NFL Draft 2013: Teams Who Dropped the Ball with Poor First-Round Selections

There were a lot of teams that got significantly better in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, but not every team knocked its selection out of the park. There were some definite reaches and head-scratchers, but that is what makes the NFL draft such an interesting event to follow.

Some teams value certain players differently than others, and while it's certainly possible they may end up being right, it's only possible to evaluate picks based on what we already know. It isn't uncommon for a perceived "bad pick" to turn into a competent or even fantastic NFL player, so the jury is still very much out on everyone at this point.

With that said, here are three teams that dropped the ball with strange first-round selections as well as suggestions for which prospects would have made more sense.

Buffalo Bills: E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State

With only Kevin Kolb, Tarvaris Jackson and Aaron Corp on the roster, there was understandably plenty of speculation regarding the Buffalo Bills selecting a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft. That speculation was fueled by a trade down from the No. 8-overall pick as they swapped with the St. Louis Rams at No. 16 while picking up a second and seventh, and also swapping thirds. Buffalo did get its signal-caller at No. 16, but it wasn't Ryan Nassib, Matt Barkley or even Geno Smith.

The Bills ultimately settled on Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel, who was ranked behind Nassib, Barkley and Smith on most draft boards. Manuel certainly had some success for the Seminoles and he has ideal size at 6'5" and 237 lbs., but there are a lot of holes in his game. Manuel isn't particularly accurate down the field and it can be argued that accuracy is the most important tool a quarterback can possess at the next level.

Manuel is athletic, though, and he could give the Bills a different dimension under center that they haven't really had before. At the same time, there were better options for Buffalo. Ideally the Bills should have remained at No. 8 and selected dynamic West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. In the event of the trade down, however, Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert would have been a great fit.

The Bills could have held out at the quarterback position and still gotten a quality prospect in the second round.

New York Giants: Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse

Perhaps it isn't smart to criticize the New York Giants' drafting strategy as they have been among the best franchises in football over the past several years, but their first-round selection of Syracuse offensive tackle Justin Pugh raised a lot of eyebrows.

While Pugh is a big, tough blocker who offers versatility as he is capable of playing either tackle or guard, he isn't viewed as an elite prospect and certainly appeared to be a reach at No. 19.

The Giants have likely done their due diligence on the Syracuse product and must have felt comfortable with his skill set, but there are plenty of questions regarding his ability to translate to the next level. New York could use a tackle or guard, so Pugh will probably start somewhere from Day 1, but his value is significantly lessened if he plays guard. Pugh has short arms and may not be able to handle NFL defensive ends, so a move to guard is very possible.

There weren't a ton of dynamite prospects at positions of need waiting for the Giants at No. 19, but they definitely had options. Either Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner or UCLA defensive end Datone Jones would have made a lot of sense as the Giants stockpile pass-rushers. Also, they could have traded down a bit, added a pick or two and addressed the linebacker position with someone like Alec Ogletree of Georgia.

Chicago Bears: Justin Long, OG, Oregon

There is no question that the Chicago Bears filled a major position of need when they took Oregon guard Justin Long at No. 20, but most considered the pick to be a colossal reach. Long looked to be a solid, second-round prospect heading into the draft, however, his measurables and workouts were impressive, so the Bears obviously thought quite highly of him.

Rather than waiting they decided to pounce on the prospect they wanted most.

It's tough to blame the Bears too much since it's highly unlikely that Long would have been available to them in the second round, but Long is still very raw and may have to be thrust into action before he's ready. Quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte are constantly injured, so Chicago wanted to take steps toward keeping them on the field. If Long ultimately pans out, then perhaps the Bears will accomplish that goal.

The Bears were in a prime position to do a number of different things. Trading down would have been a smart move as they could have filled other positions of need such as inside linebacker by taking Ogletree or perhaps even tight end with Eifert. Wide receiver is also a need position, so Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins and Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson were possible targets. The Bears got their man, but it may prove to be a reach moving forward.

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