If you ask a Kansas City Chiefs fan about the 2013 nfl football draft, they’ll probably smile and point at Eric Fisher’s Pro Bowl nods or the fact that they eventually turned that era into a dynasty. Ask a Jacksonville Jaguars fan about Luke Joeckel? They might just walk away. It was a weird year. Honestly, looking back at the 2013 class feels like looking at a time capsule from a parallel universe where the rules of positional value just didn't apply. We saw two offensive tackles go with the first two picks, a bunch of guards in the top ten, and a quarterback class that... well, let's just say it wasn't exactly the 1983 or 2004 crop.
It was the "Year of the Lineman." Or at least, that's what the scouts told us.
The 2013 draft happened at Radio City Music Hall, and the vibe was strange from the jump. There was no clear-cut superstar. No Andrew Luck. No Robert Griffin III. Just a lot of big, strong guys who were supposed to be "safe." But safety in the NFL is a myth. You've got guys like Lane Johnson, who became a literal cornerstone for a Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia, and then you've got the busts that still make GMs wake up in a cold sweat. It’s a case study in how difficult it is to project "sure things" when the transition from college to the pros hits like a freight train.
Why the Top of the 2013 NFL Football Draft Still Confuses People
Usually, the top of the draft is where the glitz is. Not here. The Kansas City Chiefs took Eric Fisher out of Central Michigan. It was a historic move—the first time a Mid-American Conference (MAC) player went number one overall. Fisher wasn’t an instant Hall of Famer, but he was solid. He played 117 games for the Chiefs. He protected Patrick Mahomes. That's a win, even if it wasn't flashy.
But then things got messy.
The Jaguars took Luke Joeckel at number two. He was supposed to be the "pro-ready" technician. He wasn't. Then the Dolphins traded up to number three—sending a second-rounder to Oakland—just to grab Dion Jordan. That trade remains one of the most head-scratching moments in modern draft history. Jordan was a freak athlete from Oregon, a "tweener" who didn't really have a home on the defensive line. Between injuries and suspensions, he never became the disruptive force Miami envisioned.
The Strange Case of the Missing Quarterbacks
You basically can't talk about the 2013 nfl football draft without mentioning the absolute vacuum at the quarterback position. This was the year of EJ Manuel. Remember him? The Buffalo Bills took him at 16th overall, making him the only QB drafted in the first round.
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Think about that for a second.
In today’s NFL, teams are tripping over themselves to trade three first-round picks for a guy who might be a franchise starter. In 2013, the league looked at the board and collectively shrugged. Geno Smith fell to the second round. Mike Glennon went in the third. Matt Barkley, who once looked like a lock for the top five, slid to the fourth. The most successful QB to come out of this draft? Probably Geno Smith, but only after a decade-long odyssey that saw him find his "Pro Bowl self" with the Seahawks years later. It’s a reminder that development isn’t linear.
The Stars You Forgot Were Drafted in 2013
While the top five was a bit of a coin flip, the mid-to-late rounds were actually loaded with Hall of Fame talent. It’s wild how that works. You miss on the "safe" tackle at number two, but you find a generational playmaker at 27.
The Houston Texans took DeAndre Hopkins at 27. Talk about a steal. Hopkins spent years catching passes from a rotating door of mediocre quarterbacks and still put up numbers that defy logic. His hands are basically magnets. Then you have Cordarrelle Patterson at 29, who revolutionized what it means to be a "utility player."
But the real meat of the 2013 class was in the trenches and on defense:
- Travis Kelce: The Chiefs got him in the third round (63rd overall). He’s arguably the greatest tight end ever.
- Tyrann Mathieu: The "Honey Badger" fell to the third round because of "character concerns" at LSU. He turned into a defensive mastermind and a locker room leader.
- Keenan Allen: A third-round pick (76th) who has been one of the most consistent route-runners in the game for over a decade.
- David Bakhtiari: A fourth-round pick for the Packers. He became Aaron Rodgers’ best friend and one of the best blindside protectors in history.
It’s hilarious, really. The guys who were supposed to be the "supporting cast" ended up being the leading actors.
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Defensive Dominance from the First Round
While the offensive picks at the top were shaky, the defensive side of the first round actually held up pretty well. Ziggy Ansah (5th) had some massive years for Detroit before injuries slowed him down. Sheldon Richardson (13th) was a force for the Jets early on.
And then there’s Star Lotulelei. He was a mountain of a man for the Panthers. He didn't get the stats, but he allowed guys like Luke Kuechly to roam free and win Defensive Player of the Year awards. If you look at the 2013 nfl football draft through the lens of "complementary football," it starts to make more sense. Teams weren't looking for superstars as much as they were looking for specific puzzle pieces.
The "Bust" Label and the 2013 Context
Is it fair to call this a "bad" draft?
That depends on who you ask. If you're looking for a superstar quarterback, yes, it was terrible. But if you’re looking for longevity and All-Pro interior players, it was actually decent. Travis Frederick (31st overall) was a controversial pick at the time for the Cowboys. People mocked them for taking a center in the first round. All he did was make five Pro Bowls and anchor the best offensive line of the 2010s before health issues forced an early retirement.
The lesson here is simple: Value is subjective.
What We Learned About Scouting
The 2013 nfl football draft changed how teams look at "safe" prospects. We learned that a high floor doesn't mean a thing if the ceiling is low. Luke Joeckel had a "high floor." He was out of the league relatively quickly.
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Conversely, the success of guys like Kelce and Mathieu showed that "baggage" or playing at a smaller school (like Fisher) shouldn't be a dealbreaker if the tape shows elite traits. The 2013 class was the start of the analytics boom really taking hold in front offices. Teams started realizing that drafting for "need" in a weak year is a recipe for disaster.
If there isn't a tackle worth the #2 pick, you trade back. The Raiders actually did this, moving back from #3 to #12 and taking D.J. Hayden. Unfortunately, Hayden didn't pan out either, proving that even "smart" moves can end in heartbreak.
Real-World Impact: The 2013 Ripple Effect
Think about the Legion of Boom. The Seahawks didn't have a first-round pick in 2013 because they traded it for Percy Harvin. That move was a rollercoaster, but it showed a team willing to bypass a weak draft to get a proven commodity. Meanwhile, the Cardinals snagged Tyrann Mathieu and Andre Ellington, building a core that would take them to the NFC Championship game a few years later.
The draft isn't just about the guys you pick; it's about how they fit the culture you're building. The 2013 class proved that a "bad" year is only bad if you don't know how to find the diamonds in the rough.
Actionable Insights for Football Historians and Fans
If you're looking back at this draft to understand team building, keep these points in mind:
- Audit the "Safe" Picks: Whenever you hear a draft analyst use the word "safe," look at Luke Joeckel. No pick is safe. Evaluation should focus on "translatable traits" rather than just collegiate production.
- Positional Value Matters: The 2013 draft was the last gasp of the "Draft a Guard/Center in the Top 10" era. Since then, the league has pivoted almost entirely to QB, Edge, Tackle, and Corner.
- Second-Chance Value: Follow the careers of guys like Geno Smith. 2013 showed that "draft status" expires after about three years. What you do in your second or third stop matters just as much as where you were picked.
- Late-Round Scouting: If you're a fan of a team that struggles in the first round, look at their third and fourth-round history. The 2013 draft is the ultimate evidence that GMs who can scout "middle-class" talent stay employed longer than those who just swing for the fences on Day 1.
To really get a feel for how this draft aged, go back and watch the 2013 All-Pro lists. You'll see names like Le'Veon Bell (2nd round), who absolutely transformed the running back position for a five-year stretch. You'll see Tyrann Mathieu. You'll see Lane Johnson. The talent was there; it was just hidden behind a facade of mediocre quarterbacks and over-drafted offensive linemen. The 2013 nfl football draft wasn't a failure—it was just a puzzle that took a decade to solve.