My first mock this year, with the draft being later I wanted to wait to do this first one. Hope you like it.
1) Houston Texans - Jadaveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: Defense wasn't the issue last year I know that but I don't think that Houston has any quarterback with an overly high grade and if you don't love the QB don't force it with this pick. With Clowney there is a lot to like, he has athleticism to spare and the burst to outpace just about everyone out of the gate. Needs to work on his power move, but is built like a brick shithouse. Motor has been questioned, but I think it is overblown. Lastly, This & This...
2) St. Louis Rams (Via Washington) - Jake Matthews, OT, Auburn: Keeping Sam Bradford upright is the biggest task for 2014 St. Louis, a talented team has been put around him but he's been injury prone. They did just resign Rodger Saffold but I don't think there should be a great amount of faith put into his ability to grow into a top flight player on the left side. Matthews may not have the upside of Robinson, but he is a more polished product and gives the front office a better option to make an impact this season.
3) Jacksonville Jaguars - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville: Jacksonville didn't have success in transforming Blaine Gabbert into even an average NFL quarterback, they traded Gabbert to San Francisco for a 6th rounder and possibly a conditional pick. In Bridgewater they get the most NLF ready QB in the draft and a pretty good player, who should improve the team right away. This is a long rebuild but I have faith in the new regime.
4) Cleveland Browns - Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: If Cleveland believes any QB in the draft is a franchise QB then they should draft that player. I don't believe they think there is and that is why I have Watkins here. The best offensive playmaker in the draft Watkins, does everything well and is a pretty good route runner already & hands that bring in just about everything. Watkins and Gordon is a scary combo but they need someone to throw them the ball, Hoyer might be that guy and I think he's worth the shot and I think Cleveland may think that too.
5) Oakland Raiders - Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn: With Veldheer leaving in free agency, Oakland needs a bell cow to anchor the end of the line. Robinson has room to grow but is a first rate mauler and has the athleticism to grow into an elite pass blocker as well. Oakland could very well go QB here but without the foundation to support that player what does the future hold other than a David Carr like existance.
6) Atlanta Falcons - Kahlil Mack, OLB, Buffalo: Atlanta needs front 7 help on D and OLine help and Mack gives them that elite player at the OLB position, a position they have tried numerous times to fill. Mack is explosive and refined technically and should be a welcome addition to a defense with trouble on the front end of the defense.
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: Mike Williams was traded for a sixth round pick to the Buffalo Bills and there isn't much left on the roster at the WR position. Evans would provided McCown (really Tampa?) or Glennon with a secondary weapon alongside Vincent Jackson that would come down with just about every ball. Evans brings the whole package and the only downside to his game may be lack of top end speed.
8) Minnesota Vikings - Blake Bortles, QB, UCF: Since drafting Christian Ponder in the first round two years ago the Vikings have made the playoffs on the back of AP and had troubles scoring points with any regularity. Ponder hasn't grown under the old regime and with a new cast running the show a fresh start at the most important position on the field appears to be in the cards. Bortles for his part looks like you'd want your QB to look, standing 6' 5" 252 lbs and a good amount of athleticism. The army may be just slightly above average but the bigger problem is the inconsistency and lack of refined footwork (also affects velocity). If the Vikings think they can fix these mistakes and if they can give him time to sit, maybe behind Cassel, then they pull the trigger like I have them doing.
9) Buffalo Bills - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama: The lastest product of the Crimson Tide looks like a difference maker in the back 4. During free agency the Bills lost Jarius Byrd and have a huge hole at safety and Ha Ha should be able to step in there and make a contribution. With an invigoration of the front 7 to a respectable group an infustion of talent on the back end is needed.
10) Detroit Lions - Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State: The Lions still need a WR to compliment Johnson and Tate but with such a deep crop of wideouts and Watkins/Evans gone they need to look elsewhere. Bring in Justin Gilbert the top rated CB in the draft and a stud from Oklahoma State. An upgrade on the outside is an imperative with a very good front four and an improved linebacking corps I think this is a no-brainer for Detroit.
11) Tennessee Titans - Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA: Barr slips from his preseason expectations as a top 5-10 pick. The Titans need help outside and should be enthused by a player who possesses great burst off the edge. Barr needs some polishing and isn't as much of a finished prospect as a Mack is but he was a top 10 player to start the year for a reason and that's because he is one hell of an athlete.
12) New York Giants - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan: The Giants have no record of picking LBs or OLs with their first round picks and I may move off this pick as we continue to get closer to the draft but for now this is it. Lewan would move into the lineup right away and add youth along with Justin Pugh last years #1 pick. Pugh at RT and Lewan at LT would be bookends of a line trending up instead of to the grave.
13) St. Louis Rams - Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville: The second best safety in the draft and the last of the top tier Pryor was a strong player and should slot in at FS for the Rams. Filling another spot behind a very good defensive line should continue to improve this unit under Jeff Fischer. The additions of Matthews and Pryor should shore up big holes on this Rams roster.
14) Chicago Bears - Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh: Aaron Donald is the biggest riser of the year, unheralded coming into the year Donald splashed onto the scene at pit with 59 Tackles, 28.5 Tkls for Loss and 11 sacks while picking up most of the honors for defensive linemen this offseason. An explosive player from DT, his run technique needs to be refined and honed but when getting after the QB there weren't many that slowed him down at the college level. He's short at 6-1 but against very good competition at the Senior Bowl he kept wonderful pad level discipline and routinely won the leverage battle. Donald should be a force in the middle for the Bears for many years.
15) Pittsburgh Steelers - Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State: Pittsburgh has many holes to fill as an aging roster and some poor resource management are starting to show cracks in the steel city. Dennard has his detractors but a feisty CB who won't shy from contact and fights a reciever down the field seems to fit the identity of this defense. Dennard needs to work on footwork in and out of his turns but working with a great coaching staff should help him in that regard.
16) Dallas Cowboys - Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State: Last time we saw Jernigan was on winded on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the national title game against Auburn. I can cut him slack on this because Auburn plays at a ridiculous pace and wore down many a front seven player this season when it had an advantage and wants to wear you down. Jernigan in the middle of this line with the loss of Ware a presence in the middle will be a welcome addition.
17) Baltimore Ravens - Louis Nix III, DT, Notre Dame: Ngata is getting old and Nix is the best player available in my mind and Nix would fit great in the Ravens 3-4 scheme. Nix was a starter the last couple of years for the Fighting Irish and helped to anchor a defense that was the best unit of a team that went to the national championship two years ago. Nix need some work on technique but you don't find guys his size that move the way he does and that's valuable on its own.
18) New York Jets - Marquise Lee, WR, USC: Jets acquired Decker this off-season but still lack a stable of weapons to help Geno Smith take a step forward in his sophomore campaign. Lee had a rough year in 2013 with an increased drop rate but much of his lack of production can be attributed to the dearth of good QB play at USC. The Jets could look for O-Line help or help in the back end at this position as well.
19) Miami Dolphins - Zack Martin, OT/OG, Notre Dame: The Dolphins need help along the offensive line in a big way, Jonathan Martin was suppose to fill one of the tackle spots but he's now in San Fran post Incognito so the Dolphins are left with a sieve like line. Martin can play Guard or Tackle but definitely profiles higher inside. The Dolphins need help plain and simple and Martin makes them better up front.
20) Arizona Cardinals - Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: Arizona sits just outside the playoffs but have an aging Carson Palmer at QB and no real good contingency plan outside of that. Manziel falling is to the Cardinals gain as they get the second best QB in the draft and have the roster to allow him to sit behind the vet Palmer and grow a bit in the professional scene. Manziel for his part is a dynamic talent that showed the ability to improve in his post Heisman season. Character concerns should only go so far as a deterrent to drafting him.
