With the seventeenth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft the Pittsburgh Steelers select Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame.

Next we address the #18 pick in the draft - The Dallas Cowboys are on the clock.

#18 Dallas Cowboys. Needs - G, DE, S. The Cowboys were the usual train wreck that we've come to expect. Heavily hyped, heavily criticized, completely mediocre at 8-8. Tony Romo and the offense managed to score over 23 points a game in 2012, despite having a running attack that ranked 31st in the League, finishing above only the Cardinals in both rushing yards gained and average yards per rushing attempt. The Cowboys did finish 3rd in passing, however. The interior of the O-line let the team down in both run blocking and in allowing pressure on Romo, who despite being very adept at running for his life, was still sacked 36 times on the season.

The defense was an injury riddled mess by the latter half of the season. A strong start was derailed by key injuries. In the end it cost DC Rob Ryan his job. The Cowboys finished 2012 in the lower third of the NFL in rush defense (22nd) and points allowed (25/game). They were inept at creating takeaways, finishing 28th in the League with only 16 on the year. Dallas manged only 34 sacks on the year (20th) and despite the personnel upgrades at the CB position finished 19th in pass defense.

The Cowboys are switching from the 3-4 over to a 4-3 Tampa 2 defense under new DC Monte Kiffin. It will be interesting to see how the defensive personnel adjust to the change. The Cowboys need to overhaul the interior of their O-line if they want to improve on their 8-8 finish from 2012. So who do the Cowboys take with the 18th pick?

Picks so far:

#1 Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

#2 Jacksonville Jaguars - Bjoern Warner, DE, FSU

#3 Oakland Raiders - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

#4 Philadelphia Eagles - Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M

#5 Detroit Lions - Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

#6 Cleveland Browns - Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

#7 Arizona Cardinals - Geno Smith, QB, WVU

#8 Buffalo Bills - Mike Glennon, QB, NC St.

#9 New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU

#10 Tennessee Titans - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio St.

#11 San Diego Chargers - Eric Fisher, OT, CMU

#12 Miami Dolphins - Keenan Allen, WR, California

#13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi St.

#14 Carolina Panthers - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

#15 New Orleans Saints - John Jenkins, NT, Georgia

#16 St. Louis Rams - Chance Warmack, G, Alabama

#17 Pittsburgh Steelers - Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame