2013 NFL Draft: Will Lane Johnson Go in the First Round?

Oct 13, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooner tackle Lane Johnson (69) in action against Texas Longhorns defensive end Alex Okafor (80) during the red river rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

With a lack of superstar offensive skill players, the 2013 NFL Draft looks to be the year that the “big uglies” hear more of their names called in the first round tonight. No less than three offensive tackles expect to go off the board early, including Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Lane Johnson.

The first offensive tackle taken should also be the first overall player drafted this year, as the Kansas City Chiefs expect to grab Texas A&M Aggies tackle Luke Joeckel with the first pick of the NFL Draft. That leaves Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson as the two players at the position fighting for the higher spot in the draft. From the sound of it, while Fisher is considered the more polished of the two players, it might be Johnson who goes next as the Philadelphia Eagles has apparently focused on him with the fourth overall pick in the draft.

Of course, there is also a chance that the Eagles plan to trade down in the first round, meaning losing out on Johnson. According to NFL sources, the Eagles have kept in close contact with Johnson all the way up until last night, so the chance of him joining Trent Williams as Oklahoma Sooners linemen who enjoyed a nice high NFL draft pick is still strong.

Other teams looking at drafting Lane Johnson in the 2013 NFL Draft include the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions. The Ravens seem like a long shot, since the defending Super Bowl champions have the last pick in the first round, but they also have 12 draft picks this year and could trade a number of them to move up in the draft to grab him. There is little chance that they get him outside of the Top 10, so the offering would have to be strong.

However, with the Lions sitting in the fifth spot, there is a chance that they grab him if the Eagles pass on him. Last year, Detroit drafted three Oklahoma Sooners players in Ryan Broyles, Travis Lewis and Ronnell Lewis, so adding another Sooner to their roster would be no surprise. There is little doubt that Lane Johnson drops much lower than the fifth spot, making the 2013 NFL Draft a nice one for the Oklahoma Sooners superstar.

The 2013 NFL Draft kicks off at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN and the NFL Network.