That's right. It's time for me to get in on the fun of the 2014 NFL Mock Draft. This is by far the earliest I have ever laid out my projection for the draft, with my first one of 2013 not happening until March. But, I did all this work to give Keith Beebe the fancy new layout for the Phinsider mock drafts, and I wanted to use it myself.
WIthout further ado, let's get mocking!
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Houston Texans |
Battle Red Blog |
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Blake Bortles | QB | 6'4" | 230 | UCF | ||
I went back and forth on this pick, but finally settled on Blake Bortles rather than Teddy Bridgewater for one reason - size. Bortles is bigger than Bridgewater, and I think Bill O'Brien will value that. Bortles is nearly identical in size to Tom Brady, and O'Brien seems to have done pretty well in developing Brady when he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots. He's the same size as Penn State's Christian Hackenberg this past season, with O'Brien as the head coach. As long as Bortles performs like he should at the Scouting Combine, this pick makes a lot of sense. | ||||||
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St. Louis Rams |
Turf Show Times |
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Mike Evans | WR | 6'5" | 225 | Texas A&M | ||
Remember last year, when the Miami Dolphins came into the NFL Draft as the wildcard, poised with a lot of draft picks and appearing ready to trade up to get the player they wanted? They threw that curveball early, trading up to the third overall pick to select defensive end Dion Jordan. Why do I mention that here? Because the Rams enter this year's draft as the favorite to throw that curveball. Sitting in the second overall pick position thanks to the Robert Griffin III trade, St. Louis is sitting in the power position, and they could do just about anything, including trading out of the position and picking up more selections along the way. But, since I am not mocking trades, I have them being aggressive and going to get a big bodied wide receiver to put on the outside with last year's pick Tavon Austin in the slot. | ||||||
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Jacksonville Jaguars |
Big Cat Country |
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Jadeveon Clowney | DE | 6'6" | 272 | South Carolina | ||
The Jaguars need a quarterback to get out of the Chad Henne and Blaine Gabbert mess that has been the last couple of years. But, with Bortles off the board, and Clowney still available, they take a risk that they will be able to get a good quarterback at the start of the second round and take the top defender - and possibly the player - in this year's draft. | ||||||
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Cleveland Browns |
Dawgs by Nature |
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Johnny Manziel | QB | 6'0" | 200 | Texas A&M | ||
This may be the most consensus fourth overall pick ever. The Browns and Manziel seem to be a perfect fit, and, even with Bridgewater on the board, the pick makes sense. Josh Gordon and Johnny Football could be a great combination to finally get the Browns starting to move in the right direction | ||||||
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Oakland Raiders |
Silver and Black Pride |
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Jake Matthews | OT | 6'5" | 305 | Texas A&M | ||
The Raiders will absolutely be tempted to take Bridgewater at this point, but the team also needs to protect whomever is under center, and Matthews is too good of a prospect to skip at this point. The third Aggies player to come off the board in the first five picks, Matthews will slide in as the starting left tackle for the Raiders and the team could look to give another year of development to either Terrelle Pryor or Matt McGloin or look to answer the quarterback problem next year. | ||||||
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Atlanta Falcons |
The Falcoholic |
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Anthony Barr | OLB | 6'4" | 245 | UCLA | ||
The Falcons have two issues to address in this draft, pass rush and pass protection. With the draft board the way I have it projected, that comes down to a decision between Barr and tackle Greg Robinson. Barr is a versatile, fast pass rusher and would be a dream for Mike Nolan's attacking defense. That gives him the nod over Robinson. | ||||||
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Bucs Nation |
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Greg Robinson | OT | 6'5" | 320 | Auburn | ||
Whichever of the Barr/Robinson debate the Falcons end up selecting, the Buccaneers take the other, and will be very happy. In this case, they pick up a blind side protector for Mike Glennon and fill a need. While Lovie Smith may like to address the defense more than the offense with his first pick in Tampa Bay, but picking up a prospect like Robinson is too good to pass up. | ||||||
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Minnesota Vikings |
Daily Norseman |
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Teddy Bridgewater | QB | 6'2" | 220 | Louisville | ||
If Bridgewater is still on the board at this point, at least we won't have to worry about the Vikings not getting their card in on time. In fact, they may have the card turned in before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can announce the Buccaneers' pick of Greg Robinson. Bridgewater should be able to come in and start in Week 1, and would give new head coach Mike Zimmer the quarterback around which to build his team. | ||||||
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Buffalo Bills |
Buffalo Rumblings |
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Khalil Mack | OLB | 6'2 | 245 | Buffalo | ||
The Bills will be looking to either find a linebacker or a tight end at this position, and they have their choice of both positions. Mack gets the nod here because he could be that dominant of a prospect, and the Bills are building a team based around their defense. Mack lined up next to Kiko Alonso should fix the problems against the run in Buffalo. | ||||||
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Detroit Lions |
Pride of Detroit |
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Sammy Watkins | WR | 6'0" | 205 | Clemson | ||
The fact that Watkins fell this far makes this a simple choice. While Detroit needs secondary help, adding another offensive weapon to balance the offense opposite Calvin Johnson should be a consideration, and Watkins provides exactly that. | ||||||
