Former Alabama CB Dee Millner in 2012 — Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Remembering a Forgettable First Round from the 2013 NFL Draft

It's been 10 full years since the Jets selected Dee Millner at No. 9 overall in a Draft that yielded underwhelming results

Author:
Ralph Ventre
Updated:
May 4, 2023 11:31 AM EDT
Original:
May 4, 2023

In this story:

New York Jets

Alabama Crimson Tide

WOOF!

The 2013 National Football League Draft featured more busts than the current American banking system.

Athlon Sports turned the clock back a decade to closely re-examine the First Round and the results were somewhat staggering.

Eight of the first 10 players selected ten years ago are no longer in the NFL. Philadelphia Eagles' offensive lineman Lane Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2013, has made more Pro Bowl appearances (4) than the other nine men combined.

Selecting at No. 9 overall in the forgettable draft, the New York Jets swung and missed on Alabama cornerback Dee Millner who last wore an NFL uniform in 2016.

Millner totaled only 21 appearances over three seasons in Green & White. He accounted for 56 stops and three interceptions in 13 games (12 starts) as a rookie, but injury plagued the cornerback over the next three years.

Millner served stints on Injured Reserve in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Jets released their former top pick on September 29, 2016 and he was unable to land with another team.

The Jets were part of the majority when it came to underperforming 2013 first-rounders. Only six of 32 first-round players (19 percent) from that draft were still active during the 2022 season.

Athlon Sports on the Millner Selection:

9. New York Jets: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

N.Y. Jets (2013-15)

The first of three straight selections plucked from Nick Saban's assembly line, Milliner was of that relatively rare species: a Saban bust as a pro. A unanimous All-American as a junior and a two-time national champion, Milliner was a late riser on draft boards and received pre-draft buzz as a top-two pick after a 4.37 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine — although his poor display of ball skills at the event should have been a red flag. A strong close to his rookie season (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for December) offered hope, but Milliner was out of football after three injury-plagued seasons and only three career interceptions.

Pro Bowls: None

Gang Green, who picked twice in Round 1 that year, did get a decent value with Missouri's Sheldon Richardson at No. 13. The defensive lineman was flying high early, earning the 2013 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award followed by a 2014 Pro Bowl nod before regressing in 2015. He totaled 40 tackles-for-loss over 58 games with the Jets en-route to a nine-year career that ended with Minnesota in 2021.

Athlon Sports on the Richardson Selection:

13. New York Jets: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

N.Y. Jets (2013-16), Seattle (2017), Minnesota (2018), Cleveland (2019-20), Minnesota (2021)

Richardson stormed out of the gate, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 and a Pro Bowl nod in 2014, before self-inflicted issues dulled his impact. Despite those issues, Richardson maintained a solid level of production, finishing his nine-year career with 500 tackles, 64 TFLs and 33.5 sacks.There are a few lasting gems from the largely uninspiring 2013 first-round draft class.

Pro Bowls: 1

DeAndre Hopkins (No. 27) and Cordarelle Patterson (No. 29) proved to be two late Round 1 steals for the Texans and Vikings. Meanwhile, Johnson is still performing at a high level for one of the league's top-ranked offensive lines.

Outside of the few success stories, the 2013 NFL Draft will be remembered, or forgotten, for names like Luke Joeckel, Jonathan Cooper, Jarvis Jones and Matt Elam.

"But when your highest-selected QB is EJ Manuel, your No. 2 overall pick is out of the league after five seasons and several of your high-profile selections have changed locations with the frequency of a Saturday night pub crawl, it's safe to call this class a disappointment." - Athlon Sports

Remember, this is the Draft that featured one of the weakest quarterbacks' groups in the past two decades. Only Manuel went in Round 1, leading a class that included Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib and Mike Glennon

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