11:51 p.m.: The first round is over and boy was it eventful. The big winner was the Vikings. The second big winner was the Patriots ironically enough.
The Vikings picked up Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson. All three players were talented enough to be taken in the top 20 picks, and all three were taken later.
The Patriots picked up three extra picks by trading out of the first round. That was an impressive haul in this class with so many good players left in this draft. Jamar Taylor, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Tank Carradine, Kawann Short, Johnthan Banks, Robert Woods and Justin Hunter are just some of the names the Patriots could take in the second round.
The Jets picked up two great players in Dee Milliner and Sheldon Richardson, but the latter is a questionable fit with Quinton Coples and Muhammad Wilkerson already on that defensive line. The Bills blew it by taking E.J. Manuel as the only quarterback. He could be a good player, but he wasn’t worth taking at No. 16.
The Dolphins did a great job of trading up for Dion Jordan, and they didn’t need to give up much for the pass rusher. He’ll play the Jason Taylor role in Miami.
We’ll be back here tomorrow even earlier to go through all the picks with analysis.
11:44 p.m.: The Ravens have selected a player and his name is not Geno Smith or Manti Te’o. Matt Elam is the pick here at No. 32.
Elam can cover the slot, and he’s a hard hitter, but he’d be a liability if he’s asked to cover deep.
11:42 p.m.: The Cowboys got some offensive line help by taking Travis Frederick. Frederick is as slow as mollasses, but he’s a rock at the center position.
The Cowboys traded back with the 49ers.
11:34 p.m.: Alec Ogletree dropped, but not out of the first round as it looks like Geno Smith might do. The Georgia linebacker went No. 30 to the Rams, who traded back with the Falcons.
The Rams wound up with Tavon Austin and Alec Ogletree, not a bad haul. The NFC West just keeps getting better and better.
11:31 p.m.: The Vikings gave up a boatload for a third first-rounder, but they wound up with three great players in Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Patterson is essentially a bigger Percy Harvin, so the Vikings made out well here. He can run out of the backfield and he can return kicks and punts. He’s raw and only spent one year playing FBS football after two years at a junior college.
11:25 p.m.: The draft fell about as well as it possibly could have for the Patriots, and they received a ton of value for their late first-round pick.
There are many players still out there that the Patriots will be able to get with Minnesota’s second-rounder and the Patriots’ original second-rounder.
The Patriots now hold picks No. 52, 59, 83, 91, 102, 226 and 229 in the draft. Everyone knew they weren’t going to wind up with just five picks.
And Joe Andruzzi takes the stage.
11:22 p.m.: The Patriots entered this draft with five picks, now they have eight. Everyone saw this coming, right? But everyone expected a team to trade back up for a quarterback. The Vikings have selected Cordarrelle Patterson here.
11:18 p.m.: The Patriots have traded the No. 29 pick to the Vikings. Adam Schefter said on ESPN that Minnesota was dangling a second, third and fourth rounder for the pick.
The Vikings are expected to take Manti Te’o here. The Patriots only had five picks in this draft.
11:16 p.m.: Sylvester Williams goes No. 28 overall to the Broncos, who needed some beef in the middle of their defense. He can play one-tech or three-tech, and he’s a disruptive player.
Williams can stop the run and get after the passer. He reminds me a bit of Vince Wilfork.
11:08 p.m.: The Texans finally got a decent wide receiver to play across from Andre Johnson. DeAndre Hopkins is the pick at No. 27.
Hopkins doesn’t have the greatest athleticism, but he’s got great hands and might be the best route runner in this class.
10:59 p.m.: There goes another pass rusher. Datone Jones, who many Patriots fans wanted, is going to Green Bay, who already have Nick Perry and Clay Matthews.
Jones should project better as a five-technique defensive end on the Packers. He certainly shouldn’t be a standup outside linebacker.
Jones always showed a better ability to get after the quarterback inside anyway.
10:54 p.m.: Xavier Rhodes wasn’t going to last much longer. He went No. 25 to the Vikings, who drastically improved their defense in a matter of minutes.
Rhodes is a cornerback who’s over 6-foot-1, and runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
10:51 p.m.: The Colts just got a very good player. They took Bjoern Werner No. 24 overall. It looks like they may view him as the 3-4 OLB that Dwight Freeney couldn’t be. He’ll be dangerous across from Robert Mathis on that Indianapolis defense.
Werner came to the U.S. from Germany and picked up the game (and language) quickly. Werner is a low-risk move for the Colts.
10:44 p.m.: Well, Sharrif Floyd finally came off the board. Floyd went to the Vikings, who needed a defensive tackle.
A lot of people had Floyd very high on their big boards, we’ll see if he pans out after falling in the draft.
10:38 p.m.: Desmond Trufant is who the Falcons wanted, and they thought he was worth trading up for.
The Falcons moved from No. 30 up to No. 22 to take the UDUB cornerback. Trufant is a quality player, but don’t expect him to be a lockdown player on the outside in the mold of a Revis or Sherman. He’s likely better in zone and will fill in nicely for Brent Grimes in Atlanta.
The Rams got the No. 92 pick and a sixth rounder for moving down. The Falcons also picked up a 2015 seventh rounder.
10:34 p.m.: Tyler Eifert is finally off the board. He went No. 21 overall to the Bengals. Eifert is by far the best tight end in this draft. He’s only the second offensive skill position player to go.
The Falcons traded up to No. 22 with the Rams. Eifert would have made sense here, but we’ll see what they do.
10:28 p.m.: The Bears took a shocker, Kyle Long out of Oregon. Long is Howie’s son and Chris’ brother.
He went to Florida State as a pitcher, but got kicked out due to a couple off-field infractions. Long can play either tackle or guard in the league. He’s 6-foot-7 and has great athleticism.
10:20 p.m.: The Giants definitely needed help on the offensive line. Justin Pugh of Syracuse went to New York at No. 19. Pugh has position versatility.
10:14 p.m.: Eric Reid goes to San Francisco. The 49ers traded up to No. 18 and drafted Dashon Goldson’s replacement.
Reid is a nice cover safety, but occasionally takes too many risks out in center field.
All Dallas got was the 49ers’ first rounder and the No. 74 pick in the draft.
10:12 p.m.: As expected, Jarvis Jones goes to Pittsburgh at No. 17. Jones is very reminiscent of James Harrison, so the Steelers will just be able to plug in the Georgia outside linebacker.
Jones lacks elite athleticism, but he piled up the sacks with the Bulldogs.
The Cowboys also traded down with the 49ers.
10:04 p.m.: The first quarterback is off the board and it’s not Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib or Matt Barkley. E.J. Manuel is the pick for the Bills.
This is a reach in my opinion. He’s highly athletic, but he’s still very raw, and shouldn’t be going before those other players.
9:58 p.m.: The Saints are finally improving their defense by selecting safety Kenny Vaccaro of Texas. Vaccaro lacks elite athleticism, but he can cover out of the slot, he’s a hard hitter and he’s decent in the deep half of the field.
The Saints really could have used any defensive player here.
9:53 p.m.: The Panthers must have sped to turn this pick in in turbo mode. Carolina chose Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.
Lotulelei was originally suspect to be considered for the No. 1 overall pick before a heart condition was discovered at the combine. Doctors cleared him and the Panthers got one heck of a player.
Josh Norris of Rotoworld is dancing in North Carolina right now.
9:47 p.m.: Oh, Jets.
Sheldon Richardson is a great player, but that’s three five-technique defensive ends in three years for the Jets. He moves like a linebacker at 300 pounds, but he never showed much interest in stopping the run.
We’re not sure where Richardson, Quinton Coples and Muhammad Wilkerson all play on the same line.
9:42 p.m.: The Jets are on the clock now and Geno Smith is still on the board. Could the Jets take Smith to replace Mark Sanchez? It certainly makes sense.
The Jets could also take Star Lotulelei, who could play the nose next to Quinton Coples and Muhammad Wilkerson.
9:35 p.m.: There have been 12 picks and no quarterback or defensive tackles. D.J. Hayden is the pick at No. 12 for the Raiders.
There were rumors that Hayden could go No. 3 overall, but Oakland traded out and still got their guy. Hayden nearly died on the practice field at Houston, but has made a remarkable comeback to be the second corner taken after Dee Milliner.
Hayden has an exceptional backpedal and is one of the smoothest athletes in this draft. I think he’s being slightly overdrafted, but this cornerback class is all about personal taste.
9:31 p.m.: With D.J. Fluker going to San Diego, six offensive linemen have gone in the first 11 picks. That’s pretty unbelievable.
It’s notable that no defensive tackles have been drafted yet. Star Lotulelei, Sharrif Floyd and Sheldon Richardson were supposed to be high picks, but Oakland is on the clock at No. 12 and none have gone yet.
9:26 p.m.: And now two guards have gone in the Top 10. Alabama guard Chance Warmack went to the Titans.
Warmack is a big boy who will start for years to come in Tennessee. He doesn’t have the upside that Cooper has, but he’s a solid player.
Once again, though, are guards really worth Top 10 picks? Not in my mind.
9:16 p.m.: The Jets have replaced Darrelle Revis with Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner.
After Barkevious Mingo, Jonathan Cooper and Tavon Austin all got taken off the board before No. 9, the Jets had to go with the top corner in the draft.
The Jets still have No. 13, which they received for Revis.
9:08 p.m.: So a report came out that Tavon Austin was the top player on the Bills’ board, yet they traded the pick knowing the Rams were going to take him? Sounds like Buddy Nix is full of tricks — and smokescreens.
The Rams parted with No. 16, a second-rounder, a seventh-rounder and swapped third-rounders with the Bills to move up.
The Rams took Tavon Austin to replace Danny Amendola.
9:05 p.m.: The Rams have traded up to No. 8. St. Louis is expected to take Tavon Austin here.
9:02 p.m: A guard has gone in the top 10. The Cardinals have taken Jonathan Cooper.
Cooper is an unbelievable athlete, and may be the best pulling guard I’ve ever seen.
It’s tough to take a guard in the top 10, though.
9:00 p.m.: In case you missed it, Ezekiel Ansah was wearing 3D glasses with the lenses taken out.
8:55 p.m.: Michael Lombardi just made the right decision. The Browns took Barkevious Mingo at No. 6.
Mingo is a defensive end/outside linebacker out of LSU who didn’t produce much, but he’s an unreal athlete who has the potential to be the best pass rusher in this class.
Mingo is also apparently a very high character guy, who teams love.
8:50 p.m.: Ezekiel Ansah just went off the board at No. 5. Johnson and Ansah have proven that experience doesn’t mean much in the NFL anymore.
Ansah only started playing football in 2010 after coming to BYU from Ghana. Ansah is a freak athlete at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds.
I personally wouldn’t take Ansah this high because he has high bust potential, but Ansah has incredible upside at defensive end. He didn’t produce much, but the hope is that he’ll improve with better coaching.
8:47 p.m.: If you’ve never seen Lane Johnson’s high school picture, well, you should change that immediately by clicking here.
8:43 p.m.: And with that, all three top offensive tackles are off the board. Johnson is a great fit for Chip Kelly’s offense in Philly.
Johnson played quarterback and tight end at junior college before transferring to Oklahoma. He ran a 4.7-second 40 at the combine at 300 pounds, which if you don’t know, is ridiculous.
Apparently this really is the year of the offensive tackle. Radio City Music Hall is playing the Rocky theme for Philadelphia. Classic.
8:38 p.m.: Jordan not only has some of the highest upside as a pass rusher, but he also has the versatility to drop into coverage.
Jordan has incredible speed for his size. He’s 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, he moves like a wide receiver and can cover like a safety.
The Dolphins gave up No. 12 and No. 42 for Jordan.
8:36 p.m.: And everyone, including myself, was wrong. The Dolphins traded up for Dion Jordan of Oregon. He was my No. 2 ranked player, so I love this move for Miami.
8:33 p.m.: The Dolphins have traded up with the Raiders for No. 3. Miami had No. 12.
This likely means the Dolphins take Lane Johnson and will pass on the trade for Branden Albert.
8:26 p.m.: Look at that, I’m a genius.
The Jags already have quite a left tackle on their roster in Eugene Monroe, and now they’ve got a great right tackle as well.
Joeckel is as close to a sure thing as you’re going to find in this draft. While they could have taken a more high impact player, Joeckel will get it done.
8:22 p.m.: Now the Jaguars are on the clock. If I were making the pick, it would be Dion Jordan, but I suspect Jacksonville further beefs up their line by taking Luke Joeckel.