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Tennessee Titans |
Music City Miracles |
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Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix | S | 6'1" | 208 | Alabama | ||
The Titans should be looking for a quarterback, but they have other needs and can wait, giving Jake Locker another year. Tennessee needs to look pass rusher or safety early in the draft, and with Clinton-Dix sitting on the board, they fill the need. Ha Ha has the speed and coverage skills to be all over the field, but has the toughness and tackling ability to be in the box against the run. Clinton-Dix is a pretty good consolation prize for missing out on the top 10 picks. | ||||||
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New York Giants |
Big Blue View |
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Zack Martin | OL | 6'4" | 305 | Notre Dame | ||
The Giants have to protect Eli Manning if they want to have anything better than their 2013 season. Adding Martin, who showed his versatility at the Senior Bowl, could give the Giants either a tackle or guard option, depending on how they decide to use Martin. Either option will help keep Manning upright. | ||||||
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St. Louis Rams |
Turf Show Times |
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Taylor Lewan | OT | 6'7" | 315 | Michigan | ||
After selecting a wide receiver with their extra first round pick, the Rams come back with this pick and add an offensive tackle to protect Sam Bradford. Maybe it's a little ironic that Jake Long and Lewan end up on the same team, given they have both been #77 left tackles for Michigan, but the Rams have to consider selecting a tackle with the injury history to Long. | ||||||
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Chicago Bears |
Windy City Gridiron |
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Louis Nix | DT | 6'2" | 345 | Notre Dame | ||
Chicago was ransacked by injuries to the defensive line last year, and need to fix the break downs. At this point, just about any defensive lineman could be the right pick for the Bears, but the idea of taking a prospect like Nix, who can slide anywhere on the interior defensive line, from nose tackle on out, and who can be dominating at any of those positions, have Chicago taking a chance on a player who had knee surgery in November. | ||||||
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Pittsburgh Steelers |
Behind the Steel Curtain |
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Cyrus Kouandjio | OT | 6'5" | 310 | Alabama | ||
The Steelers should be looking offensive line early and often this year, desperately needing to protect Ben Roethlisberger. With that, Pittsburgh will simply look to take the best offensive lineman on the board, and that's Kouandjio. | ||||||
Baltimore and Dallas will have their order finalized with a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine. |
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Baltimore Ravens
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Baltimore Beatdown |
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Kelvin Benjamin | WR | 6'5" | 235 | FSU | ||
The Ravens have to find an answer for the hole left by Anquan Boldin. They have two options, either Benjamin or Marqise Lee. Benjamin has the advantage of being a bigger bodied wide receiver, which would fit perfectly with the Ravens needs. | ||||||
Baltimore and Dallas will have their order finalized with a coin toss at the NFL Scouting Combine. |
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Dallas Cowboys |
Blogging the Boys |
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Calvin Pryor | S | 6'2" | 208 | Louisville | ||
Anything on the defensive side of the ball is an option for the Cowboys this year, especially along the defensive line or safety. There are a lot of options available for Dallas, and they could look to defensive end or tackle, but the chance to get a physical safety who plays with instinct could impress Jerry Jones and swing the pick that way. | ||||||
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New York Jets |
Gang Green Nation |
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Marqise Lee | WR | 6'0" | 195 | USC | ||
The Jets overperformed last year, and Rex Ryan earned a contract extension because of it. Now, Ryan and GM John Idzik have to reload a New York roster full of holes. The team does appear to have their new quarterback in Geno Smith, so the first move is to get him a wide receiver, and Lee accomplishes that. A great route runner and with the speed to stretch a defense, Lee could give Smith an option he didn't have last year. | ||||||
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Miami Dolphins |
The Phinsider |
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Eric Ebron | TE | 6'4" | 245 | UNC | ||
Offensive line, offensive line, offensive line. Everyone knows, the Dolphins need offensive line help. So, why not take a tight end in the first round? Ebron is a dynamic pass catcher, and could be the perfect compliment to Charles Clay, giving the Dolphins the Dustin Keller/Charles Clay combination they wanted last year. Miami has to be considering an offensive lineman here, but Ebron sitting on the board is too tempting to pass up and the Dolphins pull the trigger. | ||||||
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Arizona Cardinals |
Revenge of the Birds |
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Jace Amaro | TE | 6'5" | 260 | Texas Tech | ||
The Cardinals took a giant step forward under Bruce Arians last year, and will look to continue that climb into NFC West contention. Carson Palmer showed he has enough left in the tank to last another year, so Arizona can wait until later in the Draft to find his replacement, so instead, they look to add another offensive weapon for Palmer - and someone to take some of the pressure off Larry Fitzgerald. | ||||||
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Green Bay Packers |
Acme Packing Company |
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RaShede Hageman | DT | 6'6" | 318 | Minnesota | ||
Green Bay had to be hoping Ebron or Amaro would slip to them, but Hageman will simply destroy pockets at the NFL level, where teams will not be able to concentrate their offensive line protection solely on him, like what happened at Minnesota. Even with that, Hageman continued to improve throughout his college career, and that should continue into the professional levels. Hageman could be in position to be one of the players who helps himself the most at the Scouting Combine, so he may not be available for Green Bay if he dominates, but for now, a great fit. | ||||||
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Philadelphia Eagles |
Bleeding Green Nation |
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Darqueze Dennard | CB | 5'11" | 190 | Michigan State | ||
The Eagles' offense is set, but their defense needs attention. They start that with a great cornerback prospect, who should have been off the board before now. Dennard is fast and isn't afraid to get physical, meaning he could be the Eagles answer to NFC receivers like Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson. |
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Kansas City Chiefs |
Arrowhead Pride |
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Timmy Jernigan | DT | 6'2" | 298 | FSU | ||
The Chiefs already have a ton of talent on their roster, so they could almost throw a dart at their draft board and take whomever it hits. The fact that Jernigan is still on the board at 23 simply does not make sense, and the Chiefs won't let him slip by. Sliding Jernigan to defensive end and lining him up next to Dontari Poe, opposite Tyson Jackson, and in front of Tamba Hali could just give the Chiefs the nasty offensive front seven to challenge Peyton Manning in the AFC West. | ||||||
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Cincinnati Bengals |
Cincy Jungle |
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Justin Gilbert | CB | 6'0" | 200 | Oklahoma State | ||
The Bengals enter the Draft with secondary needs, both at the cornerback and safety position. They take the best available player at either position, which in this case is Justin Gilbert, a press corner who can run with most receivers. The Bengals could be looking defensive end at this spot, with Kony Ealy and Dee Ford both on the board, if Michael Johnson does not return. | ||||||
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San Diego Chargers |
Bolts from the Blue |
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Jason Verrett | CB | 5'10" | 176 | TCU | ||
The Chargers have two options with their first round pick: cornerback or guard. They go for the defender in this case, waiting to pick up the offensive lineman in the second. Verrett is small and may not be the best press cornerback because of that, but he could fit well in San Diego and he has good instincts to attack the ball. | ||||||
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Cleveland Browns |
Dawgs by Nature |
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Odell Beckham, Jr. | WR | 5'11" | 193 | LSU | ||
The Browns have an extra pick thanks to hosing the Indianapolis Colts with the Trent Richardson trade. They've addressed the quarterback position with the Johnny Manziel pick earlier, so now they can do just about anything. They need to add some protection for Johnny Football, but enough linemen have fallen at this point that they can just wait until early in the second round to target someone. With that in mind, they take a flyer on Beckham, giving them another speedster receiver who can open up the field and let Manziel do what he does best. | ||||||
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New Orleans Saints |
Canal Street Chronicles |
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Kony Ealy | DE | 6'4" | 275 | Missouri | ||
The high school linebacker turned into a defensive end in college, and demonstrated that he was a great pass rusher, and solid against the run. Now, heading to the pros, Rob Ryan will look to turn him back into a 3-4 outside linebacker, and develop the potential he has already shown. Ealy should be ecstatic with heading to New Orleans. | ||||||
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Carolina Panthers |
Cat Scratch Reader |
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Marcus Roberson | CB | 5'11" | 195 | Florida | ||
The Panthers should be looking for a wide receiver early in the draft, but with all the top tier targets off the table, the team will instead look to shore up a secondary that Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers abused in the playoffs. Adding Roberson is the first step toward fixing that issue. | ||||||
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New England Patriots |
Pats Pulpit |
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C.J. Mosley | LB | 6'2" | 232 | Alabama | ||
The Patriots need to protect Tom Brady and provide him weapons. However, Bill Belichick is staring at his draft board at this point, trying to figure out if he is reading it correctly that C.J. Mosley is still sitting on the board. Linebacker may not be the biggest need for New England this year, but the Patriots won't miss making this pick. | ||||||
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San Francisco 49ers |
Niners Nation |
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Aaron Donald | DT | 6'1" | 288 | Pittsburgh | ||
Donald is small for a defensive tackle, but he could be a dynamic 3-4 defensive end. With a great Senior Bowl week behind him, Donald is rapidly moving up draft boards, and could be a steal for the 49ers, especially if he is given time to develop behind Justin Smith. | ||||||
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Denver Broncos |
Mile High Report |
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Morgan Moses | OT | 6'3" | 325 | Virginia | ||
Denver will likely be looking to add protection for Peyton Manning this year, trying to keep their record setting quarterback upright - and in the league - for as long as possible. With Moses still on the board, the selection is easy. He may not be the best run blocker as of yet, but he is a natural pass protector and will immediately be able to increase the safety bubble around Peyton. | ||||||
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Seattle Seahawks |
Field Gulls |
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Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | 6'6" | 270 | Washington | ||
The Seahawks should be using the Draft simply as a way to improve their offense, after having the top ranked defense in 2013. They could address just about every position other than quarterback or running back, adding depth at a minimum. In this case, they are adding a big bodied tight end who should come in and contribute from day one, if not establish himself as the starter. ASJ could move up draft boards after the Scouting Combine, so nabbing him with one of the last two picks in May's first round would be a steal. | ||||||