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The 2013 NFL Draft class lacked the kind of excitement at the top that we saw back in 2012 with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

The 2014 class of draft-eligible prospects will certainly generate more buzz than this year's group.

Here are my top 25 draft-eligible prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft:

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

If Clowney were eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, he would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, there was some debate in the media whether Clowney should sit out the 2013 college football season in order to not allow the potential for injury to risk his draft stock for 2014.

As the top recruit out of high school, Clowney has lived up to the hype since stepping on the field for the Gamecocks. During the span of his two years as a student-athlete, Clowney has 21 sacks. The only three players with more sacks during that stretch have either graduated or left early for the NFL.

Last season, he was tied for third in the nation in sacks (13.0) and second in tackles for loss (23.5).

2. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

With the prototypical size (6'3" and 220 pounds) for the position, Bridgewater has all of the tools to be successful at the next level: a strong arm, intelligence, toughness and mobility.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

The sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts last year and finished with a 27-to-8 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

3. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Lewan was a first-team AP All-American last year with Luke Joeckel, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

4. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

As half of college football's best pair of bookend tackles last season, Matthews will move to the left side this year to protect Johnny Football's blind side. Some believe Matthews has the potential to be even better than Joeckel. Matthews' father Bruce was a 14-time Pro Bowler and a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

5. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation with 13.5 sacks in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0). With continued development, Barr has the potential to be a top-five pick in next year's draft.

6. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

Tied for third in the country in passes broken up (17) and seventh in passes defended (19), Roby was a second-team AP All-American as a sophomore and has the chance to be the top cornerback selected in the 2014 draft.

7. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

Lee, who is also a sprinter and high jumper on USC's track team, had a monster season as a sophomore as he posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

8. Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

Playing left tackle for the most talented offensive line in the country, Kouandjio was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Although he tore his ACL in the middle of his freshman season, Kouandjio made big strides ("leaps and bounds" as ex-teammate Chance Warmack called them) in his sophomore campaign.

9. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 (from 141.2).

10. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

If he declared early and entered the 2013 draft, Mosley would have likely been a first-round pick last year. Along with Jarvis Jones and Manti Te'o, Mosley was a first-team AP All-American selection at linebacker in 2012.

Not only did Mosley lead the national champions in tackles (99) last season, but he has the versatility to play multiple spots within the linebacking corps and excels in coverage.

11. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

Seferian-Jenkins is a matchup nightmare and the top tight end prospect in this year's draft class. In addition to tight end, Seferian-Jenkins has lined up at defensive end on pass-rushing situations and has also played basketball for the Huskies. He won't be playing basketball for them this season, though.

Although he was arrested for DUI back in March and is currently suspended from the team, he is expected to play this season and he has 11 months to stay out of trouble and put all of this behind him.

12. Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame

The top 3-4 defensive end in this year's draft class, Tuitt led the Irish in both sacks (12.0) and tackles for loss (13.0) last season.

13. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame

Strong at the point of attack, Nix was a huge reason (no pun intended) why the Irish ranked third in the nation in rushing defense. Despite his size (6-3, 340), Nix has excellent movement skills.

14. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

As a freshman, Watkins had 82 receptions for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. His sophomore campaign was slowed by suspension and some minor injuries as he was overshadowed by teammate DeAndre Hopkins, but he has the talent to be the second receiver off the board and potentially a top-10 pick next April.

15. Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

A third-team AP All-American last year, Verrett led the Big 12 in interceptions (six) and passes defended (20). At only 5'10", Verrett does not have the ideal size and length most teams covet in cornerbacks. That said, he is an extremely smooth and fluid athlete with the ability to close and make a play on the ball.

16. David Fales, QB, San Jose State

Fales began his collegiate career at Nevada behind now-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he transferred to a JUCO before ending up at San Jose State. In his first season with the Spartans, Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns and completed 72.5 percent of his pass attempts.

17. Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida

A former five-star recruit, Lynch led Notre Dame in sacks (5.5) as a true freshman in 2011. After transferring to South Florida to be closer to home, he sat the 2012 season out, but he has the potential to be a top-10 pick in 2014.

18. David Yankey, OT, Stanford

Yankey was a second-team AP All-American and winner of the Morris Trophy, best offensive lineman in the Pac 12, last season as a left tackle. He will move back inside to guard for Stanford this season and has played four of the five offensive line positions.

Stanford offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren has called Yankey the "best pulling offensive lineman in the country."

19. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas

Jeffcoat, the son of former Cowboys defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, saw his 2013 season end prematurely after he tore his pectoral muscle. Over his past 13 games (final seven games of 2012 and first six games last year), Jeffcoat has a total of 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

20. Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU

Especially after closing out the season with a dominant performance that included two defensive touchdowns in the Poinsettia Bowl, it was a bit of surprise that Van Noy returned to school for his senior season. Last year, Van Noy finished fourth in the nation in tackles for loss (22.0), tied for third in sacks (13.0) and tied for second in forced fumbles (six).

21. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

Ekpre-Olomu was a third-team All-American that ranked sixth in the country in passes defended (20) to go with his four interceptions including one returned for a score. In addition, he was tied for the lead in the Pac 12 with six forced fumbles last year.

22. Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida

With good size (6-1 and 189 pounds), Purifoy is an athletic corner that will be used as a two-way player in 2013. Gators coach Will Muschamp recently said, "Loucheiz is going to be a corner for us, but, at the end of the day, we've got to create a role for him because he is an explosive guy. He makes plays with the ball in his hands. He has tremendous ball skills."

23. Trent Murphy, DE/OLB, Stanford

A first-team All-Pac 12 choice at linebacker in 2012, Murphy had 10.0 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss, both of which led the Cardinal defense.

24. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014. Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing — both yards and touchdowns (21) — in the SEC.

25. Adrian Hubbard, OLB, Alabama

As a sophomore in 2012, Hubbard led the Crimson Tide in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (11.0). With excellent length and athleticism, Hubbard has the potential to take a big step forward in 2013.

Check out our early 2014 NFL Mock Draft. For more mocks, check out our 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database.

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Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since 1998 when Peyton Manning was selected with the first overall pick, 12 of the past 16 top overall draft picks have been quarterbacks.

If the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft is someone other than a quarterback, it will mark the first time since Peyton entered the league that consecutive top picks were not quarterbacks.

[Related: See historical list of past No. 1 picks]

While plenty will change over the next 51 weeks, here is how I see the first round next April:

1. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

The nation's top high school recruit as a senior, Clowney would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he were eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. Clowney became an instant national sensation on New Year's Day with his bone-crushing, fumble-forcing hit on Michigan's Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl.

A physical freak, Clowney was one of six players tied for third in the nation with 13.0 sacks in 2012. In addition, only Georgia's Jarvis Jones (24.5) had more tackles for loss than Clowney (23.5), who was tied for second with Arizona State's Will Sutton.

The only team with fewer sacks than the Raiders (25) last season was the Jaguars (20).

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

As much as I was surprised that the Jaguars did not draft a quarterback in 2013, I was as surprised that Arizona quarterback Matt Scott went undrafted. The Jags signed Scott as an undrafted free agent and it wouldn't surprise me if Scott ends the year as the team's starting quarterback.

If not, however, I don't expect them to pass on a potential franchise signal-caller in this year's draft.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. At 6-3 and 218 pounds, the sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts and finished with a 27:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Johnny Football might get more hype, but Bridgewater has as much, if not more, of a chance to be the first quarterback drafted assuming he declares early for the 2014 draft.

3. New York Jets (draft history) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC

It seemed possible that the Jets would draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks in 2013, but they used both on defense. Although Geno Smith fell to them in the second round, the Jets lack weapons for Smith.

Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, had a monster season. He led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

4. Arizona Cardinals (draft history) - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

Paired with Luke Joeckel as the bookend tackles protecting Johnny Football last year, Matthews will make the transition to the left side in 2013. The son of Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews, Matthews has a legitimate shot of being the first tackle off the board.

5. San Diego Chargers (draft history) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

The Chargers drafted their right tackle of the future in Alabama's D.J. Fluker in the first round and now they address the blind side.

Along with Matthews, Lewan surprised many when he decided to return to school for his senior season. As a junior in 2012, he was a first-team AP All-American with Joeckel. Lewan has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

6. Tennessee Titans (draft history) - Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

The biggest knock on Manziel, from a draft perspective, is he's not, well, the biggest quarterback. With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014.

Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing -- both yards and touchdowns (21) -- in the SEC.

The team's current mobile (but inconsistent) quarterback Jake Locker will be entering a walk year in 2014. With the team upgrading their interior offensive line in both free agency and the draft as well as adding an additional playmaker in Justin Hunter, Locker will need to step up in his third year to keep the team from possibly going in a different direction.

7. Buffalo Bills (draft history) - Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation in sacks (13.5) in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0).

8. Cleveland Browns (draft history) - Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

With a new front office and coaching staff, the Browns may go in a different direction from Brandon Weeden, who was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the previous regime.

Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 from 141.2.

- View the rest of our early 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft class is ex-LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.

Although he finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 2011, he was kicked off the team in 2012 for failing multiple drug tests and was arrested just six months ago on drug-related charges.

With Round 1 of the 2013 NFL Draft in the books, it's another former LSU cornerback that is making news for all of the wrong reasons.

Per KATC (Lafayette, LA), ex-LSU cornerback Tharold Simon was arrested in Eunice (LA) and charged with public intimidation, resisting an officer, and unnecessary noise violation.

