2013 NN NFL mock draft: With the forty-fourth pick, the Carolina Panthers select ...

We're on to the twelfth pick of the second round, No. 44 overall in the 2013 Niners Nation NFL mock draft. If you missed parts of the first round, check out our entire rundown.

The Carolina Panthers are now on the clock, and their Niners Nation GM is JMichael39. With the forty-fourth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Panthers select Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina.

Explanation After picking Patterson over Richardson in round one, I felt it was imperative to pick a DT who could come in and contribute immediately. Sylvester Williams, J. Williams and Short are the three best on the board. I felt Sylvester is more suited for the 4-3 base defense the Panthers use. I also feel he is the more balanced as both a pass rusher and a run defender. Considering any one of those three could have gone in the first round, I consider this a great pick for the Panthers.

Trevor Woods: JMicheal39 puzzled a lot of us passing on Sheldon Richardson in the first in favor of Cordarrelle Patterson. He obviously knew what he was doing and gets great value at No. 44 with Sly Williams. Williams has borderline first round value with tons of talent and tremendous upside. The biggest issue surrounding Williams was his motor and desire to play football. His film indicated he liked to take some plays off and didn't exactly give 100% effort once he was engaged with a blocker. He must be saying all the right things in interviews because many are hearing he's likely to be a late first round or early second round pick. The Panthers get a steal in the mid second round and fill a major need.

Nick Chiamardas: Williams put up some impressive numbers at North Carolina last season, racking up six sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. The Panthers opted to pass on Sheldon Richardson in the first round to give Cam Newton a receiving threat, and it all works out here by finding good value in Williams. A possible first round selection, Williams is quick enough, strong enough and fast enough to have a productive NFL career. I like the pick and feel this is the position to draft at pick No. 44.

Niners Nation Mock Draft, Round 1

1. Kansas City Chiefs -- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah [Explanation]
2. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia [Explanation]
3. Oakland Raiders -- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon [Explanation]
4. Philadelphia Eagles -- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M [Explanation]
5. Detroit Lions -- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan [Explanation]
6. Cleveland Browns -- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama [Explanation]
7. Arizona Cardinals -- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas [Explanation]
8. Buffalo Bills -- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU [Explanation]
9. New York Jets -- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama [Explanation]
10. Tennessee Titans -- Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida [Explanation]
11. San Diego Chargers -- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma [Explanation]
12. Miami Dolphins -- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina [Explanation]
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State [Explanation]
14. Carolina Panthers -- Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee [Explanation]
15. New Orleans Saints -- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU [Explanation]
16. St. Louis Rams -- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri [Explanation]
17. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia [Explanation]
18. Dallas Cowboys -- D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama [Explanation]
19. New York Giants -- Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia [Explanation]
20. Chicago Bears -- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia [Explanation]
21. Cincinnati Bengals -- Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State [Explanation]
22. St. Louis Rams -- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson [Explanation]
23. Minnesota Vikings -- Keenan Allen, WR, Cal [Explanation]
24. Indianapolis Colts -- Datone Jones, DE, UCLA [Explanation]
25. Minnesota Vikings -- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington [Explanation]
26. Green Bay Packers -- Damontre Moore, DE/OLB [Explanation]
27. Houston Texans -- Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee [Explanation]
28. Denver Broncos -- Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State [Explanation]
29. New England Patriots -- Margus Hunt, DE, Southern Methodist [Explanation]
30. Atlanta Falcons -- Tank Carradine, DE/OLB, Florida State [Explanation]
31. San Francisco 49ers -- Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International [Explanation]
32. Baltimore Ravens -- Matt Elam, S, Florida [Explanation]
33. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Alex Okafor, DE, Texas [Explanation]
34. San Francisco 49ers -- Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State [Explanation]
35. Philadelphia Eagles -- Kyle Long, OL, Oregon [Explanation]
36. Detroit Lions -- Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State [Explanation]
37. Cincinnati Bengals -- D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina [Explanation]
38. Arizona Cardinals -- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame [Explanation]
39. New York Jets -- Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford [Explanation]
40. Tennessee Titans -- Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, Connecticut [Explanation]
41. Buffalo Bills -- Matt Barkley, QB, USC [Explanation]
42. Miami Dolphins -- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State [Explanation]
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State [Explanation]
44. Carolina Panthers -- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina