Welcome back to the newest edition of “The Beej Knows Best.” I am absolutely positive that you missed reading this weekly column significantly less than I missed writing it, but that is more than okay.
Obviously the season is over, so I had to come up with something new to predict. I gave it some thought, fumbled around with trying to pick college basketball, realized it was too easy and landed on the NFL Draft. Of course! The NFL draft is the most hyped-up draft out of all the big four sports’ drafts. Teams spend millions of dollars scrutinizing every detail of these young and budding athletes, from testing their straight line speed to how well they can do a math problem.
Coaches and General Managers can build their reputation or get fired based upon how well they are able to draft. Teams can be completely rejuvenated by late round picks stepping into superstars. Every pick counts. This “Beej Knows Best” will be a mock of the first five picks with explanations. I will release more summaries as we get closer to the draft and as I get more information. But now, without further ado, the 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
1) Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, LT, Texas A&M University
The Kansas City Chiefs are quite the anomaly. They were the worst team in the NFL last season, yet they sent five players to the Pro Bowl. How does this happen?
Their ability to find either superstars or busts and nothing in between is unprecedented. There is new management in Kansas City, and new management generally means new quarterbacks. However, there is no quarterback worth taking with the number one overall pick.
Kansas City has too many problems to take a home run swing at quarterback and come up empty. Luke Joeckel solves many of their problems. He is the best player on many draft boards, including my own.
He is a durable left tackle, which is one of the most important positions ever. He will hold this down for the next decade.
If Kansas City drafts Joeckel, and then proceeds to fill out the draft with multiple needs, turn around next season and grab a quarterback with their top pick and then continue to fill out the roster with all of their cap space, they will start to develop into a force to be reckoned with.
2) Jacksonville Jaguars: Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M University
That’s right. I’m picking Manziel’s boys to go 1-2 in this year’s NFL draft. And it is deserving. Damontre Moore has been punishing quarterbacks all season long. He is a great pass-rusher, and the Jaguars had one of the league’s worst pass-rushing attacks. They need to build up their rush, which will then help their secondary, and improve their overall defense.
3) Oakland Raiders: Bjoern Werner, DE/OLB, Florida State University
Much like the Jaguars, the Raiders need a lot of help along the defensive line. They had an inability to rush the quarterback, and therefore their defense got picked apart.
Werner is a big prospect who has the ability to play on the line as well as rush as a linebacker. He had 23.5 sacks and 35 tackles for loss as a Seminole. I believe that he will experience similar success in the NFL, and he is the building block for the change of culture that is brewing in the Raiders locker room.
4) Philadelphia Eagles: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia University
Why not? Everyone is making a huge deal about how Chip Kelly will save the Eagles, and Michael Vick is the solution. After his contract was restructured, people have been even more inclined to believe this theory. I vehemently disagree.
First, the restructuring means nothing, because Vick can still be cut in training camp for a small price.
Second, Michael Vick will always be fast, and always have incredible arm strength, which will always make him an attractive commodity. But he has one major flaw: He has not worked hard enough to learn how to read defenses.
His offensive line is unprepared because their leader has not signaled to them what type of rush they are about to face. This leads to multiple rushers attacking the quarterback and getting clean shots. This is why he gets hurt so often. But I still believe that a mobile yet accurate Quarterback is just what Chip Kelly needs.
And Geno Smith fits that bill. Furthermore, he is lauded for his hard-working mentality and perseverance. He has the drive and the talent to be successful.
The Eagles were awful last year, but I do not believe that their record was a true representation of the talent that they put on the field. If Lesean McCoy and Bryce Brown put up great numbers, and if the Eagles can upgrade along their offensive line and secondary throughout the rest of the draft, I believe that they will be in a good position with Geno Smith at the helm.
5) Detroit Lions, Jarvis Jones, University of Georgia
So he has got a bit of a back issue… But as of this article being written, doctors have cleared Jarvis Jones from injury. I believe that NFL teams will scrutinize his medical reports, which they should, but they will not find any red flags.
Then they will examine his play on the field. And Jarvis Jones is quite the playmaker.
There have been reports that he is not the best workout player, which will affect his combine statistics. There have been reports that he is somewhat lazy and relies upon pure talent.
There have been reports that his back is okay now, but could cause problems in the future. Screw the reports! He is a beast.
The Lions will recognize that, and having him replace Kyle Vanden Bosch alongside Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley will create a very potent pass rush that will dominate for years to come.
Look for Tuesday for me to release picks 6-10 with explanations, as well as the rest of the draft with picks. Have a great weekend, and stay safe.
– By Jayson Patel
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