When an officer asked him to move his car, which was blocking the street, Simon said "I own Eunice" and "I'm gonna buy these projects and you are gonna be mine."

He then reportedly "backed the vehicle in an aggressive manner" when he moved it. According to the report, he said the mayor would fire the officer if he wrote him a ticket.

The mayor, Rusty Moody, said that the ceremony to proclaim today "Tharold Simon Day" will continue as scheduled.

Initially, I had Simon projected as a fourth-round pick, but it would seem inevitable that he slips beyond that point after getting arrested on the weekend of (potentially) being picked (getting hired) by a team.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Carolina Panthers have selected Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with the 14th overall pick.

Drawing some comparisons to Ravens stud defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, Lotulelei has had a strong season this year although double and triple teams prevented him from putting up eye-popping stats.

Although a heart condition was discovered at the NFL scouting combine, he was cleared medically before the medical re-checks and he did not have to go back to the combine to get checked out medically.

As a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection in both 2011 and 2012, Lotulelei gives the Panthers a great value at this spot.

The Saints are on the clock with the 15th-overall pick ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The San Diego Chargers have selected Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker with the 11th overall pick.

Fluker makes it six offensive linemen selected within the first 11 picks and he's the third consecutive Alabama Crimson Tide player selected.

Although he is a right tackle, Fluker can also play inside at guard. The only quarterback to be sacked more over the past three seasons than Philip Rivers is Aaron Rodgers. Not only does the addition of Fluker help improve the protection of Rivers, but he helps Ryan Mathews in the running game.

The Raiders are on the clock with the 12th-overall pick ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With two first-round picks, the Jets used their first (ninth overall) to select Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner.

Milliner led the country in passes broken up (20) and was tied for first in passes defended (22) for the national champions. As a team, the Crimson Tide allowed only seven passing touchdowns while intercepting 19 passes last season. He ran a 4.37 forty at the combine and answered concerns about his straight-line speed.

Recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, Milliner is expected to start training camp on the PUP list.

Technically this pick wasn't the one received in exchange for trading Darrelle Revis to the Bucs, but Milliner will always be linked to Revis. Coincidentally, the Jets and Bucs will meet in Week 1 this season.

The Titans are on the clock with the tenth-overall pick ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Trading up to acquire the eighth overall pick from the Buffalo Bills, the St. Louis Rams selected West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin.

Not only is Austin explosive (4.34 forty), he is strong (14 reps of 225 pounds) for his size (174 pounds) and durable (never missed a practice at West Virginia). Austin has the ability to make huge plays any time he touches the ball whether he is lined up in the slot or backfield and in the return game.

Not only does Austin fill the void out of the slot created by the free-agent loss of Danny Amendola, but he does things that Amendola can't do.

Last year, Austin had six 100-yard receiving games including 215 yards against Baylor. In addition, he had a 344-yard rushing game (on 21 carries) against Oklahoma on 11/17.

The Jets are on the clock with the ninth-overall pick ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Arizona Cardinals selected North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

No team allowed more sacks last season than the Cardinals (58).

Cooper is an extremely athletic guard that has the versatility to also play center. He is the first guard selected in the top 10 since Northwestern's Chris Naeole was selected 10th overall by the Saints back in 1997.

The Bills were on the clock with the eighth-overall pick, but they have traded their pick to the Rams.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Cleveland Browns selected LSU DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

With Mingo, the Browns get a pass rusher loaded with potential and tremendous explosiveness. He ran a 4.58 forty at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was second among the defensive line group.

Unfortunately with Mingo, however, they also get a player that saw his year-over-year production dip. Mingo ranked first on LSU and third in the SEC in tackles for loss (15.0) and finished as a second-team All-SEC selection in 2011 as a sophomore. This year, however, Mingo had only 4.5 sacks, which was tied for second on the team, and 8.5 tackles for loss, which was fourth.

And as expected, he won his bet with ex-teammate Sam Montgomery.

The Cardinals are on the clock with the seventh-overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the top three offensive tackles off the board already, the logical pick for the Lions would be a defensive end and that's the pick they made.

The Lions selected BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who has enormous upside but bust potential as well.

Ansah, a former track athlete from Ghana, has freakish athleticism with a ton of upside and that has led to comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul. Despite being raw, Ansah finished second at BYU in tackles for loss (13.0) and had 4.5 sacks last year.

The Lions lost Cliff Avril via free agency and parted ways with Kyle Vanden Bosch earlier this offseason.

The Browns are on the clock with the sixth-overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With offensive tackles selected first and second overall, the Eagles make it three offensive tackles within the first four picks by selecting Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson.

This move allows the Eagles to move Todd Herremans back inside to guard.

