With the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end, South Carolina. That's how NFL.com's Chase Goodbread began his second 2014 NFL Mock Draft today. After a pick that would not overly surprise anyone, Goodbread does leave the path most traveled with some surprising selections.
Surprising like, the first quarterback does not come off the board until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick Blake Bortles with the seventh selection. Johnny Manziel comes off the board with the next pick, going to the Minnesota Vikings, while Teddy Bridgewater has to wait until the Tennessee Titans add him with the eleventh selection.
Instead of a quarterback heavy top of the draft, the St. Louis Rams use the second pick on offensive tackle Greg Robinson, the Jacksonville Jaguars take linebacker Khalil Mack with the third pick, wide receiver Sammy Watkins lands with the Cleveland Browns with the fourth pick, and offensive tackle Jake Matthews and the Oakland Raiders round out the top five. Cleveland comes back with the 26th overall selection, the pick they received from the Indianapolis Colts for Trent Richardson last season, and add their quarterback, taking Fresno State's Derek Carr.
The good news in Goodbread's projection is that the New York Jets cannot pick Eric Ebron, the North Carolina tight end. The bad news is, the Miami Dolphins would still be facing him twice a year as the Buffalo Bills select him with the ninth overall pick.
With Ebron off the board, the Jets do land an offensive weapon, however, grabbing USC wide out Marqise Lee one pick before Miami's selection.
With that 19th selection, the Dolphins do not come away with a surprising pick, adding Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin. The selection of Martin by the Dolphins seems to be the consensus pick right now, with our 2014 Mock Draft Database showing 61-percent of the mock drafts around the internet right now predicting that pick.
Must Reads
Of the choice, Goodbread writes:
Martin has more versatility to play multiple spots up front than any offensive lineman in draft.
Martin does make a lot of sense for the Dolphins, and he really could be the right choice for Miami this year. He can play tackle or guard, wherever the Dolphins decide he best fits, and he would be able to serve as a backup for multiple positions as well. With Miami's obvious need to rebuild their offensive line, Martin would go a long way to solving the puzzle the team is currently trying to put together.