Everybody is talking about who is going to be the new coach, but adding addition talent to the roster is just as important to the Birds. It’s time to start looking at the talent in this year’s draft.
The 2013 NFL draft is very strong in the area of offensive linemen. You saw that in the national championship game with Alabama’s offensive line thoroughly dominating what was thought to be the best defensive front in college football. The offensive line of the Crimson Tide treated the Fighting Irish like they didn’t belong on the field.
At this point there is no “sure fire” franchise quarterback in this draft. Many regard Geno Smith of West Virginia and Matt Barkley of USC as the top quarterbacks coming out this year and both of them have numerous question marks.
Luke Joekel, Texas A&M: Hands down the best offensive linemen in the draft is Texas A&M offensive tackle, Luke Joekel.He has it all, the size, strength, quickness and technique. The young man is considered a sure thing. He plays against the tough competition in the SEC, but dominates in both the pass and running game like he doesn’t belong there. The young man is expected to step in and start dominating on the next level without missing a beat. He will be drafted very early and maybe first.
Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei has been compared favorably to Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata. leads what is expected to be a strong defensive tackle draft. He is a dominating run stopper with long arms and a great use of his hands. The young man has the ability to attack blockers and get his hands on them, then get off blocks and make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. Because of this ability he can get the job done at a defensive tackle in a 4-3 or a defensive end in a 3-4.
The best linebacker I’ve seen in this draft is Georgia’s Jarvis Jones. This young man is a pure football player who can get the job done at any facet of the game. He’s a great tackler, pass rusher and cover backer. Jones makes plays all over the field.
The best cornerback in the draft is Alabama’s Dee Milliner, who has the size, speed, quickness and technique to step right in and shine at the NFL level. Milliner has the size teams are looking for to battle the big wide receivers in the NFL. As we saw in the BCS title game, it’s not the wise to go after this guy because he will make you pay.
Consistent is the word that you think of after studying Milliner because he’s rarely out of position and does everything well from covering to coming up and making a tackle. He can tackle in the open field.
One of Milliner’s teammates is guard Chance Warmack, who is very explosive when coming out of his stance. The dominating guard and his teammates on the Bama offensive line, improved their stock in this year’s draft with their domination of Notre Dame. He’s a very good athlete for his size with tremendous power and quick feet.
Warmack is the top-rated guard in the draft and has the ability to be a dominant player inside against defensive tackles or pulling around the corner against linebackers. He’s very good at getting to the second-level on double team blocks.
The three-year starter is a very good pass blocker and he will go very high despite playing the guard position, which isn’t valued nearly as much as the tackle spot.
Manti Te’o saw his stock plummet after his poor performance against Alabama. He had been a dominant player all year long, but he couldn’t get off the blocks against that Crimson Tide offensive line and Ed Lacy made him look so bad as a tackler. The young man has good size, 6’2″ 255, speed and quickness, plus he’s got a high football IQ.
The Bama game has raised questions about his open field tackling and ability to get off blocks at the next level, so he’s not as much of a sure thing now as he was at the end of the regular season, but expect him to still go high in the first round.
Geno Smith of West Virginia is the top rated quarterback on most boards. He can make all the throws, especially the deep ball. Smith has a strong arm and can fit the ball into a small hole when needed.
He’s got good size and athleticism, but he needs to get a better feel for making short throws where he needs to take some of the heat off the ball. Touch throws are an area which he needs to grow in. His accuracy on short throws is lacking because he tends to throw these ball too hard.
