Weaknesses:
Summary: Joeckel spent the past three seasons Joeckel as one of the top left tackles in college football. He did a superb job of protecting the blind side of quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Johnny Manziel. Joeckel has proven his legitimacy by shutting down the pass-rushers of elite opponents. He looks like a safe bet to be a franchise left tackle in the NFL.
Joeckel broke into the starting lineup at left tackle in 2010. The freshman quickly got accustomed to the Big XII and, after some early struggles, finished his debut season strong. He did a very good job of protecting the blind side of quarterback Ryan Tannehill as the junior signal-caller became a starting quarterback for the first time in his collegiate career.
2011 was an excellent season for Joeckel. He did a superb job in pass protection for Tannehill. Joeckel gave up some pressures, but, overall, he did very well for a sophomore and rarely allowed his quarterback to get hit. He especially stood out with a good performance against Texas defensive ends Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat.
Joeckel continued to improve in 2012 and took his performance to another level. He only allowed one sack that this observer recalls; Florida’s Lerentee McCray beat him for a sack in the second half of the season opener. Otherwise, Joeckel was nearly flawless. He allowed some pressures to the inside, but graded out extremely high.
Joeckel showed how dominant he can be in back-to-back weeks when he shut down Auburn’s Corey Lemonier and LSU’s Sam Montgomery. They didn’t even get a sniff of Manziel as Joeckel owned them from start to finish. It was a complete performance from Joeckel as he shut down their pass rush and moved them out of their gap in the run game.
Joeckel had a strong performance in November versus Alabama. He allowed a pressure or two, but wasn’t beaten for a sack. Joeckel had some excellent blocks to allow Manziel to propel the Aggies to a road win over the No. 1 team in the nation. He made it look easy against Oklahoma to finish his collegiate career.
For the NFL, the athletic Joeckel has the ability to be a shutdown pass-protector. The junior is very quick and agile; possessing the light feet and the speed to get deep in his drops to prevent speed-rushers from turning the corner. He needs to work on negating the rush to the inside, but that is a very correctable issue.
Joeckel has some good ability in the ground game as well, but could use more strength for the NFL. He is quick to hit blocks on the second level and is very agile to hit blocks in space.
Joeckel is a well-rounded blocker with upside. It isn’t unrealistic to predict him spending his career as a franchise left tackle and be a pro bowl caliber player. It would be a surprise if he isn’t a top-five pick.
Player Comparison: D’Brickashaw Ferguson. It was a tough pick, but it is hard to say that Joeckel is going to be as good as Cleveland’s Joe Thomas. Joeckel’s style of play is sometimes similar to Thomas, but the Browns’ all-pro is much better in the ground game. On the other hand, Joeckel has special athleticism like Ferguson. The Jets’ pro bowler was taken with the fourth-overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Joeckel should also be a top-five pick. He should be, at the very least, a pro who is as good as Ferguson.
NFL Matches: Kansas City, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Detroit, St. Louis
The Chiefs could consider Joeckel even though Brandon Albert is coming back. Right tackle Eric Winston could be let go with Joeckel or Albert taking over right tackle. In the long term, Joeckel would be the left tackle for Kansas City.
The Jaguars could take Joeckel if he doesn’t go first. Left tackle Eugene Monroe is entering the final season of his contract, and Jacksonville could move Monroe over to upgrade right tackle.
It seems like Joeckel is unlikely to fall out of the top five. The Eagles’ offensive line was a mess in 2012, and the team could use a franchise left tackle. At No.5, the Lions could take Joeckel to be their blind-side protector for Matthew Stafford. Last year’s first-rounder, Riley Reiff, could move to right tackle.
The Rams are a darkhorse to watch. With two first-rounders and three picks in the top 46, St. Louis has the ammo to move into the top five. The team could land a much needed solution at left tackle with Joeckel. He could have a big impact for the Rams as the blind-side protector for Sam Bradford.
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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2013 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
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