Eric Fisher appears likely to go first overall. (AP)

Draft day finally is upon us. Though I still long for the olden days of all-day Saturday, all-day Sunday action, it’s still the best time of the year — even if we have to wait until prime time.

Before we get to the good stuff, I just want to point out that this is my eighth year of doing mock drafts, and it has by far been the most challenging year, for quite a few reasons.

First of all, it’s just a weak class. There are four great offensive linemen in tackles Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher, and guards Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper. After that, there are some good pass-rushers and two or three plus corners, but the star power in this class is highly lacking. For that reason, when mocking these picks, I found myself frequently coming to spots where the team would want to trade down, but who would want to trade up?

The uncertainty at the quarterback position also makes things tough to predict. There are teams that need quarterbacks, but do they like Geno Smith and Ryan Nassib enough to spend first-rounders on them? The aforementioned lack of star power in this draft applies to signal-callers especially. The guess here is that Smith goes somewhere in the top six picks — to either the Eagles, Browns or a team that trades up — and the Bills make their pick at No. 8 and later move back into the first round to grab Nassib.

Typically, good mock drafts get six picks right, while great ones get 8-10 picks right. The bar should be lowered for this one.

1. Chiefs (2-14) — Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

Deciding between Joeckel and Fisher might be a closer call than many think.
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2. Jaguars (2-14) – Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon

Jordan will help a defense that finished last in the league with 20 sacks last season.
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3. Raiders (4-12) – Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

The safest pick they could make, but remember, Robert Gallery once was considered safe.
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4. Eagles (4-12) – Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

Joeckel still is arguably the best player in the draft. This would be quite the steal.
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5. Lions (4-12) — Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

A true No. 1 corner to team with the re-signed Chris Houston.
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With the annual scouting combine in the books for 2013, it’s time to take another look at the overall landscape of the first round.

Lane Johnson is a big riser after the combine. (AP)

The overall takeaway from Indianapolis is that this is a draft that’s all about offensive linemen, boasting depth at tackle and featuring two blue-chip guard prospects. None of the tackles may be Joe Thomas, but there are enough of them that any team in need of someone to protect its quarterback’s blind side should have options.

One team need changed at the top, as the Chiefs don’t even have to think about reaching for Geno Smith after trading for Alex Smith.

1. Chiefs (2-14) — Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
I don’t project trading of picks in mock drafts, but I’ve never wanted to more in my life. Now that the Chiefs have addressed the quarterback position with their second-round pick, they should re-sign Branden Albert, trade down and fill another need. Left tackle isn’t a big need, and letting Albert walk just so they can draft another good left tackle to replace him wouldn’t provide them with much organizational progress.

2. Jaguars (2-14) — Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
A lot of folks think that Dee Milliner could be the pick here. Yes, he ran well at the combine, but Milliner as a top-five pick, let along a top-two pick, is a bit of a stretch. The Jaguars need sacks almost as much as they need a quarterback, so Jones is the better fit.

3. Raiders (4-12) — Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
This might be a tad high for Floyd, but he helped his stock immensely at the combine and could now be the first defensive lineman selected in what is a very deep class at the position. Both Richard Seymour and Desmond Bryant are free agents, the latter of whom was arrested over the weekend.

4. Eagles (4-12) — Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
Mike Mayock says that Fisher has closed the gap between he and Joeckel considerably, so there’s a chance that the Central Michigan product won’t even be on the board by the time this selection is made. If teams trade up with teams not from Kansas City, he would likely be their target.

5. Lions (4-12) — Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
The Lions would have a really tough decision to make if this scenario were to arise: Do they add a potential star corner and address what is seemingly always an area of need, or do they grab a defensive end to replace the aging Kyle Vanden Bosch? Both Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril are free agents.   Read the rest of this entry »