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Pete Schrager of CBS Sports recently released his latest 2013 NFL mock draft and I always find him interesting because he seemingly pays no attention to what others are doing. How often do we see all mocks looking the same? Not with Schrager. He takes a very objective and fresh look at the draft and that's something I can appreciate.
So you'll see some real "surprises" in here that deviate from the typical mocks in recent weeks. He's got 3 QBs going in the top 10 with 2 guys not named Geno Smith coming off the board first. Kyle Long makes an appearance in the first round... It's a fun one.
For the Eagles, his pick is actually not unfamiliar at all. It's Alabama CB Dee Milliner.
Michael Vick will be Chip Kelly's starting quarterback in 2013. Will Nick Foles be Vick's backup? We'll see how the Eagles proceed in the coming weeks, but regardless of who's under center or the understudy to the guy who's under center - the Eagles need to improve their defensive backfield. Nnamdi Asomugha's best days are behind him, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie can't tackle, and the rest of the corners are just "guys." Milliner isn't just a "guy," he's the next in a long line of great Alabama corners to enter the NFL Draft. He'll be a good fit in Philly - playing for whomever's coaching them next season.
Schrager is right that Milliner is the next in a long line of great Alabama CBs to enter the NFL... But it's worth noting that very few if any of these have turned into good pros. I don't think Milliner is a bad player, but I do struggle to see how he's a top 5 pick. To me, this would be a reach for need for the Eagles, which is something Howie Roseman has vowed he's not going to do again.
Related: 2013 NFL Mock Draft database
| Pick | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State |
| 3 | Oakland Raiders | Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama |
| 5 | Detroit Lions | Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns | Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State |
| 8 | Buffalo Bills | Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia |
| 9 | NY Jets | Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah |
| 10 | Tennessee Titans | Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers | Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan |
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State |
| 14 | Carolina Panthers | Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee |
| 15 | New Orleans Saints | Dion Jordan, OLB/DE, Oregon |
| 16 | St. Louis Rams | Keenan Allen, WR, California |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Manti Te'o, MLB, Notre Dame |
| 18 | Dallas Cowboys | Chance Warmack, G, Alabama |
| 19 | NY Giants | Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida |
| 20 | Chicago Bears | Lane Johnson, LT, Oklahoma |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Alex Okafor, DE, Texas |
| 22 | St Louis Rams (from WAS) | Kyle Long, OT, Oregon |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | John Jenkins, DT, Georgia |
| 24 | Indianapolis Colts | Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama |
| 25 | Seattle Seahawks | Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia |
| 26 | Green Bay Packers | Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia |
| 27 | Houston Texans | Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama |
| 29 | New England Patriots | Matt Elam, S, Florida |
| 30 | Atlanta Falcons | Xavier Rhodes CB, Florida State |
| 31 | Baltimore Ravens | Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford |
| 32 | San Francisco 49ers | Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri |