2014 NFL Mock Draft: FINAL Edition

It’s draft day. After 9 months of scouting, reporting, information gathering and mock drafting, the 2014 NFL Draft has finally arrived.

This mock draft doesn’t have any listed trades, but certainly accounts and discusses them. This is a reflection of what I’ve heard from people in and close to teams in the league.

Johnny Manziel slips, Odell Beckham Jr. is coveted, Aaron Donald is the surprise of the first round and learn about Ja’Wuan James of Tennessee.
1. Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
-The Texans would like to move out of the pick, but odds are they won’t find a trade worth doing that fits value-wise. Clowney fits the defense better than most realize. There’s still an outside shot of Khalil Mack, but it’d be a major surprise.

2. St. Louis Rams – Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
-St. Louis has been rumored to be open to trading for a while, but they seem locked in with this pick. He can play right tackle or guard as a rookie and eventually take over for Jake Long at left tackle.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
–This pick is tough to pick between Watkins and Khalil Mack, and I’ve heard both are strong options. I’ll still lean Watkins, as the team can’t trust Justin Blackmon long-term. A trade down with Atlanta is possible.

4. Cleveland Browns – Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
–Seems like major reach to me, but I’ve heard Evans is the pick for the Browns if he’s here. They’re rumored to like him more than Sammy Watkins. They’ll target their quarterback with their second first-rounder.

 5. Oakland Raiders – Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
–This would be a major surprise, but I’ve heard Donald is the pick. Tough to believe that they’d pass on Khalil Mack or Sammy Watkins, but Donald makes sense to keep this defensive line a strength. They’re still a strong contender to trade down.

6. Atlanta Falcons – Khalil Mack, DE, Buffalo
-The Falcons may need to move to #3 to secure Mack, which I’ve heard is very possible. Finding an edge rusher would be ideal for the Falcons, and Mack is obviously an ideal value.

 7. Tampa Bay Bucs – Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
-I’m not buying the Johnny Manziel rumors at all. If Aaron Donald is available, I think he’s the pick. If not, they’ll take one of the best offensive linemen left. Matthews is that man here.

8. Minnesota Vikings – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
-If Mack, Evans and Donald are off the board, I’d guess the Vikings are trading down. They’ll have suitors looking for Odell Beckham Jr, Taylor Lewan and Anthony Barr. If they move down, I think Dennard is their target.

 9. Buffalo Bills – Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
-I’ve had Martin linked to the Bills since the Senior Bowl, and I think he’s still the pick here, even if Taylor Lewan is on the board. Martin can play right tackle or guard for the Bills, who need to improve upfront to help CJ Spiller and EJ Manuel.

10. Detroit Lions – Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State
-The Lions two biggest needs are linebacker and safety, and neither is a good value here at 10. I think Detroit looks to move back, probably for a team looking for Anthony Barr (the Eagles) or Odell Beckham Jr. (the Jets). If they move down, it’ll come down to Shazier or HaHa Clinton-Dix. I’ll lean Shazier.

11. Tennessee Titans – Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
-The Titans only have Shaun Phillips as an experienced 3-4 outside linebacker, and they need to address it long term. Barr’s UCLA defensive coordinator is now the linebackers coach in Tennessee, so the connection is there.

 12. New York Giants – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
-Adding Justin Pugh was the start of the Giants overhaul on their offensive line. William Beatty needs replacing, and Lewan can fill the left tackle role for the future. Look for them to trade up to 8^th overall to secure Lewan.

 13. St. Louis Rams – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
-The Rams could look at receiver, linebacker or safety, but Justin Gilbert feels like a cornerback Jeff Fisher would covet. He’s going to land somewhere in the top-15, and St. Louis is a fit.

14. Chicago Bears – HaHa Clinton-Dix, SAF, Alabama
-Chicago needs to get younger in the secondary, and safety is a good place to start. Clinton-Dix is the draft’s best safety, and if he doesn’t go 10, this is a very possible landing spot.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
–The Steelers need the defensive line help, and Hagemen fits their mold of defensive linemen. If he’s on the board, I’d bet strongly he’s the pick.

16. Dallas Cowboys – Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
–Where Manziel lands on draft day is almost anyone’s guess, but my gut feeling is that it won’t be in the top-10 picks. I believe the Cowboys are serious about their interest in Manziel and will take him if he’s available.

17. Baltimore Ravens – Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia
-Eugene Monroe is set on one side, but the Ravens need to find a right tackle in this draft. Moses has experience there and for many teams is viewed as a top-20 prospects (even though I disagree with that assessment).

18. New York Jets – Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU
-If the Jets want Beckham, they’ll have to trade up. I think a move with the Lions is legitimate, and I’ll say the Jets find a way to land him. If they don’t, Brandin Cooks looks like the pick.

19. Miami Dolphins – Ja’Wuan James, OT, Tennessee
-Ideally, Miami would like to move down to take James, but I wouldn’t rule out them staying put and drafting him. He’s played 49 straight games at right tackle for the Volunteers, and fills their biggest need.

20.  Arizona Cardinals – Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
–Blake Bortles is their top quarterback, and with him available, it’ll be tempting. But, I think Bruce Arians wants a seam stretching tight end too badly to pass on Ebron at this point. Ebron, Ford, Pryor and Bortles are all in play here.

21. Green Bay Packers – Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
–Surprising to have Kyle Fuller land here, but if he does fall to 21, it’d be a shock to see the Packers pass on him. He can play safety or cornerback as a rookie and develop into their long-term feature cornerback.

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
–We have a mid-round grade on Jordan Matthews, but I’ve been told that he won’t leave the first round. If the Eagles can’t secure Odell Beckham Jr, Matthews might be the next option for them at receiver. Bradley Roby and CJ Mosley are also options.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Calvin Pryor, SAF, Louisville
-The rumors of the team trading Eric Berry are legitimate. Whether they do or not, they’ll need depth and versatility at safety. Sanders Commings is likely their free safety of the future, and Pryor, along with Berry, can give the team a lot of versatility in the defensive backfield.

24. Cincinnati Bengals – Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
-Andy Dalton is going to command a 10 million dollar a year deal for the next 3-4 years. The Bengals are notoriously cheap, and the idea of getting Bridgewater (who’s probably just as good if not better right now) for 5 years at far less money may be too good to pass on. If not quarterback. Bradley Roby or Kony Ealy fit.

25. San Diego Chargers – Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame
-With Bradley Roby on the board, it’s hard to imagine the team passing on him. But, if Louis Nix is here, I’ve heard they probably won’t pass. They’re need at nose tackle is desperate, and they can’t afford to let the draft’s best slip past them.

26. Cleveland Browns (via IND) – Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
-After all the Johnny Manziel fanfare, the Browns likely won’t end up with him. They favor Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo from all I’ve heard. I’ll give the edge to Carr here.

27. New Orleans Saints – Marcus Martin, OC, USC
-I’m not a Marcus Martin first-round fan, but he can probably step in right away and start for the Saints. They have no center on the team capable of playing right now, and Martin got a last second invite to the draft. I’m just putting the pieces together here.

28. Carolina Panthers – Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
-The Panthers would love if Roby falls to them, as the cornerback position is quietly their biggest need. Joel Bitonio, Cyrus Kouandjio and Brandin Cooks are all in the mix here as well.

29. New England Patriots – Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
–The Patriots are likely to trade down, but Ealy is a guy that I’ve heard they view as a worthwhile player at this spot. I have a feeling Ealy find a home well before this point, though. Don’t be surprised if they take Dominique Easley here or in a trade back. This is my likely landing spot for Blake Bortles for a team that trades up.

30. San Francisco – Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
-Odds are Brandin Cooks is gone by this point, but it may only take 7-8 spots of trading up to secure him for the 49ers. He can give this team a unique vertical threat for the future.

31. Denver Broncos – Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, UCLA
–Rumors are that the Broncos covet Su’a-Filo and he’s their trade-up target. He may end up being here at 31, but don’t be surprised if they move up for their man. A cornerback and CJ Mosley may also be in the mix. 

32. Seattle Seahawks – Marqise Lee, WR, USC
-Marqise Lee has a very good chance of falling out of the first round. Personally, I think he’s a top-15 prospect in this class, and Pete Carroll will likely strongly advocate for him if he starts to slide.

 

 

ROUND TWO

33. Houston – Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State

34. Washington – Joel Bitonio, OG, Nevada

35. Cleveland – Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska

36. Oakland – Jeremiah Attaochu, DE, Georgia Tech

37. Atlanta – Dominique Easley, DT, Florida

38. Tampa Bay – Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State

39. Jacksonville – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois

40. Minnesota – Blake Bortles, QB, UCF

41. Buffalo – Cody Lattimer, WR, Indiana

42. Tennessee – Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

43. New York Giants – CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama

44. St. Louis – Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State

45. Detroit – Jimmie Ward, SAF, Northern Illinois

46. Pittsburgh – Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood

47. Dallas – Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State

48. Baltimore – Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame

49. New York Jets – Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn

50. Miami – Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi

51. Chicago – Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State

52. Arizona – Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech

53. Green Bay – Deone Bucannon, SAF, Washington State

54. Philadelphia – Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice

55. Cincinnati – Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU

56. San Francisco – Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina

57. San Diego – Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

58. New Orleans – Martavius Bryant, WR, Clemson

59. Indianapolis – Weston Richburg, OC, Colorado

60. Carolina – Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State

61. San Francisco – Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame

62. New England – Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

63. Denver – Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina

64. Seattle – Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville

            

 

ROUND THREE

65. Houston – Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh

66. Washington – Keith McGill, CB, Utah

67. Oakland – Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State

68. St. Louis – Terrance Brooks, SAF, Fresno State

69. New York Jets (via TB) – Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech

70. Jacksonville – Caraun Reid, DT, Princeton

71. Cleveland – Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State

72. Minnesota – Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona State

73. Buffalo – Vinnie Sunseri, SAF, Alabama

74. New York Giants – Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State

75. St. Louis – AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama

76. Detroit – Jaylen Watkins, CB, Florida

77. San Francisco – Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin

78. Dallas – Lamarcus Joyner, SAF, Florida State

79. Baltimore – Dion Bailey, SAF, USC

80. New York Jets – Bashaun Breeland, CB, Clemson

81. Miami – Trai Turner, OG, LSU

82. Chicago – Brent Urban, DT, Virginia

83. Cleveland (via PIT) – Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee

84.  Arizona – Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida

85. Green Bay- Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford

86. Philadelphia – Yawin Smallwood, ILB, Uconn

87. Kansas City – Brandon Coleman, WR, Rutgers

88. Cincinnati – David Yankey, OG, Stanford

89. San Diego – Travis Swanson, OC, Arkansas

90. Indianapolis – Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech

91. New Orleans – Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia

92. Carolina – Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss

93. New England – Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU

94. San Francisco – Charles Sims, RB, West Virginia

95. Denver – Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU

96. Minnesota (via SEA) – Tre Mason, RB, Auburn

 

Here is Alex Brown of Optimum Scouting’s Final Mock Draft

Round	Round Pick	Overall	Team	Player	Position	College
1	1	1	Houston	JaDeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina
1	2	2	St. Louis	Greg Robinson	OT	Auburn
1	3	3	Jacksonville	Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M
1	4	4	Cleveland	Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson
1	5	5	Oakland	Khalil Mack	OLB	Buffalo
1	6	6	Atlanta	Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M
1	7	7	Tampa Bay	Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M
1	8	8	Minnesota	Aaron Donald	DT	Pittsburgh
1	9	9	Buffalo	Zack Martin	OT	Notre Dame
1	10	10	Detroit	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	LSU
1	11	11	Tennessee	Anthony Barr	OLB	UCLA
1	12	12	NY Giants	Taylor Lewan	OT	Michigan
1	13	13	St. Louis	HaHa Clinton-Dix	SAF	Alabama
1	14	14	Chicago	Kyle Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
1	15	15	Pittsburgh	Rashede Hageman	DE	Minnesota
1	16	16	Dallas	Ryan Shazier	OLB	Ohio State
1	17	17	Baltimore	Morgan Moses	OT	Virginia
1	18	18	NY Jets	Eric Ebron	TE	North Carolina
1	19	19	Miami	Ja’Wuan James	OT	Tennessee
1	20	20	Arizona	Blake Bortles	QB	UCF
1	21	21	Green Bay	Justin Gilbert	CB	Oklahoma St.
1	22	22	Philadelphia	Jimmie Ward	SAF	Northern Illinois
1	23	23	Kansas City	Brandin Cooks	WR	Oregon State
1	24	24	Cincinnati	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Fresno State
1	25	25	San Diego	Jason Verrett	CB	TCU
1	26	26	Cleveland	Derek Carr	QB	Fresno State
1	27	27	New Orleans	Dee Ford	OLB	Auburn
1	28	28	Carolina	Cyrus Kouandjio	OT	Alabama
1	29	29	New England	Austin S. Jenkins	TE	Washington
1	30	30	San Francisco	Bradley Roby	CB	Ohio State
1	31	31	Denver	Xavier Su’a-Filo	OG	UCLA
1	32	32	Seattle	Stephon Tuitt	DT	Notre Dame