Ryan Riddel of Bleacher Report, who played defensive end for the Raiders, Jets and Falcons, has made a strong case against taking tackles this high because they aren’t franchise changing players. I tend to agree with him. Joe Thomas is the best tackle in the NFL, and the Browns have always been terrible.
8:17 p.m.: That makes it official. The Chiefs have selected Eric Fisher No. 1 overall. He has experience at left and right tackle, and he likely has more upside than Luke Joeckel at the position due to athleticism.
The question marks that surround Fisher are mostly competition based. He played in the MAC at Central Michigan. He also has a tendency to get a bit high, but technique can be fixed in the NFL.
It’s not an exciting pick for KC, but it certainly fits a need at left or right tackle, depending on what happens with Branden Albert.
8:05 p.m.: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
That’s what we’re hearing so far. Because Roger Goodell is on stage. Boston got a strong cheer from the New York crowd, followed by a hearty “U-S-A” chant after Goodell gave the city a shout out.
The Chiefs are officially on the clock.
7:55 p.m.: We’re five minutes from the Chiefs being on the clock. Here are the top story lines we’re watching:
-Where do the quarterbacks fall?
-How many teams are able to trade out?
-Who’s the No. 1 pick? The rumor is Fisher, but we won’t know for sure until the pick is announced.
7:30 p.m.: Even though Tavon Austin is the top player on Bills’ board, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Rams are talking to Buffalo about trading up for the West Virginia wide receiver.
So, if the Bills were just throwing out a smokescreen about Austin, it worked. Congratulations, Buddy Nix.
There were rumors that the Patriots have received interest in quarterback Ryan Mallett from multiple teams. The only team that has been mentioned were the Browns. Bill Belichick’s buddy Mike Lombardi is Cleveland’s new general manager, so do you really think that information would leak to the press before the trade was pulled off? Doubtful. Smells like smoke to me.
7:20 p.m.: With so many teams looking to trade down, and with the new rookie contracts, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Patriots move up. Moving down with a team looking to trade into the back end of the first round to grab a quarterback may still be the mostly likely scenario for New England, though.
The Patriots have just five picks in this draft — a first, second, third and two sevenths.
7:07 p.m.: There are now multiple reports that Kansas City will take Eric Fisher, though the Central Michigan offensive tackle says he has not heard from the Chiefs in over a month. It’s very rare for a MAC player to go in the first round. According to Fisher on NFL Network, the highest-drafted MAC player was Byron Leftwich at No. 7 overall in 2003.
6:30 p.m.: Pro Football Talk is reporting the Chiefs will grab Eric Fisher with the No. 1 overall pick. This week, the reports were that the Chiefs would take Fisher if they couldn’t move Branden Albert and Luke Joeckel if they could. It appears KC and Miami are still working out a deal for Albert, so we’ll believe the Chiefs are taking Fisher when the commish says it up at the podium.
There were a number of other rumors flying around today on Twitter. D.J. Hayden could be a top five pick, Tavon Austin is reportedly the Bills’ top player on their board and every team wants to trade down, but very few are interested in trading up.
While Fisher should be a quality player in the league, it would be difficult to find a less exciting No. 1 overall pick. That’s typical for an offensive linemen, but Fisher received very little buzz as a No. 1 pick until recently. The need is certainly there, but history suggests that offensive tackles are not franchise changing players.
8 a.m. ET: The best football event of the year that doesn’t include any actual football is finally here.
Sometime around 8:10 p.m., the first pick will be announced, and the 2013 NFL Draft will be up and running. This year’s draft in particular is a deep one, but it doesn’t include many top-tier prospects. Tackles and pass rushers are supposed to fly off the board early and often, and no one seems to know when the first quarterbacks will be taken or even who in particular they will be.
Plenty of teams in the Top 10 need a quarterback, but the biggest question is whether any of the available players are worth taking that high. Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib, Matt Barkley and E.J. Manuel are expected to be the first off the board.
The Patriots select at No. 29, which will likely be sometime around 10:30 p.m., but don’t be surprised if the team either trades up or down before then. New England’s biggest needs are at wide receiver, cornerback and pass rusher, although a linebacker, defensive tackle or offensive linemen could also be taken if the right player is available.
Check back here for all the updates and analysis on the draft throughout the night.
