Dan Levine 2014 NFL Mock Draft – 29 April 2014

April 30, 2014 · Dan Levine

1. Jadeveon Clowney 2. Greg Robinson 3. Khalil Mack 4. Blake Bortles 5. Sammy Watkins

Round 1
1	Houston	Jadeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina
Clowney is the most dominant force in the draft this year, and there hasn’t been a defensive player like him in some time. Unless Houston trades out, you have to take the best player in the draft at No. 1.
2	St. Louis (from WAS)	Greg Robinson	OT	Auburn
There are a number of possibilities for St. Louis here since they received their bounty from the Redskins. With the first of two top-15 picks, the Rams take a tackle to keep Sam Bradford upright. This is a big year for Bradford. Allow him to perform.
3	Jacksonville	Khalil Mack	LB	Buffalo
I think Jacksonville will go with the next best defender considering they are not a great team on either side of the ball. Since they pick so early, they can conceivably get their quarterback at the top of the second round. Take the best guy at No. 3.
4	Cleveland	Blake Bortles	QB	Central Florida
This is an interesting spot for Cleveland. They could take a page out of Jacksonville’s handbook and wait on a quarterback, but their roster is devoid of any major game breaker at the most important position. Bortles is athletic and has a chance to create excitement in Cleveland.
5	Oakland	Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson
Oakland has Matt Shaub in the fold to settle current quarterback needs though he may not be the answer long term. Oakland needs playmakers and has always loved speed. Enter Sammy Watkins, the best receiver in the draft.
6	Atlanta	Jake Matthews	OT	Texas A&M
Atlanta is generally aggressive in the draft, so a trade would not be surprising. But if they stick they take the next best tackle on the board. Matt Ryan was battered last year. If they can keep him standing, their passing attack could be elite.
7	Tampa Bay	Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M
Tampa needs a receiver opposite Vincent Jackson in order to take some pressure off of him. Luke McCown is playing quarterback for them now, and he is familiar with big receivers from his days in Chicago.
8	Minnesota	Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M
Christian Ponder and Matt Cassell are not the future of this franchise. Manziel is a risk, but he’s also tantalizing. With him and Adrian Peterson in the same backfield, this could be a truly dynamic offense.
9	Buffalo	Taylor Lewan	OT	Michigan
Buffalo could go for another weapon for their young quarterback. But Lewan has been a mauler for years at Michigan, and he could help solidify that line for EJ Manual and CJ Spiller. The Bills need a strong line to help give their athletes time.
10	Detroit	Darqueze Dennard	CB	Michigan State
Detroit seems to always need secondary help. Hopefully Dennard fills a big void. He’s a great football player that is big enough to handle the receivers in that division. They could also look at a safety.
11	Tennessee	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Louisville
This may be a stretch for Tennessee. Taking Teddy Bridgewater essentially admits that Jake Locker will not be around long term. Bridgewater could sit and watch for a year before starting in 2015, which is probably the best situation for him.
12	NY Giants	Eric Ebron	TE	North Carolina
This is a perfect fit for the Giants. Since Kevin Boss has been gone, the Giants have had no playmakers at the tight end position. Ebron obliterated people through the middle of the field and all the way to the end zone. He would be a great weapon for Eli Manning.
13	St. Louis	Odell Beckham, Jr.	WR	LSU
St. Louis adds their weapon for Bradford with their second first round pick. Beckham can help stretch the field and create separation. Pair him with Tavon Austin and the field opens up for this offense.
14	Chicago	Aaron Donald	DT	Pittsburgh
The middle of Chicago’s defense was troublesome last season – it was not like the Bears’ defenses we are used to. Donald is dominant at the point of attack and would immediately help stuff the run and allow Jared Allen to wreak havoc.
15	Pittsburgh	Justin Gilbert	CB	Oklahoma State
Pittsburgh could go in a number of directions here, but they need help at cornerback. Gilbert is considered by many to be the best corner prospect in the draft. He would be great value here. He finds the ball and breaks up a lot of big plays.
16	Dallas	Zack Martin	OT	Notre Dame
Dallas may prefer a “sexy” pick, but another bookend opposite Tyron Smith would really help this already potent offense. Zack Martin is a solid prospect that would work well on the right side. Tony Romo is only getting older. Don’t get him hit.
17	Baltimore	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Alabama
Matt Elam is a good player at safety, but the free safety position is lacking for Baltimore. Clinton-Dix is the best safety in this draft and the Ravens should jump at this. He would create a pretty formidable back line for this defense.
18	NY Jets	Brandin Cooks	WR	Oregon State
The Jets added Eric Decker in the offseason, but I’m sure even Rex Ryan knows that their wide receiver issues are not solved. Decker is a bigger guy – Cooks can be the speed demon for either Geno Smith or Michael Vick. This offense would already look better on the outside.
19	Miami	C.J. Mosley	LB	Alabama
Miami does not necessarily desperately need a linebacker, but this would be an incredible value pick for the Dolphins. Mosley can disrupt a play and get after the quarterback, which every defense is looking for. They also would love a tackle here.
20	Arizona	Calvin Pryor	S	Louisville
Arizona could look for an heir apparent to Carson Palmer – he’s 35. But here they take Pryor to shore up the backline of the defense. Can you imagine Pryor, Patrick Peterson, and Tyrann Mathieu on the same defense? It’s a scary thought for offenses.
21	Green Bay	Anthony Barr	LB	UCLA
There are varying opinions on Barr as where he should be taken. He did not always make impactful plays this past season. When he did, he was a force to be reckoned with. Green Bay will love the addition of Barr to pair with Clay Matthews.
22	Philadelphia	Marqise Lee	WR	USC
After ridding themselves of an extreme playmaker in Desean Jackson, Philly has an under talented wide receiver corps. Plus, Jeremy Maclin is coming off of an ACL injury. Lee is a big receiver that will go up and get the ball for Nick Foles. An ultimate red zone target.
23	Kansas City	Cody Latimer	WR	Indiana
Latimer has been the buzz of the draft process, shooting up a bunch of draft boards. Kansas City needs to get someone opposite Dwayne Bowe to widen the field for Alex Smith. Latimer catches everything thrown his way.
24	Cincinnati	Timmy Jernigan	DT	Florida State
Cincinnati could go a number of directions here. They decide to add more depth and talent to the defensive line with Jernigan. Geno Atkins is a stud. Put Jernigan next to him, or as a rotational player, and opposing guards and centers will be exhausted by game’s end.
25	San Diego	Kyle Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
The Chargers may consider a receiver here, but Fuller is a top five corner prospect and San Diego could really use a playmaker in the defensive backfield. He can cover with the best of them. Eric Weddle won’t have to make every play or tackle by himself.
26	Cleveland (from IND)	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Florida State
Cleveland got their quarterback in Bortles at No. 4. Now they get a playmaker to throw to in Benjamin. He’s a huge receiver that can be a great red zone threat (see the National Championship game). He and Josh Gordon would be a stellar set of receivers.
27	New Orleans	Ryan Shazier	LB	Ohio State
New Orleans needs cornerback help, but here they take a sure fire linebacker in Ryan Shazier. He’s a great athlete that can find the ball. They bolster a pass rush that was very good last season. Shazier can help stop the run, which was their biggest weakness.
28	Carolina	Morgan Moses	OT	Virginia
Carolina lost a lot in free agency and, with Jordan Gross gone, there is no one to protect Cam Newton’s blind side. There will be certain situations where he would prefer not to run. Enter Moses who can keep him clean. He is mobile and fundamentally sound.
29	New England	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Washington
New England takes a page out of their own book with the drafting of Seferian-Jenkins here. Gronkowski is an elite tight end, but he has encountered some injury problems. ASJ is another huge target that could recreate what Tom Brady once had with Gronk and Aaron Hernandez.
30	San Francisco	Bradley Roby	CB	Ohio State
San Francisco has so many picks and are in a good position to just take the best player available. Roby is a skilled guy that does not always make the correct play or read, but his upside is something that has to be considered here. Don’t be surprised if San Francisco trades out too.
31	Denver	Jason Verrett	CB	TCU
The Broncos front office know that the time is now if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. They have done a lot in free agency, but someone needs to play opposite Aqib Talib. Verrett is hard-nosed corner that can play outside or inside. He will add some grit to the defense.
32	Seattle	Xavier Su’a-Filo	G	UCLA
Seattle is obviously extremely talented even after losing some guys to free agency. One such loss was Breno Giacomini, a disruptive right tackle. Here they take Su’a-Filo to add depth and talent to a somewhat depleted line.
Round 2
33	Houston	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	Eastern Illinois
Houston is still in need of a quarterback after taking Clowney, and they get Garoppolo here. This could be any number of quarterbacks depending on who is available.
34	Washington	Cyrus Kouandjio	OT	Alabama
This is the Redskins’ first selection of the draft. The need a lot of help in the defensive backfield, but after RGIII’s injury last year they need to protect the face of their franchise. Kouandjio is a risk, but if it pays off, they get a steal.
35	Cleveland	Kony Ealy	DE	Missouri
Ealy may not be an ideal fit in Cleveland, but he can get after the quarterback and Cleveland’s defense can always use help in that regard. He’s a value pick here. A corner is also likely.
36	Oakland	Kyle Van Noy	LB	Brigham Young
Oakland takes a stud linebacker to help out the defense alongside Sio Moore. Van Noy is a pure football player with a nose for the ball.
37	Atlanta	Stephon Tuitt	DE	Notre Dame
Atlanta had trouble with their pass rush last year. After taking care of the offensive line in the first round, they address the defensive front with Tuitt, a strong down lineman.
38	Tampa Bay	Chris Borland	LB	Wisconsin
Borland is a pure football player. Tampa could insert him in their linebacker rotation right away. They get great value here.
39	Jacksonville	Derek Carr	QB	Fresno State
The Jags get their quarterback. There are varying opinions on Carr, but he is someone that can work with a young offense to try and build a contender.
40	Minnesota	Ra’Shede Hageman	DE	Minnesota
With the loss of Jared Allen and the middle of that defensive line getting older, Hageman could step in and fill the void of lost production.
41	Buffalo	Jordan Matthews	WR	Vanderbilt
Since Buffalo went with a lineman in the first round, they get a toy for Manuel to play with in round two. They keep building on offense since their defense is in pretty good shape.
42	Tennessee	Stanley Jean-Baptiste	CB	Nebraska
After losing Alterraun Verner, Tennessee is in the market for a cornerback. They get a big one in Jean-Baptiste.
43	NY Giants	Bishop Sankey	RB	Washington
David Wilson had health problems last season, and it is unclear if their answer at running back is on the roster. The Giants take the first running back with a workhorse in Sankey.
44	St. Louis	LaMarcus Joyner	S	Florida State
St. Louis is gradually building a contender. Getting Joyner here would really add some pop to that defense. He is simply a playmaker that would go great with an outstanding front seven.
45	Detroit	Jimmie Ward	S	Northern Illinois
Detroit flies high on offense, so they do not need to address that in the second round. They continue to shoot for defensive backs. They get a nice small school safety in Jimmie Ward who can push James Ihedego.
46	Pittsburgh	Jeremiah Attaochu	DE	Georgia Tech
Attaochu is a solid prospect that has been talked about recently. Pittsburgh has been getting older for a while, but with Jason Worilds breaking out, adding Attaochu could mean a defensive resurgence.
47	Dallas	Jarvis Landry	WR	LSU
The Cowboys don’t necessarily need a wide receiver, but that offense is potent when Romo has a bunch of weapons working. Landry can fight for the second or third receiver role and create matchup problems for defenses.
48	Baltimore	Ja’Wuan James	OT	Tennessee
Baltimore has needed to shore up their line for a few years. With Michael Oher gone now, they need to improve the outside. James is in the next tier of tackle prospects and is good value right here.
49	NY Jets	Dee Ford	OLB	Auburn
Rex Ryan loves defense. He would love to add as many disrupters as he can on that side of the ball. Enter Ford who had a great season attacking offenses at Auburn.
50	Miami	Jace Amaro	TE	Texas Tech
Amaro is not Ebron, but this is a good spot for Miami to take him. He was productive at Texas Tech and, with Dustin Keller’s health in question, Amaro is a good choice for an eventual replacement.
51	Chicago	Loucheiz Purifoy	CB	Florida
Continuing to bolster the defense, Chicago takes one of Florida’s speedy outside defenders. This may be a little high for him, but the Bears love ball hawks. Purifoy is one.
52	Arizona	Dri Archer	RB	Kent State
Will the Cardinals actually take a running back here? They could. Injury concerns over the last couple of years coupled with no bona fide stud make Archer an intriguing option for the Cardinals.
53	Green Bay	Bruce Ellington	WR	South Carolina
Why not give Aaron Rodgers another weapon? That receiving corps is not what it once was when Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley were in the fold. Give him a big speedster in Ellington to pick up the slack.
54	Philadelphia	Martavious Bryant	WR	Clemson
It’s doubtful Philadelphia goes wide receiver with their first two picks but remember: Chip Kelly is an offensive guy and their receiving corps is not great. Adding Bryant now eliminates their need to find more pass-catchers.
55	Cincinnati	Aaron Colvin	CB	Oklahoma
Colvin is a difficult guy to project since he is coming off an injury. Second round is a little rich for some people, but he’s a talented guy. Cincinnati has been known to take risky players. He’d be a good fit here.
56	San Francisco (from KC)	Scott Crichton	DE	Oregon State
With Aldon Smith’s future in doubt, the 49ers need to make sure that line is bolstered. Crichton was the man this year at Oregon State. They just have to decide if he fits their scheme.
57	San Diego	Troy Niklas	TE	Notre Dame
Niklas could be the heir apparent to Antonio Gates. He’s a great blocker as well as pass catcher. They may be able to get him in the third round, but they take him here at a position of need.
58	New Orleans	Will Sutton	DT	Arizona State
Sutton was a total disruptive force two years ago. He didn’t have quite the same year this past season, but he is a great player. New Orleans continues to add to that much improved defense.
59	Indianapolis	Antonio Richardson	OT	Tennessee
Andrew Luck is where it all starts and ends for the Colts. Have they found their answers at tackle? They take Richardson here as an insurance policy.
60	Carolina	Jeremy Hill	RB	LSU
Jonathan Stewart can’t seem to stay healthy and DeAngelo Williams needs a breather now and then. Jeremy Hill is a big, tough back that can complement Williams well.
61	San Francisco	Brandon Coleman	WR	Rutgers
With their second pick in the second round, the Niners add a wideout for Kaepernick. Coleman was one of the best players on the Rutgers squad this year. He is big guy who can go up and get it.
62	New England	Shayne Skov	LB	Stanford
A lot of prognosticators don’t think Skov will go this high. All he did was make plays on a great defense last year at Stanford. New England loves a hard working guy that works for everything he gets.
63	Denver	Keith McGill	CB	Utah
In an effort to keep the defense from giving away a game, the Broncos add McGill. With this pick they would have a pretty strong corner rotation where it was once considered a weakness.
64	Seattle	Demarcus Lawrence	LB	Boise State
Lawrence would be a great addition to their defensive linebacker rotation. They may consider a down lineman here as Red Bryant’s spot needs to be filled. But Seattle is in a great position to take best player available. That is what they do here.

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Dan Levine 2014 NFL Mock Draft – 29 April 2014

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