After a trade with the Oakland Raiders, the Miami Dolphins have selected Oregon OLB Dion Jordan with the third overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Pros: Creates a unique set of schematic opportunities in an NFL defense as a "moveable chess piece" -- Jordan can play end and "endbacker" as you'd expect, but he can also play at linebacker depth, and cover slot receivers in some very interesting ways. Amazing run-and-chase player for his size; will catch up to running backs going at full speed. Has a very unique ability to read, drop, and cover receivers and tight ends from inline or the slot. Shows legitimate coverage ability in the slot -- jams receivers at the line, and transitions decently from hip turn to downfield movement. Backs out in zone blitzes and zone drops to cover tight ends on the seam, and has the recovery speed to come back up and stop short-area plays. Actually does a credible job on man and zone coverage, which is really bizarre at his size -- looks like a really good mutant nickel cornerback at times.

[Photos: Worst-dressed NFL draft picks of all time]

Cons: Leverage is a pretty serious issue on Jordan's game tape -- he gets blocked out far too easily if he isn't rushing from a wide slant. Still learning to use his upper-body strength. Gets too high off the snap. Doesn't have a bull-rush yet -- gets rocked back on power-blocks and needs to reset. Spin move needs a lot of work -- Jordan still struggles to keep his balance when trying to turn around blockers. Gets pushed out of the pocket against tackles when he can't match the momentum battle. Raw player who still struggles to keep his body under control at times.

What he brings to the team: An original skill set. Jordan doesn't really have a modern-day positional equivalent in the pros. There's an element of projection to Jordan's ultimate upside, but the potential is so tantalizing, and there's enough on tape to believe that he could be the best pure athlete in this draft class. He immediately adds many different dimensions to Miami's multiple defense.

Was it the right pick? Perhaps. Great kid and player, but this is very, very risky. The Dolphins still need to find a replacement for left tackle Jake Long, and if Jordan doesn't put up big numbers in his rookie season, it could be curtains for general manager Jeff Ireland, the guy who just drafted him.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel with the second overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Pros: Has an effective kick-step in pass-protection -- comes off the ball at a slight angle and backs away, but isn't especially prone to inside moves. Sets back against edge rushers and makes it very difficult for them to get around in the pocket. Mirrors especially well to prevent rushers from getting around him near the end of the play. Not specifically built for lower-body power, but plays with a very wide base and outstanding fundamentals and rarely gets rocked back. Excellent drive blocker through the line and to the second level. Latches on to his target and forces the angle he wants. Pinches in to the tackle effectively and is able to establish good power to the side. Good cut-blocker who doesn't whiff when he aims and lunges. Seals the edge with consistency inside and outside.

[Photos: Biggest first-round NFL draft busts]

Cons: Not a great or agile mover in space -- takes a second to get his body moving on the run and could be factored out on extended downfield blocks. Needs to hit his target on point because he doesn't have a lot of lateral mobility upfield and in zone situations. Would be better in a quick-step offense; was often asked to take the inside rusher on blitzes to his side and let the outside man move in with the quarterback directed to hit his hot read. Needs work on chipping one defender and moving to the second -- that's more a function of scheme than an indictment of his abilities, but it's an issue on tape.

What he brings to the team: Immediate starter value and consistency. Joeckel isn't a flashy player by any means, but for a team with an offense very much in flux, he will set the edge right away, and could do it from either edge of the offensive line. Calling a draft prospect "safe" is generally seen as pejorative, as it implies a low ceiling or a player who has maxed out in his development. I believe that Luke Joeckel is the best kind of safe player -- the kind who will hit the field in the NFL and be an impact starter from the start.

Was it the right pick? Yes. There's a lot of defensive talent left on the board, but the Jags need a bookend for Eugene Monroe, and they now have it. This sets the team's new regime up to properly evaluate quarterback Blaine Gabbert for one more season with an eye to 2014.

Welcome to the NFL draft! We'll be posting each selection as they are announced, complete with links to great pick-by-pick analysis from our resident draft expert, Doug Farrar.

The NFL goes 24/7/365, so don't miss a thing ...
Follow Shutdown Corner on Facebook and Twitter!

In the high school class of 2009, Rivals.com ranked 95 offensive tackles. Eric Fisher wasn't one of them.

On Thursday night, he was the first overall selection of the NFL draft, by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fisher was a two-star, unranked recruit. He was a skinny offensive tackle (Rivals listed him at 260 pounds, but Fisher said he was 230) who had scholarship offers from Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan, and that's it. He said at the combine he talked to Michigan State and Purdue about walking on and "neither of them really wanted anything to do with me."

He played in the MAC, which has never had a player drafted higher than No. 7 overall, the spot Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich was selected. Every football fan knew about Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford and Matthew Stafford before they were top overall picks. How many of you have ever seen Fisher play a game? OK, Central Michigan fans can put your hands down. Fans of other MAC teams and everyone who was snowed in when CMU played in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl last December can too. Yep, not too many of you.

[Related: Pros and cons of No. 1 NFL draft pick Eric Fisher]

Most top NFL picks are stars well before they're drafted. Fisher might have been able to walk through Times Square to the draft and not be recognized.

The last small school non-quarterback to go first overall was Ed "Too Tall" Jones of Tennessee State in 1974. Only three other offensive linemen have ever gone first overall in the NFL draft, and they went to football factories USC, Ohio State and Michigan.

There was no way to see this coming years ago when Fisher was ignored by almost every FBS school. There was no way of seeing it coming a little more than a year ago when he was just a third-team all-MAC selection as a junior. It didn't seem possible when he failed to make even one first-team All-American squad as a senior, though that was mostly because few voters knew about him.

In many ways Fisher, who couldn't get a Big Ten team to show interest in him as a walk-on, is the most unique first overall pick in NFL draft history.

"Hey, it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you end up," Fisher said at the combine. "That’s a big thing I take to heart."

(Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher with the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Pros: Ideal build for a do-it-all tackle -- long arms, powerful upper body, muscular lower body, and the flexibility to employ outstanding leverage. Comes off the snap extending his arms, driving his defender, and leading with a nasty attitude. Quick kick-step allows him to step with speed rushers. Plays with a dominating personality -- developing a reputation as a bad-ass, and he wants to perpetuate it. Gets his feet down in a wide base and can absolutely envelop defenders. High percentage of knockdown blocks for his size, even against better teams. Gets under pads and comes up at an angle. Can be rocked back at times by bigger opponents, but re-sets with quickness and excellent technique.

[Photos: Biggest first-round NFL draft busts]

Cons: Fisher could use come finishing work on his back-step in pass protection -- while he comes off the ball very quickly, he isn't as consistently smooth through the turn as you'd like and he'll lose guys who can dip-and-rip around him. Tends to shuffle when he should create a smoother arc. Will jab and push at the end of plays. Has a clear chip on his shoulder and a nasty streak, which is great as long as he keeps it under control. Tends to come up too high at times and can be beaten by pure leverage bull-rushers. Doesn't always hit his target in space. Strength of competition will be an issue for some.

What he brings to the team: Immediately, Fisher gives Andy Reid the kind of athletic, nasty tackle he always preferred in his years with the Philadelphia Eagles. The pick allows the Chiefs to either trade Branden Albert, or move him to right tackle, and sets their balanced offense up very well.

Was it the right pick? Without question. Backside protection is going to be an issue for the Chiefs as Albert has expressed his displeasure with his current situaiton. Fisher is the best overall player in this draft class, and he's still got a chip on his shoulder from the days when he was ignored by the Big 10 when he was a high-school recruit.

Maybe the pre-draft pizza had just been delivered. Maybe area traffic was a little heavy. Maybe someone botched the Microsoft Exchange invite for the entire front office and told everyone the draft was scheduled for next week. Whatever the case, the war room belonging to the Jacksonville Jaguars looked light on both people and computer power when the NFL Network did a peek-in on Thursday night.

Of course, Jacksonville doesn't have much to do in the first round of the NFL draft. The Jaguars own the second pick and are likely to select offensive tackle Luke Joeckel out of Texas A&M once the Kansas City Chiefs make Central Michigan tackle Eric Fisher the first pick. If the Chiefs change course and go with Joeckel, then the Jags will go with Fisher. Jacksonville needs line help and it needs it bad.

Of course, if the Jags room looks this empty from round two on, then maybe Jags fans have a reason to worry.

h/t: Reddit

The NFL goes 24/7/365, so don't miss a thing ...
Follow Shutdown Corner on

Eric Fisher: Our pick as the best player in this draft class. (AP)

With the 2012 NFL season in the books, and the scouting combine in the rear-view, it's time to take a closer look at the 50 players we think will be the biggest difference-makers at the next level from this draft class. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports (Hint: There may actually be more than 50). You can read last year's group here. The final 50 players were chosen and ranked based on game tape, combine and Pro Day results, overall positional value, and attributes and liabilities on and off the field.

#1: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

We conclude this year's series with Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher, Shutdown Corner's pick as the best overall player in the 2013 draft class. Certainly, no player has taken a longer trip from his high-school days to the NFL draft. As Andy Fenelon of NFL.com recently pointed out, Fisher was the 48th-ranked high-school prospect in Michigan in 2008, and Rivals didn't have him on their Top 80 list of tackles.

In defense of those who rank such things, that's what happens when you come out of Stoney Creek High in Rochester Hills, Michigan as a 230-pound tackle with no certain future ahead of you. Fisher was shut out by the Big 10 schools -- a fact that grinds him to this day -- and received two scholarship offers: One from Central Michigan, and one from Eastern Michigan. He chose Central, perhaps emboldened by the success alum Joe Staley has found in the NFL as a part of San Francisco's dynamic offensive line, and went about creating an absolute blocking monster.

"Big 10 teams, which was really the only conference I tried to go to, didn't want anything to do with me," Fisher recently told Shutdown Corner. "I don't think a lot of teams wanted to take on a project where I had to put on 70-plus pounds. But I found a way to get here and I think that's all that matters."

Fisher also mentioned that he drive six hours to visit one school, only to find that the coach he was scheduled to see was out playing golf.

"Yeah, it was a little frustrating," Fisher remembered. "Obviously, he's probably kicking himself."

Certainly he is, whoever he is. At Central Michigan, Fisher received the school's Future Ace award after starting two games as a true freshman, and spent the next three seasons exceeding all expectations. He grew into a 6-foot-7, 306 pound pure football player who not only completely dominated lesser opponents, but went all out when facing bigger schools. In particular, his performance against Michigan State in 2012 was a statement to all the programs that passed him up.

Still, it wasn't until Fisher hit the Senior Bowl like an 18-wheeler that NFL people really got a load of his professional potential. Throughout the week of practice, he matched the efforts of every other tackle, and became one of the stars of the week when he matched up well against the likes of Texas' Alex Okafor and UCLA's Datone Jones. He annoyed some by taking himself out of the actual game after the first series, but Fisher had proven his point, and he had bigger fish to fry.

At the scouting combine, Fisher put up a 5.05 40-yard dash, a 4.44 20-yard shuttle and 27 reps on the bench press, which only reinforced what the NFL already knew. Not only was Eric Fisher an underrated player through his college days -- the walking definition of a diamond in the rough -- but that he displayed the potential to change the top of the NFL draft in some unexpected ways.

Pros: Ideal build for a do-it-all tackle -- long arms, powerful upper body, muscular lower body, and the flexibility to employ outstanding leverage. Comes off the snap extending his arms, driving his defender, and leading with a nasty attitude. Quick kick-step allows him to step with speed rushers. Plays with a dominating personality -- developing a reputation as a bad-ass, and he wants to perpetuate it. Gets his feet down in a wide base and can absolutely envelop defenders. High percentage of knockdown blocks for his size, even against better teams. Gets under pads and comes up at an angle. Can be rocked back at times by bigger opponents, but re-sets with quickness and excellent technique.

(USA Today Sports Images)Very few players in this year's NFL draft have been picked apart like West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. That's what happens when there's a wide range of opinions on a player, and the range on Smith is fairly startling.

Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell are Shutdown Corner's draft experts and they put as much time into prospect evaluation as anyone. Farrar had Smith going seventh overall. Cosell didn't even have him in the first round. Neither one is "right" or "wrong," because nobody knows what to make of Smith with the draft just hours away.

And Smith has apparently been paying attention to the criticism of his game as people debate if he's a top 10 pick or a second-day selection. The criticism has been pretty intense at times, and he responded this week on Twitter with the draft approaching.

[Also: Speculation runs wild over Geno Smith and QB draft class]