He didn’t help himself in the Bowl against Syracuse
Maybe you could have used the Title of a “Plethora of OL in this Draft” for this article G-Man…
Here’s Paulman’s Mock 1st Round Draft (Thru the first 24 Picks as the Playoffs Winners/Losers will determine the Final and assuming no Trades)
1st) KC Chiefs – OT Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M 6-6 310lbs)
2nd) Jaguars – DT Star Lotulelei (Utah 6-3 320lbs)
3rd) Raiders – DE Bjorn Woerner (Fla State 6-4 255lbs)
4th) EAGLES – DE Damontre Moore (Texas A&M 6-4 255lbs)
5th) Lions – CB Dee Milliner (Alabama 6-1 198lbs)
6th) Browns – OLB Jarvis Jones (Georgia 6-2 240lbs)
7th) Cardinals – QB Matt Barkely (USC 6-2 230lbs)
8th) Bills – LB Manti Teo’ (Notre Dame 6-2 255lbs)
9th) NY Jets – OLB Bevarious Mingo (LSU 6-4 240lbs)
10th) Titans – OG Carles Warmack (Alabama 6-3 320lbs)
11th) Chargers – OT Eric Fisher (Western Michigan 6-7 305lbs)
12th) Dolphins – WR Keenan Allen (Cal 6-3 210lbs)
13th) Bucs – CB Xavier Rhodes (Fla State 6-2 217lbs)
14th) Panthers – DT Jonathon Hankins (Ohio State 6-3 320lbs)
15th) Saints – DT Deldon Richardson (Missouri 6-3 295lbs)
16th) Rams – OT Lane Johnson (Oklahoma 6-6 303lbs)
17th) Steelers – QB Mike Glennon (NC State 6-5 245lbs)
18th) Cowboys – QB Geno Smith (WVU 6-3 220lbs)
19th) Giants – DE Ezekial Ansah (Brigham Young 6-7 260lbs)
20th) Bears – OT DJ Fluker (Alabama 6-6 320lbs)
21st) Bengals – CB Jonathon Banks (Miss State 6-1 185lbs)
22nd) Rams – Safety Eric Ried (LSU 6-2 212lbs)
23rd) Vikings – WR Cordarelle Patterson (Tenn 6-3 205lbs)
24th) Colts – DT Jesse Williams (Alabama 6-3 320lbs)
That’s it for now
Steelers not taking a QB – half their D wear depends. Need youth. Geno long gone before cowboys pick.
The last two drafts suggest a trade up in the top 10 selections for a QB ( RG3 & Gabbert) and a trade up in the top 10 for a WR ( Blackmon & Julio Jones ) — I would mock at lest 2 QBs and a WR in the top 10.
Paulman, you don’t even have Jonathan Banks going in the top 20?! Are you an idiot! He won BEST DB! Moron.
On top of that, you got Xavier Rhodes going ahead of him, lmfao!
I look at Team needs Birdo, not just where a player in neccessarily ranked
Teams desperate for a CB (Lions, Bucs and Bengals, Panthers)
All fit this mold
I have the Bucs grabbing Xavier Rhodes over Banks because of his size and you need that matching up against the Falcons with Roddy White and Julio Jones twice a year as well as Saints Colston Twice a year..
Lets see your Top 24 Mock Draft Birdo..
The Teams 14th thru 20 have more pressing needs than a CB
Steelers/Cowboys have to start thinking about QB
Big Ben is getting hurt every year and have Batch/Leftwhich still as back-ups
Cowboys Jerry Jones probably will give Romo 1 more Season, sees RG111
Tearing up the Leauge is would jump at Geno Snith if he’s still on the board though new DC Kiffin may want a big DL instead
This is why it’s called a “Mock Draft”
1st KC – Geno Smith – Reid loves his scramblers
2nd Jax – Jarvis Jones – though they do need a QB
3rd Oak – Star Lotuleli – Seymour old
4th Phil – Luke Joeckel – need position
everything after this is pure speculation…..
5 and 6 Clev and Det – Bjorn Woerner or Damontre Moore in whatever order
7th and 8th and 9th Bills, Cards and Jets – Matt Barkley and whoever the other 2 “QB du jour” are
10th Tenny…someone on the DL
after this all draft boards are meaningless….most collapse by the 4th selection, so no point in going further.
Chiefs/AR will Acquire Matt Flynn or maybe even Mike Vick
AR loves his OL and will take OT Joeckel
QB Geno Smith is 2 years away from being an everydown Q
and Reid will want to hit the groung running in his 1st year
I disagree about the hot the ground running….Reid can reset and sell the slow buildup to KC fans who are beaten down and will be patient.
Reid will not go for the “quick fix” like with the Eagles last 3 ys….he now has opportunity to reset and he will like Eagles in 99.
He’ll take a OT in free agency and then draft Geno…..that’s what I think anyway.
Needs is not going to have that kind of time as he did when he was a newbie Coach with little to no expectations. Chiefs are paying him good $$
To get them back to Playoffs soon, his Coaching reputation has already taken a hit the last 4-5 Seasons where he’s Varkley over .500
He needs to do something dramatic to excite that Fan Base and Chiefs organization and doesn’t have 5 years to turn them around
He knows as well as anyone that he needs to get a QB in place this Season to help turn around the Franchise, maybe it’s Matt Flynn. Or a Mike Vick
Or even a Kevin Kolb who at least know his System and Terminology
They really only need about 3-4 Pieces to be a 9-10 Win Team in a very weak AFC West with the rebuilding Chargers/ Raiders and will have a last place schedule and play the Jaguars & Bills
Paulman, as good as he is, the Birds ain’t taking Damontre Moore, a severely undersized DE, at 4. Unless we change to a base 3-4, & trade Cole, that definitely ain’t happening. Geno Smith either gets drafted by the Hindenburg, at 1, or he trades back, & still takes him. 3 QB’s in the 1st, with an injued Barkley, & Glennon, going before Smith?!? Come on, I’m not crazy for Smith either, but that’s not happening, with the way the NFL is changing its thinking. Also, Banks ain’t going after Rhodes. No way. Rhodes might not make the 1st round.
A b has the most upside out of this QB Class
He has the NFL Arm, is 6-5 245lbs and has the smarts and leadership qualities
Steelers are going back to their own run first philosophy as mandated by the Roobey’s which is why they fired OC Bruce Arians last year and will probably let Todd Haley walk thus Off-Season
Glennonalso played in a Pro-Style system at NC State, just like Russell Eilson did at NC State so he’s used to playing under Center, reading Defenses etc, etc
He fits the Steelers System perfectly and would sit behind Big-Ben for about 2 more season as as Big bens days are winding down
We’ll just to wait to see who the next HC Dcar,
If its a College than maybe Geno Smith is the guy
If the hire a more experienced NFL Coach and especially a more Defensive minded Coach, then I believe they pass on Geno Smith and attempt to develop Foles
YOu are speaking out of both sides of your mouth Paulman.
You say Reid and the Chiefs want/need a quick fix/quick turnaround…to do something exciting to turn the fanbase around…..and then you say that to do that he’ll go after Mike Vick, Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb.
???????????????????????????
Are you kidding. KC fan is not stupid. You’re exciting NO ONE by bringing any of those guys in.
You can sell excitement with a #1 pick at QB (at least for a season and a half)
Reid is not going to roll out a retread QB to try and sell that as an immediate solution…..he will however bring in a QB (maybe its Vick) to hold the fort for 2/3 of the season before starting Smith around week 11….get him some starts at end of year, and then roll into following season.
I’m sure that’s what he told KC owners….”franchise is down…I have a 7 year plan….just like with the Eagles in 1999″
Reid will take a FA OT and then go with Smith 1st overall (remember that the hype machine will be juicing those QBs as we get closer and closer to the draft)
I agree with that Vinnie. Reid made former Eagle’s quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson the team’s new offensive coordinator, then let him assign Matt Nagy as QB coach. I think the plan is to have Pederson run an offense that is friendly to a young QB.
Reid also got Eric Bieniemy as his new running backs coach… there’s none better as far as I know. That makes me think he will run the ball more which will help the young QB.
it appears Coach Reid is going to stick we the current 3-4 KC defensive system with his NYJ D coordinator hiring of Bob Sutton
this is Coach Reid KC website info
“As coach Reid alluded, coach Sutton will develop the best defensive schemes possible that put his players in position to stop the run, defend the pass and attack the quarterback.” ————- KC better get used to coach Reid saying ( put players is best{ BETTER} position ) “
AR is not going to have 7-Year Plan, he has 3 Seasons like most Coaches to get the Chiefs to the Playoffs. They will Draft a QB with their 33rd Pick (2nd Rd) not the 1st Overall Pick. I bet $10 for your favorite Charity on this
Howie Roseman can do us fans a big favor( since he had nothing to do with the 2011 & the 2010 drafts) & offer Danny Watkins, Brandon Graham, & Nate Allen in trade to both
Kansas City Coach Andy Reid &
Cleveland President Joe Banner
And then inform us fans, left with their garbage what their current opinion is in their value (draft pick compensation they are willing to offer to acquire) by those who according to Jeff Lurie wanted them in 2011 & 2010.
I am starting to believe the eagles really don’t know what their doing with their coaching search. I mean this is not a desireable place to coach right now. I think the eagles really can’t land anybody.
I think there going to beg brian kelly to come here. He will use it as a way to get more money from notre dame and stay there. I mean if you don’t want john gruden, why the hell would you interview jay gruden. They need front office help badly.