Baltimore Ravens

Evaluating last five FCS draft classes: 2013

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:33 p.m. ET

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AP

(STATS) - The smartest players sometimes account for the smartest picks in the NFL Draft.

In 2013, the best values among FCS prospects in the draft came from Ivy League programs, says John McMullen, a national NFL columnist for FanRag Sports. This comes on top of other former subdivision players who have carved out pro careers.

"Most NFL decision makers now understand if a kid reaches the base skill set you need to play in this league, it doesn't matter if you are from Alabama or North Dakota State," McMullen said. "Talent is talent."

Part of a five-year look at the draft this week, the following is McMullen's assessment of the best, most underrated and most disappointing FCS picks from the 2013 draft. Parts 3-5, spanning the 2014-16 drafts, will run later this week. Check out Part I at https://tinyurl.com/lubcrll.

This year's draft will be held April 27-29 in Philadelphia.

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2013 NFL DRAFT (19 FCS SELECTIONS)=

Atlanta Falcons (2nd, 60) - Robert Alford, CB, Southeastern Louisiana

New Orleans Saints (3rd, 75) - Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Dallas Cowboys (3rd, 80) - J.J. Wilcox, SS, Georgia Southern

Dallas Cowboys (4th, 114) - B.W. Webb, CB, William & Mary

Arizona Cardinals (4th, 116) - Earl Watford, OG, James Madison

Green Bay Packers (4th, 122) - J.C. Tretter, OT, Cornell

Baltimore Ravens (4th, 130) - Kyle Juszczyk, FB, Harvard

Indianapolis Colts (5th, 139) - Montori Hughes, DT, UT Martin

New York Giants (5th, 152) - Cooper Taylor, S, Richmond

Detroit Lions (5th, 165) - Sam Martin, P, Appalachian State

Green Bay Packers (6th, 193) - Nate Palmer, OLB, Illinois State

Houston Texans (6th, 195) - Alan Bonner, WR, Jacksonville State

Kansas City Chiefs (7th, 207) - Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton

Jacksonville Jaguars (7th, 210) - Demetrius McCray, CB, Appalachian State

San Diego Chargers (7th, 221) - Brad Sorensen, QB, Southern Utah

Pittsburgh Steelers (7th, 223) - Nick Williams, DT, Samford

Baltimore Ravens (7th, 238) - Aaron Mellette, WR, Elon

Seattle Seahawks (7th, 241) - Jared Smith, DT, New Hampshire

Detroit Lions (7th, 245) - Brandon Hepburn, ILB, Florida A&M

Best Player: J.C. Tretter (Green Bay) - After Tretter played tackle at Cornell, Packers general manager Ted Thompson raved about Tretter's athleticism and thought his Ivy League smarts would translate well to the center position in the professional ranks. It took a while, but Tretter settled in as a top-10 level center last season and was rewarded with a big-money, free-agent deal by Cleveland.

Most Underrated: Kyle Juszczyk (Baltimore) - Big name running backs like Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles remain unemployed right now, but Juszczyk was one of the first free-agent dominoes to fall in 2017 as a position that is an endangered species in the NFL - fullback. Juszczyk, though, was much more than just a fullback in Baltimore and is more of a utility-knife kind of player whom Kyle Shanahan expects to use at running back, H-back, fullback and even in the slot in San Francisco.

Most Disappointing: B.W. Webb (Dallas) - A lot of people in the NFL believed Webb would develop into a really solid nickel corner early in his career. Instead, he's already turned into a bit of a journeyman, having recently signed with Chicago after stints with Dallas, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and New Orleans.

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