Mock Draft 4-23-2014

This draft reflects the current first round draft order with no hypothetical trades.

1. Houston Texans– DE-Jadeveon Clowney- The upside of Clowney versus the proposed number one quarterback equates to JJ Watt having a new friend on defense for the 2014 season and beyond.

2. St. Louis Rams– WR-Sammy Watkins-The obvious selection would be offensive tackle to keep the often injured Bradford upright. Even after selecting Tavon Austin in the first round last year, and Brian Cook in the 2nd round in 2012, Jeff Fisher loves the person as much as the player in Watkins.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars– LB-Khalil Mack-The best linebacker in the draft and the only other defensive player that most would say warrants a top 10 selection. Gus Bradley has himself a versatile playmaker for a rebuffed Jaguars defense.

4. Cleveland Browns– WR- Mike Evans-With Blake Bortles there for the taking, the Browns opt to add yet another playmaker for their quarterback to be. Evans is a physical specimen that will attract double teams, leaving Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron plenty of room to build on their tremendous 2013 campaigns.

5. Oakland Raiders– QB-Blake Bortles- The Raiders are not going to convince anyone that Schaub is the long term solution. Bortles will come into a situation where he is not pressured to start from day 1, yet the odds of seeing playing time at some point in 2014 are quite good with the turnover prone Schaub.

6. Atlanta Falcons- OT-Greg Robinson- The Falcons must protect Matt Ryan. Robinson has been compared to Orlando Pace with his size and athleticism.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-OT-Jake Mathews-The Buccaneers were waiting for Mike Evans to fall to them, but the Browns put a dent in that plan. Anthony Barr is an attractive option for Lovie Smith at this position, but he is old school, and knows that the game is won and lost at the line of scrimmage. He elects to take one of the top three offensive tackles with his first selection as the new head coach of the Buccaneers.

8. Minnesota Vikings– LB-Anthony Barr- With Jared Allen no longer in the picture, the Vikings will look for Barr to provide the big plays and sack production. Now that Norv Turner is calling the offensive plays, the Vikings hope that he can help salvage some talent with former first round selection Christian Ponder. With the re-signing of Matt Cassell, the Vikings have options as their starter for 2014, and will look at round 2 for their future franchise quarterback.

9. Buffalo Bills– OT-Taylor Lewan- Tempted by the upside of tight-end Ebron, head coach Doug Marrone knows there are other talented tight-ends he can draft in rounds 2 and 3, but the athleticism in Lewan is quite special, and elects to take the big man out of Michigan.

10. Detroit Lions-WR-Brandin Cooks– The Lions need help at both the safety and cornerback position, so they will turn to day 2 and 3 to address those vacancies, electing to give another weapon to Mathew Stafford instead. The speed and playmaking of Brandin Cooks, after already adding Golden Tate in free agency, will make Calvin Johnson a very happy man with the decrease in triple coverage looks that come his way.

11. Tennessee Titans- S-Ha Ha Clinton Dix-Ray Horton is the new defensive coordinator, and the Titans are going to need a ball hawking leader on the field type guy to help operate his style of play.

12. New York Giants– TE-Eric Ebron- The Giants lost their big physical receiver with Nicks heading to Indy in free agency. Their current tight-end situation is in desperate need of a playmaker, and drafting the best tight-end in the draft would resolve several offensive question marks.

13. St. Louis Rams-DT-Aaron Donald- You can always get your offensive tackle in day 2 of the draft. Jeff Fisher knows that his division is all about defense first. He opted to give opposing defenses a matchup problem with selecting Sammy Watkins earlier in the round, and sees the upside of a guy like Donald on the defensive line as an option too good to pass up.

14. Chicago Bears– S-Calvin Pryor- With needs at the defensive line and secondary, the Bears elect to get the other “plug and start” safety in the draft. Pryor brings the hard hitting, sure tackling that the Bears look for in their players.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers –CB-Darqueze Dennard- The Steelers secondary has been suspect for some time now, and getting a physical player like Dennard will surely provide immediate help with the likes of Torry Smith, A.J. Green and Josh Gordon in the division.

16. Dallas Cowboys– CB- Justin Gilbert- – The Cowboys need help all around with their defense. Any quarterback who faced the Cowboys secondary last season had the potential for a career day. Gilbert will provide a major upgrade at the cornerback position, and playmaking to the return game.

17. Baltimore Ravens– LB-CJ Mosely- The Ravens could really use help with their front line, but Mosely is a pro ready linebacker and fits right into the Baltimore 3-4 defensive scheme.

18. New York Jets-WR- Odell Beckham- The Jets need another receiving threat opposite of Decker. Beckham fills that void and also provides instant help in the return game.

19. Miami Dolphins-OT-Zack Martin- Help is needed with the receiving core as well as the o-line. Thedrop off at the tackle position is far greater come the second round, then then depth at the wide-
receiver position.

20. Arizona Cardinals– DT-Timmy Jernigan- The Cardinals already have a terrific defense, and adding a guy like Jernigan will help slow down the run first offensive attacks that they see from their divisional rivals.

21. Green Bay Packers- DE-Dee Ford – AJ Hawk has seen his better but still underachieving days go by him. Peppers signed the three year deal, but may not play until the end of it. Ford can get after the quarterback, and will make that his primary focal point while his coverage skills are worked on.

22. Philadelphia Eagles-WR- Marqise Lee- An immediate starter who will provide another receiving option for Foles and the high-tempo offense. The Eagles bank that injuries and quarterback play were the reasons for his decline last season, and that Lee returns to the player he was during his sophomore campaign as the best receiver in college football.

23. Kansas City Chiefs– OG- Xavier Su’a-Filo- The Chiefs lost three of their starters from last season. Jamal Charles can make guys miss, but he needs holes to run through.

24 Cincinnati Bengals– CB-Bradley Roby- The Bengals can get pressure on the quarterback, but they lack talent in their secondary. Roby gets to stay in the state of Ohio and also the chance to start with a solid training camp and preseason.

25. San Diego Chargers– CB-Jason Verrett- The Chargers need a cornerback that can lay a hit, create aplay and man the slot. Verrett is the guy, a talented player who will drop in the draft due to his height.

26 Cleveland Browns- QB-Johnny Manziel- With all of the potential upside and play making ability of Johnny Football, there are also a ton of questions about his size and how his college heroics will translate at the NFL level. With the earlier first round selection of his former teammate, Manziel will have plenty of reliable targets to throw to during his rookie campaign.

27 New Orleans Saints- DE-Stephon Tuitt- Rob Ryan would find a plethora of ways to get the most out of a player like Tuitt.

28 Carolina Panthers– WR-Kelvin Benjamin- Huge throwing target for a big quarterback. Benjamin’s ability to out jump the defender will allow Cam to play back yard football with both his running capability and now with his throws.

29 New England Patriots– Ra’Shede Hageman- The type of work ethic and versatility that Hagerman brings to either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense is one that defensive coaches crave out of their players. There is no lack of motivation for Hagerman, just respect for the game and a dedication to being the best at his position.

30 San Francisco 49ers– CB-Kyle Fuller – The 49ers may opt to add pass rushing to their defense with the questions surrounding Aldon Smith. Cornerback is an area of greater need, and Fuller is a guy they can make an immediate impact.

31 Denver Broncos-LB- Ryan Shazier- The Broncos have added to their pass rush and secondary in the off-season, and need to improve on the inside linebackers. Offensive line could also be a target, but the Broncos are attempting to move some pieces around with the guys already on their roster.

32 Seattle Seahawks– OT- Joel Bitonio- The Seahawks are a run first team, and Lynch had some games last season where the holes were few and hard to find.