The NextEra 2013 NFL Mock Draft Part 2

 

Go Back To Part 1 (1-16)…

Advance to Round 2

17. Pittsburgh Steelers : Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

NextEra RAP Rating -  95.0 (Outside Corner), 98.4 (Slot Corner)

Big Board Ranking – #19

Trufant would help solidify a somewhat shaky Cornerback group in Pittsburgh. He has the versatility to start outside or in the slot and should be an immediate contributor to the Steelers Defense.

18. Dallas Cowboys :Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State

NextEra RAP Rating - 100.0 (4-3 DE)

Big Board Ranking – #10

It would take a massive upset to see Werner fall down to here, but in this mock it has surprisingly happened. He didn’t showcase the athleticism i had expected to see after viewing his tape and it could hurt his stock.

19. New York Giants : Dion Jordan, DE/ OLB, Oregon

NextEra RAP Rating - 97.6 (3-4 OLB), 91.1 (43 DE)

Big Board Ranking – #17

A lot of draft analysts are getting caught up with Dion Jordan’s great physical frame. While it’s hard not to appreciate it, Jordan still has a lot of work to do, he will need to add weight to play in the NFL, especially if he wants to play a down lineman position.

While his ceiling potential is high, the risk factor brings his grade down somewhat. His not average sack numbers and all the change that’s required for him to make at the NFL level all contribute. Evaluating pass rushers is one of the most difficult tasks in the NFL, because players can have success a multitude of different ways, there isn’t a blueprint really for what makes a great pass rusher.

All that said, this pick makes a ton of sense. The Giants love their athletic pass rushers and they will be smart with Jordan and put him in the situations that will help him succeed.

20. Chicago Bears : Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State

NextEra RAP Rating -  90.9 (RT), 83.6 (LT)

Big Board Ranking – #25

Chicago need to protect Jay Cutler better and to do that they need to invest a lot of draft picks to get more talented along the offensive line. Menelik Watson has the ability to play both tackle spots and would be a terrific pick for the Bears.


21. Cincinnati Bengals : Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma

NextEra RAP Rating - 97.7 (SS), 94.5 (FS)

Big Board Ranking – #15

Think of Tony Jefferson as a clone of San Francisco 49ers S Dashon Goldson. Jefferson is a superb tackler and is very good in coverage allowing him to play both Safety spots if required. In a league where interchanging Safeties is becoming more common, Jefferson’s value will only continue to rise.

22.  St Louis Rams (From Washington) : Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee

NextEra RAP Rating - 93.6 (WR) 

Big Board Ranking – #20

Justin Hunter’s ACL injury in 2011 has hurt his stock somewhat, but he should rise up boards following strong performances at the combine and Tennessee’s pro day.

On tape, you see a player who moves and catches like current Bengals WR AJ Green. At this point he is not where Green was two years ago, but the similarities are there.

23. Minnesota Vikings : Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

NextEra RAP Rating - 86.3 (QB)

Big Board Ranking – #43

A bit of a shocker here at #23. With Geno Smith falling out of the top 10, Minnesota are left with a difficult decision to make. Is Christian Ponder the guy? I say not and while I’m not the biggest Geno Smith in the world, he would be a significant upgrade over Ponder right now.

24. Indianapolis Colts : Jesse Williams, DT/DE, Alabama

NextEra RAP Rating - 90.3 (3-4 DE), 84.2 (34 NT)

Big Board Ranking – #29

A big strong lineman that can play as either a 5 technique or a nose in the Chiefs 3-4 scheme.

 

 

25. Seattle Seahawks : Kawaan Short, DT, Purdue

NextEra RAP Rating - 93.5 (43 DT)

Big Board Ranking - #21

Kawaan Short was awesome during Senior Bowl week and was solidified his late first round status. The Seahwaks Defense was pretty strong across the board last year, but another stout pass rushing Defensive tackle can only help.

26. Green Bay Packers : Barrett Jones, OG/C/OT, Alabama

NextEra RAP Rating - 90.5 (OG),  81.1 (RT), 75.6 (LT), 73.6 (C)

Big Board Ranking – #28

This seems like a great fit for both parties. I love Jones’s versatility and can see him being a starting level talent at all five offensive line positions if required. His best position though projects to be as a guard, the position he played as a Sophomore in college.

27. Houston Texans : DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

NextEra RAP Rating - 90.7 (WR)

Big Board Ranking – #27

DeAndre Hopkins reminds me a bit of Falcons WR Roddy White and would be a terrific addition to the Texans Offense.

28. Denver Broncos : Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame

NextEra RAP Rating -  91.3 (43 MLB), 83.5 (43 OLB)

Big Board Ranking – #23

The Broncos have been relying on stately veterans at the linebacker spot for too long now. Te’o would bring an infusion of youth to the team and despite his poor combine performance i still feel hes a first round pick.


29. New England Patriots : Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

NextEra RAP Rating - 89.5 (WR)

Big Board Ranking – #33

I love the attitude that Kenny Stills plays with. He is a good all around receiver and he flashed his 4.3 speed at the combine making him very much in play at the bottom of round 1.

30. Atlanta Falcons : Alex Okafor, DE/ OLB, Texas

NextEra RAP Rating - 90.9 (43 DE), 84.7 (3-4 OLB)

Big Board Ranking - #24

With John Abraham being released, the Falcons have a gigantic hole at the pass rushing spot. With the Falcons possibly looking to run more 3-4 this year finding a versatile athlete that can play in both the 4-3 and 3-4 alignments will be big for Atlanta.

Okafor is one of those guys that can play well in either front. He isn’t the fastest edge rusher in the world, but he is crafty, powerful and plays with a good motor.

 31. San Francisco 49ers: Kenny Vacarro, FS, Texas

NextEra RAP Rating - 89.7 (FS), 71.3 (Slot Corner)

Big Board Ranking – #31

Keeping Dashon Goldson will be tough for the 49ers to pull off, assuming they do i still think they can improve on the backend and adding a versatile defender like Vacarro into the mix would strengthen the secondary somewhat.

32. Baltimore Ravens : Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

NextEra RAP Rating - 89.0 (Outside Corner)

Big Board Ranking – #34

The Ravens could use some help at Corner and Poyer is a very solid choice at the end of the first.

 

Go Back To Part 1 (1-16)…

Advance to Round 2