (via espn.com). However, he is undeniably athletic and instinctive, and he'd be terrific playing inside next to Brian Cushing in the team's 3-4 defense.

28. Denver Broncos—DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

Denver's defense has few holes, but one that's become glaring is the lack of talent and depth at defensive tackle. Hankins is a run-stuffing tackle who will be an important player for the Broncos as an anchor in the middle.

29. New England Patriots—DE Datone Jones, UCLA

Chandler Jones was a pleasant surprise in New England at the beginning of last season, but he struggled with injury and production in the second half of the year. He'll continue growing into his role on one side of the Patriots defense, but the team needs to bring in another young pass-rusher to complement him on the other side.

30. Atlanta Falcons—DE Cornelius "Tank" Carradine, Florida State

Carradine showed up at the combine with the unexpected news that he will be putting on a personal pro day one week before the draft and expects to be fully healthy by that time. If he's ready to play, he'd be a steal here at the bottom of Round 1 for the Falcons.

31. San Francisco 49ers—NT John Jenkins, Georgia

The lack of depth on San Francisco's defensive line was egregiously apparent last season when Justin Smith went out with an injury. The 49ers must bring in young talent to bolster the veteran defenders who wore out late last season.

32. Baltimore Ravens—ILB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame

Assuming Te'o runs faster at his pro day than he did at the combine, he'll be a steal here at the bottom of Round 1. Especially for the Ravens.

Te'o struggles getting off blocks, but then again, Ray Lewis was always better when he had big guys up front taking on multiple blockers for the same reason. He is a phenomenal defender against the intermediate pass, and as long as he has a clear lane to running backs, he's a solid form tackler. 

Given the massive players on Baltimore's defensive line, Te'o will do just fine with the Ravens, and he might even prove to be as good as many thought he was before his abysmal performance against Alabama in the BCS title game.

Also, if any team is equipped to handle a player with some excess baggage, Baltimore, with its many veteran leaders, is the one to do it. 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78