May 30th, 2013
Grading the Draft: San Francisco 49ers
Blessed with double-digit draft picks and roster depth that will make it impossible for more than a handful of rookies to make their Week 1 roster, the 49ers masterfully maneuvered their way through the draft by trading up for three of their first four picks. Even after using their later picks to move up for their main targets, San Francisco still managed to make 11 picks and the players they drafted should help the team either this year or in the future. Chris Tripodi breaks down one of this year’s best draft classes...
| Grading the Draft: Arizona Cardinals Held back by pathetic quarterback play last season, the Cardinals decided to trade for Carson Palmer rather than take a chance on any of this year’s QB prospects in the first two rounds. For a team with plenty of holes on both sides of the ball and a star receiver going to waste this was probably a wise move, especially after Arizona used their first pick to provide some protection for Palmer and whoever winds up succeeding him. Chris Tripodi breaks down the Arizona draft class... |
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| Grading the Draft: New Orleans Saints The Saints were a bit pick deficient entering the draft and came to the event with several needs on defense. Moving to a 3-4 next season, the team needed scheme specific players and did a good job drafting value most of the way through... |
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| Grading the Draft: Atlanta Falcons With a secondary that struggled in 2013 and Pro Bowl quarterbacks on two of the other three rosters in the NFC South, Atlanta decided to focus on upgrading their defensive backfield with their first two picks. They did just that with two cornerbacks who could be their starting tandem within a year or two but as Chris Tripodi reports below, the rest of their draft left something to be desired... |
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| Grading the Draft: Carolina Panthers With a new general manager, a head coach hanging on by a thread and holes on both sides of the ball, this was a critical draft for the Carolina Panthers. The bad news was the franchise had just five picks and needed maximum effect from all their selections... |
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Updated 4/23
| Rank | Rnd | Name | Pos | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st | Luke Joeckel Texas A&M | T | 3Jr |
| 2 | 1st | Dion Jordan Oregon | OLB | 5Sr |
| 3 | 1st | Eric Fisher Central Michigan | T | 4Sr |
| 4 | 1st | Star Lotulelei Utah | DT | 5Sr |
| 5 | 1st | Shariff Floyd Florida | DT | 3Jr |
| 6 | 1st | Ezekiel Ansah BYU | DE | 5Sr |
| 7 | 1st | Dee Milliner Alabama | CB | 3Jr |
| 8 | 1st | Barkevious Mingo LSU | OLB | 4Jr |
| 9 | 1st | Chance Warmack Alabama | G | 5Sr |
| 10 | 1st | Jonathan Cooper North Carolina | G | 5Sr |
| 11 | 1st | Lane Johnson Oklahoma | T | 5Sr |
| 12 | 1st | Bjoern Werner Florida State | DE | 3Jr |
| 13 | 1st | Sheldon Richardson Missouri | DT | 4Jr |
| 14 | 1st | Xavier Rhodes Florida State | CB | 4Jr |
| 15 | 1st | Jarvis Jones Georgia | OLB | 4Jr |
| 16 | 1st | D.J. Fluker Alabama | T | 4Jr |
| 17 | 1st | Kenny Vaccaro Texas | S | 4Sr |
| 18 | 1st | Cordarrelle Patterson Tennessee | WR | 3Jr |
| 19 | 1st | Tavon Austin West Virginia | WR | 4Sr |
| 20 | 1st | Cornellius Carradine Florida State | DE | 4Sr |
| 21 | 1st | Tyler Eifert Notre Dame | TE | 4Jr |
| 22 | 1st | Sylvester Williams North Carolina | DT | 4Sr |
| 23 | 1st | Datone Jones UCLA | DE | 5Sr |
| 24 | 1st | Geno Smith West Virginia | QB | 4Sr |
| 25 | 1st | Desmond Trufant Washington | CB | 4Sr |