2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 - Picks 17-32

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Last update: Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Major changes in all 7 rounds.
Next update: Next week. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

You can find the complete seven-round 2013 NFL Draft Order by clicking the link.

    *** THIS IS A LIVE 2013 NFL MOCK DRAFT. PICKS ARE BEING POSTED NOW. TO SEE PREVIOUS VERSIONS, CHECK OUT THE ARCHIVED 2013 NFL MOCK DRAFT SECTION. FOLLOW @walterfootball FOR UPDATES ***

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia
    As in my pre-Combine mock draft, Jarvis Jones drops to No. 17 overall. I had Jones going No. 2 overall back in January, but check out Charlie's rumor mill entry on why Jones is expected to slide. On top of that, at least a dozen teams have red flags on Jones because of his spinal issue. His poor 40 didn't help matters. Some may want to reference Terrell Suggs' slow 40, but Suggs was 15 pounds heavier than Jones coming out of college.

    I believe dumb groupthink will cause Jones to fall on Draft Day. General managers will be petrified of his medical. But, as smart teams like the Steelers, Giants, Ravens, etc. often do, they'll snatch up a plummeting draft prospect and laugh at all of the dumb organizations constantly picking in the top 10 as they field yet another Pro Bowler.

    Jones isn't just the best player available; he fills a big need as well. James Harrison is gone, so the Steelers may spend an early pick on a rush linebacker. Pittsburgh usually doesn't like taking scheme conversion guys in the first round, but I've been told by a reliable source that Jones and Dion Jordan are the two exceptions.

    Follow @walterfootball for updates.

  2. Dallas Cowboys: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama
    The interior of Dallas' offensive line is an abomination. The front office actually found two downgrades at guard last offseason, while center Phil Costa is a sieve. The Cowboys have to find some help for Tony Romo.

    The Cowboys absolutely love both Jonathan Cooper and Kenny Vaccaro. Jerry Jones has shown that he's not afraid to move up for a prospect he really likes when he obtained Morris Claiborne last year. He may climb up for either Cooper or Vaccaro. If he can't, however, the "other" guard is definitely not a bad consolation prize.

  3. New York Giants: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
    The Giants have a very smart front office. Like the Steelers, Packers and Ravens, they catch falling prospects. A player or two mocked near No. 10 overall will fall on Draft Day because that's what always happens. These intelligent teams will snag that dropping prospect unless there's something really wrong with him.

    Xavier Rhodes could be that player. Rhodes has been discussed as an option at No. 12 for the Dolphins, but he's just not good enough to go in that range. Picking him at No. 19 provides way more value, however.

    Plus, cornerback is a big need. The Giants re-signed Aaron Ross, but they could still stand to use an early pick on a cornerback after how poorly Corey Webster played last year.

    Pick change; previously D.J. Fluker, OT/G

  4. Chicago Bears: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
    If you access the 2013 NFL Draft Rumors section, you'll see that the Bears are looking into the tight end position with this 20th-overall selection. They signed Martellus Bennett, but they could use more of a receiving option at the position to really help Jay Cutler.

    Chicago may fall in love with Tyler Eifert's athleticism. I had Eifert going No. 13 in a previous mock draft, so this is definitely not a reach.



  5. Cincinnati Bengals: Eric Reid, S, LSU
    The Bengals had a big need at safety last spring, but they didn't address the position until the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. They'll put more effort into finding an upgrade the following offseason because they won't survive with Reggie Nelson and the benched Taylor Mays (or cornerback Nate Clements, an impending free agent who was playing out of position) as their starters.

    Cincinnati really wants Kenny Vaccaro, but he's long gone. The team will happily settle for Eric Reid, whom it really likes.

  6. St. Louis Rams: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
    The Rams lost Danny Amendola to the Patriots, so they're in desperate need for receiver help. They can't go into the 2013 season with Chris Givens and Brian Quick being Sam Bradford's top options at wideout.

    DeAndre Hopkins, who had a great workout for the Rams recently, was identified as a potential suspect in the Combine hotel room trashing incident. Even if he was guilty of this, St. Louis won't care, as it will once again ignore any character flaws.

  7. Minnesota Vikings: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
    The Vikings can address one of their biggest needs with one of the top players available. Defensive tackle is a huge issue right now; Kevin Williams will turn 33 in August, and there's no one of note playing next to him. Letroy Guion is a decent rotational guy but should not be a starter. Sylvester Williams can play both interior positions and bring back the Williams Wall.

  8. Indianapolis Colts: Datone Jones, DE/DT, UCLA
    The Colts signed Ricky Jean-Francois to a large deal this offseason, but they could still look to upgrade the defensive line, as the unit doesn't really have a consistent pass-rusher. Cory Redding is there, but he'll be 33 soon and he's due $7 million over the next two seasons. Datone Jones is one of the top prospects available and makes a ton of sense for Indianapolis.



  9. Minnesota Vikings: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
    I've consistently mocked Manti Te'o in the second round. Teams won't take him because he's a Tebow-like distraction. A personnel man who works for a team drafting in the 20-32 range told us that his franchise will be passing on Te'o even though inside linebacker is a big need. However, the Vikings don't seem bothered by Te'o, as they've shown way more interest in him than any other team. Perhaps this is because they have half-a-dozen Notre Dame players on their roster. Te'o would be welcome in their locker room.

    Everyone knows Te'o's story by now. He had a miserable Combine. He ran a 4.82 40 and later blamed it on fatigue (as if the other players weren't tired). He looked stiff in the drills. Worst of all, he drew that ridiculous press conference. Te'o handled himself well in front of the media, but the press conference itself was the major problem. No team wants to deal with the media circus that will come with acquiring Te'o - except for the Vikings, apparently.

  10. Green Bay Packers: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
    Greg Jennings is gone, while James Jones will be a free agent next spring. The Packers don't have to draft a receiver this year, but they'll definitely consider one if a talented wideout is available at No. 26. Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the top prospects on the board. Ted Thompson could be interested, as he has a habit of catching falling prospects like the other smart NFL general managers.

  11. Houston Texans: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
    The Texans have needed a No. 2 receiver for years, but now that Andre Johnson is into his 30s, it won't be long before they have to secure a new No. 1 wideout for Matt Schaub.

    As Charlie first reported on March 6, Justin Hunter is receiving tons of first-round interest.

  12. Denver Broncos: Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State
    Elvis Dumervil defected for Baltimore in the wake of Faxgate, so the Broncos will have to find a potent pass-rusher to complement Von Miller.

    Tank Carradine is generating a ton of buzz and could find himself going much earlier than this on Thursday. Carradine tore his ACL in November, but his recovery is reportedly going much faster than anticipated. He ran well at his Pro Day, so I could see him going as early as No. 19.



  13. New England Patriots: Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
    Aqib Talib re-signed and Adrian Wilson was added, but neither might be around come 2014; Talib inked a 1-year deal, while Wilson will be 34 in October. The Patriots are always looking for secondary depth, and they've shown tons of interest in Jamar Taylor throughout this pre-draft process.

  14. Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
    The Falcons are really hurting in two areas: defensive end and cornerback. The latter is a huge issue with Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes both gone. Desmond Trufant fills a need and happens to be one of the top players available.

  15. San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
    Despite making the Pro Bowl, Donte Whitner wasn't very good this past year (he surrendered more touchdowns than any safety). Dashon Goldson, meanwhile, left for Tampa Bay in free agency. The 49ers, who might want to upgrade the secondary after Joe Flacco torched them in the Super Bowl, will need a replacement.

    Jonathan Cyprien made this big leap recently. There's so much buzz about him recently, and there are multiple reports indicating that several teams have him ranked as the No. 2 safety in this class. He could go as high as No. 21 to the Bengals.

  16. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Elam, S, Florida
    Daniel Jeremiah, who used to work for the Ravens, pointed out that Ozzie Newsome wants to draft "sure things" in the first round. As Jeremiah described it, Newsome likes to hit doubles. He mentioned Matt Elam as a strong possibility. Baltimore has been linked to Elam prior to this, and for good reason. Ed Reed signed with the Texans. Michael Huff came in to replace him, but the Ravens still have one more hole at safety because of the Bernard Pollard release.

    Follow @walterfootball for updates.



    2013 NFL Mock Draft - Round 2


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    2013 NFL Mock Draft - Round 7


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