The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine just ended, and we have a little over two months until the 2014 NFL Draft gets underway in the Big Apple. With that in mind, three of our paper’s top sports writers (Marcus Mitchell, Phil Novotny and Dominick Falco) and myself decided to due a mock draft of the first round that will take place on Thursday, May 8. I picked for the AFC and NFC South teams. Mr. Falco selected for the AFC and NFC North divisions; Mr.Novotny for both conferences’ East divisions; and Mr.Mitchell was in charge of the AFC and NFC West. Check back in after spring break for version 2.0.
1. Houston (Jordan): Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
The Texans’ need for a franchise quarterback outweighs all other needs. Bridgewater is the most NFL ready prospect at the position, and new coach Bill O’Brien would love to mold him into the franchise’s next leader.
2. St. Louis (Marcus): Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
Last season’s playoff chances ended for St. Louis when quarterback Sam Bradford went on the injured reserve and wouldn’t return for the year. The greatest need for the Rams is to protect him and while some may argue that Bradford needs a better weapon such as Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, they need to protect what they have now.
3. Jacksonville (Jordan): Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
Now that the Blaine Gabbert experiment is all but over, it’s time for coach Gus Bradley and GM Dave Caldwell to take their franchise quarterback. Bortles is a mixture of Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers physically, and he has a cannon for an arm. Imagine him and Justin Blackmon lighting opposing secondaries up.
4. Cleveland (Dominick): Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
Cleveland has been looking for a franchise quarterback after their experiment with Brandon Weeden. Manziel is one of the best playmakers at the quarterback position in this year’s draft. Manziel has some concerns about his height and durability, but his talent far outweighs the risk.
5. Oakland (Marcus): Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
With the top quarterbacks already taken, the Raiders can now have no regrets in taking Watkins in the top five. Watkins is a big play receiver who will be great for those long deep balls that come from quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Watkins will become the best scoring option for the Raiders and will be an easy pick for them after missing out on guaranteed franchise quarterback.
6. Atlanta (Jordan): Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff has a solid draft record in almost every area, except for the offensive and defensive lines. Despite the fact that Jake Matthews is still on the board, the need for a pass rusher is greater. Clowney is a physical freak who will cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks for years to come while in red and black.
7. Tampa Bay (Jordan): Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo
New head coach Lovie Smith needs a few more pieces to build his defense. Mack would definitely fit the bill as a much needed pass rusher. Even though he went to a small MAC school, he is a huge playmaking talent who can get to the quarterback. Smith would love this pick.
8. Minnesota (Dominick): Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
The Minnesota Vikings brought in new a head coach, Mike Zimmer, and he wants to pick his franchise quarterback for the future, as the starting quarterback is not currently on the Minnesota roster. Carr gives the Vikings an experienced quarterback, given his four years at Fresno State, and a viable option to lead the team.
9. Buffalo (Phil): Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
The Bills have a lot of needs to cover this offseason but at the #9 pick, they will choose the best player available. Quarterback E.J Manuel will try to play a full season and by drafting Matthews, he will help protect his blind side. Matthews will be a great addition alongside Cordy Glenn to give the Bills stability at offensive tackle.
10. Detroit (Dominick): Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
Detroit is a talented team across the board, except for one position, and that is defensive back. With the Lions needing a shutdown corner to give their potent pass rush more time to get to the quarterback, Gilbert has the best all around coverage skills of any cornerback in the draft, making him a great choice for the Lions at this pick.
11. Tennessee (Jordan): Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
New defensive coordinator Ray Horton needs dynamic pass rushers in order to make his 3-4 defense work. Barr has only played linebacker for two years and is already one of the best in the nation. He should be able to slide into Horton’s schemes seamlessly as he continues to learn the position.
12. NY Giants (Phil): Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
Jerry Reese has his work cut out for this offseason and Giants fans wonder when they will actually select a linebacker in the first round? Well, it will not be in this draft because they will select the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft. Lewan had the fastest time in the 40-yard dash by clocking in at 4.87 seconds. Lewan should make life easier for Eli Manning come next season.
13. St. Louis (Marcus): Mike Evans, WR. Texas A&M
With Tavon Austin serving as the sole weapon in the wide receiver position for Sam Bradford, the Rams will want to grab a nice match to Austin. Evans may not be the fastest WR in the draft but he is the most complete behind Watkins. Robinson with the 2nd pick and then Evans here at the 13th helps their inconsistent “Boom or Bust” offense become stabler.
14. Chicago (Dominick): Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
With Chicago’s defense not being as dominant in 2013, they need to restock their talent on the defensive side. Aaron Donald gives Chicago a option pass rushing option next to Henry Melton, if he is resigned, to terrorize opposing offenses. Donald is coming a season at Pittsburgh in which he won the Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year, and will instantly give the Bears an upgrade in the pass rush.
15. Pittsburgh (Dominick): Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
Pittsburgh has an aging defense and an aging secondary. They have relied on Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Ike Taylor for too long. They need to inject some young talent into the secondary, and it will start with Calvin Pryor. Pryor is a great tackler in the open field and is a good cover man who can line up against tight ends or running backs. He would be a great fit for this Steelers team and Mike Tomlin’s system.
16. Dallas (Phil): Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
The Cowboys secondary has been a mess over the last few seasons but they will address that need in the first round by selecting the Alabama safety. His ability to secure tackles and to line up against tight ends and slot receivers will be crucial to aiding a secondary that is in dire need of his talent. In other words, the rebuilding process for the Cowboys secondary has finally began.
