2013 NN NFL mock draft: With the twenty-first pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select ...

We are now up to pick No. 21 in the 2013 Niners Nation NFL mock draft. The countdown to the 2013 NFL Draft rolls along, with the draft kicking off on April 25. The mock draft should take us into the week of the 2013 NFL Draft, so feel free to consider this a sort of countdown, as we post three picks each day.

The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock and their Niners Nation GM is Rocket0348. With the twenty-first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Bengals select Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State.

Explanation: The Cincinnati Bengals' three biggest needs are at middle linebacker, strong safety, and offensive center. There are no first-round centers on the board. Travis Frederick projects more as a guard, along with Barrett Jones, and both are likely to be late second round picks.

SS Kenny Vaccaro would have been the third-favorite selection here, but Arizona grabbed him a little too early. FS/SS John Cyprien is the second favorite selection and fits Cincinnati's high need. He is still on the board and is well-worthy of their pick at number 21.

The favorite pick for Cincinnati is ILB Arthur Brown. Arthur Brown is the second coming of NaVorro Bowman. He is a great tackler and takes advantage of his legs against the earth. He loves to make contact with ball-carriers before they reach the line of scrimmage. Brown is also good in coverage and picks up the seaming tight end nicely.

Trevor Woods: Has anyone else heard of the 60's band, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown who had the song "Fire"? I guarantee Chris Berman cites this at some point in Brown's career. Anyway, this is a very likely pick and fills a glaring need for the Bengals. Brown is a willing tackler who is always ready to engage with ferocity. He plays well in space and moves well sideline to sideline. Ray Maualuga was re-signed last month, and is expected to stay at inside linebacker. With that said, a selection of Brown could change that. Maualuga was downright awful last season in coverage; He couldn't cover a tight end whatsoever. In the playoffs, Owen Daniels made him look foolish time after time. If the Bengals want to attempt a Super Bowl run, they need to upgrade the position, and Brown would do that. I like the choice.

Nick Chiamardas: As Rocket0348 points out, the Bengals are likely to be looking for an inside linebacker or safety with their first round pick. I like Brown going here. I actually think he's the best 4-3 linebacker in the draft. Brown can easily play all three linebacker spots for the Bengals and should be an immediate starter. Very interesting comparison to Bowman. They have similar size and build and many thought Bowman was going to be a 4-3 outside linebacker. If Brown turns out to be half as good as Bowman, it's a great pick.

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