Skip to main content
Advertising

Instant Debate

2013 re-draft: Who would you take with the No. 1 overall pick?

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was revealed as the 19th-best player on the latest episode of "The Top 100 Players of 2016." Hopkins is the highest-ranked player from the 2013 draft class, a group which includes guys like Le'Veon Bell, Tyrann Mathieu, Sheldon Richardson, Ezekiel Ansah, Jamie Collins, Tyler Eifert, Kawann Short, Jordan Reed and Travis Kelce.

Several of the top selections from the 2013 class have proven underwhelming in the NFL thus far, bringing one question to mind: In a re-draft, who would you take with the first overall pick?

"The Top 100 Players of 2016" will conclude next Wednesday, July 6 at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network. The conversation will continue on the "Top 100 Players Reactions" show, airing immediately after at 10 p.m. ET.

DeAndre Hopkins was an instant-impact player for the Texans, and the reason why Houston let Andre Johnson go after 12 seasons with the franchise. Hopkins has put up big numbers (239 receptions for 3,533 yards and 19 TDs in three years), not to mention he's played with more than a handful of quarterbacks. Imagine what his numbers would have been with a Pro Bowl QB. This guy is the real deal. Le'Veon Bell has shown the league that he is one of the most versatile players -- or the most versatile player -- at the running back position. After losing weight following his rookie season, Bell's game changed dramatically. He has the perfect blend of power, speed, vision and patience. On top of that, he can catch the ball out of the backfield and is an absolute game changer when healthy. The Steelers running back can easily catch 65 balls and run for 1,500-plus yards in a season. Lane Johnson has been extremely durable and played well in his first three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the games where he has played left tackle, Johnson has shown he can be a top-flight player at the position.

If you look at the top two teams in this draft -- Kansas City and Jacksonville -- they were both looking for a guy to anchor the left tackle position for a decade. Neither the Chiefs' No. 1 overall pick (Eric Fisher) nor the Jags' No. 2 pick (Luke Joeckel) have proven to be that guy. However, Johnson (the fourth overall pick in 2013) certainly has been. Tyrann Mathieu is the ultimate Jenga piece for the Cardinals; he's highly effective playing safety, cornerback or the nickel position. When you have a guy who is this talented and versatile, it's a gift and a curse for a coach because it's hard to know where to use him. Even though he's small in stature (5-foot-9, 186 pounds), he plays like he's Andre the Giant on the field. And because he can play every position in the defensive backfield, he'd have value on nearly every team. DeAndre Hopkins has been a huge playmaker in his first three years with the Texans. He has improved every season, with his best performance in 2015. Despite playing with four different starting quarterbacks last fall, Hopkins racked up 111 catches for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's a tremendous athlete and continues to impress me every time I watch him play.

Calvin Johnson was the No. 2 overall pick in 2007, and I think Hopkins, who went 27th in 2013, is worthy of at least that same slot with what he's accomplished early in his career.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

;