Top 15 Fantasy Football Rookies in 2013

Athlon looks at the top fantasy football rookies for the 2013 season following the NFL Draft.

Doug Martin (1,454) and Trent Richardson (950) were No. 2 and 3 among all rookie NFL running backs last year in rushing yards. They were both first-round picks and played as such in their first season.

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Early 2014 NFL Draft Rankings

Athlon takes a very early look at who could have their name called in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

The 2013 NFL Draft is in the books.

Some fans, in Minnesota and St. Louis for example, should be ecstatic about their new toys (Sharrif Floyd, Tavon Austin) while others, in Cleveland, Dallas or Oakland perhaps, might be wondering what just happened in New York. So while more than 250 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed prospects prepare for the long summer trek from being a draft pick to making an NFL roster, the next wave of college stars are already preparing themselves for the 2014 NFL Draft.

And so is Athlon Sports.

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Top 25 Undrafted Free Agents in the NFL over the last 25 Years

Some NFL stars were not drafted highly, or even at all.

Even though 254 players were taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, they aren't the only ones who will get a chance to make an NFL roster this fall. Every team signs numerous undrafted free agents following the festivities in New York. As history has shown, more than a fair share of these UDFAs not only play in the NFL, but enjoy long and productive careers. In fact, a select few have already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the possibility of more to come.

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2013 NFL Draft: Day Two's Best Prospects

After the dust has settled on the first round, who should teams target on Day Two?

The beauty of the NFL Draft lies in its unpredictability.

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Sharrif Floyd's Amazing Journey to the 2013 NFL Draft

The incredible story of one of the top prospects at the 2013 NFL Draft

As the final seconds ticked away at Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium last fall, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was in no mood to celebrate his Florida Gators’ upset of their bitter rival.

Not yet, at least. Floyd was too tired.

“At the end of the game everyone is celebrating, I’m on a knee,” he recalled.

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2013 NFL Draft First-Round Primer

Athlon Sports covers the storylines, players and teams to follow on Thursday night

The 2013 NFL Draft will commence tonight (8 pm ET) with the first round in primetime on ESPN. While 222 players will be taken on Friday and Saturday, it's the 32 whose names will be called in the first round that have everyone's attention.

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Players with the Biggest Health Concerns in the 2013 NFL Draft

Big Dogs or P.U.P.s?

Size, speed, stats and awards don’t matter if a prospect is Physically Unable to Perform. Here are biggest health concerns in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Matt Barkley QB, USC (Shoulder)

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Top Foreign Players in the 2013 NFL Draft

Some of the game's best players aren't from the U.S.

The NFL is interested in expanding its presence internationally, and the world is reciprocating by providing talent for league teams. Kansas City Pro Bowler Tamba Hali (Liberia), standout Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski (Poland) and Giants end Osi Umenyiora (England/Nigeria) are just a few of the many imports found on NFL rosters last year. Expect that number to swell in 2013, thanks in part to these four top prospects.

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Rodgers, Manning and other NFL Pros Share Draft Day Memories

Submitted by Athlon Sports on Wed, 2013-04-24 09:30

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Eli Manning (2004)

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Eli Manning, First Round, San Diego (traded to N.Y. Giants), 2004

“The draft was an exciting time. It’s a little unique. You have no idea where you’re going to be living next year. And you don’t get to choose. It’s not like college where you say, ‘I want to go here.’ You’re just kind of sitting there and saying, ‘All right, I may be moving to Cleveland. I may be moving to New York. I may be moving to California.’ It is an exciting kind of just wait to see where you’ll be pursuing your career and your dream of playing football.

“On my draft day I was just excited. And my draft day was very unique — drafted by the Chargers, traded to the Giants. So it was a whirlwind. Obviously, I was very excited to know that I was coming to New York, and coming to a great organization like the Giants, an organization that’s committed to football and such a great history. I was very honored to be a part of that organization. I knew that I was coming in to work hard and try to become the starting quarterback and do great things for the team.”
Aaron Rodgers (2005)

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Aaron Rodgers, First Round, Green Bay, 2005

“It was an emotional day. It was a long day. At the time, I wanted to play right away on that day and prove the other 22 teams that passed on me that they’d made a mistake. I look at it differently now. This is where I would have wanted to be had I known then what I know now — about the kind of working environment that this is, the opportunities I would be given, the coaching staff that was going to be here. I mean, I interviewed (before the draft) with Mike McCarthy. He was in San Francisco (as offensive coordinator).

“If they (the 49ers) pick me, both our lives are changed. What would have happened had they picked me and things been different? I don’t like doing the whole what-if game. I just know I’m really glad that I fell into God’s Country here in Wisconsin and had the opportunity to spend my early years the way I did and now gotten the opportunity to be the starter and play for this team.”
Jason Witten (2003)

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Jason Witten, Third Round, Dallas Cowboys, 2003

“Peyton Manning was a guy I looked up to, sort of a mentor, and the Colts decided to take a different tight end in Dallas Clark. They drafted a tight end and it wasn’t me. There was emotion there. Nobody had told me that I was going to be drafted there, but obviously you’re human and you’re hoping for those things. That was tough. It was like I got hit right in the stomach when they drafted another tight end.

Then, to wrap it up, two hours later, to get the phone call from Jerry Jones and Coach Parcells. That was quite the moment I’ll never forget. There are the highs and the lows and the anxiety of that day. You get that call from Jerry. Everybody knows his voice. He asked me simply, he said, ‘Would you like to put the star on the side of your helmet?’ As a 21-year-old kid, it put chills on my arm. Your family is all watching. My grandad is my high school coach. He’s sitting right there, and he has no clue who I am talking to. I have a five-minute conversation with Jerry. I get off that conversation and get to talk to a Hall of Fame coach in Coach Parcells. I had a 10-minute conversation with him. All the while that’s going on, you see your name going across the ticker there that they selected you. It was a pretty special feeling getting that phone call and something I’ll remember the rest of my life even though it wasn’t a long conversation.”
Christian Ponder (2011)

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Christian Ponder, First Round, Minnesota, 2011

“I remember sitting there when Minnesota came up on the clock. And at that point, Jake Locker and Blaine (Gabbert) had already gone. And I remember the clock got down pretty low, like four-and-a-half minutes left. And then Jim, one of the guys who works for (my agent) Jimmy (Sexton), said, ‘If the Vikings were going to pick you, they’d have called by now. So …’ And as he was saying that, our caller ID is set up to come through the television, and everyone’s watching and up came the 612 area code and ‘Minneapolis, Minnesota.’ … I couldn’t tell you what the Vikings said. I was so excited, almost like shaking. ‘Oh my gosh, this just happened.’ … They had tried, apparently, to call my cell phone a couple times and it was going straight to voice mail. I guess I didn’t have service. So thankfully they called the house.”
Jake Long (2008)

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Jake Long, First Round, Miami, 2008

“I had signed about five days before, but still it was an amazing dream come true. The draft was something I watched growing up as a kid, and something you dream about doing. To be able to go there and be with my family, get drafted — it’s hard to put into words. When my name was called Commissioner (Roger) Goodell just said congratulations and good luck. He was happy for me. It was definitely a little weird walking out and having all the media and everybody focused on me. But it was fun.”
Marc Mariani (2010)

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Marc Mariani, Seventh Round, Tennessee, 2010

“I had been talking (to Brandon Fisher, college teammate and son of Titans coach Jeff Fisher) on the cell phone throughout the day. I got the number from the Titans on my (caller ID) and then they said someone wanted to talk to me. I thought, all right, this is it. I’m excited. Brandon was on the other line and he said ‘I’m just messing with you.’ At that point I was ready to fly down there and whoop his buns. Then he told me it was the real deal and he put me on with (Coach Fisher). At that point I kind of lost it a little bit. It was awesome.”
Vincent Jackson (2005)

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Vincent Jackson, Second Round, Northern Colorado, 2005

“I decided to just invite my close friends and family over for a BBQ and enjoy each others company. … When the phone rang about 2 minutes before my name was announced on TV I felt butterflies. There are so many emotions going on. I didn't know I had a chance to play in the NFL until after my Junior year of college. That was the first year I was a full-time starter as wide receiver. My senior year brought a lot of scouts to my games, I got to play in the Senior Bowl, and attend the Combine. There was so much work, so many hours involved in creating an opportunity to get my foot in the door. So when I got the call I was extremely happy and anxious for the next chapter in my life to begin."
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NFL Draft Busts, Sleepers and Solid Picks from 2005-08

Athlon Sports looks back at recent drafts to see which picks worked out and which didn't

The 78th installment of what is officially called the “NFL Player Selection Meeting,” better known as the 2013 NFL Draft, will commence on Thursday. Thirty-two college players will hear their names called by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when the first round of the draft is broadcast live on ESPN from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Following the first round, 222 more college players will be selected by all 32 NFL teams on Friday and Saturday. Every player that is picked will become a part of NFL history, regardless of whether they ever make it on the field.

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Eli Manning (2004)

Aaron Rodgers (2005)

Jason Witten (2003)

Christian Ponder (2011)

Jake Long (2008)

Marc Mariani (2010)

Vincent Jackson (2005)

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