This is one of the strangest drafts ever. It’s two days before the draft and we still don’t know who will be the No. 1 pick. I talked to someone with War Room access with a team picking in the 16-24 range and he told me they have 37 players listed as “potentially gone” for their pick, or about 10 more than they would normally expect. The pain truth: this will be forever remembered by draftniks as The Year of the Inaccurate Mock. Trying to accurately project this year is insanely difficult. This is my best guess as to how it might play out. Enjoy the unexpected twists and turns and embrace the fact that nobody knows what is going to happen!

Round 1

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, T, Texas A&M. The pick will be a tackle. Whether it’s Joeckel or Eric Fisher remains to be seen. I know there are people in the room who want Dion Jordan, but they are not calling the shots. Note that if Fisher is the pick here, Joeckel falls to five instead of going three, with Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd going to the Raiders at three.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon. Jordan is the versatile edge presence the Jaguars sorely need, a player who can rush the passer or drop into coverage. New Coach Gus Bradley is a creative defensive mind and Jordan gives him a queen on his chessboard.

3. Oakland Raiders: Eric Fisher, T, Central Michigan. He will be the top name on some draft boards, and I suspect the Raiders are one of those teams. Fisher doesn’t fill the biggest need in Oakland but is too highly rated to pass.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. Because the demand for quarterbacks is great enough that teams actually traded picks for Matt Flynn, Colt McCoy, and paid surprising free agent dollars to Chase Daniel and Matt Cassel. Because the Eagles are at the onset of a major overhaul and have a little cushion built in. Because Smith could be electrifying in Chip Kelly’s offense. Because Dion Jordan is already gone.

5. Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU. I’ll admit to making this selection more with my heart than my head; it could very well be Lane Johnson. With no trade back worthwhile to slide down and get Chance Warmack or Tavon Austin for better value, Detroit goes for the athletically rare pass rusher they got to coach up close and personal in Mobile.

6. *San Diego Chargers (from CLE): Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma. San Diego trades #11 overall, #45 overall, and a 2014 2nd round pick to Cleveland to move up and take the third tackle off the board. They preemptively deal up to stymie the Chargers efforts to move up and get Johnson, using the extra 2nd round pick they have to sweeten the deal.

7. *San Francisco 49ers (from ARI): Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah. The 49ers trade #31, #34, a 7th rounder and their 2014 1st round pick to Arizona, giving precious picks to a division rival in order to secure Star Lotulelei. His ability to play all over the line and physical dominance convinces GM Trent Baalke to pull the trigger.

8. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse. Sometimes a pick makes too much sense, akin to Ryan Tannehill to the Dolphins last year. It was an obvious pick, just as this pick appears to be. I’m not going to fight it.

9. New York Jets: Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU. His production has yet to match his physical potential, but Mingo has the chance to invigorate a moribund pass rush. If the Jets are going to win in 2013, it’s going to be with defense. Rex Ryan would love this pick.

10. Tennessee Titans: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri. This is one of the hardest picks to slot. At various points I had Dee Milliner, Sharrif Floyd, Chance Warmack, Tank Carradine, and Tavon Austin here. I settled on Richardson because an interior pass rusher with Richardson’s disruptiveness is the best way to immediately compete within the AFC South.

11.*Cleveland Browns (from SD): Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. Cleveland falls back and still gets its man. Pairing Milliner with Joe Haden gives the Browns a long, talented starting CB duo that will be the envy of the AFC. At least that’s the hope. If he’s gone, look for Tyler Eifert.

12. Miami Dolphins: Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida Intl. Because the Dolphins appear (as of Monday 7PM) poised to trade their 2nd round pick for tackle Branden Albert, I think this pick tacks to the defensive side of the ball. Cyprien is a local who rode a meteoric rise in the postseason and is NFL-ready to play either safety spot. Don’t ignore the fact he’s a local in a city where fans are as fickle as Miami.

13. New York Jets (from TB): Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia. If he’s not gone by this point, and he might be, I feel very confident about this pick. Austin can be the dynamic offensive playmaker this team so desperately lacks.

14. Carolina Panthers: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida. This is my 10th year covering the draft here at RealGM, and Sharrif Floyd is the 2nd hardest player to slot in the final mock in those 10 years. The hardest? Brady Quinn. Panthers fans must hope that Floyd turns out a little better than Quinn…

15. New Orleans Saints: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia. The Saints need the piece de resistance for their shiny new 3-4 defense, and Jones is the most prolific pass rusher in the nation. I had DJ Fluker here for a long time but the pass rusher just makes too much sense.