Johnson has the frame (6-foot-6 and 302 pounds) to easily add another 20 pounds and he has great athleticism (4.72 forty at the combine) for the position. Before transferring to Oklahoma (from junior college) and switching to offensive tackle, Johnson played tight end and quarterback.

Not only did Central Michigan's Eric Fisher boost his draft stock among offensive tackles at Senior Bowl practices (and the combine), so did Johnson. While most view Luke Joeckel and Fisher as better prospects at this point, you could argue that Johnson has more upside than either one.

Last year, the Eagles allowed 48 sacks, which is fifth most in the NFL.

The Lions are on the clock with the fifth-overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Oakland Raiders have a ton of needs and had only three picks in the first five rounds.

It was widely known that they were interested in trading down and they did.

Moving up to the third-overall pick, the Miami Dolphins selected Oregon outside linebacker Dion Jordan to give the Dolphins another pass-rusher opposite Cameron Wake, who ranks third in sacks (37.5) in the NFL over the past three seasons.

As a converted receiver and tight end, Jordan is a bit raw and coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. That said, he is an explosive and smooth athlete with a lot of upside that can rush the passer or drop in coverage. One of the players to whom he has been compared is former Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor.

The Eagles are on the clock with the fourth-overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As expected, the Chiefs selected Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher with the first overall pick.

Perhaps as much as any other team in the league, the Jaguars have a number of needs and their pass rush was among their biggest needs. Not only did they rank last in the league with 20.0 sacks, but Houston's J.J. Watt had more sacks (20.5) than the Jags had as a team.

Instead of using this pick to bolster their pass rush, they selected Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel to help stop the opposing defense's pass rush.

Perhaps a questionable pick, but starting left tackle Eugene Monroe is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013 season. The duo of Monroe and Joeckel will give the Jaguars a solid pair of bookend tackles this season and Joeckel will be a cheaper option at left tackle in 2014 if the team is unable to retain Monroe.

Not only does Texas A&M have Johnny "Football" Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner, but they had college football's best pair of bookend tackles last season. With the move to the SEC, the Aggies faced their share of elite pass rushers and talented defensive linemen yet Joeckel more than held his own. Playing on the left side with the son of Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews on the right side, Joeckel really excels as a pass blocker due to his technique, agility and quick feet.

So far, I am 2-for-2 in my mock draft.

The Raiders are on the clock with the third overall pick ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This year's draft may lack the appeal of having a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft like last year with both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

What it does have (or has had), however, is plenty of suspense even with the first overall pick.

It appears that the suspense is over for the first pick as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has tweeted that the Chiefs will select Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher.

Over the past several days, there has been increasing speculation that it would be Fisher, not Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel, as the first overall pick.

Draft insider Tony Pauline tweeted over the weekend that some of the Chiefs position coaches preferred Fisher.  Last night, Jason La Canfora tweeted that he expected the pick to be Fisher and Jay Glazer did the same this morning.

Although he may have faced inferior competition in college (at least compared to Joeckel's competition in the SEC), Fisher dominated in drills at the Senior Bowl against excellent pass-rushers like Datone Jones, Alex Okafor, etc.

Fisher, who will become the conference's first No. 1 pick, has the prototypical size, length and athleticism in a left tackle prospect.  Before Fisher, the highest player ever drafted from the MAC was Marshall's Byron Leftwich, seventh overall by the Jaguars in 2003.

In my final 2013 NFL mock draft, Fisher was my pick for the Chiefs. (This will be my first year tracked by The Huddle Report in their accuracy rankings.)

- Related: Check out the many mocks in our mock draft database

[Update: It's official. Fisher was the first pick; the Jaguars are on the clock.]

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now that we are only four days away from the 2013 NFL Draft, it is still unclear whether or not a team will select a running back in the first round.

If not, it will end a streak more than 50 years long of at least one running back being selected in Round 1.

Either way, there is some debate as to which running back will be the first one off the board. In my latest mock draft, it's Alabama's Eddie Lacy in Round 2 to the Rams that is the first off the board.

That said, Tony Pauline tweeted today that there are "a number of teams" that have UCLA's Jonathan Franklin ranked higher than Lacy and he's being compared to Frank Gore and Doug Martin.

I'm am told a number of teams now have Jonathan Franklin/RB/UCLA ahead of Eddie Lacy/Bama...comparisons to Frank Gore & Doug Martin...

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) April 21, 2013

I have Franklin in the third round to the Packers (see all Packers' picks of my five-round mock) although it's looking like he won't last that long.

Franklin was highly productive at UCLA and set the school's single-season rushing mark (1,734 yards) last year. While he's not the biggest back (5-10, 205 pounds), Franklin has the versatility to run inside/outside, pass protect and is a good receiver out of the backfield.

After the NFL draft is complete, I will release my initial fantasy football rookie rankings and incorporate rookies into my existing 2013 rankings.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)