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2013 draft class grade lane johnson
NFL

Grading the 2013 NFL Draft

  • Ryan Fowler
  • June 27, 2022
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Let’s take a time machine back to the 2013 draft, shall we? Headlined by a trio of offensive tackles, the trenches showcased awfully well within the first few selections of Day 1. While eventual headliners Travis Kelce, Keenan Allen and Tyrann Mathieu had to wait until Day 2 to hear their name called, let’s take a deep dive into the top half, ranking each of the first 10 picks and breaking down how each player progressed now nine years into the future.

Eric Fisher, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

A Super Bowl champion, Fisher was a staple of the Kansas City Chiefs’ front five for nearly a decade. A consistent presence at tackle, Fisher was rarely unavailable, starting 128 games in his nine-year career thus far. Expectations come in abundance as the No. 1 overall selection of the 2013 draft, and while Fisher isn’t quite on the level of fellow 2013 draftee David Bakhtiari (fourth-round), or Lane Johnson – who’ll we’ll get to in a bit – he was a constant presence for a team that made the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons before departing for the Indianapolis Colts last year. Fisher is currently a free agent. 

Grade: A

Luke Joeckel, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Texas A&M standout was supposed to be everything for Jacksonville in the 2013 draft. Looked upon as the newfound anchor of a roster on the rise, Joeckel battled injury in two of his four seasons played for Head Coach Gus Bradley and never found his footing for a franchise that finished near or at the bottom of the AFC South during his tenure. While the team teased moving him to guard in his final few seasons, success never came to fruition. Joeckel started 11 games for the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 and has been unsigned since. 

Grade: F

Dion Jordan, EDGE, Miami Dolphins

After appearing in all 16 games in his rookie year totaling 26 tackles and 2.0 sacks, Jordan was suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and was given an additional two games for violating the policy once again in September of his second season. Just a few months later in April of the following year, Jordan was suspended for the entire 2015 season for violating the policy a third time. A career that was headlined by off-field concerns, Jordan bounced from the Seahawks, Raiders and 49ers in the final three seasons of his career. 

Grade: F

Lane Johnson, OT, Philadelphia Eagles

One of the top tackles in our game today, Johnson has been a staple for the Eagles’ offense and will go down as one of the best tackles in franchise history. While he’s battled injury for most of his career, Johnson’s toughness and ability to dominate despite being hampered from week to week has been admirable during his 112 starts at right tackle. Although he hasn’t played a full season since 2015, Johnson will be looked upon to once again lead Philadelphia’s front five this fall as they push for an NFC East crown. He’s been a model of consistency and one of the top players from the 2013 draft.

Grade: A

Ezekiel Ansah, EDGE, Detroit Lions

The accolades never piled up for Ansah but he was the top pass rusher in the class and enjoyed a fruitful eight-year career amassing 50.5 sacks with three franchises. A Pro Bowler in 2015 where he recorded a career-high 14.5 sacks, Ansah failed to consistently reach double-digit sack totals each and every year, but he evolved into a serviceable pass rusher that currently sits fourth on the Lions’ all-time sack list.

Grade: B

Barkevious Mingo, LB, Cleveland Browns

Six teams in eight seasons tells you all you need to know on Mingo. Despite avoiding the injury bug for much of his career (appeared in 126 games), he spent three seasons in Cleveland as a sub package linebacker, and took five pit stops from 2016-2020 in new locations. A physical, downhill prospect that thrived in wrangling down ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage at LSU, Mingo was never able to recapture his collegiate success in the NFL.

Grade: F

Jonathan Cooper, IOL, Arizona Cardinals

A standout at North Carolina, Cooper played just five seasons – on four teams – and never blossomed into the mauling trench presence Arizona thought he would become. He started over 10 games in a season just once in his NFL tenure (Dallas in 2017) and worked as a backup swing guard in the final year of his career in 2018. 

Grade: F

Tavon Austin, WR, Los Angeles Rams

After producing one of football’s most historic highlight tapes during his time at West Virginia – if you know, you know – Austin has enjoyed a long NFL career as a de facto swiss army knife. Out wide or in the backfield, he became one of the league’s first “gadget weapons” in today’s NFL, and someone who has juice left to compete at the highest level. Now a member of the

Buffalo Bills, while his electric change of direction ability and short area quickness remain in the past, he’s a veteran of the league that’s seen it all in his 113 games played. Within one of the league’s most potent offenses, he could work into some designated touches at the ripe age of 32.

Grade: C+

Dee Milliner, CB, New York Jets

A unanimous All-American, two time All-SEC performer and two-time BCS National Champion at Alabama, Milliner battled injury early and often during his Jets tenure and fell out of the league in 2015. He made just 14 starts in just 21 games played. 

Grade: F

Chance Warmack, IOL, Tennessee Titans

Warmack enjoyed a nice start to his career, starting in 32 consecutive games in his first two seasons. Despite playing left guard for most of his time in college (Alabama), Warmack looked smooth at right guard in Tennessee before suffering a hand injury early in 2016. From there, he moved to a backup role behind Josh Kline and departed Tennessee after the team declined his fifth-year option. He started just three games in 20 total appearances as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2017-2018, won a Super Bowl and hasn’t played a down since 2018.

Grade: D

 

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Ryan Fowler