2013 NFL Mock Draft: Everything You Need to Know About Round 1

Draft day has finally arrived. After months of discussion, rising stocks, falling stocks, great workouts, poor workouts and everything else that comes with the draft process, it's time to actually start picking players. It's a welcome moment for teams, prospects and fans alike.

The overarching theme of the 2013 NFL draft will be the lack of top-end talent available and how it will be offset by the class' good depth. An argument can be made that there isn't a single can't-miss superstar, but there should be plenty of starting-caliber players selected through the seven rounds.

One other key point about the draft, especially the opening round, is that every team has its own philosophy. Some prefer to fill a need regardless of whether it's labeled a reach while others prefer to simply take the best player left on their board.

Although the different approaches can lead to some surprising picks, prospects have for the most part settled into a certain range. Knowing that, let's take a look at an updated mock draft of first round, with a deeper dive into three intriguing picks, as denoted by italics.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

The two seemingly surefire prospects in the draft are both offensive tackles, Joeckel and Eric Fisher. It would be a surprise if the Chiefs didn't pick one of them. The Texas A&M product holds a slight edge.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon

While the versatile Jordan is going to need a couple seasons of development before the benefits of this pick are truly felt, his upside makes him worth the investment for Jacksonville.

3. Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Oakland can always be counted on to take a prospect with immense athletic ability. Floyd falls in that category. He possesses tremendous raw tools for a defensive tackle and would be a good fit.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

Lotulelei is rising up draft boards right in time for the draft. The tackle was medically cleared to make the NFL jump (via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer) and should make an immediate impact.

5. Detroit Lions: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

The more protection Matthew Stafford receives, the better Detroit's potent offense is going to be. Fisher certainly possesses the ability to anchor the team's offensive line for a long time.

6. Cleveland Browns: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

Milliner is a perfect example of why people should ignore the late buzz. He's the top cornerback in the draft and the Browns shouldn't pass up on the chance to pair him with Joe Haden.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

As the draft inches closer, it certainly appears being a tackle will pay off this year. It would be an upset if any of the top three stay on the board longer than Arizona at No. 7.

8. Buffalo Bills: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

If the Bills select a quarterback here, it will become painfully obvious why the franchise hasn't reached the playoffs in more than a decade. There are far too many needs on the roster to reach for a quarterback here. Austin presents far better value.

Buffalo signed Kevin Kolb. Is he the long-term answer? No. Can he handle the job for one season? Yes. With that in mind, the Bills should focus on upgrading other areas of the roster this year and hope a more appealing quarterback prospect is available in 2014.

Austin has emerged as the top wide receiver prospect due to his ability to cause mismatches in the slot and game-breaking speed. That's exactly what the Bills need to take some pressure off Stevie Johnson, who's the only capable wideout on the current roster.

9. New York Jets: Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU

The Jets' offense is going to struggling scoring points once again next season. That means the defense must return to an elite level for them to make a playoff charge. Mingo would be a much-needed rusher.

10. Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama

An easy rule of thumb for building a successful offense is surrounding your top playmaker with the pieces to help him succeed. Adding Warmack to the line in front of Chris Johnson is the right move.

11. San Diego Chargers: Jonathan Cooper, OG, UNC

Earlier in the draft process, it appeared the Chargers might be able to snag one of the top offensive tackles here. That's no longer the case, but Cooper can still help a shaky front five.

12. Miami Dolphins: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Miami's defense isn't receiving much attention, but some offseason additions have really helped the unit. Adding Rhodes to the mix would be another step toward a major turnaround on that side of the ball.

13. New York Jets (via TB): Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

Where Smith will land is one of the biggest unknowns of the draft. Given the Jets' inability to land a franchise quarterback, taking a chance on the West Virginia star sure wouldn't hurt.

14. Carolina Panthers: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

Carolina shouldn't pass on Richardson if he's still on the board. The Panthers need somebody to make an impact on the defensive interior and the Missouri product presents solid value here.

15. New Orleans Saints: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Starting with the Saints, teams have more ability to take chances because they have stronger foundations in place than teams earlier in the round. Jones' transition is in question, but New Orleans can risk it.

16. St. Louis Rams: Kenny Vaccaro, FS, Texas

Vaccaro could end up going even earlier than this if a team desperate for a safety trades up. If not, he'll find a nice landing spot in St. Louis where the Rams are making steady progress.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU

As it turns out, the Steelers are in a perfect spot. There are a bunch of different pass-rushing prospects slated to go in Round 1. Since there's so much depth, there are going to be a couple that inevitably slide down and one will fall right into Pittsburgh's lap.

Ansah is a perfect example. He's a prospect that could easily go in the top 10 and it wouldn't be considered a reach. Yet, based on this draft scenario, he ends up falling down the board into the second half of the round. A completely plausible potential situation.

It would work out well for both sides. The Steelers get a new edge rusher capable of providing a boost to an aging defense. Ansah gets to join a playoff contender in a scheme that should allow him to shine right away. That combination would make him a steal.

18. Dallas Cowboys: Sylvester Williams, DT, UNC

It's time for the Cowboys to start addressing the trenches instead of seeking star power. Williams is a tackle that would really help the defensive line against the run.

19. New York Giants: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

There was a time when Werner was expected to crack the top five, but his stock faded a bit over time. That means the Giants have an opportunity to get a major steal here, should be pan out.

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

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Fluker end up somewhere inside the top 15, but it was tough to find a good fit. Should he reach the Bears, there's no way Chicago should let his slide continue.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Eric Reid, FS, LSU

Adding Reid to one of the league's most talented young secondaries would give the Bengals a solid defensive foundation. It also helps that he's part of a weak safety group in the draft.

22. St. Louis Rams (via WSH): Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

Patterson remains a bit raw, but his playmaking ability is unquestioned. Once he's able to get a firm grasp on the Rams offense, he should become a very exciting player to watch.

23. Minnesota Vikings: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

Finding a wideout who can play opposite Greg Jennings is Minnesota's biggest need on offense. Hopkins isn't generating as much hype as some of his fellow WRs, but he's polished and ready to go.

24. Indianapolis Colts: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA

The Colts need to find an edge rusher with this pick to play opposite Robert Mathis. Jones is the top one available and he should be able to make the transition to outside linebacker.

25. Minnesota Vikings (via SEA): Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame

Te'o didn't shine in workouts, but that's not a major surprise. He's not an amazing athlete, but he's proven to be a very good football player. The Vikings could use him in the middle of the defense.

26. Green Bay Packers: Arthur Brown, OLB, Kansas State

The benefit of drafting Brown is that he can play anywhere at the linebacker level. So the Packers can shift him around as needed. He makes plays all over the field and can cover tight ends.

27. Houston Texans: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee

Unlike other teams, where there a multiple scenarios in play, the Texans' strategy should be simple. Take the best wide receiver on the board, which is Hunter under this scenario.

28. Denver Broncos: Cornellius Carradine, DE, Florida State

A knee injury during his final collegiate season caused Carradine's draft stock to falter a bit. If not for that setback he could have made a serious charge up draft boards, especially when you consider the narrow differences in the defensive end rankings.

Instead, sneaking into Round 1 would be a victory and the Broncos should give him that chance. Based on the talent he showed before getting hurt, there's reason to believe he can become a really effective asset off the edge for Denver.

Since the Broncos have a strong roster already, they can afford to take a flier on Carradine. If he pans out, it will be a pick that could really put the Broncos over the top in what's currently a muddled group of AFC contenders.

29. New England Patriots: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

New England has worked hard to improve the secondary in recent seasons. The results haven't always matched that effort. Trufant would be the team's latest attempt to get things turned around.

30. Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

Learning from Tony Gonzalez for a season would do wonders for Eifert. Not only would he be gaining experience alongside one of the best, but he can also play a limited role right away.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Cyprien, SS, FIU

Cyprien has been gaining momentum in the weeks leading up to the draft. He would make sense for the 49ers, who will be searching a couple different avenues to replace Dashon Goldson.

32. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU

The Ravens only have a couple serious needs. Inside linebacker is definitely the biggest as they look to fill the shoes of Ray Lewis. Minter is the top option left on the board.