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Well you can't say that we don't stay busy here at BTB. While the Community Mock draft has been going on, my fellow front pagers and I have been doing our own mockumentary exercise. As has been the custom for the last two years, I once again went about assigning teams to each of the FPWs and charged them with guiding those franchises to mock draft stardom.
This year, Misternet himself, O.C.C., has the honor of making the selections for our beloved Dallas Cowboys. In previous seasons, Dave and Rabble had the responsibility but now we put it in the 0's and 1's (a.k.a. hands) of The Goog.
Cool, Rabble, Archie, Coty, Tom and I decided that we would let newcomer Joey in on the fun as well. We are at least going to go two rounds deep, and possibly to a third and beyond depending on how much momentum we can keep. We'll split each round into two posts, that way you can see how the draft unfolds leading up to Dallas' selection and weigh in on which direction you think the team should go if the board were to fall in this manner. We'll have a poll at the end of the picks so that you can voice your opinion there and in the comments.
Without further ado, here are the first 17 picks in the 2013 BTB Writer's Mock Draft.
BTB Writer's Mock Draft: Selections 18-32
| Pick | Player | GM |
| 1. Kansas City Chiefs | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | KD |
| The Chiefs are actually a pretty talented team despite having the worst record in the league. The moves they made in FA have whittled their needs down a great deal. Still, they have a need at tackle and the best player in the draft is one; no brainer. Move Brandon Albert to right tackle and get this thing started Andy Reid. We'd love for you to stick it to Philly by winning a chip without them. | ||
| 2. Jacksonville | Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia | Archie |
| There are so many options here. Eric Fisher, Sharrif Floyd and Dion Jordan all make complete sense here but the Jags have a serious problem at quarterback. Back in 2011 Blaine Gabbert was selected 10th overall, but he doesn't look like the type of quarterback who is going to lead a team anywhere. Geno Smith is a huge risk this high, but his mobility and passing skills could give Jacksonville the franchise quarterback they need to start building a team around. The new regime can start over fresh with Smith and focus on other areas of need with their other picks. | ||
| 3.Oakland | Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon | Coty |
| Oakland's new regime wants to prove that they mean business, and decide to take a Defensive End that didn't set a new 40-yard record. Jordan is still an impressive athlete, however, and the new Black and Silver will need to hit on these controversial picks in order to establish that they aren't the 'same old Raiders.' | ||
| 4. Philadelphia | Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan | OCC |
| The Philadelphia war-room is shellshocked when the Jaguars pick Geno Smith. Waaaambulances are dispatched throughout the city of Philadelphia. The Eagles frantically try to trade out of the fourth spot but only draw derisive sneers from the teams they call. In the end they do the only thing they can do, and that is to select an offensive tackle to shore up their decrepit offensive line. In Central Michigan's Eric Fisher they select a blue-chip offensive lineman and hope he doesn't turn into a second Danny Watkins. | ||
| 5. Detroit | Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama | Rabble |
| After soliciting trade downs to no avail, the Lions happily select a blue-chip talent at a position of need. Throughout the Jim Schwartz era, they have been relying on an elite defensive line and mediocre secondary to get things done, and it hasn't worked. The departures of DEs Kyle Vandenbosh and Cliff Avril and the selection of Milliner signal a philosophical sea change in Detroit. | ||
| 6.Cleveland | Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia | Tom |
| The Browns were looking to pick Dee Milliner to help out a porous secondary, but the Lions snatched him. With plenty of other needs, they go to the next player on their board, Georgia OLB Jarvis Jones. They need a pass rusher, and the all time season sack and TFL leader from Georgia should do nicely. | ||
| 7. Arizona | Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma | Joey |
| Coach Bruce Arians was praying for Geno Smith to be available at this spot, and the team was disappointed to see their 3 top players (Smith, Joeckel, Fisher) go in the top-4 picks. However, the hole at LT in Arizona that was once gaping, is now filled with an athletic specimen with tons of upside. Although they weren't able to upgrade the QB position in round 1 the Cardinals offense got better today. | ||
| 8. Buffalo | Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU | Tom |
| If the quarterback class was stronger, they would have gone that direction, but the questionable talent of the available signal callers dictates they go defense. Last year, the Bills bolstered the defensive line, but then found that their linebacking corps was the weak part of their defense. Mingo is exactly what they are looking for, a ferocious pass rusher who also has a nose for the ball. | ||
| 9. NY Jets | Kenny Vacarro, S, Texas | Tom |
| After cursing the jerk Buffalo GM for taking the player they want, the Jets don't take long. They need two safeties, and Vaccaro is the best available. They toyed with the idea of taking a guard, but caved to the conventional wisdom that you don't take guards high in the first round. But with Vaccaro projected as able to fill either safety role, he is too valuable and helpful for anyone to weep for the Jets. | ||
| 10. Tennessee | Chance Warmack, G, Alabama | Rabble |
| The Titans consider two players at this pick: Warmack and Florida DT Sharrif Floyd. With solid starters and decent depth at defensive tackle, they opt for Warmack. Even though they recently signed OG Andy Levitre in free agency, they need to upgrade both guard spots to get their money's worth out of CJ2K, and Warmack fits the bill. | ||
| 11. San Diego | Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida | OCC |
| The Chargers knew that either an offensive or defensive tackle would fall their way in a draft that is unusual in that offensive and defensive linemen are the dominant positions at the top of the draft. The Chargers prepared for a lot of scenarios, but what they didn't prepare for was that both Sharrif Floyd and Star Lotulelei would be available with the 11th pick. They briefly wonder whether the teams ahead of them lost the plot completely this year, but they couldn't care less and pick arguably the best defensive player in the draft, DT Sharrif Floyd out of Florida. | ||
| 12. Minnesota | Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah | Joey |
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TRADE NOTE: MIN gives 25, 52, & 83 MIA gives 12 & 108 Leslie Frazier's cover 2 defense is predicated on pressure, and needs very good to great defensive line play to be successful. Using the first round pick obtained from Seattle in the Percy Harvin trade to move up to acquire one of the top players on their board at #12 was an easy decision. Star will play both the 1 tech and 3 tech and provide a force in the middle to create pressure & pull blocks away from Jared Allen. |
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| 13. Tampa | Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU | Archie |
| While Xavier Rhodes would fill a huge need at cornerback, Ansah is too talented to pass up on. Michael Bennett just bolted to Seattle and there is a need to replace his pass rushing ability. I almost went with Sheldon Richardson to team up with Gerald McCoy, but Ansah has the ability to become a terror opposite of Adrian Clayborn. It's definitely a risk taking Ansah, but his upside is definitely worth pulling the trigger at 13. The Bucs had a great draft last year and they kick off 2013 with a bang. | ||
| 14. Carolina | Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri | KD |
| The Panthers currently have four DTs on their roster. They had a combined two sacks between them in 2012. Adding Richardson to the mix will go a long way in improving a defense that is currently paying DE Charles Johnson a boatload of cash. The Panthers could have definitely added some weapons for Cam Newton, but getting him the ball back more often should count for something. | ||
| 15. New Orleans | Jonathan Cyprien, SS, Florida International | KD |
| Too early you say? Not at all. I've been a part of several exercises that have Cyprien coming off the board before pick #21. The need is there for Rob Ryan's defense as he reveals that he's showing that his philosophy isn't the reason Dallas didn't get a big name safety during his two years there. With the three left tackles gone and no trade offers, Sean Peyton goes and gets his safety valve. | ||
| 16. St. Louis | Jonathan Cooper, OG, UNC | Archie |
| The Rams need to get more firepower on the offense, but I can't pass up the chance to get one of the best guard prospects in recent memory. Cooper can be plugged in from day one and be an upgrade over what the Rams had last season. Even though I want to take a wide receiver here, I decided to take the best player available over reaching for a need. With another pick at 22, the St. Louis war room still has a chance to upgrade the wide receiver position. | ||
| 17. Pittsburgh | Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee | Coty |
| This is the explosive, big-bodied receiver the Steelers want to replace the lost Mike Wallace. The Steelers know that without a second legitimate receiving threat to pair with Emmanuel Sanders, they won't be able to move the ball against tough AFC North defenses - which could see them watching the playoffs from home once more next offseason. Patterson's size and explosiveness will allow him to attack deep jump balls from their less-than-precision passer, and with the Ravens losing Ed Reed, those could turn into big plays in divisional matchups. | ||
So now what do the Cowboys do? Their top targets along the O-Line are all gone with the three tackles and two guards off the board. The top three DTs as well as the top two safeties are nowhere to be found either. This might be the worst case scenario for Cowboys fans but is something that could realistically happen. Let us know what you would do in the poll and the comments.