As hard as it is to believe, it’s been 10 years since the 2013 NFL Draft.
That draft, much like last year’s, wasn’t a big one for quarterbacks as offensive tackle Eric Fisher went first overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Only Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel went in the first round to the Buffalo Bills, which wasn’t a successful decision for the Bills.
If we look back on this draft class, how might the dominoes fall a decade later?
We’ve still only got one quarterback going in the first round, but it’s not Manuel. We’ve also got a new first-overall pick and some really intriguing alternate histories to consider.
Let’s dive into our 2013 NFL Draft do-over and see how it shakes out.
Pick 1: Kansas City Chiefs, OT David Bakhtiari
The Kansas City Chiefs started 2013 with head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith joining the fold, and they made the wrong offensive tackle pick at the top of the 2013 NFL Draft.
There weren’t many quarterbacks worth taking a risk on for teams in this draft class, so other positions dominated the top picks. Rather than taking solid-but-inconsistent tackle Eric Fisher with the No. 1 pick, the team hops in a time machine and grabs Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Originally a fourth-round pick out of Colorado, he developed into an absolute stud for Green Bay. He’s been first-team All-Pro twice in his career, and he’s made three Pro Bowls and three second-team All-Pro lists. He’s as accomplished a foundational player in this draft as anyone, and the Chiefs would’ve been lucky to have him during those early Reid days.
Honestly, he’d probably still be there today for the Patrick Mahomes heyday.
No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars, QB Geno Smith
The only quarterback left standing from the 2013 NFL Draft is Seattle Seahawks starter Geno Smith.
While Smith has had a roller coaster of a career after being taken in the second round by the New York Jets, the Jacksonville Jaguars really could’ve used him after the Blaine Gabbert experiment failed.
If the Jags had realized a year early that Gabbert wasn’t going to be the guy (and knew how Smith would look with competent coaching), they could’ve cut ties with Gabbert and snagged Smith as the starter.
It would’ve prevented Jacksonville from taking Blake Bortles in 2014 (and offensive tackle Luke Joeckel in this draft), and maybe Smith could’ve found more success in Duval than in New York to start his career.
We’re not saying this would’ve been a hypothetical slam dunk, but it would give a team that needed a quarterback the best one in this draft class.
No. 3: Miami Dolphins, CB Darius Slay
The Dolphins of 2013 fell victim to a historically weak pass rusher class, with edge rusher Dion Jordan struggling with off-field concerns and on-field success after being taken No. 3 overall.
Rather than address the defensive line, let’s say the Dolphins add cornerback Darius Slay up top to a secondary that really needed a promising, young defender like Slay.
The team drafted cornerback Jamar Taylor in the second round, but he sadly never materialized into a long-term starting option. Adding Slay at the top of the draft could’ve been a long-term success for Miami’s secondary (once coached by now-Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo).
No. 4: Philadelphia Eagles, OT Lane Johnson
The first team to retain their original pick, the Eagles absolutely nailed landing right tackle Lane Johnson with the fourth-overall pick.
Johnson has been a franchise pillar for Philly and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2018. He’s held down his job for quite some time and has done so with some of the best skill at his position in the NFL.
Congratulations, Eagles, you landed the right player. Not many teams on this list can join you in saying that.
No. 5: Detroit Lions, OT Terron Armstead
The Lions had to deal with longtime left tackle Jeff Backus retiring before the 2013 offseason.
In hindsight, they might’ve considered addressing the pass rush later in the draft and prioritizing finding a new left tackle if they’d known Riley Reiff wasn’t going to be the strongest replacement.
Hindsight tells us that Terron Armstead could’ve really helped out Detroit as it could’ve kept Matthew Stafford upright and would’ve allowed the Lions to put Reiff at right tackle.
Armstead was taken in the third round by the New Orleans Saints, and he held down their left tackle spot for long while before joining the Miami Dolphins in 2022. He’s one of the best at his position, and the Lions would’ve gotten more out of this pick (and still might be getting more) than they did with defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.
No. 6: Cleveland Browns, DE Ezekiel Ansah
Rather than taking an underwhelming pass rusher like LSU’s Barkevious Mingo, the Cleveland Browns take advantage of Detroit passing on Ansah and snag him with the sixth-overall pick.
While Ansah is out of the league, he did have a stretch of time where he was one of the better young pass rushers in the NFL. He had two seasons of 10-plus sacks with the Lions in 2015 and 2017, and Cleveland really could’ve used a guy like that in the pre-Myles Garrett days.
Ansah might’ve not made it as long as planned, but he gave Detroit seven seasons of good-to-great play. He’s worth a high draft pick here for the Browns.
No. 7: Arizona Cardinals, TE Travis Kelce
If the Arizona Cardinals could go back, they probably would’ve leaped at the chance to draft then-quarterback Carson Palmer an elite option at tight end.
