2013 NFL Draft: First Round Brings More Surprises Than Expected

The first round of the 2013 NFL Draft was by far one of the most unusual opening days in the history of the event. Against what most bettors, fans and experts predicted over the last weeks, the opening day wasn’t a good day for quarterbacks and other players tagged as first round choices, instead, the night was dominated by linemen. 

The first seven picks of the night were all linemen (four on offense, three on defense). Unlike last year, when quarterbacks Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) and Robert Griffin III (Washington) were the first two selections, this year only one quarterback was picked as Florida State’s EJ Manuel went 16th overall to the Buffalo Bills, the lowest since Chad Pennington went to the New York Jets at 18th in the 2000 Draft.

The draft was a big surprise since the very beginning. Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher locked the No. 1 overall pick when he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs. Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No.2 overall pick.  The linemen parade continued when defensive end Dion Jordan of Oregon was drafted by the Miami Dolphins as the No.3 overall selection. The Philadelphia Eagles used the No. 4 pick on Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson, and the Detroit Lions completed the top five selections with BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, born in Ghana.

After that, most journalists, analysts and sportsbook betting fans were simply stunned. But it didn’t stop there. Louisiana State defensive end and outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo went sixth to the Cleveland Browns while North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper went seventh to the Arizona Cardinals. The St. Louis Rams, who traded up eight spots in a deal with the Buffalo Bills, got West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin with the eighth overall selection. Overall a total of 9 Offensive Line and 8 Defensive line players were selected Thursday night. Only 4 cornerback, 3 linebackers, 3 safeties and 3 wide receivers were selected during the first round. With only one tight end and one quarterback getting selected on the first round, NFL experts expect to see more action when the second round kicks off on Friday night. Prospects tagged as favorite prospects include names such as Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te’o and quarterbacks Geno Smith (West Virginia) and Matt Barkley (USC).

Player Selection:

1: Eric Fisher  (OT, Central Michigan) Kansas City Chiefs
2 : Luke Joeckel  (OT, Texas A&M) Jacksonville Jaguars        
3 : Dion Jordan     (DE , Oregon) Miami Dolphins    
4 : Lane Johnson (OT, Oklahoma) Philadelphia Eagles    
5 : Ezekiel Ansah (DE , BYU) Detroit Lions                  
6 : Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU ) Cleveland Browns    
7 : Jonathan Cooper (G, North Carolina) Arizona Cardinals    
8 : Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia) St. Louis Rams    
9 : Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama) New York Jets
10 : Chance Warmack  (G, Alabama) Tennessee Titans
11: D. J. Fluker     (OT , Alabama) San Diego Chargers    
12 : D. J. Hayden (CB, Houston)     Oakland Raiders        
13 : Sheldon Richardson (DT , Missouri ) New York Jets         
14 : Star Lotulelei  (DT, Utah) Carolina Panthers    
15 : Kenny Vaccaro (S , Texas ) New Orleans Saints
16 : E. J. Manuel  (QB, Florida State) Buffalo Bills    
17 : Jarvis Jones (LB, Georgia) Pittsburgh Steelers        
18 : Eric Reid (S, LSU) San Francisco 49ers        
19 : Justin Pugh (G, Syracuse) New York Giants    
20 : Kyle Long (G, Oregon) Chicago Bears    
21 : Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame) Cincinnati Bengals        
22 : Desmond Trufant  (CB, Washington ) Atlanta Falcons    
23 : Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida) Minnesota Vikings    
24 : Björn Werner (DE, Florida State) Indianapolis Colts        
25 : Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State) Minnesota Vikings        
26 : Datone Jones (DE, UCLA) Green Bay Packers         
27 : DeAndre Hopkins  (WR, Clemson) Houston Texans    
28 : Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina) Denver Broncos         
29 : Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee) Minnesota Vikings        
30 : Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia) St. Louis Rams        
31 : Travis Frederick  (C,  Wisconsin) Dallas Cowboys        
32 : Matt Elam (S, Florida ) Baltimore Ravens

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4 Time NFL Pro Bowl Seelection Darrelle Revis Traded to Tampa Bay

Just days before the 2013 NFL Draft, the player market is getting more and more interesting only, and fans and sports betting fans should start paying attention to some early movements that could change to the existing odds on NFL. And you should start by checking the existing props and future bets available at Sports Betting Online.

After several weeks of speculation about his future with the New York Jets to accept the deal proposed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Darrelle Revis' love/hate story with his former team finally came to an end over the weekend when representatives of the Tampa Bay franchise announced that the 27-year old star cornerback was officially traded to the team as part of a pre-draft deal with the Jets.

Revis was about to enter his final year of contract and was stated to make $6 million ($3 million in bonuses and $3 million in base salary). But the Jets, who were unable to use the franchise tag due a clause in Revis' contract, were forced to make a decision: Trade him or offer him a new deal.

Revis’ trade rumors began surfacing early this year when Jets’ owner Woody Johnson said that while the team was looking for alternatives to re-sign Revis, who was seeking about $16 million a year in a long-term deal, the franchise had no intention of investing that much for a non-quarterback.

Both parts agreed on the trade conditions only hours after Revis arrived in Tampa to take a physical for the Bucs and prove he’s in condition to play. Now the Buccaneers will formally introduce Revis in a news conference set for this Monday. 

Revis trade includes an average of $16 million per year, making him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL; however, the agreement doesn't include any guaranteed money, which means that Revis will have to deal with a year-to-year situation. The Buccaneers can call the deal off if his knee prevents eventually becomes an issue. Under the terms of the contract, Revis selection will receive $13 million in base salary per season, as well as an annual $1.5 million roster bonus and a yearly $1.5 million workout bonus.

In exchange for Revis’ services, the Jets locked the ninth and thirteen picks in Thursday’s night draft. The Jets will also receive a fourth-round selection in the coming draft, but could improve to a third-rounder if Revis, who is coming off a torn ligament in his left knee, is on the Buccaneers' roster on the third day of the 2014 league year.

With this new deal, the New York Jets became the first NFL franchise to get two picks in the first 13 selection since the 2000 Draft.