Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The Pewter Plank staff has banded together to give our takes on seven of the biggest questions in the upcoming NFL Draft. Check it out, and be sure to leave your own predictions in the comment section at the bottom of the page!
1. Who do you believe will be the first quarterback taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, and by which team will he be drafted?
- Leo: Geno Smith, somewhere in the top 6. I also think that’s a huge mistake.
- Michael: Let’s go crazy with this one and say the Matt Barkley is the first QB taken at 27 by Buffalo who trades back into the first round to get him.
- Drew: I think it’s Nassib, Geno is too high a risk. Buffalo seems poised to take Nassib.
- Garrett: Ryan Nassib by the Buffalo Bills
2. Where will Tavon Austin be drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft?
- Leo: Higher than he should be, I don’t think he gets past the Jets at 13.
- Michael: Way too high. He will probably be taken between 20-32. My money is on Minnesota at 25.
- Drew: Jets at 9 or 13.
- Garrett: 14 to the Carolina Panthers
3. Will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade into the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft?
- Leo: Yes, for a defensive lineman that may fall, or maybe for a top corner that falls. The five-year contract on the new rookie wage scale appeals to Dominik.
- Michael: I don’t think so – they really do not have enough picks to make that move.
- Drew: Yes, Dominik likes the 5-yr contracts that come with first rounders and he likes to shuffle up and deal on draft day.
- Garrett: Yes, they’ll trade up to the end of the first for Houston Cornerback D.J. Hayden
4. Which player will take the biggest fall in the first round?
- Leo: I think Xavier Rhodes goes a lot later than the top 12 pick a lot of mock drafts tend to have him at.
- Michael: I really believe Geno Smith could be in a for a rude surprise. If he makes it past the top ten, who takes him?
- Drew: Jarvis Jones. This is a tough question, because it assumes we all share the same pre-draft rankings, but Jones is a guy that a lot of people have going high, and his injury concerns and other factors could cause him to fall.
- Garrett: Cordarrelle Patterson.
5. Who will be the first player the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select in the 2013 NFL Draft?
- Leo: Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
- Michael: Damontre Moore, DE Texas A&M
- Drew: Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse
- Garrett: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston
6. How many offensive linemen will be taken in the first 12 picks of the 2013 NFL draft?
- Leo: Five.
- Michael: Four.
- Drew: Four.
- Garrett: Five.
7. Any other bold predictions you want to make about the Buccaneers’ draft, or the draft in general?
- Leo: Tank Carradine will be a top 10 selection. Matt Barkley will be a third round pick. The Buccaneers will not take an offensive lineman in the draft.
- Michael: The Bucs will not draft a CB until day 3. The words “explosion” or “explosive” will be said 63,254 times during televised draft coverage.
- Drew: The Bucs will trade up twice and LeGarrette Blount will be traded during the draft.
- Garrett: This year, 5 cornerbacks will go in the first round. Milliner, Trufant, Rhodes, Hayden and Taylor in that order. Milliner will be a Jet, Trufant a Dolphin, Rhodes a Colt, Hayden a Buccaneer and Taylor a Falcon. Also, no running backs will be selected in the 1st round.