17. Baltimore (Dominick): Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
The Baltimore Ravens need to add another weapon for Joe Flacco to throw to. Ever since the trade of Anquan Boldin, Baltimore has been missing a piece in their offense and they have struggled to move the ball down the field. Beckham adds great size and speed to this Ravens’ offense opposite of Torrey Smith. If they add Beckham, figure out their tight end situation, along with the Ray Rice saga, then this offense could be a scary offense to face in 2014.
18. NY Jets (Phil): Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
The New York Jets offense needs a complete makeover to say the least. By selecting Ebron with 18th pick, this will be a huge step in completing that goal. Ebron has been compared to Jimmy Graham due to his outstanding athletic ability and receiving skills. Ebron broke the ACC record for receiving yards in a season with 973, which surpassed Vernon Davis’s record. Overall, the Jets need to score points in the worst way and having Jeff Cumberland at tight end will not cut it.
19. Miami (Phil): Zack Martin, OT/G, Notre Dame
The Richie Incognito scandal has opened a void in the Dolphins offensive line and it needs to be filled. Miami will not hesitate to take a player like Martin due to his hard working and leadership qualities. The Pinstripe Bowl MVP is known for doing all of the right things and has been voted team captain twice. Also, Martin is known for a solid blocking posture and for being flexible on his feet. If the Dolphins want to improve in the locker room and on the field, then this pick should be a no-brainer.
20. Arizona (Marcus): CJ Mosley, ILB, Alabama
Unable to draft Martin for the much needed O-Line help for quarterback Carson Palmer, Arizona won’t want to reach with this pick for an OT, especially with their strong efforts to nab Branden Albert from the Chiefs. Their best pass rushing weapon right now is 37 year old John Abraham, prompting the Cards to snag Alabama monster CJ Mosley. If the Cards can create a solid pass rush to get after the likes of Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson then they have a real shot at the postseason.
21. Green Bay (Dominick): Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame
The Green Bay Packers are in need of some help on the defensive line. With Ryan Pickett and B.J Raji set become unrestricted free agents, the Packers need to address this need in the draft by selecting a big body to clog the run game. Louis Nix III fits the bill in that category. Coming in at 6’3” and nearly 340 pounds, Nix gives the Pack a great option along the defensive line, at either defensive end or defensive tackle in the 3-4 defense.
22. Philadelphia (Phil): Darqueeze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Defense wins championships! If the NFC East champion Eagles want to take the next step then Dennard will be their man. Dennard is known for his anticipation skills, especially in man coverage. He showed this during his senior season by being awarded first team All-American and had a career high of four interceptions. Dennard’s ability to make big plays on defense will serve him well as he will make an immediate impact for Philadelphia.
23. Kansas City (Marcus): Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech
With a “play-it-safe” quarterback such as Alex Smith, the Chiefs are going to go with Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro to serve as a safety blanket for Smith. With a defensive squad like the Chiefs, its more important to have a tight end who eats up yardage like Amaro rather taking an explosive receiver who may still be available in the second round.
24. Cincinnati (Dominick): Kony Ealy, DE/OLB, Missouri
With Michael Johnson set to hit free agency, the Bengals need to add another pass rusher to fill his presence. Kony Ealy is easily a top 15 talent, but falls to here due to not having the right fit for teams. Ealy will give the Bengals a great option opposite Carlos Dunlap to rush the passer.
25. San Diego (Marcus): Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
Sure Keenan Allen went crazy last year and made waves as wide receiver for the Chargers, but Eddie Royal disappeared the second half of the season, Danario Alexander is coming off the IR and Vincent Brown was decent at best. Cooks is a speed demon from Oregon State who will become a top option for Philip Rivers on deep routes.
26. Cleveland (Dominick): Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
After Cleveland landed its starting quarterback with the fourth pick, they need to give him another weapon to throw to. Matthews brings a combination of great size and and speed to Browns opposite Josh Gordon. He also gives the passing attack that final piece that would give the Browns an explosive and potent offense that have been looking for.
27. New Orleans (Jordan): Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia
Sean Payton has now realized that he needs to give Drew Brees better protection in order to win. Moses has been a rising prospect lately, and definitely garners first round consideration. He has all the physical tools to protect Brees until the signal caller hangs up his cleats.
28. Carolina (Jordan): Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State
Despite a 12-4 record last season, Cam Newton needs more offensive weapons besides Steve Smith and Greg Olsen. Robinson is a mature talent who has great hands. Newton will be thrilled to have him.
29. New England (Phil): Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State
With Jace Amaro gone at the 23rd pick, the Patriots will look elsewhere for an upgrade on offense. Since Julian Edelman is a free agent, the Patriots will look to fill a need at wide receiver and wait until later in the draft to claim a tight end. Adams is known for his exceptional production by making the difficult one-handed grabs. Also, his good hand-eye coordination skills allow him to take the ball away from defenders. Some draft experts do not see him as a first round talent but his production will work wonders in Bill Belichick’s offensive scheme.
30. San Francisco (Marcus): Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
Already showing interest, the San Fran 49ers would be ecstatic if they could get Kelvin Benjamin from FSU. Benjamin has already shown his dynamic playmaking abilities alongside Heisman winner Jameis Winston and would be a fantastic red zone option for Kaepernick.
31. Denver (Marcus): Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
Although a cornerback is more desirable, the Broncos can’t pass up on an opportunity to get Jernigan, who was the best defensive player in the BCS National Championship. He won’t be available later so it is vital for Denver to get him while they can.
32. Seattle (Marcus): Dee Ford, DE/OLB, Auburn
With little needs in this draft, the Seahawks will like to fill the void of players that they might lose. With Michael Bennett likely leaving in free agency, Seattle will be more than satisfied to improve their defense with Auburn defensive end Dee Ford.