21) Green Bay Packers - C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama: If Mosley falls this far in May then Thompson and Co. will run this pick to the podium. Mosley would pair nicely with Hawk on the inside and provide a player that plays sideline to sideline with athleticism and the ability to match up with TEs. Mosley was a consistently good player for Saban and staff in Tuscaloosa and should contribute from day one in the NFL.
22) Philadelphia Eagles - Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU: With the release of DeSean Jackson a couple weeks back the Eagles need at WR went from we need one to fill out the depth chart to we need one to start yesterday. Beckham Jr brings those kind of abilities with his game. Not on the same level of Watkins and Evans but Beckham is a talent and should be able to anchor a receiving corps for the next 10 years.
23) Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Ebron, TE, UNC: The best talent at the TE position in this draft Ebron won't fulfill any of the requirements for blocking from the TE position. Ebron can stretch the field on the stream and has the hands and route running ability to be a threat underneath. Should add an explosive complement to Bowe on the outside.
24) Cincinnati Bengals - Dee Ford, DE, Auburn: Ford was the fastest riser coming out of Senior Bowl week but injury concerns have arose since then. None of that takes away from the fact that he is a quick twitch athlete off the edge and showed the strength to beat some of the best players in this years draft. Ford would give the Bengals a speed compliment to Geno Atkins from the DE position and a greater rush asset to a talented defensive backfield
25) San Diego Chargers - Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech: Fuller is working his way up the draftnik rankings and looking more and more like he will move into the mid first round. He's got everything you'd want out of a cornerback, good hips, quick feet and an understanding of the game. Fuller stood out in the game against Alabama and was solid all year.
26) Cleveland Browns (Via Indianapolis) - Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State: Roby struggled this season and the microcosms of that are evident in the Wisconsin game against Jared Abbredaris. Roby got beat over the top with sloppy footwork on a number of occasions. That being said he has the athleticism to recover from mistakes and the ball skills to pull down the ball. Obviously needs to work on the consistency at the next level but the top end talent is there and that is worth the risk for a Browns defense that is putting together a talented young corps.
27) New Orleans Saints - Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG, UCLA: Su'a Filo may be the best guard in the draft, it's close between him and Martin who I had going much earlier in the round. Xavier started three seasons for the Bruins, spent two years on a mission in the middle but is developed and has a good head on his shoulders. With him on the inside the Saints line should have fewer problems keeping an aging Drew Brees upright this season.
28) Carolina Panthers - Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State: Benjamin is a raw talent with the ability to stretch the field which should be an asset for Cam Newton. Benjamin doesn't run the crispest routes but this is a pick that stretches the field now and develop a young talent into the future.
29) New England Patroits - Ra'Shead Hageman, DT, Minnesota: Hageman is a disruptive force in the middle with sloppy technique but the flashes are amazing. Hageman would have a year to watch and learn with Vince Wilfork before assuming more of a role on the defense. A talent like this late in the first is a pick ripe for the Patroits taking.
30) San Francisco 49ers - Jason Verrett, CB, TCU: Verrett is an undersized player, but that is not to say that he should be overlooked. Verrett plays with solid leverage on the outside and battles on every play and has the ability to high point the ball which is will be of the utmost importance against bigger and stronger players in the NFL.
31) Denver Broncos - Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State: Shazier can play just about any linebacking position but with the Broncos I think he would upgrade one of the inside linebacking slots. Shazier has great ability to get sideline to sideline along with enough straight line athleticism to cover tight ends and slot recievers over the middle. I think Shazier would be a great pick up for a team that needs to upgrade just a couple positions to try to make another run with Peyton Manning.
32) Seattle Seahawks - Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri: Ealy is a good athlete with limited polished moves but good hips and strong performance in the SEC. Ealy may not be the most polished but in a system like the Seahawks he would be able to mold that raw talent much the way they have worked with the talent of Bruce Irvin. Ealy is a bit of a project but a talented project.
That does it for the first round. This will all change in a matter of days but that is the fun of draft season.
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