2013 NFL Draft: Winners, Losers of the First Round
2013 NFL Draft: First-Round Winners & Losers
On Thursday night, the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft came and went with a number of the usual surprises, but also a number of solid selections.
With every NFL Draft comes the analysis of the picks and selections after the fact. Who were the winners of the first round? Who were the losers of the first round? Well, let's dive into some of these questions.
From some questionable decisions by the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys to the strong selections by the Saint Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings, we examine some of the better picks of the first round, as well as the head-scratchers.
Of course the NFL Draft is all about finding the next great thing, but it's also about finding the right fit. Some organizations addressed issues early and often, while others simply drafted based off the top talents that were available. The expectations from here however, will do their talking on the field.
Without further ado, let's dive into some of the picks from Thursday night's opening round.
Who got it right?
Who got it wrong?
Here are the top 10 winners and loser of the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft:
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Winner: Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Cooper, OG
The Arizona Cardinals have already acquired Carson Palmer this off-season and in order for him to be successful, he will need to be protected. Jonathan Cooper was a great selection at No. 7 overall because of his ability to do just that.
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals - Tyler Eifert, TE
Tyler Eifert is a great first round talent, but why did the Cincinnati Bengals select him? I guess they now have a compliment to emerging tight end Jermaine Gresham and another target for quarterback Andy Dalton, but that still doesn't warrant a first round pick.
Winner: Saint Louis Rams - Tavon Austin, WR
The Saint Louis Rams traded up to No. 8 overall and selected the man that they wanted. Tavon Austin is a perfect addition to the Rams' receiving core and should have no trouble impacting the Saint Louis offense in his rookie season.
Loser: Buffalo Bills - E.J. Manuel, QB
Okay, so this could someday turn into a solid pick, but the Buffalo Bills completely overshot the No. 16 overall pick. E.J. Manuel became the first and only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft -- wait, what?
Winner: New York Jets - Dee Milliner, CB
Just days after shipping Darrelle Revis off to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Jets made one of the better picks of the first round with Alabama CB Dee Milliner. Less than 24 hours after being selected he's already being compared to Revis, but the although that may not be fair, it's New York.
Loser: New York Giants - Justin Pugh, OT
The New York Giants picked up a pretty good prospect in OT Justin Pugh, but it's too much of an overshot. The Giants could have traded down and still got Pugh later in the round or even later in the draft as a whole.
Winner: Houston Texans - DeAndre Hopkins, WR
The Houston Texans need a strong compliment opposite of Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins could very well turn out to be that guy. The Texans drafted on need and picked up a nice addition with the No. 27 overall selection.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys - Travis Frederick, C
The Dallas Cowboys traded down in the first round and selected Wisconsin C Travis Frederick with the No. 31 overall pick. This bizarre move speaks for itself -- it was bonehead move by the Cowboys on Thursday night.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens - Matt Elam, S
The Baltimore Ravens lost Ed Reed to the Houston Texans this past off-season, so what did they do in the first round of the NFL Draft? Address that need by taking Matt Elam. Great move by the Ravens.
Loser: Oakland Raiders - D.J. Hayden, CB
The Oakland Raiders got a nice addition to their secondary by drafting D.J. Hayden on Thursday night, but after trading down once, they may have still over-drafted him. Oakland got their man, but did they make the right move in how they acquired him?
Winner: Minnesota Vikings - Sharrif Floyd, DT
Sharrif Floyd had the potential to be selected as high as the top five, but the Florida DT plummeted on Thursday night. Say hello to the Minnesota Vikings who may just have got the biggest steal in the first round at No. 23 overall.
Loser: Green Bay Packers - Datone Jones, DE
The Green Bay Packers made a solid choice with UCLA DE Datone Jones, but they passed on Alabama running back Eddie Lacy who would've filled a big need in the team's offense.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts - Bjoern Werner, DE
There was absolutely no backlash for the Indianapolis Colts' choice of Bjoern Werner and rightfully so. Werner fills a need on the Colts' defensive line and has the potential to be a star at the next level.
Loser: Minnesota Vikings - Cordarrelle Patterson, WR
The Minnesota Vikings had a pretty good draft on Thursday night, making a few moves and acquiring three first round talents. Overall, it was a good night, but was their last move to acquire WR Cordarrelle Patterson a bit too much? The Vikings traded four draft picks to the New England Patriots in exchange for the one they used on Patterson.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Fisher, OT
The Kansas City Chiefs had the No. 1 overall pick and could have selected anyone. They went with Central Michigan OT Eric Fisher -- a fine selection to bolster that offensive line for newly acquired quarterback Alex Smith.
Loser: San Diego Chargers - D.J. Fluker, OT
The San Diego Chargers made a decent pick in acquiring OT D.J. Fluker however, is he going to be able withstand quicker lineman? The Chargers really could've done more with the value of their No. 12 pick, considering they desperately need wide receivers, for example.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles - Lane Johnson, OT
The Philadelphia Eagles addressed a need and made a great choice with the No. 4 overall selection. Lane Johnsonshould instantly impact the Eagles' offensive line in 2013.
Loser: Pittsburgh Steelers - Jarvis Jones, OLB
Jarvis Jones has continuously seen a decrease in his NFL stock since leaving Georgia, but maybe things will pan out with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then again, who knows.
Winner: Saint Louis Rams - Alec Ogletree, ILB
The Saint Louis Rams had a very nice day on Thursday and they capped off the evening by drafting Alec Ogletree with the No. 30 overall pick. Ogletree fills a need and has some very nice potential at the NFL level. Great move late in the night by the Rams.
Loser: New York Jets - Sheldon Richardson, DT
Okay, we get it. The New York Jets drafted Sheldon Richardson simply because of the fact that he was available at No. 13 and had been decently high on their draft board. However, it's not the best fit and the Jets did not address their offense with either first round pick. A quarterback or potentially TE Tyler Eifert could have been better choices for the Jets at No. 13.
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