16. St. Louis Rams: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson. The trashed hotel room notwithstanding, Hopkins is a relatively safe pick as far as wideouts go in this draft class. He would give Sam Bradford a more polished downfield threat and challenge defenses. Sleeper pick: Menelik Watson.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame. Eifert’s proven ability to make plays while lined up outside is the catalyst for Pittsburgh selecting him here. Coming off a down year puts the Steelers in a good position to make some transformative changes to the offense, where Heath Miller is no safe bet to recover. I strongly suspect that if they do go offense here, the rest of their draft is defense. I do believe they would take Cyprien over anyone else if he’s available.

18. Dallas Cowboys: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama. I’ll believe the “guard in the top 10” talk only when I see it, even though Warmack is immensely talented. The Cowboys are the beneficiary of the inherent prejudice against using premium picks on guards. Plan B is Sylvester Williams, Plan C is Kenny Vaccaro.

19. New York Giants: Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State. His impressive workout ameliorates concern about his torn ACL. The Giants get a top-shelf pass rusher to fall into their lap. They have more pressing needs elsewhere, but GM Jerry Reese does not look gift horses in the mouth.

20. Chicago Bears: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA. I have a strong feeling Datone Jones is one of those players that NFL teams covet a lot more than the general populous presumes they do. His ability to play rush end in base defense and slide inside in nickel situations is invaluable. Remember, he was the only player who found sustained success against Eric Fisher in Mobile.

21. *Arizona Cardinals (from CIN): Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina. Arizona trades its acquired 2nd round pick from the earlier trade (#34 overall) and their 3rd round pick this year (#69 overall) and in 2014 to move up and take Jonathan Cooper. He is a plug-and-play top-shelf guard prospect who the Cardinals consider themselves very lucky to be able to acquire this late in the 1st, thus prompting the trade. Had the Bengals kept this, I had Kenny Vaccaro here.

22. St. Louis Rams (from WAS): DJ Fluker, T, Alabama. This seems artificially low for Fluker, whom I think could very well go in the top 10. Funny things happen during drafts, and in this one the Rams laugh all the way to the podium with their unbelievable good fortune. Fluker is the best run blocking tackle I’ve ever scouted, even though his pass protection can be ugly at times.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. Not to be cute, but I like the marketing angle of “rebuilding the Williams Wall”. NFC North offensive lines strongly disagree. Sylvester Williams has an amazing first step and would draw attention away from Jared Allen. Some have Williams ranked higher than Floyd. I’m one of them.

24. Indianapolis Colts: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State. Rhodes has great size and speed for the position in a league that is trending towards those attributes. He’s going to get his fair share of holding and illegal contact flags, but he also provides potential to be a shutdown corner on a defense that desperately needs playmakers.

25. Minnesota Vikings (from SEA): Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame. This is another one of the rare picks in this mock in which I have a strong degree of confidence. The marriage of need, value, and talent is too strong to ignore. And no, I’m not trying to catfish you here.

26. Green Bay Packers: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas. Vaccaro could very well go 10 picks higher than this, but the Packers won’t mind being his basement. They can plug him into the Charles Woodson role of base safety and inside nickel corner, which is what the speedy Vaccaro did pretty well at Texas.

27. Houston Texans: Margus Hunt, DE, SMU. For as much as everyone knows the Texans need a wideout, their 2-deep on the defensive front 7 has nine names on it. Adding to that is also an imperative, and Hunt brings an intriguing blend of length, power, and a kick blocking acumen like none before him. I’m a big believer that one of the picks between 26-28 is dealt to a team that will move back into the first round and take a QB, likely the Jets and EJ Manuel.

28. Denver Broncos: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State. Werner is another player with an unusually wide draft range; he could go anywhere between 10 and 40. The Broncos can use him as a situational rusher and strongside end when using a 4-man front, which is an ideal situation for the German. Sprechen sie sack, Herr Elway?

29. New England Patriots: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee. This is a case of Hunter having too much potential to fall, and the Patriots with a glaring need for a downfield threat. If he ever masters the mental aspects of being a professional, Hunter is a steal at this point. Big “if”, however.

30. Atlanta Falcons: Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi State. Another one of the postseason risers, Slay offers a lot more athleticism and outward confidence than his more celebrated college teammate Johnthan Banks. Even though the Falcons desperately need a bookend pass rusher, the value at corner here is much better. I do believe they will try very hard to move up and get a higher-rated CB, but if the draft comes to Dimitroff he knows what to do with it.

31. *Arizona (from SF): Menelik Watson, T, Florida State. The OL overhaul continues with Watson, a raw Briton with strong potential. Teams tend to take risks with acquired picks and Watson will either be really good or fail to get a 2nd NFL contract.

32. Baltimore Ravens: Justin Pugh, T/G, Syracuse. This pick is more on a hunch that Pugh somehow sneaks into the first round. With Bryant McKinnie not re-signed the Super Bowl cahmps have an opening at left tackle. Pugh has short arms for the position but could fall back as a strong guard as well.

Round 2

33. Jacksonville: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
34. *Cincinnati (from KC via SF and ARI): Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
35. Philadelphia: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
36. Detroit: Terron Armstead, T, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
37. Cincinnati (from OAK): Matt Elam, S, Florida
38. Arizona: Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
39. New York Jets: EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
40. Tennessee: DJ Hayden, CB, Houston
41. Buffalo: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
42. *Kansas City (from MIA): Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama. This pick will be traded to Kansas City so Miami can acquire LT Branden Albert
43. Tampa Bay: Keenan Allen, WR, California
44. Carolina: Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn
45. *Cleveland (from SD): Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
46. St. Louis: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
47. Dallas: DJ Swearinger, S, South Carolina
48. Pittsburgh: Sio Moore, LB, UConn
49. New York Giants: Eric Reid, S, LSU
50. Chicago: Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
51. Washington: Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
52. Minnesota: Quinton Patton, WR, Louisiana Tech
53. Cincinnati: Travis Kelce, TE, Cincinnati
54. Miami (from IND): Robert Alford, CB, SE Louisiana
55. Green Bay: Larry Warford, G, Kentucky
56. Seattle: Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
57. Houston: Robert Woods, WR, USC
58. Denver: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
59. New England: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
60. Atlanta: David Bakhtiari, T, Colorado
61. San Francisco: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State
62. Baltimore: Kevin Minter, LB, LSU

Round 3

63. Kansas City: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
64. Jacksonville: Dallas Thomas, G/T, Tennessee
65. Detroit: Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern
66. Oakland: Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
67. Philadelphia: Kyle Long, G/T, Oregon
68. Cleveland: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia
69. *Cincinnati (from ARI): Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
70. Tennessee: Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
71. Buffalo: Vance McDonald, TE, Rice
72. New York Jets: Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
73. Tampa Bay: Jordan Reed, TE, Florida
74. San Francisco (from CAR): Duke Williams, S, Nevada
75. New Orleans: Corey Lemonier, DE/OLB, Auburn
76. San Diego: Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State
77. Miami: Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina
78. St. Louis: Quanterus Smith, DE, Western Kentucky
79. Pittsburgh: Jamie Collins, DE/LB, Southern Miss
80. Dallas: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
81. New York Giants: Travis Frederick, C/G, Wisconsin
82. Miami (from CHI): LeVeon Bell, RB, Michigan State
83. Minnesota: JJ Wilcox, S, Georgia Southern
84. Cincinnati: Lavar Edwards, DE, LSU
85. Washington: Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
86. Indianapolis: Kiko Alonso, LB, Oregon
87. Seattle: TJ McDonald, S, USC
88. Green Bay: Jelani Jenkins, OLB, Florida
89. Houston: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
90. Denver: David Amerson, CB/S, North Carolina State
91. New England: Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State
92. Atlanta: Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton
93. San Francisco: Akeem Spence, DT, Illinois
94. Baltimore: Jon Bostic, LB, Florida
95. Houston (comp pick): Chris Harper, WR, Kansas State
96. Kansas City (comp pick): Philip Thomas, S, San Diego State
97. Tennessee (comp pick): Reid Fragel, T, Ohio State

As a bonus I’ll go out a few extra spots to include the top 100 picks

Round 4

98. Jacksonville: Brian Schwenke, C, California
99. Kansas City: William Gholston, DE, Michigan State
100. Oakland: Baccari Rambo, S, Georgia