2013 NFL Free Agent Mock Draft

NFL Free Agency is set to begin March 12, and teams are already trying to figure out which players to target.  I've devised a fun little Mock Draft where the teams can draft impending free agents.  The teams are ordered from most cap space to least cap space (at the start of the offseason).  Without furthur ado, the first NFL Free Agent Mock Draft.

1. Cincinnati Bengals- Jairus Byrd, S, Bills- Byrd is an elite Safety, and the Bengals need to improve the back end of the secondary even if they retain Nate Clements.

2. Cleveland Browns- Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens- The Browns get to take Flacco off the Ravens and replace Brandon Weeden.  Too bad this isn’t real.

3. Indianapolis Colts-Ryan Clady, OT, Broncos- Andrew Luck gets the blindside protector he needs.

4. Miami Dolphins- Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs- Ryan Tannehill needs more receivers even if Brian Hartline re-signs.  Bowe has some baggage but is a complete receiver.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Henry Melton, DT, Bears- Melton would give the Bucs a great interior rusher to pair with Gerald McCoy.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars-Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers- The Jags’ receiving corps is awful.  Mike Wallace had a down year but should bounce back.

7. Buffalo Bills-Andy Levitre, G, Bills- The Bills opt to keep Levitre, one of the better Guards in the NFL.

8. Tennessee Titans- Dashon Goldson, S, 49ers- Goldson is an ideal complement to Michael Griffin, and could help the Titans improve a shaky secondary.

9. Seattle Seahawks- Cliff Avril, DE, Lions- Chris Clemons is replaced with Avril, a dynamic edge rusher.

10. New England Patriots- Sebastian Vollmer, OT, Patriots- Vollmer is a pure Right Tackle and the Pats need to re-sign him.

11. Denver Broncos- Jake Long, OT, Dolphins- Jake Long’s injury woes make him a risk, but the Broncos need to replace Clady if he leaves.

12. Kansas City Chiefs- Branden Albert, OT, Chiefs- The Chiefs can keep Albert in this situation and have more flexibility with the top pick.  If Albert leaves, Luke Joeckel is almost a shoo-in at #1.

13. Minnesota Vikings- Greg Jennings, WR, Packers- The Vikings steal a familiar foe from the rival Packers.  Even before the Percy Harvin shenanigans, WR was a big need in Minny.

14. Baltimore Ravens- Paul Kruger, OLB, Ravens- The Ravens keep Kruger on the opposite side of Terrell Suggs.

15. Chicago Bears- Andre Smith, OT, Bengals- The Bears need all the O-Line help they can get, and Andre Smith is a dominant RT.

16. Houston Texans- Wes Welker, WR, Patriots- The Texans need WR help next to Andre Johnson and turn to Welker, the game’s most productive slot receiver.

17. San Diego Chargers- William Beatty, OT, Giants- Beatty is a serviceable Left Tackle and serviceable is a huge upgrade over what Phillip Rivers has now.

18. Green Bay Packers- Randy Starks, DT, Dolphins- Starks could move to DE in a 3-4 scheme and help the Packers against the run and the pass.

19. Philadelphia Eagles- Aqib Talib, CB, Patriots- Corner is a huge need in Philly and Talib played himself into a nice payday this season.

20. Atlanta Falcons- Anthony Spencer, OLB, Cowboys- Spencer would move to DE in Atlanta’s 4-3 scheme.  The Falcons need a pass rusher and Spencer is coming off his best season yet.

21. San Fransisco 49ers- Sean Smith, CB, Dolphins- The 49ers could have used a corner better than Chris Culliver in the Super Bowl.  Sean Smith is a solid coverage guy.

22. St. Louis Rams- Jermon Bushrod, OT, Saints- Bushrod can play either tackle spot and is a force in the run game.  The Rams could pair him with Roger Saffold.

23. Arizona Cardinals- Phil Loadholt, OT, Vikings- The Cardinals need some experienced tackles and Loadholt is a capable RT in this league.

24. Detroit Lions- Michael Johnson, DE, Bengals- Michael Johnson is a talented natural pass rusher, and Detroit could use him to replace Avril if he leaves.

25. New York Giants- Dwight Freeney, DE, Colts- The Giants Super Bowl window is still wide open and Freeny could step into Osi’s place and help them back into contention. 

26. Pittsburgh Steelers-Reggie Bush, RB, Dolphins- Bush would give the Steelers a real starting caliber running back and replace some of Mike Wallace’s playmaking as a whole.

27. Carolina Panthers- Michael Bennett, DE, Bucs- The Panthers need help in a lot of places on D, and Michael Bennett has been a good pass rusher in that division.

28. Washington Redskins- Ed Reed, S, Ravens- The Redskins have holes in their secondary, and assuming RG3 comes back fine, Reed could be coaxed into them being contenders.

29. Oakland Raiders- Phillip Wheeler, OLB, Raiders- The Raiders don’t have many bright spots, but Wheeler is an up and comer that they have developed.

30. New Orleans Saints- Kenny Phillips, S, Giants- The Saints defense is abominable but Phillips is a quality safety that could help them rebuild.

31. Dallas Cowboys- Jason Jones, DT, Seahawks- Moving to a 4-3 and in need of Defensive Tackles, the Cowboys could pick up Jones as a pass rusher on the interior.

32. New York Jets- Louis Delmas, S, Lions- The Jets could stand for help at the Safety position.  Delmas is an injury risk but has shown flashes of pro bowl talent.