2014 NFL Draft: First Round Mock Draft and Analysis

 1. Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney, 6’6”, 266lbs, DE, South Carolina, Jr.

The Houston Texans were expected to compete for the AFC South title in 2013 until a perfect storm of injuries at key positions derailed any hope of a winning season and ended in Gary Kubiak losing his job. Enter Bill O’Brien, who inherits the eleventh-ranked offense in total yards and a defense that finished the year in the top 10 in total defense.  Houston is somewhat of an anomaly at the top of the draft as they are loaded with talent.  However, Matt Schaub is out after proving he couldn’t stay healthy, leaving the Texans to be looking to this draft to secure their QB of the future.  Will it be “Johnny Football”?  Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, is the most polarizing player in this year’s draft.  His competitive fire and improvisational skills when plays break down would give O’Brien something his offenses have never seen before.  Could it be Central Florida’s signal caller Blake Bortles?  At 6’5” and 230lbs, Bortles has the prototypical size that you’re used to seeing in O’Brien’s offenses.  He sees the field well, can push the ball down the field and can make all the throws, even making plays from outside the pocket.  UCF head coach George O’Leary runs a pro-style offense and O’Brien once coached under O’Leary, so the ties are there for Bortles, right?  Then there’s Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, who is intelligent, very accurate, sees the field well and was a winner for the Cardinals.  Any of these three QB’s could very well be the No. 1 QB off the board.  However, none of them are worthy of the No.1 overall pick.  The top pick in the draft should be a sure-fire franchise QB.  You should know right away when you put on their college game tape that this QB is a can’t-miss prospect.  You got that feeling when you watched Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck coming out of college, but there are too many questions surrounding all of the QB’s in this year’s draft to warrant the No. 1 overall pick.  So what do the Texans do?  They’re in luck that it just so happens the top draft prospect to enter the NFL draft in quite some time is also in this draft.  Houston won’t pass up the opportunity to take Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in this year’s draft.  Or will they?  If you take a look at defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 scheme, where would Clowney play?  He’s not big enough to play at DE and there would be a learning curve if he were to move outside.  Khalil Mack, on the other hand, could be plugged into Crennel’s defense at OLB and make an instant impact.  Khalil Mack may not be the athlete Clowney is, but he is the most complete defensive football player in this year’s draft.  I just don’t see a scenario where Houston will take Mack over Clowney and risk missing out on one of the most dynamic prospects to ever enter the draft.  Also, if Houston trades down to No. 6 with Atlanta, there’s no guarantee Mack would be on the board when the Texans draft, especially with Jacksonville and Oakland in need of pass rush help.  Clowney is a one-in-a-generation talent with freakish measurables.  At 6’6” and 266 pounds, no man should be able to run a 4.53 40 time, but that’s just what Clowney did.  His first step off the ball is so explosive, he’s by the OT off the line after two steps.  That allows him to get into the backfield with tremendous quickness.  Just ask Michigan RB Vincent Smith just how quickly Clowney gets into the backfield. You’ll recall he was the Wolverine RB that was hit by Clowney in the 2013 Outback Bowl, lost not only his helmet, but the ball as well.  It’s game-changing plays like that you can expect from Clowney at the next level.  Clowney may be a little stiff in the hips, but he can still dip his inside shoulder and bend to turn the corner and has the closing speed to run down QB’s.  His explosiveness to the outside allows Clowney to fake outside and beat his man inside with a quick inside rush.  While Clowney is explosive in space rushing the passer, he also plays with good power and leverage, exploding into the OT and using his hands to get under the OT’s pad level before disengaging with a quick rip or swim move.  He also has a long wingspan and large hands, which he uses to create separation quickly from the OT, then uses the explosion to run by.  Simply put, he’s always a mismatch one-on-one.  However, even if you try to double team him, he’ll find a way to get to the QB.  In a game at Georgia in 2012, Clowney used a swim move off the edge to beat the LT, then leaped over the RB trying to cut him and pressured the QB.  Clowney is also explosive against the run.  He uses his hands well to get off blocks and has tremendous lateral quickness to come down the line on outside runs. You also don’t want to run away from Clowney as he uses his speed to beat blocks and run down the RB from behind.  He’s usually looking to set up his next pass rush move, so there are times you can catch him inside, losing contain and allowing the RB to get by him on his side of the line.  There are also the issue of effort.  Clowney struggled with consistency and his motor seemed to run hot and cold.  He also relies too much on athletic ability and would sacrifice technique, playing high and allowing OT’s to get into him before he could get going.  Once defenders lock onto him, he gets blown up and driven back of the line.  Some also worry about his lack of productivity as a junior; after bursting onto the scene in 2012 with 13.0 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss, Clowney’s junior campaign saw just 3.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss.  However, Clowney simply has a gift that doesn’t come along every day.  He has the IT-factor you saw from the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith and Reggie White, among others.  J.J. Watt saw his sack total drop from 20.5 in 2012 to 10.5 in 2013, but teams won’t be able to double team Watt if Clowney is lurking on the other side.  You can bet Houston will be improving upon the league’s 29th best sack total of 32.  I may be in the minority here, but I think Mack is a better fit for Houston than Clowney.  Can you imagine the scene at Radio City Music Hall if Mack gets called first; it wouldn’t be unlike 2006, where Houston surprised everyone by taking Mario Williams and not Reggie Bush.  At the same time, any defensive coordinator would love to find ways of utilizing Clowney’s talent, so you know Crennel will find a way to best utilize Clowney in his 3-4 scheme.  Taking Clowney No. 1 overall would give O’Brien the opportunity to land both the most dynamic athlete in the draft AND a franchise QB by the end of Day 2.  You can’t find a better scenario for the Texans.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-SEC, 11 games played, 40 Tackles, 11.5 TFL, 3.0 Sacks; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, 6th in Heisman voting, 1st Team All-SEC, Ted Hendricks Award Winner, finalist for Nagurski, Lombardi and Bednarik awards, 54 Tackles, 23.5 TFL, 13.0 Sacks; 2011 Season:  Freshman All-America, SEC Freshman of the Year, Freshman All SEC 1st Team, 2nd Team All-SEC, 36 Tackles, 12.0 TFL, 8.0 Sacks.

2. St. Louis Rams – Sammy Watkins, 6’1”, 211lbs, WR, Clemson, Jr.

The Rams own the No. 2 pick following the trade with Washington that saw the Redskins take Robert Griffin II in 2012.  With two first round picks, the Rams have some flexibility and could easily trade out of this pick if a team is enamored with one of the top QB’s. You could easily see the Rams trading with Cleveland, Oakland or Minnesota if any of those teams chose to pull the trigger on the QB they covet.  If Houston somehow passes on Jadeveon Clowney, let the real fun begin.  GM Les Snead will be fielding all types of trade offers.  Snead could opt to draft Clowney, which would give the Rams a freakish defensive line that already has Robert Quinn and Chris Long getting after the QB.  You can never have too many pass rushers, especially in new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense.  However, Snead has already shown he’s not afraid to trade down and obtain additional picks.  I expect his friend Thomas Dimitroff, GM of the Atlanta Falcons, to come calling on draft day to trade up to No. 2 for Clowney if Houston does go with Khalil Mack No. 1 overall.  The Rams can trade down to No. 6 and still pick up one of the top OT’s in this draft.  If the Rams do stay at No. 2, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins could be the guy.  It’s make it or break it time for QB Sam Bradford, who is coming off an ACL tear.  The Rams have been trying to get him weapons over the last couple years and even though they used the 11th overall selection to take Tavon Austin a year ago, Bradford has been missing a go-to WR.  That makes Watkins an intriguing pick.  Watkins is arguably the best WR prospect to come along since A.J. Green and Julio Jones and his playmaking ability would be just what St. Louis needs.  However, even more important is keeping Bradford healthy.  If Bradford is going to continue to be the Rams’ franchise QB, he cannot suffer another season-ending injury.  While Jeff Fisher historically hasn’t taken many OT’s in Round One, protecting Bradford and addressing O-line concerns should be priority # 1.  LT Jake Long is returning from a torn ACL and MCL and returning RT Rodger Saffold has had problems with his shoulder.   Both should be ready to go in 2014 and the addition of an OT would allow Saffold to kick inside to OG, where he is a natural fit.  The Rams also want to look for a versatile OT, someone you can plug in and play RT and could then make the transition to the left side when Long calls it a career.  Most draft experts have the Rams going with Auburn’s Greg Robinson, who clearly has the highest ceiling. Robinson is 6’5, 332lbs and is a dominant, mauling, nasty run blocker.  He’ll cave in the left side of the line and can get to the second level in a hurry with nimble feet.  He put on a show at the Combine, moving surprisingly well for a man his size.  My concern is that Robinson is still very raw when it comes to pass protection.  While this can be taught, there will be a learning curve.  If you want to keep Bradford upright, would your best shot at doing so be to bring in Robinson, who isn’t polished yet?  Also, when you talk about athletes with high ceilings, I can’t shake the thought of Jason Smith, himself a No. 2 overall pick of the Rams out of Baylor in the 2009 Draft.  He never developed like everyone had hoped and became a huge bust.  I believe the Rams will look for the OT they can plug and play on the right side opposite Long and Jake Matthews is the most complete OT in this year’s draft.  I just don’t think the Rams are convinced Matthews is worthy of the 2nd overall pick.  I think Les Snead will be looking for the best overall value.  It is possible the Rams get their No. 1 WR in Watkins and use the 13th pick on Notre Dame OT Zack Martin.  That gives Bradford protection both on the outside and up front.  When you watch game film of Sammy Watkins, it’s easy to see the playmaking ability.  Watkins has legit 4.4 speed with a 1.51 10-yard split, meaning he not only explodes off the line of scrimmage, he also seems to accelerate after the catch.  He has incredible change of direction skills to create separation in his routes and make defenders miss after the catch.  He’s a QB’s best friend because he doesn’t wait for the ball to arrive.  He extends his arms and attacks the ball in the air and displays strong hands.  He has the body control to adjust to the ball while it’s in the air.  Just watch the Orange Bowl against Ohio State where Watkins scored over CB Dorian Grant.  Watkins worked inside out, tracked the ball in the air, then elevated and hauled in the pass at its highest point over Grant for a 30-yard TD.  Watkins also isn’t afraid of contact, often lowering his shoulder to initiate contact and run over DB’s.  Clemson ran a lot of screens to Watkins, but that was simply to get the ball in his hands.  Nobody produced yards after the catch like Watkins.  He’s patient setting up his blockers and has a knack for making the first man miss.  All he needs is a crease and if he’s in the open field, chance are he’s running away from you.  There may be concerns about his maturity level following a 2012 arrest for marijuana, but he has a strong support system that has kept him in check and this arrest does not appear to be a pattern. Simply put, Watkins is a game changer.  Imagine having Watkins on the outside and Austin in the slot.  There would be enough explosiveness on the field to remind Ram fans of The Greatest Show on Turf.  2013 Season:  101 rec. 1464 yds 14.5 avg 12 TD; 2012 Season:  57 rec. 708 yds 12.4 avg 3 TD; 2011 Season:  82 rec. 1219 yds 14.9 avg 12 TD.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Khalil Mack, 6’3”, 251lbs, OLB, Buffalo

The Jaguars have a number of holes that need addressing in this year’s draft.  Jacksonville’s pass rush was once again non-existent, finishing last in the league in sacks with just 31 a season ago.  I’ve been saying for years the Jags have an anemic pass rush and it needs to be addressed.  The Jags would love to have Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack fall to them here and could even look to trade up with the Rams to secure Clowney if Mack goes No. 1 overall.  Missing out on one of the top two pass rushers in this year’s draft may be tempered by the fact the Jags opted to address their defensive line in free agency, re-signing Jason Babin and bringing in Chris Clemons at DE and signing DT’s Red Bryant and Ziggy Hood.  Also, don’t forget Andre Branch came on at the end of the season, racking up 6 sacks since Week 11 to finish the season.  Babin, Clemons and Branch give the Jags three legitimate pass rushers, which will allow GM David Caldwell to focus on offense here.  Will Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley opt for a QB?  Blake Bortles played at Central Florida, so he has the local flavor that could bring some interest to Jacksonville.  If the organization wants to sell tickets, then the most polarizing player in this year’s draft has to be in consideration.  Manziel will make the Jaguars relevant on a national level for the first time in quite a while.  However, I just don’t see the Jags reaching for a QB when they could go with the best available player on the board and still fill a need.  If Bortles or Manziel were to fall to the second half of the first round, you could then make a case for the Jags trading back into the first round to land a QB.  Remember, the team is still reeling from the bust that was Blaine Gabbert, the 8th pick of the 2011 draft.  Whoever is playing QB is going to need time to throw the football.  The Jags have to protect their QB and after surrendering 50 sacks a season ago, an upgrade is needed.  Last year’s No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel saw his season cut short due to injury, but he should be healthy for 2014 and could play on either side of the line.  The other OT position is a mystery.  You could see Joeckel team with Greg Robinson or be reunited with Jake Matthews.  The uncertainty of the suspended Justin Blackmon, coupled with the fact that the only free agent WR acquisition was Tandon Doss, leads me to believe the Jags are looking to upgrade the WR position with a playmaker.  Sammy Watkins is the best WR prospect since A.J. Green, so could the Jags nab Watkins in Round 1 and take a QB on Day 2, much like Cincinnati did with Green and Andy Dalton in 2011?  If Watkins is on the board, he’s easily the play here.  However, with him gone, the Jags opt for the best player available and while Jacksonville addressed their pass rush in free agency, I don’t see the organization passing on one of the top five players in the draft, especially if they can take the most complete defensive player in this year’s draft.  Khalil Mack’s 75.0 career tackles for loss (tied for NCAA record with Jason Babin) and 28.5 sacks is proof that he lives in opposing backfields.  Mack showed off his explosiveness at the Combine, displaying 4.6 40 speed, a 10-foot 6-inch broad jump and a 40-inch vertical leap.  He has a very quick first step off the line and is able to bend and dip to turn the corner in a hurry.  He plays with great leverage off the edge, getting underneath the OT pad level, and has powerful, heavy hands that he uses to strike the OT to drive him back before disengaging and running down the QB.  Mack also has an array of pass rush moves – dip, rip, swim – to get past his man en route to the QB and shows quick change of direction ability to fake outside and use an inside rush to beat his man.  Once in space, Mack has the closing speed to run down any QB for the sack.  He has incredible instincts with a knack for locating the ball quickly.  Mack can set the edge on the outside against the run, moving well laterally to keep the RB inside, then uses his hands to get off blocks and is an exceptional open field tackler.  He’s relentless in pursuit of the ball and will run down plays from the backside.  Once he gets to the ball carrier, he has an uncanny ability to make plays on the football, having amassed a staggering 16 career forced fumbles, which is an NCAA record.  Mack has tremendous balance, which makes him difficult to try a cut block against him.  The leverage and powerful hands he plays with also allows him to stand up the lineman inside on run plays, then disengage and make a play on the ball carrier.  Mack can also drop into coverage, showing an ability to read the QB and make a play on the ball.  21 career pass breakups for a 3-4 OLB is pretty impressive.  If you happened to catch the game against Ohio State that really put him on the map as a playmaker, Mack proved he could play against top competition.  Mack kept his balance when LT Jack Mewhort tried to cut him, then QB Braxton Miller threw his way; Mack made a leaping Int. and then ran away from both Miller and RB Dontre Wilson for a 47-yard TD.   Later in the game, he read screen, ran to a spot, fought off TE Jeff Heuerman’s block to tackle the RB for a loss on the play.  While Mack did play in the MAC, he is a complete player who won’t have to leave the field and should make an immediate impact.  After finishing dead last in sacks in three of the last five years, it was clear Gus Bradley made improving the pass rush a priority when Clemons and Babin were brought in.  I think the defensive-minded head coach won’t pass on Mack, who has the ability to be a perennial All-Pro.  2013 Season:  Jack Lambert Award for top LB, MAC Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-MAC, Butkus Award finalist, 100 Tackles, 19 TFL, 10.5 Sacks, 5 FF, 7 PBU, 3 Int., 2 TD; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-MAC, 94 Tackles, 21 TFL, 8 Sacks, 4 FF, 2 PBU; 2011 Season:  65 Tackles, 20.5 TFL, 5.5 Sacks, 5 FF, 2 PBU, 1 Int.; 2010 Season:  68 Tackles, 14.5 TFL, 4.5 Sacks, 2 FF, 10 PBU

4. Cleveland Browns – Greg Robinson, 6’5”, 332lbs, OT, Auburn, RS Soph.

Cleveland is a team with two first round picks, so they have some flexibility on the first day of the draft.  The Browns could opt to go with Sammy Watkins should he fall to them.  Watkins would team with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron to give a trio of weapons to whoever is under center in Cleveland.  That would allow the Browns to take a QB at 26, in which case you’d probably be looking at Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater or Derek Carr of Fresno State.  I’m just not so sure Watkins is on the board at No. 4.  Would Cleveland trade up to get him?  Or do the Browns keep the 4th pick and go with their franchise QB now?  Kyle Shanahan ran an offense that allowed Robert Griffin III to shine as a rookie in Washington, so another athletic QB like Johnny Manziel would be a perfect fit.  If Watkins is off the board, I think there’s still an outside chance Texas A&M’s Mike Evans could go here.  His size and ball skills down the field would be a nice complement to Gordon’s speed.  Evans could be a reach here, but if they aren’t sold on a QB, expect the Browns to trade down to a spot where they can still land Evans.  With Watkins off the board, Manziel or even Blake Bortles would be tempting, but the Browns should opt for the best player available and take a QB later in the draft.  Even with Pro Bowlers Joe Thomas and Alex Mack along the offensive front, the Brows gave up 49 sacks in 2013, the third highest total in the league.  Mitchell Schwartz was the starter at RT a season ago, but he’s best suited inside.  In Shanahan’s offense, Cleveland will need linemen that can get out and block for their RB.  Robinson would be an excellent fit for what the Browns are trying to do.  Robinson is freakishly athletic, running a 4.92 40 despite being 6’5” and 332 pounds.  He also bench pressed 225 pounds 32 times at the Combine, despite the fact he has 35” arms.  Robinson has a powerful, thick lower body that allows him to explode off the line of scrimmage and creates a surge at the point of attack.  Robinson uses his long arms to get into his man and drive him off the line.  His strength allows him to overpower DE’s at the point and does a great job sustaining blocks.  If you watch tape of the National Championship game, he repeatedly caved in the entire left side of the line.  Robinson is very light on his feet, which allow him to get out as a lead blocker and easily climbs to the second level to punish LB’s and DB’s at the second level.  Robinson imposes his will on defenders and will wear defenses down as the game goes on.  Robinson shows good lateral quickness as a pass protector, but he’s very raw.  He didn’t have to pass block very much while at Auburn.  He’ll lean a bit, is inconsistent with his hand placement and will grab defenders as a result.  Robinson is quick out of his stance, but wants to push, shove and overpower his man rather than use technique to slide laterally to mirror the defender and ride his man away from the pocket.  Taking Robinson at No. 4 would turn a porous O-line into a unit that will thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.  2013 Season:  2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC, SEC Academic Honor Roll.  2012 Season:  Started 11 of 12 games.  2011 Season:  redshirted.

5. Oakland Raiders – Taylor Lewan, 6’7”, 309lbs, OT, Michigan

The Raiders are trying to change the culture in Oakland.  Just take a look at the free agent acquisitions.  Offensively, Oakland brought in Matt Schaub to run the offense; Maurice Jones-Drew to battle Darren McFadden for starting RB; James Jones to provide production at WR; Donald Penn, Kevin Boothe and Austin Howard provide depth to the offensive line; CB Carlos Rogers and S Charles Woodson provide veteran leadership to the secondary; and Lamarr Woodley, Justin Tuck and Antonio Smith bring pass rush help to a defense that didn’t have any one player with more than 6.0 sacks a season ago.  If Sammy Watkins were to somehow be available at No. 5, expect Oakland to get to the podium quickly to select him. He would instantly start over incumbents Denarius Moore and Rod Streater and his explosiveness would be a nice complement to Jones.  Khalil Mack would be a perfect fit at SAM backer, which would allow the Raiders to move Sio Moore to the WILL, then you keep Woodley and Tuck as starting DE’s and move Antonio Smith inside to DT.  That would instantly make Oakland’s front seven one of the league’s strongest.  When both Watkins and Mack come off the board in the first three picks, The Raiders could be tempted to go with Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel here.  Manziel would bring excitement to Raider Nation, but if you look at what the Raiders did in free agency, Johnny Football doesn’t seem to fit in with what GM Reggie McKenzie wants to do.  Bortles is your prototypical QB with size, arm strength and pocket presence and has all of the intangibles needed to succeed at the next level, but his lack of consistency is a concern.  Right now, Matt Schaub is your QB.  He needs to stay healthy.  Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan would make sense to plug in at LT, allowing Penn to move to the right side.  I think the Raiders could still go wideout here.  Schaub had Andre Johnson as his go-to WR in Houston, so I think there’s a good chance he gets Mike Evans in Oakland.  I think Lewan’s aggressiveness will fit what McKenzie is trying to do up front.  Few players had a better Combine performance than the 6’7”, 308-pound Taylor Lewan, who ran the fastest 40 time at 4.87, put up 29 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press with nearly 34-inch arms and displayed explosiveness for his size with a 29-inch vertical leap and a nine-foot nine-inch broad jump.  Lewan is your prototypical pass protector at LT – he’s a natural knee bender who is quick out of his stance with a deep kick step and sets up very quickly.  He’s light on his feet and moves well laterally to mirror the DE.  Lewan keeps his arms extended to keep the DE from turning the corner, can anchor against a bull rush and has active hands to keep his man in front.  He will set up outside and get caught leaning, which leaves him susceptible to an inside move by a DE; when he was beaten, it was usually when a DE started outside and came back inside.  Lewan is an improving run blocker, but is better on the move in the run game than off the line.  He can pull and get in front of the RB and can climb to the LB at the second level.  He doesn’t explode into his man off the snap and will instead lean into his man, causing him to be caught off balance.  Lewan is at his best off the line when he stays upright, extends his arms and sustains his leg drive to take his man down the field.  Lewan also showed off his versatility his senior season, having played on both sides of the line in odd-man fronts for the Wolverines, which will allow Lewan to transition easily to RT opposite Long, then slide to the left when Long calls it a career.  Lewan plays with a mean streak, can be very physical and knows how to finish, but at times he gets overly aggressive and will get called for personal foul penalties for extracurricular activity after the play.  Lewan is also facing three misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a fight following the Ohio State game.  While he claims he was trying to break up a fight, teams will have to do their homework.  Lewan’s off-field issues could cause his stock to drop, possibly all the way to the middle of the 1st Round.  However, he’s an elite prospect and will hold down the left side of the line for a decade.  Lewan is a plug-and-play type player who could start right away at either OT position for Oakland.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, 1st Team All Big 10, Big Ten Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, Lombardi Award semifinalist;   2012 Season:  1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-Big 10, Big Ten Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year; 2011 Season:  2nd Team All-Big 10; 2010 Season:  2nd Team Freshman All-American.

6. Atlanta Falcons – Jake Matthews, 6’5”, 308lbs, OT, Texas A&M

The Falcons could go in a number of directions this year.  GM Thomas Dimitroff could move up to take one of the top five players in this draft.  An anemic pass rush a season ago led to just 32 sacks, good for 29th in the league.  If Houston doesn’t take Jadeveon Clowney, expect Dimitroff to call his friend Les Snead of the St. Louis Rams to negotiate a trade to get their pass rusher at No. 2.  And if Clowney is off the board, that wouldn’t rule out Dimitroff trading up to get ahead of Jacksonville and Oakland to nab Khalil Mack.  Clowney or Mack would be the shot in the arm the Atlanta pass rush has been lacking since John Abraham.  However, if the Falcons can’t trade up, they’ll look to address the OT position.  The Falcons gave up 44 sacks last year and cannot allow franchise QB Matt Ryan to take so many shots.  Lamar Holmes did not work out at RT.  On the left side, Sam Baker has been inconsistent and injury prone, having only played in 70 of the 96 games in his career.  Atlanta is definitely on the market for an offensive tackle, someone with the versatility to play on either side of the line, something Matthews demonstrated while with the Aggies.  I believe Matthews is the most complete offensive lineman in this year’s draft.  Why?  First and foremost, Matthews has the bloodlines.  His father is Hall of Fame center Bruce Matthews, who played for Fisher with the Tennessee Titans; his uncle is former Browns All-Pro LB Clay Matthews and his cousin is Packers Pro Bowl LB Clay Matthews.  This guy eats, drinks and sleeps football.  His technique is phenomenal.  He is a natural knee bender, is very fluid laterally and uses his hands well.  As a pass protector, Matthews may be the most polished in this year’s draft.  He’s quick out of his stance with a deep kick step and is light on his feet to mirror the DE.  He uses his hands well to deliver a powerful punch at the point, plays with good leverage and has a solid base to anchor against a bull rush.  Matthews also blocked for Johnny Manziel, the most unpredictable QB in the collegiate game.  He was able to sustain blocks and seal off his man to allow Manziel to make plays in the open field.   He may not have the longest arms, but his technique makes it a virtual non-issue.  An underrated run blocker, Matthews uses both power and agility to open holes for the RB.  Matthews has good hip snap off the line and gets under the DE pad level to drive his man off the ball.  He can also climb to the next level to pick off LB’s in the open field.  He’s more physical than former teammate and last year’s second overall pick Luke Joeckel.  Finally, Matthews is versatile.  He played RT opposite Joeckel for three years before moving over to the left side for his senior season.  He may not have as high a ceiling as Greg Robinson and may not play with the mean streak that Michigan’s Taylor Lewan has, but Matthews does everything well and will start Week One.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-America, 1st Team All-SEC.  2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-SEC.  2011 Season:  Honorable Mention All-Big XII.  2010 Season:  started 7 games as true freshman

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Evans, 6’5”, 231lbs, WR, Texas A&M, RS Soph.

New head coach Lovie Smith didn’t take long to make some changes in Tampa.  The Bucs had needs all along their defense, but he signed Alterraun Verner and Mike Jenkins to address secondary concerns, Jonathan Casillas to play LB alongside Lavonte David and Mason Foster and signed Michael Johnson to address a pass rush that only managed 35 sacks a season ago.  Offensively, Josh McCown will hopefully build upon the success he had last year in Chicago.  At the same time, Mike Williams was traded to Buffalo, leaving a hole at the WR position opposite Vincent Jackson.  The addition of Mike Evans would give McCown a WR duo that would resemble the Bears’ Brandon Jackson and Alshon Jeffery.  Evans is a matchup nightmare with big play potential.  He’s strong off the line and can fight through the CB trying to jam him off the ball.  Evans does a good job tracking the ball down the field.  The former basketball player is at his best down the field where he can take advantage of his size.  He shows tremendous body control and timing to go up and win the 50-50 balls in the air.  He uses his basketball background to “out-rebound” the DB, going up and high-pointing the ball, plucking it out of the air with his strong hands.  He has a knack for being able to use his body to shield the defender away from the ball and extends for the ball to haul the pass in away from his body.  In many ways Evans played a big part in Johnny Manziel’s success, often bailing Manziel out when he’d throw the ball up; Evans would out-battle his man to haul in the pass down the field.  He’s also very physical after the catch, running over defenders and has a good forward lean to get extra yards.  Evans shows good power as a blocker in the open field.  My biggest question about Evans is his ability to separate.  If you put in the game tape against Missouri, CB E.J. Gaines, himself a mid-round selection and a likely starting NFL CB down the line, locked down Evans, only giving up 4 catches the entire game for only 8 yards.  Evans couldn’t create separation off the line or down the field and the only catches he was able to secure were on stop routes, throwing in front of Gaines.  Evans also struggled to make Gaines miss.  That should be a concern at the next level because if he cannot create separation, Evans will a more one-dimensional WR.  However, his size allows him to be a weapon outside the numbers, where he can shield the defender from the ball on back shoulder throws and elevate and adjust to the ball in the air over DB’s on fades.  The dup of Jackson and Evans would keep NFC South defensive coordinators up late trying to figure out how to defend them both.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC, 69 rec. 1394 yds 20.2 avg 12 TD; 2012 Season:  Freshman All-SEC, 82 rec. 1105 yds 13.5 avg 5 TD.
 

 8. Minnesota Vikings – Aaron Donald, 6’1”, 285lbs, DT, Pittsburgh

Everyone knows new head coach Mike Zimmer will want to land a QB at some point.  But will there be a rush to take one at No. 8?  I don’t see it.  The Vikes are said to be interested in Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater and either one could come off the board here, but when the team already signed Matt Cassel to start at QB in 2014 coupled with the fact that the organization has already reached big for a QB when they surprised everyone and took Christian Ponder with the 12th pick in 2011, you can expect Minnesota to turn their sights elsewhere here.  And why not look to improve the defensive front seven, where Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Erin Henderson are all gone from a season ago.  Those three players combined for nearly half of the Vikings’ 41 sacks.  Could we see Zimmer and Company look to trade up to secure Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack to obtain one of the top two pass rushers in this year’s draft?  Clowney might be a long shot, but Mack might be worth trading up a couple picks and would be a great fit opposite All-Pro Chad Greenway.  Michael Mauti is currently slated to start at MLB, so if the Vikings decide to go there, expect them to look to trade down to land Alabama’s C.J. Mosley, who would be a reach here given his durability concerns.  If Minnesota stands pat at No, 8, there’s a good chance Zimmer looks for the next Geno Atkins, who has been a dominant force at DT for the Bengals.  I think it’s easy to look at Aaron Donald and see similarities with Atkins.  Both lack ideal height, as both measure in at 6’1”; each plays the three-technique; and both have explosive quickness off the ball that allows them to penetrate the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc in opposing backfields.  Donald spent a lot of time on the other side of the line of scrimmage, racking up 66 tackles for loss in his career at Pittsburgh.  Donald not only explodes off the line, but he also plays with good leverage, staying low off the ball to get underneath the pad level of the offensive linemen.  He also has excellent hands, using them to slap the lineman’s hands away, then ripping or swimming his way past his man to get penetration.  His hands are very active and allow him to get off blocks quickly.  Donald’s disruptiveness up the middle allows others to make plays on the ball.  Donald also has a nose for the football – against Bowling Green in the Little Caesars Bowl, Donald attacked the left shoulder of the center off the snap and the RB attempted to attack the hole to the right; Donald fought through the block and kept his left hand free to bring the RB down for no gain despite the fact that he was still engaged with the center with his right.  Donald opened some eyes at the Senior Bowl, where he was virtually unblockable in 1-on-1 drills and again at the Combine, running 4.68 in the 40 yard dash and put up 225 pounds 35 times in the bench press.  Teams can say what they want about Donald’s lack of size, but that’s precisely what happened with Atkins, who fell all the way to the 120th overall pick in the 4th Round in 2010.  Minnesota brought in Linval Joseph and already drafted Sharrif Floyd in the 1st Round of last year’s draft.  However, Zimmer knows first-hand the importance of Atkins to Cincinnati‘s defense and Donald would give him the same type of player. 2013 Season:  All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-SEC, Nagurski, Bednarik and Lombardi Award winner, 59 Tackles 28.5 TFL 11.0 Sacks; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-Big East, 64 Tackles 18.5 TFL 5.5 Sacks; 2011 Season:  2nd Team All-Big East, 47 Tackles 16.0 TFL 11.0 Sacks; 2010 Season:  11 Tackles 3.0 TFL 2.0 Sacks.

9. Buffalo Bills – Eric Ebron, 6’4”, 250lbs, TE, North Carolina, Jr.

2nd-year head coach Doug Marrone has the Buffalo Bills heading in the right direction.  It currently boasts a defense that was 4th in passing yards and 10th in yards allowed a season ago.  It also has a formidable front four, with Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams playing inside and Mario Williams, Alan Branch and Jerry Hughes flanking them.  Kiko Alonso and his 159 tackles from a season ago is moving outside as Brandon Spikes will be manning the middle in 2014.  Offensively, there are questions.  The Bills were 2nd in the league in rushing, averaging 144.2 yards per game with the duo of C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson in the backfield.  A big reason for this was the ineffective play at QB.  1st Round pick E.J. Manuel struggled before going down with an injury after starting 10 games.  From there, Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel just couldn’t get the job done.  For Manuel to succeed, he’ll need some help.  His health has to be top priority.  LT Cordy Glenn had an up-and-down 2013 and is better slated for RT and the Bills could use an upgrade over RT Erik Pears.  If Taylor Lewan or even Jake Matthews were to fall to them here, you’d have to think Marrone, himself a former offensive line coach, would jump at the chance to bring in one of the top tackles in this year’s draft.  Also, don’t rule out the Bills trading up to snag one of them or even taking the fast-rising Zack Martin of Notre Dame.  Manuel also needs weapons on the outside.  That’s a big reason why the Bills obtained Mike Williams from Tampa Bay.  His addition to a unit that already has Stevie Johnson, Robert Woods and T.J. Graham along with last year’s leading receiver TE Scott Chandler and Manuel has some versatile options in the passing game.  However, none of his current options would create the type of mismatch Ebron would. Ebron is so versatile, he can beat you in a lot of ways.  Just put on film of his last game against Duke and you’ll see how he can beat you in several ways. Ebron came across the middle on a crossing route, caught the ball in stride and showed exceptional speed for a TE down the sideline for a 79 yard gain.  Lining up as a traditional TE, Ebron is quick off the line and is speed poses problems for LB’s trying to cover him up the seam.  Safeties try to take him on, but then it’s his frame that allows him to make a play on the ball.  Ebron can line up in the slot and his quick hips and change of direction allows him to catch a screen, make the first man miss, and then accelerate up the field for a big gain.  He can also split out and uses his speed and route running to create separation against CB’s.  He’ll drive hard on the CB up the field, then plant and is quick out of his cut to the inside of the CB on a deep slant.  Once the ball is in the air, Ebron will position his body to force CB’s to go through him to get to the ball, extending his arms to catch the ball away from his body.  Ebron can elevate over defenders in the red zone as well.  He would be someone Manuel could line up all over the line of scrimmage to create mismatches and can make plays after the catch.  Ebron is like a WR in a TE’s body.  He has the body control to make the acrobatic catch and is strong enough to take a hit going over the middle and still get up the field.  Ebron isn’t the blocker that his peers are, especially Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas and Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins.  However, I think Chandler can play the role of the blocking TE and secondary receiving option.  Ebron is an athlete, someone who can change the game for the Bills on offense.  Just look at what the likes of Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski did for their offenses.  Ebron has the potential to do the same in Buffalo.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-ACC, Mackey Award Finalist, 62 rec. 973 yds 15.7 avg 3 TD; 2012 Season:  2nd Team All-ACC, 40 rec. 625 yds 15.6 avg 4 TD; 2011 Season:  10 rec. 207 yds 20.7 avg 1 TD.
 

 10. Detroit Lions – Darqueze Dennard, 5’11”, 199lbs, CB, Michigan State

The Lions failed to live up to lofty expectations in 2013 and the result was the firing of Jim Schwartz.  Jim Caldwell is in as head coach and Detroit could go in a number of directions with this pick.  Calvin Johnson needed a running mate, so the Lions brought in Golden Tate.  However, if there’s a way to trade up to land Sammy Watkins or somehow Mike Evans falls to them at No 10, it may be hard to pass on a top WR to give Matthew Stafford additional weapons.  Some think the Lions would take LSU’s Odell Beckham, Jr. here.  While he would be a nice complement to Johnson and Tate, if Beckham, Jr. is in Detroit’s plans, I think they look to trade down as they could still land him in the middle of Round One.  The offensive line played reasonably well as a unit and only gave up 23 sacks a season ago.  However, that could still be a focus area.  RT LaAdrian Waddle was an undrafted free agent last season and started 8 games for the Lions.  Waddle’s productivity regressed as the season went along and he did suffer a knee injury.  If Detroit does look for an upgrade, one of the top three OT’s, whether it’s Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan, would be in play if they happen to fall this far.  Defensively, OLB is one of the biggest need areas as the starters going into 2014 right now are DeAndre Levy and Ashlee Palmer.  Khalil Mack won’t fall out of the top six, so if the Lions want to address the position early, they could go with Anthony Barr here.  He’s a pass rusher off the edge, but struggles to set the edge in the ground game, so I wouldn’t expect Barr to be a top 10 pick.  The Lions were 23rd in the league versus the pass a season ago, so the biggest need entering the offseason may very well be the secondary.  Louis Delmas’ departure meant there was a hole at safety.  Glover Quin’s versatility to play both safety positions allowed the Lions to bring in James Ihedigbo in to play SS.  On the surface, safety may have been addressed, but a player like Haha Clinton-Dix would be intriguing as it would give Detroit a safety with cover skills and tremendous range.  The other possibility at No. 10 is at CB.  Chris Houston is expected to start on one side and last year’s 2nd round pick Darius Slay will battle 34-year old Rashean Mathis, who was re-signed this offseason, for the other starting spot.  Cassius Vaughn was signed from Indianapolis and Bill Bentley will be expected to provide depth.  Dennard, nicknamed “No Fly Zone”, is an in-state product, having played his college ball in East Lansing, Michigan and is a bigger, physical CB that teams covet in today’s NFL.  I think the war room on draft day will be deciding between Dennard and Clinton-Dix all the way to the final minute.  Both are the best player at their respective positions, so it could come down to what Day 2’s draft board looks like.  If they go with Dennard, a player like Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward, who has a similar skill set as Clinton-Dix, would be in play in Round 2.  On the flip side, if you go Clinton-Dix with the 10th pick, the top 5 CB’s will be off the board by the time the Lions pick again at 41.  I think taking Dennard here and targeting Ward in the 2nd Round would give Detroit the best value for their first two picks.  Dennard is a lockdown corner and his physical play would be a welcome addition to the Pittsburgh secondary.  The Jim Thorpe Award winner in 2013 is a fluid CB, staying low in his backpedal and transitioning quickly to turn and run upfield with the WR.  He plays up on the line, doesn’t go for head fakes and jams the WR to throw him off his route.  Dennard stays right on the WR’s hip and takes away inside position from the WR, forcing the WR into the boundary and making it difficult for the QB to make a throw.  He has exceptional ball skills with good timing and plays the WR’s arms well to force an incompletion.  Dennard is also a come up in run support and is a sure tackler in the open field  As the boundary CB, Dennard stays at home and will step up to drop the RB at the line of scrimmage.  The biggest knock on Dennard is his lack of straight-line speed after running a 4.51 40 time at the Combine.  However, he’s such a fluid athlete that he’s able to make up for that.  The Lions get their man at CB, allowing them to take advantage of a deep WR class and address safety in Days 2 and 3.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Jim Thorpe Award winner, Nagurski Award finalist, Big 10 DB of the Year, Big 10 Defensive MVP, 1st Team All-Big 10, 62 Tackles 10 PBU 4 Int.; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-Big 10, 52 Tackles 7 PBU 3 Int.; 2011 Season:  Honorable Mention All-Big 10, 42 Tackles 3 PBU 3 Int.; 2010 Season:  11 Tackles.

11. Tennessee Titans – Justin Gilbert, 6’1”, 202lbs, CB, Oklahoma State

The Titans are another team with a new head coach in 2014 as Ken Whisenhunt comes over from San Diego where he was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.  Whisenhunt will be looking at their offense, which was 22nd in the league in total yards and 21st in passing, and changes will be made this offseason.  Does that mean a QB will be taken here at No. 11, despite the fact that Jake Locker was just taken with the 8th overall pick in 2011?  Locker’s play has not been consistent and he is coming off a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, so there is a chance Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles could be in play here.  Free safety Michael Griffin is due $8 million in 2014, so he could very well be a salary cap casualty, especially if Haha Clinton-Dix is available here.  Alterraun Verner left in free agency, leaving a hole at CB that Blidi Wreh-Wilson will try to fill.  Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert could develop into a starter early at the next level.  The Titans could still look to address the team’s pass rush, which is in need of a shot in the arm after managing just 36 sacks, 16.5 of which were recorded by two players, DT Jurrell Casey (10.5) and DE Derrick Morgan (6.0).  Whisenhunt brought in Ray Horton as his defensive coordinator, meaning the Titans will be running a 3-4 defense in 2014.  Shaun Phillips was signed away from Denver, but Akeem Ayers has underachieved and Kamerion Wimbley, who is owed $7.8 million in 2014, could also be a cap casualty.  The OLB position only managed only 8.0 sacks last season for the Titans, so adding an explosive edge rusher like Anthony Barr, who excelled in UCLA’s 3-4 defense, would make a lot of sense.  I think Tennessee goes with the best player available, which would be Gilbert, if he’s available.  Justin Gilbert is a playmaker at CB, with 12 career Int. and 27 additional pass breakups.  He’s a ballhawk, which makes him one of the top CB’s in this year’s draft. Gilbert is a very fluid cover corner.  He stays low in his back pedal and has quick hips to turn and run.  Gilbert showed at the Combine he has 4.3 speed, so he’ll be able to run stride for stride with any WR at the next level.  He does not allow much separation, will take away inside position and makes plays on the ball when it’s in the air.  Gilbert also isn’t afraid of contact.  He will press you at the line of scrimmage, will attack a WR’s arms to make a play if he can’t get to the ball and is a physical tackler.  Gilbert will also give the Titans another weapon in the return game, where he’s a threat to take it to the house on every kickoff.  I think Gilbert comes in and starts right away opposite Jason McCourty, which should help temper Verner’s departure.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Thorpe Award Finalist, 1st Team All-Big XII, 42 Tackles 7 PBU 7 Int. 123 yds; 2012 Season:  2nd Team All-Big XII KR/PR, 63 Tackles 9 PBU; 2011 Season:  59 Tackles 10 PBU 5 Int. 57 yds; 2010 Season:  18 Tackles 1 PBU.

12. New York Giants – Morgan Moses, 6’6”, 314lbs, OT, Virginia

Last season was a huge disappointment for the Giants and Tom Coughlin must find a way to be competitive in the NFC East.  Eli Manning struggled a season ago and could use more playmakers.  If Eric Ebron were to fall to them, expect New York to jump at the chance to have an athletic TE the organization hasn’t had.  With Ebron is off the board, if the Giants are interested in Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro, expect them to trade down to toward the end of Round One for this to happen.  How about a WR?  Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans are going to be off the board, but would the Giants look to bring in LSU’s Odell Beckham or Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks in the 1st Round?  If that happens, it won’t be at 12.  If they trade down, they could also be looking for an OLB.  Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier is a guy teams should be targeting at the end of Round One and he would be a definite upgrade over Jameel McClain, Spencer Paysinger and Jacquian Williams.  What about Haha Clinton-Dix?  Will Hill has had a troubled past, having been suspended four games last year for violating the substance abuse policy, arrested for driving under the influence in 2011 and arrested again last year on a warrant related to child support.  Hill is a free agent in 2015 and given his past, I don’t expect him to stay in New York.  If the Giants stay here, the best case scenario would be to land one of the top 3 OT’s in the draft.  However, only Taylor Lewan has a chance to fall out of the top 10 and I just don’t see that happening.  Would the Giants take Notre Dame’s Zack Martin here?  He has the versatility to play any position on the line, but would the Giants really draft a guy that draws such strong comparisons to last year’s 1st Round pick Justin Pugh?  While it’s possible, I just don’t see it happening.  However, Virginia’s Morgan Moses has the prototypical size you look for in an OT.  Will Beatty did not live up to the big contract he signed and Charles Brown just provides depth.  Moses can come in and battle Beatty and Brown for the starting LT position or, if Beatty finally lives up to his contract, Pugh could slide inside to OG and Moses could man RT.  Moses is versatile, having played RT his first two seasons with the Cavaliers when Oday Aboushi was at LT, then made the transition to LT for his junior and senior seasons.  Moses is known as “The Dancing Bear” because he’s so light on is feet for being such a mammoth tackle.  Moses does a decent job getting out of his stance and bends well for his size, but can still get a little too upright, which makes him susceptible to being knocked back.   Moses has incredible length and uses his long arms to get into the defender, has heavy hands at the point, then has the leg drive and extension to take his man all over the field, creating holes for the ball carrier as he goes.  Once he’s on the move, Moses will sustain his blocks until the whistle.  When Moses is climbing to the next level, he struggles to drop his weight to get into the blocks and will over pursue and miss blocks in the open field.  Moses would give the Giants much-needed depth up front, a welcome sight for Manning.  2013 Season:  3rd Team All-ACC, started all 12 games at LT; 2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-ACC, started 11 of 12 games at LT; 2011 Season:  3rd Team All-ACC, started all 13 games at RT; 2010 Season:  Freshman All-American, played in 11 games, starting 6 of last 7 at RT.

13. St. Louis Rams – Zack Martin, 6’4”, 308llbs, OT, Notre Dame

I’ve tried for months to figure out what the Rams will be doing with their second pick in the 1st Round.  Would they take a WR?  What about a defensive lineman?  Aaron Donald would be off the board and they could land Missouri’s Kony Ealy in Round Two.  How about a CB?  Darqueze Dennard or Justin Gilbert could be a potential lock down CB opposite Janoris Jenkins.  Then of course, there’s the expected projection – Haha Clinton-Dix.  Free Safety is one of the top need areas and Clinton-Dix is the top FS in the draft.  But what if he’s off the board?  Louisville’s Calvin Pryor could still be their guy.  All of that sounds nice though if the Rams take their OT with the 2nd overall pick.  However, they get their playmaker on the outside in Sammy Watkins and then land maybe the most consistent O-lineman in the draft.  Zack Martin is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in this year’s draft as he’s capable of playing any position along the line at a high level.  Martin gets out of his stance quickly and is a natural knee bender, sitting down in his stance.  From there, he has good hand placement and has the lateral quickness to slide and mirror his man.  Martin plays with good leverage and can anchor against a bull rush.  Martin is also a physical run blocker with some nastiness to him.  He has the leverage and leg drive to get a push in the ground game.  His hand placement and leverage also allow him to seal off defenders to create running lanes for the RB.  Martin can get out and pull and easily locates the OLB at the second level, delivers a powerful punch in space and sustains his block to drive his man completely out of the play.  He’s also quite durable, having started all 52 games in his career, and was a two-time captain of the Fighting Irish.  Martin’s lack of ideal arm length (32 7/8”) is not ideal for an OT.  He also tends to overset to the outside, which would make him susceptible to an inside move by a pass rusher.  I envision Martin starting Week One at RT, which would allow Rodger Saffold to kick inside, a move that would instantly upgrade the Rams’ front line.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Pinstripe Bowl MVP, Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year, Started all 13 games at LT; 2012 Season:  2nd Team All-American, Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year, Started all 13 games at LT.  2011 Season:  Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year, Started all 13 games at LT; 2010 Season:  Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year.

14. Chicago Bears – Calvin Pryor, 5’11”, 207lbs, S, Louisville, Jr.

The Bears have been active this offseason shoring up a defense that gave up the third-most yards in the league at 394.6 per game and managed to record just 31 sacks, which tied Jacksonville for the lowest mark in the league.  Maybe the worst was the lack of a run defense, as the Bears gave up a league-high 161.4 yards per game, nearly 25 yards higher than the next closest team.  Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young have been brought in to address the pass rush.  Aaron Donald would surely be the pick here if he’s still on the board, but there isn’t another DT worthy of the 14th overall pick, so Chicago shifts its attention to the secondary.  The Bears brought in M.D. Jennings, Ryan Mundy and Danny McCray to address the safety position, but following poor play against the run and pass a season ago, the Bears need an intimidating presence lurking in the secondary.    Pryor, a three-year starter at Louisville, is an instinctive safety with an ability to diagnose plays and is known for his thunderous hits in the secondary.  Pryor reads plays quickly and is decisive without any wasted movement when he reacts.  He possesses excellent anticipation, covers a lot of ground over the top and has solid ball skills, extending for the ball when it’s in the air.  He’s also exceptional in the box versus the run.  Pryor is able to locate the ball quickly as he works through traffic and isn’t afraid to lower his pads and strike the ball carrier while wrapping him up.  He may not be quite the cover man Haha Clinton-Dix is at safety, but he would bring a physicality and an intimidation factor to the secondary the Bears sorely need.  Also, something to think about:  Bears assistant defensive line coach Clint Hurtt was on the Cardinals’ coaching staff and recruited Pryor to come to Louisville.  They’ll have someone on the inside who is very familiar with Pryor, which lends more credence to Chicago taking Pryor here.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-AAC, 75 Tackles 4 PBU 3 Int.; 2012 Season:  2nd Team All-Big East, 100 Tackles 5 PBU 2 Int.; 2011 Season:  43 Tackles 5 PBU 2 Int.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kyle Fuller, 6’0”, 190lbs, CB, Virginia Tech

The Steelers entered the offseason needing to address the WR and CB positions.  Pittsburgh has already signed Lance Moore to play in the slot and Darrius Heyward-Bey to be the deep threat, but a guy like LSU’s Odell Beckham has the playmaking ability to battle Markus Wheaton right away for the starting spot opposite Antonio Brown.  The CB position has had Ike Taylor in the lineup for over a decade, but the 33-year old is expected $11.94 million in 2014, so there’s a distinct possibility Taylor won’t be around in the fall.  His replacement needs to be found opposite Cortez Allen and I believe the signing of Brice McCain won’t change the focus.  Fuller is very physical at the line and likes to jam the WR off the ball. He’s able to read the QB and react quickly and displays the closing speed to get in on the play.  Fuller shows good ball skills with excellent leaping ability and length to extend for the football, knocking away 29 passes in his career.  Fuller will also come down and get after the run.  He’s a physical tackler, but is a bit stiff, so he struggles with breaking down at times and will over pursue plays.  Fuller has a lot of experience, having started 42 games for the Hokies and was a team captain.  While Fuller is physical, he could get stronger, after only putting up 225 pounds 12 times in the bench press.  Fuller has the talent to start immediately for the Steelers and would finally give them a long-term replacement for Taylor.  2013 Season:  2nd Team All-American, 1st All-ACC, 58 Tackles 11 PBU 6 Int.; 2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-ACC, 52 Tackles 5 PBU 2 Int.; 2011 Season:  2nd Team All-ACC, 65 Tackles 7 PBU 2 Int.; 2010 Season:  32 Tackles 6 PBU

16. Dallas Cowboys – Anthony Barr, 6’5”, 255lbs, OLB, UCLA

The Cowboys finished the 2013 season with an 8-8 record, leaving many questions in The House that Jerry Built.  Defensively, Dallas was a mess, giving up more yards per game (415.3) than any other team in the league. As a result, Monte Kiffin was reassigned and Rod Marinelli was brought in to run the defense.  Maybe even more devastating this offseason was the loss of DeMarcus Ware, whose 6 sacks a season ago were a career low.  Marinelli’s defense is predicated on DE’s getting up the field.  Auburn’s Dee Ford gets up the field in a hurry, so he could also be in play here.  Missouri’s Kony Ealy is another DE that has the versatility to also play inside and can rush the passer both inside and out.  Then there’s Boise State’s DeMarcus Lawrence, who the Cowboys have brought in for a visit and appear to be high on.  The latter would be a major reach here and is probably a better suited to go in Round 2, while the Cowboys would be better served to trade down if Ford or Ealy is their guy.  How about if UCLA’s Anthony Barr falls here?  I know Barr’s game tape shows an inexperienced edge rusher, but this draft is thin on pass rushers and Barr has unlimited potential.  His ability to get up the field and pressure the QB is just what Marinelli is looking for and he could move Barr to DE.  Barr is a tremendous athlete who actually started his career at FB until head coach Jim Mora Jr. came in and moved him to OLB for his junior season.  Barr responded with 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, immediately cementing himself as one of the nation’s top pass rushers.  Barr is explosive coming off the edge.  He has a very quick 1st step, has flexible hips to dip his inside shoulder and bend around edge to turn the corner.  Barr also uses his hands well to create separation from the OT and to get the blockers hands off him.  Once he’s in space, Barr has an explosive closing burst to get to the QB.  Barr does a good job anticipating the snap count to improve his jump and get into the backfield before the OT has a chance to react.  He’ll also work outside-in to get to the QB; against USC, Barr got up the field on the outside against the LT, then spun back to the inside as QB Cody Kessler stepped up in the pocket, from there Barr fell to his knees and showed off the strength to pull Kessler down for the sack.  Barr is great in pursuit of the ball I the ground game and is at his best on run plays away from him.  When teams run at him, he’s best when he can remain in space and beat a block to get upfield and force the RB inside.  However, he struggles to set the edge in the run game and lacks the bulk required to do so on a regular basis.  If a blocker gets into him, he’ll struggle to get off that block and can get overpowered.  While Barr struggles at times against the run, his experience on offense has allowed him to read routes and make plays.  Barr is still a work in progress and is very raw, but his athleticism and ability to get up the field will be welcomed in Dallas.  2013 Season:  65 Tackles 20.0 TFL 10.0 Sacks 1 PBU; 2012 Season:  2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-Pac 12, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, 83 Tackles 21.5 TFL 13.5 Sacks 5 PBU; 2011 Season:  12 games, 7 starts at FB, 8 car. 25 yds TD, 2 rec. 24 yds TD, 2 tackles on ST; 2010 Season:  12 games, 4 starts at FB, 4 car. 19 yds, 9 rec. 66 yds, 1 Tackle on ST

17. Baltimore Ravens – Haha Clinton-Dix, 6’1”, 208lbs, S, Alabama, Jr.

The Ravens have a few areas of need they could be looking to in the 1st Round of the draft.  Matt Elam is needing a running mate at safety, so if Haha Clinton-Dix or Calvin Pryor were to somehow fall to this point, the Ravens would jump at the chance to take them.  While the team has Dennis Pitta and signed Owen Daniels, a TE like Eric Ebron would sure add a new dynamic to the passing game for QB Joe Flacco.  OT is a definite area of focus in this draft, as Ricky Wagner is slated to start at RT opposite Eugene Monroe.  This could be a reasonable landing point for Zack Martin if he’s available.  However, there is a good possibility all of those players will be off the board by No. 17, so GM Ozzie Newsome would likely go with the best player available.  Could it be a CB like Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller to compete with Jimmy Smith to start opposite Ladarius Webb?  Or would he go with LB C.J. Mosley to provide depth inside despite the fact that Baltimore already has Daryl Smith, Arthur Brown and Josh Bynes inside?  The biggest need for the Ravens is at safety and Newsome is excellent at staying true to his board, while still drafting for need.  Newsome’s patience will pay off and Clinton-Dix should fall to No. 17.  Hasean Clinton-Dix is a versatile free safety who can play in the box and also has rare cover skills for a safety.  Clinton-Dix is able to line up on a WR in the slot and has fluid hips in coverage to turn and run.  He does a good job taking away the inside position from the WR, forcing the QB to throw a perfect pass to the outside to complete a pass.  He has good range and covers a lot of ground deep and does a good job diagnosing plays quickly and tracking the ball in the air.  Clinton-Dix is an aggressive safety, so you can beat him with play action.  Clinton-Dix will also come up in the box and play the run.  He moves well laterally versus the run and will come downfield with a full head of steam, wraps up and drives through the ball carrier.  He does need to work on breaking down to keep the ball in front of him as he’ll be susceptible to cutback lanes.  Elam and Clinton-Dix would be a pretty formidable duo roaming the Ravens’ secondary.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-SEC, 52 Tackles 4 PBU 2 Int.; 2012 Season:  37 Tackles 4 PBU 5 Int.; 2011 Season:  11 Tackles 2 PBU
 

 18. New York Jets – Odell Beckham, Jr., 5’11”, 198lbs, WR, LSU, Jr.

The Jets have made a lot of noise on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, signing QB Michael Vick, RB Chris Johnson and WR Eric Decker.  That’s three high profile free agents that immediately gives the Jets’ offense credibility.  There are two areas offensively that you could see the Jets addressing at No. 18.  Currently, the depth chart lists Jeff Cumberland, Konrad Reuland and Zach Sudfeld on the depth chart, none of whom strike fear in opposing defenses.  Eric Ebron won’t be falling this far and I don’t expect the Jets to go Jace Amaro of Texas Tech this early.  That leaves the WR as the main area of focus at 18.  Decker was brought in, but his effectiveness in Denver was due in part to having a skilled running mate in Demaryius Thomas.  Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley are complementary receivers, but neither is going to be THAT guy.  I think this pick comes down to one of two players:  LSU’s Odell Beckham or Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks.  I really like Cooks, who has the chance of being the next Steve Smith with his speed and playmaking ability, but he’s on the smaller end and struggles with physical play.  Beckham Jr. has the ability to beat press coverage off the line and is a playmaker in the open field with the ball in his hands.  I think the nod ultimately goes to Beckham Jr.  If you watched any game film on LSU, it’ easy to like Beckham, Jr.  He’s a smooth athlete who is a solid route runner because of his suddenness in and out of his breaks.  I’ve been waiting for Beckham, Jr. to put all of his tools together and be a complete WR.  Each year, he’s gotten better and last season Beckham Jr. broke LSU’s single season record for all-purpose yards.  I think this season was the first I saw Beckham Jr. finally play up to the hype that’s been around him since he came to Baton Rouge.  That said, he did not have great games against Florida and Alabama, so Beckham Jr. will need to be more consistent.  What you can expect from Beckham Jr. is the ability to get open with his cuts, track the ball well and then attacking the ball with his hands.  He’s physical at the line to get by the jam at the line, does a great job selling double moves and has the body control and athleticism to make the acrobatic catch.  While Beckham Jr. doesn’t have blazing top end speed, he’s quick and his moves are sudden, which also make him effective in the return game.  I don’t think we’ve seen the best from Odell Beckham Jr. yet, which means the Jets will get to see him at his best.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American AP, 1st Team All-SEC KR, 1st Team All-SEC WR, Paul Hornung Award winner for most versatile player in the country, broke LSU single season record for most AP yards, 59 rec. 1152 yds 19.5 avg 8 TD, 32 KR 845 yds 26.4 avg, 18 PR, 160 yds, 8.9 avg; 2012 Season:  43 rec. 713 yds 16.6 avg 2 TD, 5 KR, 79 yds, 15.8 avg, 35 PR, 320 yds, 9.1 avg, 2 TD; 2011 Season:  SEC-All Freshman Team, 41 rec. 475 yds 11.6 avg 2 TD, 5 KR, 120 yds, 24.0 avg, 9 PR, 77 yds, 8.6 avg.
 

 19. Miami Dolphins – C.J. Mosley, 6’2”, 232lbs, LB, Alabama

The Dolphins know if they want to compete in the AFC East, they’ll have to improve their porous offensive line, which gave up a league-high 58 sacks a season ago.  Signing LT Branden Albert was a great start, but there’s a big hole on the right side.  Miami has to hope that either Zack Martin or Morgan Moses falls to them.  Miami could even address the interior of the line, which has question marks of its own, especially now that Richie Incognito is gone.  Shelley Smith was signed away from the Rams and 2nd year man Dallas Thomas are slated to start, which means an upgrade could be the plan here at No. 19.  UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo is versatile, can play all over the line and is agile for an OG.  He would challenge for a starting spot right away.  However, is the 19th overall pick a bit too early to take a guard in this year’s draft?  Linebacker is another need area.  Phillip Wheeler and Koa Misi will be manning the outside, while Dannell Ellerbe is the man in the middle.  Miami would love to see C.J. Mosley on the board here.  He could man the middle and move Ellerbe outside where he’d be more effective.  Mosley’s stock has taken a bit of a hit given his injury history, but it was said he was given a clean bill of health at the Combine, so the injuries shouldn’t keep Newsome from taking him.  Mosley’s value is in his ability to play the pass.  He has a high football IQ, does an excellent job reading an offense and knows where to be to defend the pass over the middle.  His instincts always seem to put him in position to make a play.  In the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma, Mosley read a screen to the RB and broke on the play before ball got to the RB; he ran laterally to a spot on the field, beating the back and dropping the back for no gain.  He does an excellent job working his way through traffic and has excellent balance to keep his footing despite a cut block on him.  When asked to cover a TE or RB, Mosley shows quick hips to turn and run with his man.  In addition to his cover skills, Mosley times his blitzes well and has a burst to close on the QB.  Mosley is still working on defending the run if he wants to be an every-down player and must also work on his tackling in the open field.  I would expect Mosley to absorb the playbook and take control of the Dolphin defense, becoming an immediate starter and defensive leader.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Butkus Award winner, 1st Team All-SEC, 88 Tackles 9 TFL 5 PBU; 2012 Season:  Consensus 1st Team All-American, Butkus Award Finalist, 1st Team All-SEC, 107 Tackles 8.0 TFL 4.0 Sacks 2 PBU 2 Int.; 2011 Season:  37 Tackles 4.5 TFL 2.0 Sacks 2 PBU 1 Int.; 2010 Season:  Freshman All-American, Freshman All-SEC, 67 Tackles 1.5 TFL 0.5 Sacks 10 PBU 2 Int.

20. Arizona Cardinals – Derek Carr, 6’2”, 214lbs, QB, Fresno State

The Cardinals were one of the surprise teams in 2013, finishing with a 10-6 record, just out of reach of a playoff spot in head coach Bruce Arians’ first year.  Arizona comes into this draft with a definite need to address their pass rush.  John Abraham is 35 and is nearing the end of his career.  Auburn’s Dee Ford would make a nice fit as a 3-4 OLB and has the speed off the edge to get after the QB.  Arians also has to be thinking about his QB of the future, especially considering current starter Carson Palmer is 34 years of age.  Arians could groom Palmer’s replacement for a couple of years, much like Aaron Rodgers was able to do in Green Bay behind Brett Favre, before taking over.  I would not be surprised at all if this is where the first QB comes off the board. So if it is a QB at No. 20, which of the QB’s would the Cards take?  Arians likes a bigger QB that can sit in the pocket, so that effectively rules out Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.  That leaves Blake Bortles and Derek Carr.  I think ultimately it’s Carr’s overall body of work that will win out.  Carr put up phenomenal numbers at Fresno State, breaking all of his brother David’s records. He also became just the 18th player in NCAA history to have 10,000 passing yards and 100 TD in his career.  I think what ultimately gets Carr drafted ahead of the other three is the fact that he is the most NFL ready.  He’s a guy that has played both in the spread under Tim DeRuyter and in a pro-style offense when Pat Hill was coaching the Bulldogs.  He is your prototypical pocket passer with good size, a rocket arm and good footwork in the pocket.  Carr has good mechanics and will square his shoulders to the target, even when on the move, and showcases a very quick release.  He can make all the necessary throws with velocity and is very accurate, finishing his career with a 66.7% completion percentage.  He throws a very accurate deep ball and puts enough air under the pass to allow his WR to run under the pass in stride.  He is able to rifle a back shoulder throw with pinpoint accuracy away from the CB where only the WR can get to the ball.  He can also put the fade pass up the sideline over the WR’s outside shoulder where only his man can make a play.  Carr has a high football IQ and does a good job reading defenses, picks up blitzes well and will make checks at the line.  He has been inconsistent with his pocket presence.  Car has the ability to sidestep a defender or step up in the pocket to avoid the rush, but if a defense does get to him, he’ll start rushing his throws in anticipation of the rush getting to him and will get happy feet in the pocket.  He’s not the most mobile QB, so you’re going to have to give him time to be effective.  A lot of strong-armed QB’s struggle with touch passes and can’t take off the velocity to get it to the WR, but Carr was able to do that on a consistent basis.  He also does a good job with anticipation, releasing the ball before WR’s are out of their breaks.  I think Carr is a perfect fit in Arians’ offense and the Cards won’t have to rush him along.  Palmer is their starter for the next two years, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2015 season.  I think it would be a reasonable expectation to see Derek Carr as the Cardinals’ starting QB by 2016.  2013 Season:  454-659 5083 pass yds 68.9% 50 TD 8 Int.; 2012 Season:  344-511 4104 pass yds 67.3% 37 TD 7 Int.; 2011 Season:  279-446 3544 pass yds 62.6% 26 TD 9 Int.; 2010 Season:  redshirted; 2009 Season:  10-14 112 pass yds 71.4%.
 

 21. Green Bay Packers –Ryan Shazier, 6’1”, 237lbs, OLB, Ohio State, Jr.

In order to figure where the Packers will go with the 21st pick, you’ll have to understand how GM Ted Thompson drafts.  He says he won’t necessarily draft for need, but let’s take a look at the last five 1st round picks.  DE Datone Jones (2013), DE/OLB Nick Perry (2012), OT Derek Sherrod (2011), OT Bryan Bulaga (2010) and OLB Clay Matthews (2009) were all taken because there was a significant need at that position.  Now let’s look at the top needs in this year’s draft.  TE Jermichael Finley is not back, leaving Andrew Quarless as the only player to see significant playing time at the position.  However, with Eric Ebron off the board here, I wouldn’t expect Thompson to use a 1st Round pick on Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas or Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro, all of whom will likely come off the board in Round 2.  There is a huge hole at free safety.  If the Pack stays put, they’ll probably miss out on the top two FS’s in this year’s draft – Haha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor.  If they’re off the board when the Packers draft, I’d expect Thompson to steer clear of the position, possibly identifying Florida State’s Terrence Brooks on Day 2.  A.J. Hawk is the starter at one ILB, but an upgrade is needed over Brad Jones at the other inside spot.  The Packers miss out on C.J. Mosely, but Ryan Shazier is a nice consolation prize.  Ryan Shazier reminds me a lot of Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David, an undersized OLB who would wreak havoc as a WILL backer with his blazing speed.  Shazier was widely considered a late first or early second round pick.  So what has caused Shazier’s stock to rise?  First, he bulked up from 228 pounds during the season to 237 pounds at the Combine, which allows him to play either on the outside or in the middle of a defense.  Then, he ran an unofficial 4.36 40 time at his pro day, which is faster than even Sammy Watkins, who ran a 4.42 at the Combine.  Shazier’s explosiveness was also evident by his 42-inch vertical leap and 10-foot 10-inch broad jump at the Combine.  Shazier is an instinctive linebacker who diagnoses plays quickly and is decisive in his movement to the ball, displaying little wasted movement en route to the ball carrier.  He has excellent range, covering the field sideline to sideline.  Shazier has a nose for the ball, having registered 208 solo tackles in his three-year career with the Buckeyes.  Once he gets to the ball, he throws his body around with reckless abandon.  He’s very active around the line of scrimmage and has a knack for beating blocks with his speed to get into the backfield.  Once he penetrates the line of scrimmage, Shazier can break down and wrap up the ball carrier in the open field.  His 44.5 career tackles for loss is proof he’s disruptive behind the line.  If there’s a knock on Shazier, it’s that he’s not a polished defender in coverage, which means he’d only be in on 3rd downs to rush the QB until he develops his cover skills.  I think Shazier is one of the most underrated players in this year’s draft and is flying under the radar.  However, he’s a playmaker behind the line of scrimmage, which is something Green Bay is desperate to have.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Butkus Award finalist, Bednarik and Lott Award semifinalist, 1st Team All-Big 10, 134 tackles, 22.5 TFL, 6.0 Sacks, 4 PBU; 2012 Season:  All-American, 1st Team All-Big 10, 115 tackles, 178.0 TFL, 5.0 Sacks, 11 PBU, 1 Int.; 2011 Season:  57 Tackles, 5.0 TFL,

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Brandin Cooks, 5’10”, 180lbs, WR, Oregon State, Jr.

The Eagles are eager to put an offseason behind them that saw the unceremonious release of WR Desean Jackson.  How could a team release a Pro Bowl WR in the prime of his career coming off a career season in 2013?  Regardless of the reason, Jackson is now a Washington Redskin, which creates a hole at the WR position.  I think this pick will come down to a couple of Pac 12 WR’s with whom head coach Chip Kelly is very familiar.  USC’s Marqise Lee caught 12 passes for 157 yards and 2 TD in 2012 against Kelly’s Ducks.  Lee was a nightmare to cover and ran away from defenders all night.  On the other hand, Kelly became intimately familiar with Oregon’s State’s Brandin Cooks, having seen him up close in the Civil War game between the Ducks and Beavers.  Not only is Cooks’ frame reminiscent of Jackson, but also his explosive play on the field.  Cooks has an incredible burst off the line and can get vertical in a hurry, where he can showcase his 4.3 speed.  Cooks is also a very precise route runner and is quick in and out of his cuts.  He’s very sudden, sets up his man well on double moves and can easily create separation.  He’ll attack the middle of the field and is a weapon on the outside.  Cooks also has great coordination and body control to adjust to the ball in the air.  Cooks will attack the ball and plucks it out of the air with his hands away from his body.  Cooks isn’t the biggest WR and can struggle at times with more physical CB’s, but he added 10 pounds of muscle prior to the 2013 season to fight through press coverage.  Cooks is very exciting once he’s in the open field, showing a knack for making the first man miss and eluding defenders to turn a short pass into a long gain.  Cooks seems like a natural fit in Kelly’s offense.  2013 Season:  Consensus 1st Team All-American, Biletnikoff Award winner, 1st Team All-Pac 12, broke Pac 12 single season record for receptions and yards, 128 rec. 1730 yds 13.5 avg 16 TD; 2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-Pac 12, 67 rec. 1151 yds 17.2 avg 5 TD; 2011 Season:  31 rec. 391 yds 12.6 avg 3 TD.
 

 23. Kansas City Chiefs – Marqise Lee, 6’0”, 192lbs, WR, USC, Jr.

The Chiefs lacked a playmaker all season long to play opposite Dwayne Bowe.  In fact, RB Jamaal Charles was the leading receiver in KC and the departed Dexter McCluster was the 3rd leading receiver after Bowe.  In a draft loaded with explosive WR’s, Andy Reid has to find weapons for QB Alex Smith that would also take some of the pressure off Bowe.  In 2012, there wasn’t a more dynamic WR in college football than Marqise Lee.  He caught 118 passes for 1721 yards and 14 TD, which lead to Lee winning the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore.  In 2013, Lee was plagued by nagging leg injuries throughout the season, limiting his effectiveness on the field.  The Chiefs have to be confident the injuries are behind him and they are getting the explosive athlete in 2012.  Lee only ran a 4.52 40 at the Combine, but he plays faster than he’s timed because of his suddenness and quick acceleration.  Lee quickly beats a CB trying to jam him at the line and makes quick cuts to create separation.  He does a good job sing his body to shield defenders from the ball when going over the middle or up the sideline.  Lee was tremendously effective running slants and drags across the field, where he could catch the pass on the move and then accelerate away from the defender and get up the field in a hurry.  Lee can adjust to poorly thrown balls and has good body control to elevate and highpoint a pass along the sideline, then keep his feet inbounds.  He plucks the ball out of the air with his hands, but did have a case of the drops at USC, often dropping easy passes due to a lack of concentration.  Lee is electric with the ball in his hands, turning a short pass into a long gain by making the first man miss, then accelerating away from defenders.  If Lee can stay healthy, he’d be a nice complement to Bowe.  2013 Season:  57 rec. 791 yds, 13.9 avg, 4 TD; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-American, Biletnikoff Award winner, 4th in Heisman voting, Sophomore All-American Player of the Year, WR of the Year, Pac 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Pac 12, set USC single game receiving record with 345 yards vs. Arizona, 118 rec. 1721 yds 14.6 avg 14 TD, 30 KOR 856 yds 28.5 avg 1 TD; 2011 Season:  1st Team Freshman All-American, Pac 12 Freshman Co-Offensive Player of the Year, 2nd Team All-Pac 12, 73 rec. 1143 yds 15.7 avg 11 TD, 10 KOR 285 yds 28.5 avg 1 TD

24. Cincinnati Bengals – Kony Ealy, 6’4”, 273lbs, DE, Missouri

Cincinnati boasted the No. 3 defense and the No. 10 offense in the league a season ago, so you wouldn’t expect too many glaring needs.  I think this pick will ultimately come down to finding a DE to replace the departed Michael Johnson or a CB to give the secondary some youth, especially since Terrence Newman and Adam Jones will be over 30 years of age when the season starts.  Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller and Ohio State’s Bradley Roby are definite possibilities at CB.  That would give the Bengals three 1st Round CB’s in the last eight years (Leon Hall, 2007; Dre Kirkpatrick 2012).  If Cincy goes DE, Auburn’s Dee Ford would garner serious consideration.  The undersized DE is explosive off the edge and gets to the QB in a hurry.  But can he be an every-down 4-3 DE?  I think this pick ultimately comes down to value and depth at the position.  CB clearly has more depth at the top of the draft.  Ealy is a DE with an array of pass rush moves and can get to the QB both on the outside and the inside.  Ealy showed off his ability to dip his inside shoulder and bend to get around the edge to beat the OT.  For those questioning his quickness, Ealy had the fastest three-cone time of all D-linemen at the Combine, even faster than Jadeveon Clowney.  He uses his hands well to slap the OT away to create separation and will use swim and rip moves to get by his man.  As quick as he can be to the outside, he also has the spin move inside back to the QB stepping up in the pocket.  What makes Ealy such an intriguing prospect is his versatility.  While he can rush the passer on the outside, Ealy was just as effective sliding inside to DT.  He used his speed off the ball to beat interior linemen and then showed the quick burst needed to get to the QB.  Even when Ealy couldn’t get to the QB, he has great instincts to utilize his length and leap in the passing lane to knock balls down, having batted down a total of 13 passes in his career.  The knock on Ealy is his ineffectiveness against the run.  Ealy will tend to get too high on run plays, which will cause him to get blown off the ball.  However, Ealy would clearly address an area that needs depth, which would allow the Bengals to address CB in the 2nd Round.  2013 Season:  All-SEC, 43 Tackles, 14.5 TFL, 9.5 Sacks; 2012 Season:  37 Tackles, 10.0 TFL, 3.5 Sacks; 2011 Season:  13 Tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 Sacks.
 

25. San Diego Chargers – Jason Verrett, 5’9”, 189lbs, CB, TCU

The Chargers finished the 2013 season with the 29th-ranked pass defense and recorded only 11 interceptions, meaning the focus has to be on improving the secondary in this year’s draft.  Of the CB’s currently on the roster, only Shareece Wright hauled in an Int.  I expect San Diego to select the best CB available, which in this case would be Verrett, a high character player with a high football IQ and plays bigger than his 5’9” frame.  He’s a ballhawk, having registered 34 pass breakups and 9 Int. in his three years with the Horned Frogs.  Verrett stays low in his backpedal and has very smooth hips to turn and run quickly.  He has a knack for putting himself in position to make a play, usually on the hip of the WR.  He’ll read the QB and the route and will undercut the route to get his hand in on the ball.  Verrett anticipates throws well and has excellent timing and closing speed to bait QB’s into making throws in front of him.  He’s very aggressive and likes to attack the ball in the air, but will tend to get called for holding or pass interference because he will get overly aggressive.  He may be slight in frame, but he will come downhill and be physical in run support.  Verrett is a playmaker and will challenge QB’s and WR’s for the football.  You have to be sure your throw is on the money if you expect to fit the ball in to your WR when Verrett is on him.  Turn on TCU’s game against LSU and you’d be impressed with the blanket coverage he displayed to shut down Odell Beckham, Jr., holding him to just two catches for 22 yards when the two went head to head.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, Big XII Co-Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All-Big XII, 39 Tackles, 14 PBU, 2 Int.; 2012 Season:  All-American, 1st Team All-Big XII 63 Tackles, 16 PBU, 6 Int.; 2011 Season:  Honorable Mention All-MWC, 58 Tackles, 4 PBU, 1 Int.

26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis) – Johnny Manziel, 5’11 ¾”, 207lbs, QB, Texas A&M, RS Soph.

It’s a pretty safe bet the Cleveland Browns will use one of their two 1st Round picks on a QB.  While there’s a ton of speculation that Johnny Manziel will go in the top 10 picks because of the excitement he brings to the field, I believe the question marks surrounding his game and durability concerns will cause Johnny Football to slide to the No. 26 overall pick.  There is speculation that Manziel could end up with Jacksonville, Oakland or even Houston, but Manziel’s game is a perfect fit in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s offense.  Shanahan would be able to run play actions and move the pocket to take advantage of Manziel’s athleticism in space and create throwing lanes for a guy no taller than 6’0”.  There is little doubt Johnny Football is a playmaker.  The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s improvisation skills when a play breaks down are second to none and something the league has not seen since the great Brett Favre.  He’s elusive in the pocket, ducking under defenders, spinning away from others and outrunning the rest to make a play.  He can think on his feet, which was evident in his Wonderlic score of 32 that was highest among QB’s in this year’s draft.  Johnny Football freelances outside the pocket and will find any way to complete a pass down the field, changing arm angles and getting the ball out by any means necessary.  Manziel also improved his passing from within the pocket as a sophomore.  He is able to drop back, step up when he feels the rush and hit an open WR on time.  Manziel has better than average arm strength, so he’s able to throw the fade up the sideline, the deep out from the opposite hash and can rocket a pass into a tight window.  Manziel will show good anticipation, throwing his man open.  He’s exciting and would make Cleveland, a team searching for an identity, relevant again.    However, Manziel struggles to play within a system.  You have to question whether his street ball mentality will translate to the next level.  Rather than take what the defense gives him, he’ll miss reads and instead tuck the ball and run when facing pressure, completing just 59.6% of his passes against the blitz and just 44.0% when under duress.  Granted, Manziel can tuck the ball and beat you with his legs as well as his arm, his accuracy drops quite a bit.  Manziel also struggles with accuracy when pushing the ball down the field.  He has the arm strength to get the ball down the field using a variety of arm angles, but his accuracy is something to be desired.  Often it as Mike Evans that would bail out his QB, winning the jump ball over the CB when Manziel just threw the ball up for grabs as he was avoiding the rush.  That type of play is dangerous at the next level.  Manziel is also on the small side for a QB.  Will he be able to take the pounding of an entire NFL season, especially given the fact he plays with reckless abandon?  Manziel will also have to eliminate the distractions.  His off-field distractions were well documented.  His Pro Day was called “a side show” by Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer.  He had hip hop music playing, the former president is at the workout and he comes out in a helmet and pads.  There’s no doubt he has the swagger and showed he can be successful on the field despite the distractions, but how willing will a team be to deal with that?  There’s no question Johnny Manziel has the “It” factor.  Just put in game tape of the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Duke.  The Aggies were down 38-17 at the half and Manziel, the fiery competitor he is, got in his teammates’ faces.  He refused to lose, putting his team on his back and willing A&M to a 52-48 comeback victory over the Blue Devils.  During that game, he leaped over the DL up the middle with the pocket collapsing to keep the play alive then rolled to the left and hit WR Travis Labhart for a 35-yard TD.  He hit Evans and Labhart on back shoulder throws as the WR was tracking inside, getting the ball outside away from the CB to allow the WR to get around to haul in the pass, taking some velocity off the pass in the process.  Manziel showed off his arm strength by throwing from the left hash to the right sideline to WR Malcome Kennedy on a corner, then hit WR Derel Walker for a 45-yard TD, putting enough air under the ball to allow Walker to run under the pass which was put perfectly over his outside shoulders for the go-ahead score.  In one game, Manziel showed off everything he brings to the table as a passer, his competitive nature, his leadership and desire to do whatever it takes to win.  Can Manziel’s game translate to the next level or will his gunslinger mentality get eaten alive by NFL defenses?  Can he keep eluding defenders and make plays when he’s forced from the pocket or will he take a beating?  We will soon find out.  At least Manziel has a couple of Pro-Bowl playmakers, WR Josh Gordon and TE Jordan Cameron, to throw to.  I think Manziel’s success will come down to how willing he will be to play within a system and whether he can properly read defenses and take what the defense gives him.  2013 Season:  300-429 4114 pass yds 69.9% 37 TD 13 Int., 144 car. 759 yds 5.3 avg 9 TD; 2012 Season:  Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien and Manning Award winner, Consensus 1st Team All-American,  Freshman All-American, SEC Player of the Year, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, 1st Team All-SEC, 295-434 3706 pass yds 68.0% 26 TD 9 Int., 201 car. 1401 yds 7.0 avg 21 TD.

27. New Orleans Saints – Marcus Martin, 6’3”, 320lbs, C, USC, Jr.

The Saints’ biggest need areas heading into this draft are at WR and CB.  Marques Colston was the team’s third leading receiver behind TE Jimmy Graham and RB Pierre Thomas.  Kenny Stills had the second-highest reception total for a WR with just 32 and Robert Meachem only had 16 catches the whole season.  Another playmaker at the WR is definitely needed.  If Marqise Lee or Brandin Cooks falls in their laps, I think the Saints go WR.  Fresno State’s Davante Adams could be in play here, but I’d expect the Saints to go with the best available CB, someone who will play behind future Hall of Famer Champ Bailey and could step in as a starter early in his career.  However, with Jason Verrett off the board, I don’t see the Saints opting for Bradley Roby.  While Roby has the size and ability to make plays, he also was burned quite a bit a season ago and has some character issues.  You can never have enough pass rushers, especially in Rob Ryan’s defense.  The Saints defense surprised a lot of people with 49.0 sacks a season ago, but nearly half of which were recorded by two players:  DE Cameron Jordan and OLB Junior Galette.  While Galette can get after the QB, Parys Haralson and Victor Butler are coming off injuries, so Auburn’s Dee Ford would make a lot of sense.  I think the Saints could throw a curveball here and take a center in the 1st Round for the first time in the organization’s history.  Brian De La Puente left for Chicago via free agency, leaving last year’s undrafted free agent Tim Leltio as the Week One starter.  Plus, the NFL extended Marcus Martin a late draft invitation, so you have to wonder if the league knows something already.  Protecting Drew Brees should always be a top priority and the chance to get arguably the top center in this draft would be too good to pass up.  Martin was a three-year starter at USC, the first two at OG before moving to center.  Martin is quick off the ball and is effective on the move.  He’s also agile enough to pull and get to the second level.  Martin can anchor against bull rushers up the middle.  He knows how to finish and has some nastiness to him.  Martin would get beaten when he bends at the waist, which causes him to overextend.  That caused him to struggle with speed up the middle.  He also dislocated his left kneecap and suffered a high ankle sprain against UCLA, so he’ll have to prove he’s fully recovered.  However, Martin is an athletic center prospect who is still developing and should see his best days ahead of him.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-Pac 12, 13 starts at C; 2012 Season:  10 starts at LG; 2011 Season:  10 starts at LG.

28. Carolina Panthers – Jordan Matthews, 6’3”, 212lbs, WR, Vanderbilt

Steve Smith may have been the high profile WR to leave Carolina this offseason, but the Panthers also saw Brandon Lafell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon leave via free agency.  When you lose your top four WR’s from a season ago, you can expect the Panthers to make WR a priority this offseason.  Carolina has already signed Jason Avant and Jerricho Cotchery, but they are lacking a playmaker on the outside.  If Carolina goes anywhere else with this pick, it will be to find an OT to replace Jordan Gross, who retired at age 33.  Joel Bitonio has been rising up draft boards ever since his athletic display at the Combine.  However, I think Bitonio is still a bit of a reach this high.  The Panthers brought Vandy’s Jordan Matthews in for a pre-draft workout, so you know there’s interest.  Matthews is the SEC’s all-time leader in receiving yards has good size and can be not only a vertical threat for Cam Newton, but is also willing to work the sidelines and go over the middle.  Despite his size, Matthews is quick in and out of his cuts and knows how to get open.  He also has deceptive speed to be a threat down the field.  Matthews uses his big body to box out his man and will pluck the ball out of the air with his big 10 3/8” hands.  Matthews also has excellent bloodlines as his cousin is “The G.O.A.T.” Jerry Rice.  He was consistent, reliable, a four-year starter for the Commodores and was a team captain.  Matthews seems like a natural fit to develop into Newton’s favorite target on the outside and in the red zone.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC, Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist, 112 rec. 1477 yds 13.2 avg 7 TD; 2012 Season: 3rd Team All-American, 1st Team All-SEC, 94 rec. 1323 yds 14.1 avg 8 TD; 2011 Season:  41 rec. 778 yds 19.0 avg 5 TD; 2010 Season:  15 rec. 181 yds 12.1 avg 4 TD.

29. New England Patriots – Ra’Shede Hageman, 6’6”, 310lbs, DE/DT, Minnesota

The Patriots have shifted their defensive scheme to more of a 4-3 than a 3-4 scheme, so DT should be a priority in this year’s draft.  Hageman wreaked havoc for the Golden Gophers as a three-technique, showing a combination of quickness and power that allowed him to penetrate the line of scrimmage.  Hageman has a quick first step up the field, which allows him to get into the interior lineman quickly.  He also shows power at the point of attack with an ability to force his man back into the backfield before disengaging and pursuing the ball.  He has long arms that he uses to generate power to drive his man into the pocket.  Hageman has the physical tools to line up anywhere the Pats need him to in their versatile defense.  He offers some scheme versatility and can play inside and out.  If New England lines up in a 4-3 scheme, Hageman is a three-technique; if the scheme is a 3-4, expect Hageman to transition well to a five-technique.  Hageman uses his hands well to slap a lineman’s hands down, then rips up to get off blocks or split double teams.  He can get skinny when needed to shoot the gap to get to the RB.  When he couldn’t get to the QB, Hageman took advantage of his length, knocking down 8 passes a season ago.  Hageman was an Under Armour All-American TE in high school, so he’s still developing at the DT position, which is why he struggles to read and react at times.  Hageman also played in a rotation at Minnesota, so there will be questions about his conditioning.  However, there’s no question that when he’s on the field, Hageman can provide an impact up front, which is what New England needs.  2013 Season:  3rd Team All-American, 1st Team All-Big 10, team MVP, 38 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 2.0 Sacks; 2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-Big 10, 35 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 6.0 Sacks; 2011 Season:  13 Tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.0 Sacks; 2010 Season:  5 Tackles.

30. San Francisco 49ers – Dee Ford, 6’2”, 252lbs, DE, Auburn

San Francisco has a need at WR, where depth is a concern behind starters Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin.  While Davante Adams or Penn State’s Allen Robinson would garner consideration, I think the depth at the depth at WR in this year’s draft will allow the Niners to look elsewhere.  The 49ers need to replace Jonathan Goodwin at center and Daniel Kilgore, who just received a three-year extension, will get the first shot to fill the void.  If San Fran isn’t sold, Marcus Martin could be their guy if he’s still on the board.  Despite Aldon Smith’s well-documented off-field issues, the 49ers picked up his option for 2015.  That said, I could still see the Niners taking someone like Dee Ford if he were to fall here.  Ford was an undersized 4-3 DE for the Tigers who used his quickness off the ball and straight-line speed to get to the QB in a hurry.  I think he has the makeup to transition well to a 3-4 rush outside linebacker and would be perfect in the Niners’ defense.  Ford does a great job anticipating the snap count, has a great burst off the line of scrimmage and is relentless in his pursuit of the football.  He utilizes his speed off the edge to beat OT, but doesn’t possess sufficient strength to overpower OT’s or get of blocks quickly.  That’s why I think he’d be better served to play in space, where he can take advantage of his speed.  He is a high motor guy that doesn’t stop attacking the ball.  He’s able to set the edge versus the run and has the lateral quickness to keep contain on outside runs.  Ford was able to drop into coverage for the Tigers, which will be a benefit playing OLB in the 49ers’ 3-4 defense.  Ahmad Brooks is a solid starter at one OLB spot, but you never know what might happen to Smith, so you’re going to need a contingency plan.  Dee Ford could be that guy.  2013 Season:  2nd Team All-SEC, 26 Tackles, 12.5 TFL, 8.5 Sacks; 2012 Season:  34 Tackles, 6.5 TFL, 6.0 Sacks; 2011 Season:  7 Tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 Sacks; 2010 Season:  11 Tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2.0 Sacks; 2009 Season:  12 Tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 Sacks.

31. Denver Broncos – Xavier Su’a-Filo, 6’4”, 307lbs, OG, UCLA, Jr.

The AFC Champions have been busy this offseason trying to fill need areas to make another Super Bowl run in 2014.  The Broncos have addressed their pass rush, bringing in All-Pro DeMarcus Ware; T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib were brought in to shore up the secondary; and WR Emmanuel Sanders was brought in for depth at WR to fill the void created by the departed Eric Decker.  That leaves MLB and OG as the key need areas that must be addressed.  Denver needs a playmaker in the middle, so they’re hoping C.J. Mosley or Ryan Shazier would fall to them.  Mosley has experience playing inside and is excellent versus the pass while Shazier is instinctive and has explosive speed on the outside, but bulked up which could mean a move inside is in his future.  However, if they are both off the board, Denver will likely look to upgrade the interior of the line, especially after Zane Beadles left via free agency and Chris Kuper retired.  Su’a-Filo played all over the line for the UCLA Bruins.  As a sophomore, Su’a-Filo was named 1st Team All-Pac 12 as a LG; then in 2013, he was named 1st Team All-Pac 12 at LT as a junior.  His natural fit at the next level is inside at OG.  He’s a natural knee bender with good agility to get out of his stance quickly.  He has the lateral quickness to slide and mirror defenders and the power to anchor against a bull rush.  However, he’s a bit stiff and slow to react on the outside, which allowed defenders to cross his face and beat him inside.  Su’a-Filo is at his best in the run game pulling and locating defenders on the move.  He’s also good at sealing the inside for the back, then climbing to the second level to get another block downfield.  He’s not the sexy pick, but Su’a-Filo addresses a huge need for the Broncos up front.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-Pac 12 at LT, Morris Trophy Winner for most outstanding offensive lineman, started all 13 games at LT; 2012 Season:  1st Team All-Pac 12 at LG, started all 14 games at LG; 2010-2011 Seasons:  On Mormon Mission; 2009 Season:  Freshman All-Pac 10, started 13 games at LT.

32. Seattle Seahawks – Joel Bitonio, 6’4”, 302lbs, OT/OG, Nevada

The Super Bowl Champs come into the offseason having been hit by free agency.  There’s a lack of depth along the defensive line, a need at RT, cornerback and at WR.  Pete Carroll’s draft strategy has been rather unpredictable and will look to find who fits best into their system.  While CB Bradley Roby is available, bigger, physical corner like Utah’s Keith McGill or Nebraska’s Stanley Jean-Baptiste would be a better fit.  While WR Golden Tate left in free agency, QB Russell Wilson still has weapons at wideout in Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Sidney Rice.  They have lacked a big, physical presence in the passing game and even though Zach Miller and Anthony McCoy are receiving options at TE, Carroll could look to use this pick on Austin Seferian-Jenkins of Washington, Troy Niklas of Notre Dame or Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro to be a downfield threat in the passing game and be a physical blocker for RB Marshawn Lynch and the ground game.  Notre Dame DT’s Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III are both attractive options to provide immediate depth up front defensively.  However, maybe the best value at this pick could be a RT as Seattle must keep Wilson healthy if they want to return to the Super Bowl.  Breno Giacomini left for the Jets, so an OT like Nevada’s Joel Bitonio makes a lot of sense.  Bitonio was a prospect flying under the radar and was expected to go off the board in the middle rounds.  Then he shined at the Combine, running a 4.97 40 time and showed good athleticism and lateral movement, which vaulted him into the 1st Round discussion.  Bitonio is a nasty run blocker who packs a good punch at the point of attack and has excellent leg drive to take his man down the field.  He plays with a mean streak and knows how to finish blocks.  Bitonio showed quick feet and good lateral quickness, especially against UCLA, where he dominated Anthony Barr.  The quick feet were also on display at the Combine, where he excelled in virtually every drill.  Bitonio is a fast riser and someone Carroll could definitely plug in at RT.  2013 Season:  1st Team All-MWC; 2012 Season:  Honorable Mention All-MWC; 2011 Season:  Played in 13 games, starting 12; 2010 Season:  Played in 14 games; 2009 Season: