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2013 NFL Mock Draft: CBS Sports projects CB Rhodes to Tampa Bay

2013-03-14T03:43:10Z

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled mightily in pass coverage last season, finishing dead last in the NFL. They allowed 297 yards passing per game and an opposing quarterback rating of 93.5.

Obivously, the secondary in Tampa Bay needs improvement. CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang agrees. In his latest mock draft, Rang projects the Buccaneers to select Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes with pick No. 13.

Considering that the Bucs led the NFL in rush defense and finished dead last against the pass it isn't difficult to imagine that they'll be looking for ways to disrupt quarterbacks. The local standout Rhodes has the length, physicality and cover skills Greg Schiano preferred while at Rutgers and could be a popular pick with the fan base.

Rhodes excelled at Florida State, amassing eight interceptions, 112 tackles and 10 passes defended in his three years as a Seminole. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine and finished as a top performer in the vertical jump.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft agrees with Rang and also projects Rhodes to the Buccaneers in his latest mock draft. On the selection, he says the following:

The best drafting philosophy is to take a combination of best player available that fits a need. That would be the case with Rhodes here. This is another pick that could be extremely fluid with Tampa being associated with Derek Cox and other free agent cornerbacks.

The aforementioned free agent cornerback Cox is only one of several available cornerbacks on the market, and Tampa Bay is expected to be an active player for those defensive backs. If indeed Tampa Bay does sign a top cornerback, then the draft outlook for the Buccaneers could change. But until then, Rhodes is the obvious pick.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: CBS Sports projects DE and WR for Minnesota

2013-03-14T03:15:50Z

The Minnesota Vikings picked up NFL Draft selection No. 25 this week from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for wide receiver Percy Harvin. That extra pick makes the Vikings' potential draft that much more exciting.

The Vikings were a solid team in 2012, good enough to qualify for the postseason. But, still, there is plenty of roster spots that could be improved upon, namely the position they just weakened -- wide receiver.

Minnesota could still make a splash in free agency at this position, but assuming they do not, wide receiver must be addressed in the draft. CBS Sports' draft analyst Rob Rang agrees, but first, he projects the Vikings to address the defensive side of the football. With the No. 23 selection, Rang has the Minnesota Vikings choosing defensive end Datone Jones out of UCLA.

At 6-4, 280 pounds Jones has the bulk and strength to play inside at defensive tackle, as well as enough burst to attack the edge at defensive end, as well. Considering the passing attacks Minnesota faces annually in the NFC North, the ability to pressure the quarterback trumps a traditional run-stuffer.

The NFC North is stacked with passers, so a pass rusher makes sense. Jones fits the bill. Last season at UCLA, Jones amassed 5.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

Then, finally, at pick No. 25 -- finally -- Rang gets around to the massive hole at wide receiver on the Vikings roster. He projects Minnesota to take California wideout Keenan Allen.

Without the versatile Harvin's services, Minnesota now must add considerable help to their receiving corps to keep defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage to stop Adrian Peterson. A sprained PCL has kept Allen from working out for scouts and his stock may be slipping as a result. When healthy, however, he's shown the physical talent, work ethic and toughness to be a No. 1 target.

Allen measures out at 6'2, 206 lbs but has been unable to showcase his skills this offseason due to the aforementioned PCL injury. His scouting report from his college days, however, list him as a potential No. 1 option. His skills -- good route runner, long strides, jumping ability -- far outweigh his weakness, and the lack of offseason workouts could leave Minnesota with a potential first-round steal.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft also believes the Vikings will select Allen. On the Cal receiver, Kadar writes the following:

Minnesota needs to get younger on defense, a starting right tackle to replace Phil Loadholt and an outside wide receiver target...There are plenty of good options in the draft this year. Allen can play inside and outside and has the physical skills to get yards after the catch.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Wide receivers projected to Houston

2013-03-14T02:43:02Z

The Houston Texans offense proved last season that it was one of the best in the AFC. Matt Schaub is a solid quarterback. Arian Foster is a dominant running back rushing behind a good offensive line. And Andre Johnson is still a top receiver in the NFL.

But to be the best offense in the AFC, the Texans need one final piece: a No. 2 wide receiver.

Most analysts agree on this point. The No. 2 wide receiver position has proved over the past few seasons to be crucial to NFL passing games, as a solid second option frees up other receivers and makes life easier for quarterbacks. CBS Sports' NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang sees this position as a need for the Texans as well, evident by his latest mock draft.

With the No. 27 pick, Rang projects the Houston Texans to select Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins

Andre Johnson re-emerged in 2012 as one of the NFL's elite wideouts but depth remains quite thin, especially with the torn Achilles suffered by Devier Posey in the playoff loss to New England. Hopkins is a polished route-runner who exploded in 2012 with an ACC-best 1,405 receiving yards on 82 catches and a school-record 18 touchdowns.

Weighing in at 6'1, 214 lbs, Hopkins is known for his tendency to catch touchdown passes (18 last season). At the NFL Combine, Hopkins ran a 4.57 40-yard dash.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft also believes the Texans should look at receiver in the first round of the upcoming draft. But instead of Hopkins, Kadar projects Houston to select the speedy receiver out of West Virginia, Tavon Austin.

The Houston offense needs to add playmakers. Devier Posey looked like he could be one before getting injured late last season. With Andre Johnson getting up there in age, the Texans could use a player like Austin to open up defenses.

Austin ran a lighting fast 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. At West Virginia last season, Austin caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards and 12 touchdowns.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: CBS Sports projects DT Johnathan Hankins to Denver

2013-03-14T02:04:08Z

The Denver Broncos led the NFL in sacks last season with 52. They also finished third in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing only 91.1 yards per game. If any team doesn't need defensive line help, it's the Broncos. Yet that is exactly the position CBS Sports' NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang has the Broncos addressing in his latest mock draft. The rich get richer, I guess.

With pick No. 28, Rang projects the Denver Broncos to select Ohio State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.

The team found a good young standout in Derek Wolfe a year ago and he's played well as a rookie. The 6-3, 320-pound Hankins has the surprising movement skills to take advantage of the one on one blocks he'll face in Denver as opponents focus on the Broncos' outstanding edge rushers.

Hankins, at one point ranked as a top-ten prospect, measures out at 6'3 and 320 pounds. He ran a 5.31 40 at the NFL Combine, so he would take on the role of run stopper, not pass rusher.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft also has the Broncos strengthening their defensive line in the upcoming draft. In his latest mock, Kadar projects Denver to select defensive tackle Jesse Williams out of Alabama. On the selection, Kadar wrote the following:

The Broncos need to continue adding talent on the defensive front. Williams can consistently take up two blockers, which would help free up Elvis Dumervil (assuming he's not released).

Williams, at 6'3, 323 pounds, measures out as similar to Hankins. Williams was the big man in the middle for the nation's top defense last season, earning second-team All-SEC honors.

With a dynamic offense made even more dynamic with the signing of wide receiver Wes Welker, a dominant defense could be the key for Denver getting over that final hurdle -- a Super Bowl. This draft could add that final piece.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Offensive line help still needed in Chicago

2013-03-14T01:18:00Z

In weeks past, the Chicago Bears were declared weak at the tight end position and incredibly lacking on the offensive line. Since then, they've signed tight end Marcellus Bennett and offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod.

Are those two signings enough for the Bears to look at other positions in the upcoming draft? At the tight end position, the answer is likely yes. Bennett is a solid tight end and gives the Bears a huge improvement at the position. With him, other positions become bigger needs.

On the offensive line, however, the answer is no. Bushrod is a solid signing, praised by some and criticized by others. But he could be the greatest offensive tackle to ever play the game and the Bears would still need help. The line in 2012 was that bad.

Josh Norris of NFL.com agrees. In his latest mock draft, he projects the Chicago Bears to select Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack at No. 20.

The Bears just spent a lot of money on free-agent left tackle Jermon Bushrod, but Warmack would solidify one spot along the interior.

Put simply, Bushrod isn't enough. With the weapons Chicago has in Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte, quarterback Jay Cutler will need as much time in the pocket as possible, or at least more than he has been getting.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft wrote about the signing of Bushrod following Wednesday's free agent frenzy.

The Bears got ripped by stats enthusiasts for signing left tackle Jermon Bushrod to a big-money deal. But they must believe he can be the left tackle of the foreseeable future. It could be argued that there was no bigger need in the whole league than offensive line for Chicago.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: CBS Sports projects QB Matt Barkley to Arizona

2013-03-14T00:49:24Z

The Arizona Cardinals have been searching for a new franchise quarterback since the departure of Kurt Warner. In that time period (three seasons) the Cardinals have floundered under Derek Anderson, John Skelton, Kevin Kolb and, most recently, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer.

Needless to say, it's time for a permanent solution in Arizona. Also needless to say, and unluckily for the Cardinals, this draft touts one of the weakest quarterback classes in years. At one point, mock drafts showed one or zero quarterbacks taken in the first round. Much has changed since then -- the combine, free agency -- but the crop of passers remains thin.

Rob Rang of CBS Sports, however, still believes the Cardinals will attempt to find their franchise quarterback this year. In his latest mock draft, at pick No. 7, Rang projects USC quarterback Matt Barkley to Arizona.

Barkley's stock fell a bit in 2012 but he remains the safest of this year's quarterback class in the eyes of many scouts. The knock on Barkley is, of course, that he relied upon terrific receivers while at USC. He'd be able to do the same with Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona. Furthermore, his mobility, intelligence and underrated arm make him a nice fit in new head coach Bruce Arian's offense.

Barkley, who passed for 3,273 yards and 36 touchdowns last season for the Trojans, has been mocked anywhere from the top ten to out of the first round, but rarely is he projected in front of West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. That was the case following the 2011 season, but not the 2012 season.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation's Mocking the Draft also believes that the Cardinals will draft their quarterback of the future, but his selection is not Barkley. With the No. 7 pick, Kadar projects Smith to Arizona.

Which is more important to an offense, a left tackle or a quarterback? That's the issue the Cardinals will face in the first round. For now, we say Smith if he's available. Unless the Cardinals decide they want to roll with Kevin Kolb, or they like Matt Barkley of Southern California, this is probably the first round ceiling for Smith.

Kadar lists Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson as another possibility for Arizona, if they do indeed decide to shore up their offensive line.

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