The future will begin Thursday for NFL teams and prospects alike when the 2013 NFL Draft takes place.
With a bevy of prospects from around the country lining up to be among the NFL's best next season, teams from around the NFL will try their luck in hoping that their picks will yield them a franchise-changing star. Last season's NFL drafted yielded two such picks in the Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck and the Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin, III.
Now, the Kansas City Chiefs own the top pick in the draft after finishing a woeful 2-14 and at the bottom of the AFC South. The Jacksonville Jaguars will pick second and the Oakland Raiders own the third pick. The picks of the litter will be in offensive tackes--Luke Joeckel, Lane Johnson and Eric Fisher--but there will also be some decent quarterbacks to chose from in Geno Smith and Ryan Nassib. Manti Te'o, the much-talked about Notre Dame defensive player, could be picked as well.
And the recent trade of Darrelle Revis from the New York Jets to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signals the Jets' turn to rebuilding with the ninth pick in the draft and another in the first round. All of these things will factor into who falls where as the night proceeds during the first round of the draft.
Latinos Post breaks down the projections for the top picks during the 2013 NFL draft:
1. Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, T, Texas A&M
With Alex Smith locked into Kansas City via trade, the Chiefs should probably look to shore up their defense, and Joeckel, a standout at Texas A&M could be the man for the job.
2. Jaguars - Dion Jordan, LB/DE, Oregon
The Jaguars finished a miserable 2-14 at the bottom of the AFC West. Looking to retool, particularly in the pass rush-where they struggled last year--they could likely go with Jordan, a young player with tremendous upside who fits in well under new head coach Gus Bradley's defense in the Leo position.
3. Raiders - Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
Floyd, who is looking like a standout at the defensive tackle position, could fill a need in the Raiders' scheme due to the losses of Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly.
4. Eagles - Eric Fisher, T, Central Michigan
After their high-spending free agency period in 2011 has officially been a bust, the Eagles will need to up their offensive line, and signing Fischer, an athletic and versatile tackle from Central Michigan, could fill that void nicely.
5. Lions - Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
Projected as the best cornerback in the draft, Milliner and Joe Hayden could potentially form a great combination on defense for Detroit.
6. Browns - Ezekiel Ansah, DE/LB, BYU
In need of shoring up on the defensive side of things, the Browns could opt to go with Ansah, who was an effective pass rusher at Brigham Young and could help turn things around on defense.
7. Cardinals - Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
A stud quarterback at West Virginia, Smith could be snatched up by the Cardinals, or possibly by the Bills should he fall that far. It would be intriguing if he slipped into the Jets' clutches at 10, making the already competitive quarterback race there even more interesting.
8. Bills - Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
After Jim Kelly and Doug Flutie, Nassib would have some big shoes to fill in the Bills' lore of quarterback excellence, but it's not hard to see Nassib slipping into this spot for the Bills to pick.
9. Jets - Barkevious Mingo, DE/LB, LSU
The Jets could opt to go with a big defensive end and Mingo could add some much-needed bite to the Jets' front line, adding a powerful pass rusher to their corps.
10. Titans - Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma
Johnson would add a top defensive piece to the Titans, assuming that they can get him at the pick should he not be swept up in the top five as some reports are projecting him.
11. Chargers - Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia
12. Dolphins - Chance Warmack, G, Alabama
13. Jets - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
14. Panthers - Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
15. Saints - Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
16. Rams - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
17. Steelers - Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
18. Cowboys - D.J. Fluker, T, Alabama
19. Giants - Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
20. Bears - Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia
21. Bengals - Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida Stat
22. Rams - Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina
23. Vikings - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
24. Colts -Matt Elam, S, Florida
25. Vikings - Keenan Allen, WR, Cal
26. Packers - D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
27. Texans - DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
28. Broncos - Menelik Watson, T, Florida State
29. Patriots - Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
30. Falcons - Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
31. 49ers - Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
32. Ravens -Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
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