Just like every year the 2013 NFL Draft was full of surprises. It does not take lake long for all the mock drafts to go flying out the window thanks to what happens at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is what makes it one of the most interesting events of the year.
It didn’t take long for the first trade to take place on Thursday as the Miami Dolphins moved all the way up to the number three selection to pick Oregon outside linebacker Dion Jordan. Playing in the same division as Tom Brady it seems the Dolphins want to put Jordan on the opposite side of Cameron Wake to try and put more pressure on Brady and other quarterbacks that they face.
The biggest shocker of the draft might have been the first quarterback taken this year in the middle of the first round. The Buffalo Bills traded down from the eighth to the 16th selection as the St. Louis Rams moved up to snag West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. Buffalo used their selection to pick EJ Manuel out of Florida State, who would end up being the only quarterback taken in the first round.
Many people felt the Bills could’ve grabbed Manuel in the second or third round but they decided to get the quarterback they felt was the best quarterback with their first chance. What made the move even more surprising was that Geno Smith, quarterback out of West Virginia, was still on the board and regarded by some as the best quarterback in the draft. He ended up not being drafted until the second round when the New York Jets decided to make him their newest member.
Quarterbacks continued to fall in the draft. Matt Barkley, out of USC, was regarded as a possible first round prospect but ended up not being drafted until the fourth round by Philadelphia. Ryan Nassib, out of Syracuse, was thought by some to be reunited with head coach Doug Marrone in Buffalo in the first round but ending up being taken in the fourth round by the New York Giants.
Another shocking first round move was made by the Dallas Cowboys. After trading down with the San Francisco 49ers the Cowboys drafted center Travis Frederick, who wasn’t expecting to be drafted until the second round.
This was the first draft since 1963 where a running back was not taken in the first round. No running back was taken until Giovani Bernard, out of North Carolina, was drafted to the Cincinnati Bengals early in the second round. Running back Montee Ball, who smashed touchdown records at Wisconsin, was also taken in the second round. Eddie Lacy, running back out of Alabama, was considered by some to be the best running back in the draft but ended up being the fourth one taken. He was drafted by the Green Bay packers with the 29th selection in the second round.
Linebacker Manti Te’o out of Notre Dame, one of the bigger names in this year’s draft, ended up going in the second round to the San Diego Chargers. Te’o had an impressive senior season at Notre Dame, finishing as the runner up in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu out of LSU, nicknamed as “Honey Badger”, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round and will be reunited with former LSU teammate Patrick Peterson. Another notable player Marcus Lattimore, running back from South Carolina, who has suffered two major injuries in the past two years, went to the San Francisco 49ers late in the fourth round.
