2013 NFL Draft: Top 5 First-Round Surprises
After 32 picks, the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft has come to a close and it's time to recap with the top five surprises from the first round. The first two draftees were no surprises and while the order may have flip-flopped, it was nowhere near the top of the surprise board. Teams of all calibers made moves on Thursday night, however some put themselves in better positions than others.
For instance, the Miami Dolphins were the talk of the offseason by bringing in multiple free agent stars and they didn't falter in the New York limelight. At pick 12 the 'Fins had plenty of options, but decided to trade up in the draft and landed the third overall pick via the Oakland Raiders. The move looked like a precursor to the organization replacing left tackle Jake Long, who departed via free agency, with ex-Oklahoma Sooner Lane Johnson. Bucking the trend of offensive linemen, Miami decided to take a risk and go defense by selecting defensive end Dion Jordan, who was seen as the best defensive athlete in the draft -- Jordan would have likely been gone by the time pick number 12 rolled around.
While the Dolphins attempted to snag the next Jason Taylor, the St. Louis Rams traded in hopes that they have the next Wes Welker on their team. Danny Amendola left for free agency this offseason, so the Rams were headstrong in finding his replacement in Tavon Austin. At 5-foot-8 the hybrid RB/WR is an absolute juggernaut who hopes to be lining up alongside Sam Bradford for quite some time. Keep in mind this is the first time since Torry Holt that the Rams have selected a wideout in the first round.
These are just two teams who made some questionable moves in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft -- stay tuned to see what waves are made in the later rounds.
No RBs Taken in First Round
The NFL is a passing league, but for the first time in 50 years no running back was taken in the first round. Eddie Lacy looked like a sure thing to me, but this is just more evidence that NFL teams couldn't care less about the running game!
Sharrif Floyd Falls
Sharrif Floyd was supposed to be a top 5 pick as a big defensive tackle out of Florida, but he waited until pick 23 to get his name called. The Vikings look like the early winners, but let's wait and see if Floyd was worth that top five tag.
Rams Trade Up, Take Tavon Austin at No. 8 Overall
Tavon Austin was the top wide receiver heading into this draft and the St. Louis Rams traded up eight spots just to snag the 5-foot-8 jack-of-all-trades. Austin is far from a sure thing, but giving Sam Bradford another weapon is always a good idea.
Dolphins Trade Up, Take Dion Jordan at No. 3 Overall
When the Miami Dolphins traded up from pick 12 to pick 3, Lane Johnson was sure to be the guy. Shocking the world, the 'Fins went with Dion Jordan as a quick pass rusher to help slow down guys like Tom Brady. Johnson was undoubtedly the smart pick but Miami thinks it has the next James Taylor.
EJ Manuel Only QB Taken in First Round
We knew that a team from New York would do something stupid, but who would have guessed it would be the Buffalo Bills? Dealing from pick 8 to 16 the Bills selected E.J. Manuel, who was seen as the fourth best QB in this draft and would have definitely been available in the second round. In two years when Doug Marrone is out of a job, we will all know why.
