2013 NFL mock draft: Datone Jones to Indianapolis Colts

What helps Andrew Luck more: additional weapons or an improved defense?

Apr 1, 2013, 7:00 PM UTC

Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

The Indianapolis Colts made a quick turnaround from 2011 to 2012 thanks mostly to the presence of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. When push came to shove, however, the Colts were not talented enough defensively to truly contend in the AFC. After a 2012 draft spent largely on providing Luck with help on offense, will the Colts shift their focus to the defensive side of the ball?

Team

Player

Position

Height

Weight

Class

24. Indianapolis Colts

Datone Jones, UCLA

6'4"

283

Brad Wells: "I’ve done mock drafts like these for SB Nation for eight years, and this year was the hardest. At pick No. 24, there were literally four players left on the board that I REALLY wanted to take. They included NT Jesse Williams, OLB Damontre Moore and WR DeAndre Hopkins. However, based on most big boards I’ve seen, Datone Jones is the better player left available, and, at this pick, that’s the player the Colts will want. It also happens that Jones fills a big need: interior pass rusher.

"Yes, the team signed versatile DE-NT Ricky Jean-Francois to a contract that left many scratching their heads, but that doesn’t mean the weaknesses along the defensive line were adequately addressed. As Stampede Blue’s Matt Grecco noted in his scouting report on Jones, 'this guy was made to play the DE in a 3-4 scheme, with both his size and abilities, and by sheer coincidence the Colts are pretty thin at the position, with many people thinking this is where they'll go in Round 1.'

"It kills me that I can’t take a truly impressive receiver like Hopkins, giving Andrew Luck another weapon to wreck havoc with on opposing defenses. However, last year the Colts dedicated eight of their ten picks to players on offense. The results were that their defense in 2012 was just about bad as the unit that ultimately led to their 2-14 season in 2011. The Colts need blue chip players on defense if they mean to contend, and it just so happens that the best player at No. 24 is, indeed, a defensive player that fits a BIG need."

Here’s our own Dan Kadar to break down the pick:

Of the three defensive players mentioned, they all make a degree of sense. Much more so than a wide receiver. The Colts should be set there. For 3-4 teams looking for a J.J. Watt-style player (and who isn’t?), Jones fits the bill. He’s not as lanky as Watt, but he can generate a pass rush from the five-technique spot. At UCLA, Jones was used at end and tackle, so he’s strong enough to take on blockers solo at the point of attack. He showed good enough burst and quickness to beat them off the block as well.

That's a wrap for today; we'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning, with the Minnesota Vikings and Daily Norseman back on the clock.

Top 5 players remaining

#	Player	Pos.	College	Ht.	Wt.
19	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame	6'6"	250
20	D.J. Fluker *	OT	Alabama	6'5"	339
21	DeAndre Hopkins *	WR	Clemson	6'1"	214
22	Damontre Moore	OLB	Texas A&M	6'5"	250
23	Cornelius Carradine	DE	Florida State	6'4"	276

2013 SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft results

No.	Team	Player	Pos.	College
1	Kansas City Chiefs	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
2	Jacksonville Jaguars	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
3	Oakland Raiders	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida
4	Philadelphia Eagles	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
5	Detroit Lions	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
6	Cleveland Browns	Dion Jordan	OLB	Oregon
7	Arizona Cardinals	Barkevious Mingo	OLB	LSU
8	Buffalo Bills	Jarvis Jones	OLB	Georgia
9	New York Jets	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
10	Tennessee Titans	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama
11	San Diego Chargers	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
12	Miami Dolphins	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington
13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
14	Carolina Panthers	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
15	New Orleans Saints	Alec Ogletree	LB	Georgia
16	St. Louis Rams	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
18	Dallas Cowboys	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina
19	New York Giants	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
20	Chicago Bears	Arthur Brown	LB	Kansas State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Kenny Vaccaro	S	Texas
22	St. Louis Rams	Jonathan Cyprien	S	Florida International
23	Minnesota Vikings	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
24	Indianapolis Colts	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA