Nov 10, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Utah Utes defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (92) during the game against the Washington Huskies at CenturyLink Field. Washington defeated Utah 34-15. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Meek

I think Alabama guard Chance Warmack is the best player in this draft. He is an absolute beast from the guard position. He does everything extremely well. He will be a pro bowl-caliber OG for 8-10 years. 

Shawn Maher

I’m a big upside guy, so Oregon linebacker Dion Jordan is my favorite player in this year’s draft. Doesn’t matter the position, system or scheme, he’s going to be making plays. BYU’s Ezekial Ansah is another tempting, high-upside player, as is the impeccable Tavon Austin, but Jordan is the player that I think could revolutionize whatever position he plays with his athleticism.

Sean McMahon

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. I believe he is going to be the best player from this year’s draft. A heart condition made his draft stock drop, but he has medically checked out after that. Since then, Shariff Floyd has jumped him on quite a few big boards because of this, but one can look at the tape and realize how great of a pro Star could become.

He is disruptive and explosive after the snap. He is a tremendous run-defender and is almost impossible to move out of his gap. Star’s motor is always going and he is also extremely durable. He is also a great character guy and has seemed to be mature. Star would be a great addition to any NFL team and is going to be in numerous Pro Bowls throughout his career. He has all the talent in the world and a high ceiling.

Dustin Meritt

It is so hard to nail down one guy, Oregon’s Dion Jordan and Alabama’s Chance Warmack are neck and neck in my opinion, with West Virginia’s Tavon Austin peeking around the corner. Jordan has a chance to be real special and if he goes to a team that can use him properly and teach him a better inside pass rush move, he is going to be real good, read option QB’s watch out. 

However the best player right now is, yes a guard Chance Warmack.  It’s not just his ability to start day one, his natural strength, ability to pull and erase LB’s, it’s when he knows he won’t be able to get a clean block he still gets in the way and keeps the defender out of the running lane, that is experience and field smarts.  

Nov 24, 2012; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Dion Jordan (96) looks on in the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon DE/LB Dion Jordan will have shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum after the Combine, and is expected to then miss the next three-to-four months of football-related activities. That would knock him out of rookie minicamps and OTAs, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. He was projected to be a top-10 NFL Draft pick at one point and could have opted not to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, but instead, chose to fight through the pain and turned in one of the best performances thus far.

Jordan finished tied for third in the 40-yard das amongst defensive linemanh with an official time of 4.60 seconds Monday at the combine, leading NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock to suggest he could be reunited with new Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly as the fourth overall draft pick. Kelly has coached Jordan at Oregon for the past three seasons.

LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery was regarded as one of the top DE prospects entering the 2012 season, but saw his stock fall after he failed to live up to the hype (just 8 sacks), and according to scouts at the NFL Scouting combine, is now receiving negative endorsements form his former coaches at LSU:

@tonypauline reported today #LSU coaches aren’t giving DE Sam Montgomery a “ringing endorsement” to NFL teams. Not a good sign for him.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) February 23, 2013

Thus fa, we’ve had the Bengals going defense in the first-round. Our projections have included Oregon defensive end/linebacker Dion Jordan, LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery, and Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro.

NOTE: This is as accurate a draft order as possible. As the season nears it’s conclusion, the accuracy of the draft positioning will become more pin point. Here is the current draft order.

Now it’s time for our latest projection:

With the 18th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals made the same selection as their first one in Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan.

October 27, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Dion Jordan (96) lines up in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals could use some upgrading on their front line, particularly with a dominating edge rusher. Dion Jordan is a name quickly climbing mock drafts and big boards and it’s not for no good reason. He’s got Jason Pierre-Paul potential as Jordan is fast, athletic and his stock is only going up. The Bengals are a team themselves quickly rising in the NFL and if they can get a dominating defense to compliment their offense, we may have a new power take over in the AFC North.

Jordan’s edge rush is as good as any prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft. He stands at 6-feet-7-inches tall yet is flexible enough to bend around the edge better than any other player in the entire country. Combined that with a solid burst off the football, Jordan could rack up double-digit sacks with Geno Atkins clogging the interior of the defensive line. Jordan could also be used as a pass-rushing linebacker on passing downs.

His coverage skills are admirable, and he’s displayed an ability to play both zone and man-to-man coverages and not be a liability. Could the Bengals draft him in hopes of making him an NFL linebacker? Only time will tell.

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