Travis Kelce will sport a gold jacket one day as a Hall of Fame talent, but he was just a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. Imagine if he’d gone to Arizona.
The Cardinals originally selected guard Jonathan Cooper at No. 7, but Cooper struggled to live up to that billing throughout his career.
Arizona needed to capitalize on Palmer’s remaining days in the league with the best offense possible, and Kelce could’ve provided so, so, so much more than Cooper did in his three seasons with the Cardinals.
No. 8: St. Louis Rams, WR DeAndre Hopkins
Back when the Rams were still in St. Louis, the team was trying to surround quarterback Sam Bradford with more offensive targets.
The team selected wideout Tavon Austin in real life, but Austin never developed into a top-flight option at the position. DeAndre Hopkins did, though, and he could’ve been an immediate star at the position for the Rams.
While it might not have changed the fortunes too, too much in a year where Bradford landed on IR by October, he would’ve given St. Louis a true No. 1 receiver for a good while.
While Austin left the Rams after 2017, Hopkins could’ve stayed with the team long enough to thrive in Sean McVay’s offense.
No. 9: New York Jets, CB Logan Ryan
The Jets lost eventual Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis in 2013 free agency to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they whiffed on finding his replacement in the corresponding draft by taking Alabama corner Dee Milliner.
If they could go back, they might’ve wanted to take cornerback Logan Ryan out of Rutgers at pick No. 9.
Picking Ryan would’ve given the team a legitimate starting option at cornerback, but it would’ve also kept him away from the New England Patriots. Ryan is still in the NFL as a safety, but he had plenty of years as a high-end cornerback for New England.
The team could also justify cornerback Desmond Trufant at this spot, who gave the Atlanta Falcons good years as a top cornerback.
While the quarterback situation that year would’ve been murky for the Jets without Geno Smith in the fold, Ryan would’ve been a great addition to the secondary.
No. 10: Tennessee Titans, OG Larry Warford
The Tennessee Titans took Alabama guard Chance Warmack in at pick No. 10 in 2013, and while Warmack wasn’t horrible, he never solidified himself as a long-term piece for Tennessee’s offensive line.
Enter Warford, the talented guard who went in the third round to the Detroit Lions. He was a high-level rookie for Detroit, and he could’ve stepped right in for Tennessee and helped keep quarterback Jake Locker upright.
Warford signed a big contract with the New Orleans Saints after his rookie deal expired in Detroit, and you can bet the three-time Pro Bowler could’ve done more for the Titans than Warmack did.
No. 11: San Diego Chargers, WR Keenan Allen
The Los Angeles Chargers originally took Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker with their first-round pick in 2013, but let’s give them a player here they took two rounds later.
While Fluker never developed into a bookend tackle like the Chargers hoped, Allen did turn into a top-flight wide receiver.
The team nailed the third-round pick, but in the redo draft, they have to take the wideout much earlier.
No. 12: Oakland Raiders, CB Desmond Trufant
Like many teams on this list, the Raiders might’ve wanted a do-over after taking cornerback D.J. Hayden with pick No. 12 in the 2013 draft.
Hayden was a decent-enough corner for Oakland, but Desmond Trufant would’ve given Oakland a true No. 1 cornerback for the team’s secondary.
Trufant wound up being a steal for the Atlanta Falcons later in the first round, but if Oakland had known how these two players would’ve stacked up, they might’ve taken Trufant and reaped the benefits.
No. 13: New York Jets, WR Adam Thielen
While nobody could’ve predicted that undrafted Minnesota State wideout Adam Thielen would turn into a dangerous weapon for the Minnesota Vikings one day, the Jets could’ve added a really good receiver to the roster if they’d known how Thielen’s career would’ve gone.
New York’s original pick, defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, had a solid career in the NFL, but the Jets receiver room in 2013 was abysmal.
If New York would’ve known what Thielen could’ve done, he would’ve become a fixture with the Jets even through all the quarterback struggles.
No. 14: Carolina Panthers, OT Eric Fisher
Again, Fisher was a solid offensive tackle in his time in the NFL. While he doesn’t get picked first overall in this draft, the Carolina Panthers sure would’ve enjoyed having him available at the time they picked.
The Panthers struggled after Jordan Gross’ retirement in 2014 to get good play at left tackle, and taking Fisher and having him sit a year behind Gross could’ve been an excellent plan for the rookie.
In 2014, Fisher could’ve taken over Carolina’s left tackle position and given the team the stability it needed. He wouldn’t have been elite, but he could’ve done the job well.
In 2013, he even could’ve played right tackle for a year instead of Byron Bell before switching over to the left side a year later.
No. 15: New Orleans Saints, CB/S Tyrann Mathieu
While original pick Kenny Vaccaro was a very solid safety for New Orleans, you can bet they’d have loved to have taken LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu if they could do it over again.
Mathieu entered the NFL with character concerns from his college days, but he turned out to be an absolute model player on the field, in the locker room and in the community. He was a first-round talent who should’ve been given the chance to prove it.
Rather than going in the third round to the Arizona Cardinals, Mathieu could’ve gotten started with the Saints and developed into a franchise pillar.
He’d eventually find his way to New Orleans but not at the peak of his talents.
No. 16: Buffalo Bills, OG Kyle Long
Rather than embark on the failed quest of turning quarterback E.J. Manuel into a franchise starter, the Buffalo Bills could’ve taken a safe pick in offensive lineman Kyle Long.
Long went a few picks later to the Chicago Bears, and he gave them quality years of play at both guard and tackle.
While Long struggled with injures in his career, he could’ve helped Buffalo’s offensive line be even stronger than it already was in 2013.
The Bills could’ve waited to take a quarterback in the 2014 draft, like Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater or Jimmy Garoppolo, and had a solid offensive line to drop the rookie in.
No. 17: Pittsburgh Steelers, LB Jamie Collins
While Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones wasn’t a good fit in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Jamie Collins would’ve been a very sound pick at No. 17.
Collins has been a good-to-great linebacker through his winding career, and he was with the New England Patriots, the team that drafted him, just recently as last season.
While Jones only played out his rookie contract in Pittsburgh, Collins could’ve developed into a fixture of the Steelers defense.
No. 18: San Francisco 49ers, S Eric Reid
Safety Eric Reid gave the San Francisco 49ers plenty of good years at the position, and it’s a pick they’d be more than justified in keeping as it was.
Not many teams can say in this draft that their pick would stay the same, but San Francisco is afforded that luxury here.
No. 19: New York Giants, DT Sheldon Richardson
In this scenario, the New York Giants catch a falling defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and make a luxury pick for the defensive line.
While the Giants did have a good bit of talent already up front, the return on Richardson, with mentors like Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul in tow, could’ve really been something for New York.
Original pick Justin Pugh was a solid selection, but adding Richardson to that defensive front is just too enticing to pass up.
No. 20: Chicago Bears, OT Justin Pugh
Pugh doesn’t fall far, as the Chicago Bears take him at No. 20 after missing out on original pick Kyle Long.
They roughly had the same career trajectory, but Long played a bit longer than Pugh did. It’s a breakeven draft selection for the Bears here.
No. 21: Cincinnati Bengals, TE Zach Ertz
While the Cincinnati Bengals took a solid tight end in Tyler Eifert with this pick, tight end Zach Ertz would’ve been a home run at this point in the draft.
Whereas injuries cut Eifert’s career short, Ertz is still going strong and was one of the best tight ends in the NFL during his prime.
Quarterback Andy Dalton certainly would’ve loved having Ertz to throw to during his Cincinnati heyday.
No. 22: Atlanta Falcons, CB Xavier Rhodes
While the Atlanta Falcons miss out on Desmond Trufant in this draft, the team gets a heck of a replacement in Xavier Rhodes.
Rhodes and Trufant had remarkably similar careers. They both spent seven seasons with the teams that drafted them and signed lucrative extensions after their rookie deals ended.
The Falcons traded up for Trufant back in 2013 out of a major need for a cornerback, and they’d get roughly the same return on a move for Rhodes. It ultimately levels itself out for the Falcons.
No. 23: Minnesota Vikings, CB/S Micah Hyde
While the Minnesota Vikings missed out on Xavier Rhodes in this simulation, the team snags a fifth-round steal by a division rival in this redraft in Micah Hyde.
Hyde is a versatile defensive back who is still in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills as a safety.
In Green Bay, he emerged as a good nickel cornerback and free safety and signed a huge deal with the Bills in 2017.
The Vikings could also look at cornerback A.J. Bouye with this pick, who went undrafted in 2013. Let’s give them Hyde, though, to keep him from Green Bay and send him to a team that could’ve also unlocked his versatility.
No. 24: Indianapolis Colts, RB Le'Veon Bell
The Indianapolis Colts made a disastrous move in September 2013, when they shipped a first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for running back Trent Richardson.
In this revisionist draft, we’ll keep the Andrew Luck-led Colts from making that horrible decision by giving them running back Le’Veon Bell instead of defensive end Björn Werner.
Bell would’ve given the Colts an absolutely electric running game for Luck to lean on early in his career, and it really could’ve taken this Indianapolis team to new heights on offense.
While Bell wasn’t quite the same player after his 2018 contract holdout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, maybe the Colts would’ve been able to maximize his early playing days into an AFC title and potential Super Bowl victory.
It’s a fun alternate history we’ll never know the answer to.
No. 25: Minnesota Vikings, DT Kawann Short
With the second of their three 2013 first-round picks, the Minnesota Vikings avoid defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and snag a longtime stalwart from the Carolina Panthers.
Kawann Short spent eight years in Carolina as one of the team’s premiere interior defensive linemen, and he could’ve given the Vikings what they were looking for with the Floyd pick.
Short went in the second round of this draft, but he was a clear first-round talent.
No. 26: Green Bay Packers, DT Brandon Williams
The Green Bay Packers didn’t get what they wanted out of defensive end Datone Jones in this draft, but snagging a very reliable run defender in defensive tackle Brandon Williams would’ve been a nice boost.
Williams spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him in the third round. He was a regular factor against the run and was an unsung hero for many a Baltimore defenses. He could’ve had a similar presence in Green Bay.
He won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs this past February and could hypothetically still sign with an NFL team. His durability and longevity make him an easy first-round selection.
No. 27: Houston Texans, WR Robert Woods
The Texans absolutely got a steal at this point in the 2013 NFL Draft with DeAndre Hopkins, but a much wiser St. Louis Rams took him already in this simulation.
Instead, Houston snags a player here they actually just signed as a free agent: wideout Robert Woods.
Woods has had a respectable career at every stop he’s made in the NFL, starting off his career strong in Buffalo with the Bills before signing with the Los Angeles Rams and winning a Super Bowl in 2022.
He’d have been a very solid pick this late in the first round and could’ve taken starting reps with the Texans early in his career.
No. 28: Denver Broncos, WR Cordarrelle Patterson
The 2013 Denver Broncos were in the heyday of Peyton Manning’s second phase, but picking defensive tackle Sylvester Williams didn’t do a ton for the team’s defense.
However, it would’ve been absolutely fantastic to watch Manning play with former Tennessee receiver/all-time kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
Patterson didn’t really blossom into an elite offensive weapon until 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons, but you wonder if a quarterback like Manning could’ve really made good use with him on offense.
Vols fans would’ve been in heaven watching Manning throw passes to Patterson, and Denver could’ve had an even more explosive offense than they already did that season.
No. 29: Minnesota Vikings, WR Tavon Austin
The Vikings just miss out on original pick Cordarrelle Patterson with their third first rounder, so they’ll snag a falling Tavon Austin and hope he can maximize his potential in their offense.
Austin had a solid career, although not one you’d expect from a top-10 pick. However, he would give the Vikings roughly the same usage that Patterson gave them as a receiver-runner-returner.
This wasn’t a great draft class for wide receivers, and Austin was one of the better ones (even if his draft stock was too high).
No. 30: St. Louis Rams, DT Star Lotulelei
While the Rams didn’t nail this pick with outside linebacker Alec Ogletree in 2013, they could benefit in this redraft with a falling defensive tackle in Star Lotulelei.
Lotulelei never really became the terror he was billed to be in this draft cycle, but he was a longtime cog in a stout Panthers defense. He could’ve given the same to a Rams unit with Michael Brockers, Chris Long, Robert Quinn, William Hayes and Kendall Langford.
Lotulelei joining that group would’ve made these Rams much scarier on paper with the defensive front.
No. 31: Dallas Cowboys, C Travis Frederick
The Dallas Cowboys got exactly who they needed in this draft class with center Travis Frederick, who played elite football with Dallas for some time.
While he had to cut his career short due to medical issues in 2019, it’s hard to imagine Dallas going in any other direction here. Frederick was just that good for his time as a Cowboy.
No. 32: Baltimore Ravens, S Duron Harmon
The Ravens made a rare draft mistake with the last pick in the 2013 NFL Draft’s first round by selecting safety Matt Elam.
The Florida alum only made it through his rookie contract with the Ravens before exiting the NFL altogether.
Duron Harmon was a mid-round steal by the New England Patriots, and he could’ve been a really nice fit with the Ravens defense in ways Elam never was.
Plus, it’d have kept Harmon from joining the Patriots, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing as Baltimore mounted its title defense that fall.
2013 first-round players who went unselected in the first round in this redraft
- OT Luke Joeckel (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- DE Dion Jordan (Miami Dolphins)
- DE Barkevious Mingo (Cleveland Browns)
- G Jonathan Cooper (Arizona Cardinals)
- CB Dee Milliner (New York Jets)
- G Chance Warmack (Tennessee Titans)
- T D.J. Fluker (Los Angeles Chargers)
- CB D.J. Hayden (Oakland Raiders)
- S Kenny Vaccaro (New Orleans Saints)
- QB E.J. Manuel (Buffalo Bills)
- LB Jarvis Jones (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- TE Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals)
- DT Sharrif Floyd (Minnesota Vikings)
- DE Björn Werner (Indianapolis Colts)
- DE Datone Jones (Green Bay Packers)
- DT Sylvester Williams (Denver Broncos)
- LB Alec Ogletree (St. Louis Rams)
- S Matt Elam (Baltimore Ravens)
