A Review of the 2013 NFL Draft--AFC

The 2013 NFL Draft, held April 25-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, lacked the same brilliant prospects at skill positions as last year -- but it offered a lot potential for teams looking to bolster their offensive and defensive lines. Here's a look at how AFC teams drafted:

The Kansas City Chiefs held the 1st overall pick and took offensive tackle Eric Fisher from Central Michigan. Fisher was viewed as the top tackle prospect and should have a very long career in the NFL. The Chiefs other draft picks were Travis Kelce, Knile Davis, Nico Johnson, Sanders Commings, Eric Kush, Braden Wilson, and Mike Catapano.

The Jacksonville Jaguars held the 2nd overall pick in the draft and took offensive tackle Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. At 6’6” and 306 pounds, Joeckel should be able to provide great protection for quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars other draft picks were John Cyprien, Dwayne Gratz, Ace Sanders, Denard Robinson, Josh Evans, Jeremy Harris, and Demetrius McCray.

The Miami Dolphins traded up in the draft and selected defensive end Dion Jordan from Oregon with the 3rd overall pick. Jordan has a rare combination of size and speed, and should be able to provide a consistent edge rush for the Dolphins. Miami's other draft picks were Jamar Taylor, Dallas Thomas, Will Davis, Jelani Jenkins, Dion Sims, Mike Gillislee, Caleb Sturgis, and Don Jones.

The Cleveland Browns held the 6th overall pick and took defensive end Barkevious Mingo from LSU. Mingo should be able to immediately pressure the quarterback and provide a spark for the team. The Browns other draft selections were Leon McFadden, Jamoris Slaughter, Armonty Bryant, and Garrett Gilkey.

The New York Jets held the 9th and 13th overall picks. They took cornerback Dee Milliner from Alabama and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson from Missouri in the first round. These picks were somewhat surprising because of the lack of offensive threats that the Jets currently have on their roster. The Jets other picks were Geno Smith, Brian Winters, Oday Aboushi, William Campbell, and Tommy Bohanon.

The Tennessee Titans took offensive guard Chance Warmack from Alabama with the 10th overall pick. Warmack should be able to open up running lanes for the Titans running backs. The Titans other draft picks were Justin Hunter, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Zaviar Gooden, Brian Schwenke, Lavar Edwards, Khalid Wooten, and Daimion Stafford.

The San Diego Chargers held the 11th overall pick and they took offensive tackle D.J. Fluker from Alabama. Fluker should be able to provide protection for Philip Rivers immediately. The Chargers other draft picks were Manti Te’o, Keenan Allen, Steve Williams, Tourek Williams, and Brad Sorensen.

The Oakland Raiders -- who have had some of the worst drafts imaginable during the past two decades -- took cornerback D.J. Hayden from the University of Houston with the 12th overall pick. This pick was somewhat surprising because many experts considered other cornerbacks to be better than Hayden. (Then again, it's the Raiders so we sort of expect these type of mind-boggling moves.) Hayden had a medical issue last November but managed to make a full recovery. The Raiders other draft picks were Menelik Watson, Sio Moore, Tyler Wilson, Nick Kasa, Latavius Murray, Mychal Rivera, Stacy McGee, Brian Butler, and David Bass. 

The Buffalo Bills selected quarterback EJ Manuel with the 16th overall pick in the draft. Manuel played at Florida State and is a great athlete but some question his accuracy. This pick was seen by many experts as being a reach. The Bills other draft picks were Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso, Marquise Goodwin, Duke Williams, Jonathan Meeks, Dustin Hopkins, and Chris Gragg.

The Pittsburgh Steelers held the 17th overall pick and took outside linebacker Jarvis Jones from Georgia. Jones was drafted to eventually replace James Harrison in the Steelers 3-4 defense. The Steelers also drafted Le’Veon Bell, Markus Wheaton, Shamarko Thomas, Landry Jones, Terry Hawthorne, Justin Brown, Vince Williams, and Nick Williams.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected tight end Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame with the 21st overall pick. Eifert was a standout at Notre Dame and should fit in well with the Bengals other offensive weapons. The Bengals also drafted Giovani Bernard, Margus Hunt, Shawn Williams, Sean Porter, Tanner Hawkinson, Rex Burkhead, Cobi Hamilton, Reid Fragel, and T.J. Johnson.

The Indianapolis Colts held the 24th overall pick and took defensive end Bjoern Werner from Florida State. Werner should be able to step in and help replace recently departed defensive end Dwight Freeney. The Colts also drafted Hugh Thornton, Khaled Holmes, Montori Hughes, John Boyett, Kerwynn Williams, and Justice Cunningham.

The Houston Texans selected wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson with the 27th overall pick. Hopkins should be a productive weapon for quarterback Matt Schaub. Hopkins most likely will be the Texans secondary receiving option behind Andre Johnson. The Texans other draft picks were D.J. Swearinger, Brennan Williams, Sam Montgomery, Trevardo Williams, David Quessenberry, Alan Bonner, Chris Jones, and Ryan Griffin.

The Denver Broncos held the 28th overall pick and selected defensive tackle Sylvester Williams from North Carolina. Williams projects to contribute immediately for the Broncos up front. The Broncos other draft picks were Montee Ball, Kayvon Webster, Quanterus Smith, Tavarres King, Vinston Painter, and Zac Dysert.

The Baltimore Ravens selected safety Matt Elam from Florida with the 32nd overall pick. Baltimore was rumored to be interested in Elam before the draft so it wasn’t surprising that they selected him. Elam will be an immediate replacement for recently departed safety Ed Reed. The Ravens other draft picks were Arthur Brown, Brandon Williams, John Simon, Kyle Juszczyk, Ricky Wagner, Karpron Lewis-Moore, Ryan Jensen, Aaron Mellette, and Marc Anthony.

The New England Patriots were the only AFC team to not have a first round selection in the 2013 draft. The Patriots traded out of the first round to acquire more picks later in the draft. The Patriots draft picks were Jamie Collins, Aaron Dobson, Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Josh Boyce, Michael Buchanan, and Steve Beauharnais.

 Although this draft lacked some high-end talent at the skill positions, there appeared to be plenty of solid players selected throughout the draft. In fact, this draft could go down as one of the most underrated drafts of recent memory. Time will tell us just how many stars and Pro Bowlers were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.         

By FeedCrossing.com