Well, there were a ton of surprises on Thursday night. A total of five trades took place, while both the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears reached for marginal mid-round talents. This means that players of certain value fell completely out of the first day.
Lets take a look at the top remaining prospects in the 2013 NFL draft. We will also provide you with the best fits for each player.
12. Geno Smith, Quarterback, West Virginia
While I did have a first-round grade on E.J. Manuel, I didn't believe that he would actually be the first quarterback off the board. We also didn't believe that just one quarterback would be selected on the first day. This leaves Smith (have to feel bad for him) ripe for the picking early on day two.
I don't see Jacksonville pulling the trigger here, which means that we could be looking at a trade-up scenario. In addition, I am not sold on Geno actually being the next quarterback off the board considering the seemingly endless love for Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib around NFL circles. If a team is looking to move up to 33 in order to select the West Virginia product, the Jaguars will likely listen. Likely Landing Spot(s): Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets
18. Jonathan Cyprien, Safety, Florida International
Cyprien was my No. 1 strong safety in the draft class, but the Baltimore Ravens picked up Matt Elam at 32. This threw a wrench into where I projected the small-school product to go. In addition, San Francisco going FS over SS in a trade up with the Cowboys forced this type of drop.
Make no mistake about it, Cyprien is a day-one starter and one of the best values available at the early point in the draft. He is an absolute stud in the defensive backfield. Likely Landing Spot(s): San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals
21. Arthur Brown, Linebacker, Kansas State
Again, a top positional player remains on the board here. I have Brown as the No. 1 inside linebacker and someone who could move outside in multiple schemes. The St. Louis Rams obviously didn't believe so when they picked Alec Ogletree after a trade down with the Atlanta Falcons.
Brown is a solid sideline-to-sideline linebacker who possesses rare athletic ability for someone that that isn't a first-day pick. His upside is unlimited. Likely Landing Spot(s): Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders
22. Kevin Minter, Linebacker, Louisiana State
Another first-round inside linebacker prospect falls to day two. Any team looking to fill a need at this position has to be in a happy place right now. In terms of ceiling, Minter probably isn't day-one talent. In terms of where he is now, he most definitely is a top-25 pick. Likely Landing Spots: San Diego Chargers, New York Giants and Chicago Bears
23. Cornelius Carradine, Defensive End, Florida State
Sans the ACL injury last season, "Tank" is a top-five pick. His medicals seems to check out late in the draft process, but that wasn't enough for teams to take a "chance" on him in day one. The Florida State product is equally as good against the run as he is collapsing the pocket. He is also a schematic fit in both the 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes. I am honestly at a loss of words that the Denver Broncos (Sylvester Williams) and Dallas Cowboys (Travis Frederick) passed up on him. That makes absolutely no sense to me. Likely Landing Spot(s): Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans
24. Johnathan Hankins, Defensive Tackle, Ohio State
I am much higher on Hankins than a lot of "mainstream experts." I see someone who can play a multitude of roles in both the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. To me, he would have been a better fit for the Broncos (Williams) and Indianapolis Colts (Bjoern Werner). As it is, some team will be happy: Likely Landing Spot(s): Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
26. Johnthan Banks, Cornerback, Mississippi State
Physical corner who saw his draft stock tumble because of a lackluster 40-time at the combine. Give me a break here. Are some NFL teams that stuck on generic drills? Banks is a football player, plain and simple. He will not have an issue covering wide receivers on the outside. Likely Landing Spots(s): Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers
30. Manti Te'o, Linebacker, Notre Dame
I really thought Te'o was going to go off the board between picks No. 20 and 32. Instead, teams passed up on the enigmatic young linebacker. He is a darn good football player who will star in the NFL as a starting inside linebacker for the next decade. Again, this makes little sense. Likely Landing Spot(s): Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Chicago Bears.
31. Da'Rick Rogers, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Tech
I went out on a ledge and said that the Patriots would select Rogers with the No. 29 pick. We have no idea if they were considering that after the traded out of the first round. I will say they were highly interested in him at that spot. Now that Rogers is in his more natural draft position of the second day, expect a lot of teams to be interested in what he offers. I absolutely love what he brings to the table. Likely Landing Spots: Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens