2014 Boards Mock Draft

With the first pick of the AF Forum Mock Draft 2014 the Houston Texans select







Blake Bortles, Quarterback, University of Central Florida





Quarterback hungry Houston had a real dilemma here. Do they take the best player in draft (imho) Clowney and pair him with Watt or go get their Franchise QB of the future? Yes they've traded for Ryan Fitzpatrick after jettisoning Schaub to the Raiders but Fitzpatrick (and Keenum) is/are at best a safeish pair of hands should Bortles not be ready day 1. Bill O'Brien will love Bortles, he’s got the kind of prototypical size and athleticism that everybody covets and while maybe not as Pro ready as the likes of Bridgewater, the upside is phenomenal. Having said all the above a trade is also an option here to a team desperate for Clowney.


Innish_Rebel is on the clock for the St Louis Rams.

With the 3rd pick in the 2014 Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars pick Jadeveon Clowney.



Offense starts with Defense, Defense win Championships, and with that in mind, we are picking an excellent prospect in Clowney.

On the national level, the legend of Jadeveon Clowney was born in a split second, on New Year's Day 2013, against Michigan in the Outback Bowl. Clowney knifed through the line and obliterated running back Vincent Smith as he took the handoff, simultaneously separating Smith's helmet from his head and the ball from his hands. The underappreciated conclusion of the play: Clowney recovered the fumble. Video of "The Hit" has been viewed millions upon millions of times. Clowney still hears about it "everywhere" he goes. "A lot of the people at the game said they didn't see it, but they heard it," he said. Of the continuing reaction, Clowney smiles and shakes his head, "It's crazy."

TO : you are on the clock

With the 7th pick of the 2014 NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select:

Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson



I was tempted to go with Jake Matthews to replace Donald Penn. However, with Mike Williams gone they need someone opposite Vincent Jackson. It will give Glennon another receiver, giving the Bucs the opportunity to see if he is their guy. If not then they should have two quality receivers for whoever they select to be their quarterback. Watkins is an extremely explosive receiver who should enjoy time to settle in, being paired with Jackson. The two would work well together I feel.

With the 9th pick of the 2014 Draft the Buffalo Bills select...





Jake Matthews, Tackle, Texas A&M



Like a few of the teams above, the Bills are in need of offensive weapons. Given the depth of the draft at reciver, however, I've decided to shore up the offensive line first. Matthews is athletic, has good technique, and is equally adept at pass blocking and run blocking. Easy pick here.

Next on the clock is blured with the Lions

Justin Gilbert would have been the pick here had the lions not picked him up. With the best CB on the board gone the Titans decide to take the best remaining pass-rusher. Even though the the titans have addressed this position in the off season with the signing of Shaun Philips but the fact that he's 32 adding in some youth at the position is a must. the Titans are expected to transition to a 3-4 defense under Ray Horton which would call for more pass rushers. While Barr is not as polished as the likes of Clowney and Mack, his tremendous blend of size (6-5, 255), speed (4.44) give him a sky high ceiling. The Weaknesses in Barr's game would be his run defending and he would be tested in coverage, but i think the titans could use him purely as a pass rusher and still get great value from the pick

next up is malistheman with the Giants

Innis Rebel did exactly what I would have done at #2 and took an offensive tackle (though I would have gone with Matthews instead of Robinson). That meant that there were three main needs for the Rams with this pick. Safety, cornerback and wide receiver. If Evans is here I would have pulled the trigger on him, but I think in the absence of Evans the best option was to focus on the secondary. With Gilbert and Dennard off the board, the cornerback options are weakened so I've chosen to take the best safety in the draft and significantly boost the Rams secondary. In all honesty it's probably the one position of greatest need for this team.

Clinton-Dix is a rangy, athletic safety with a tendency to make explosive plays. He has great closing speed, makes plays on the ball as well as a wide receiver and hits very hard. It's not all good, he's often too aggressive and gets sucked in by play action so needs to learn when to be aggressive and when not to, but I feel he has the potential to reach Earl Thomas like levels of performance in the future if he continues to develop. Ultimately, he's a great fit for the Rams who will be playing a lot of press man coverage this season.

With their first pick of the 2014 draft the Pittsburgh Steelers select


Eric Ebron TE

With the Steelers having many defensive needs but with the two nailed on first round CBs gone I had to look at best player available. This was a toss up for Nix III and Ebron. Nix has some injury concerns but would have fit in well. Ebron has good yards after the catch and will be Millers long term replacement. comparisons to San Fransicos Davies did no harm and there is plenty of upsides to this TE/slot catcher. Plenty of CBs and WRs in this draft os the Steelers can pick them up later.

WITH THE 17th SELECTION IN THE 2014 NFL DRAFT THE BALTIMORE RAVENS

CJ MOSLEY LB UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

A tough decision between going for Zack Martin OT and Mosley, yes the ravens do need help on there offensive line. But martins lack of speed could see him being groomed for a guard position as opposed to tackle.


Positives

Pairs athletic upside with developed technique.
Light feet in space with impressive change-of-direction ability.
Accelerates to close with significant burst.
Fluids hips to turn and run with recovery speed to play man coverage up the seam.
Instinctive ability to sink underneath intermediate routes and into passing lanes.
Lets the eyes of the quarterback take him to plays in underneath zone coverage.
Satisfactory length to play the ball in the air.
Disciplined working laterally with sudden feet to react and fit the run quickly.
Picks his way through traffic in the box staying light on his feet and using his hands.
Maneuvers around blocks with fine flexibility and balance.
Pursues to the perimeter from inside out, disciplined to not overrun.
Adequate long speed to make plays at the sidelines.
No qualms about coming forward to meet a fullback head-on.
Technical tackler who sinks and drives his hips through ball-carriers while wrapping.
Will deliver a big hit to a ball-carrier or receiver who leaves himself exposed.
High-motor pursuer of the ball who gets home at a high rate.
Model of consistency, the same player week in and week out.


Negatives

Lean frame from top to bottom.
Read-and-react skills are merely average.
Can freeze up reading his keys and hesitate on occasion.
Uses his hands extensively in coverage, will take adjusting to NFL rules.
Doesn’t always play with head on a swivel in zone coverage and can be slow to pick up routes.
Imprecise blitzer, doesn’t find space instinctively.
Lack of power limits effectiveness as a blitzer.
Stone hands when trying to intercept, track record of dropped interceptions.
Doesn’t assert himself with power against blockers, is usually overmatched physically.
Little power comes from his upper body despite skilled usage of his hands.
Extensive injury history.

A lot of his negatives can be offset, by good coaching and veteran guidance.

His lack of of blitzing ability shouldn't be apparent as the ravens have enough adept rushers.


In exile your up

With the 19th Pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins Select:

Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame


The Dolphins re-signed Randy Starks and signed DT Earl Mitchell so the Dolphins are expected to draft help a weak offensive line.
While the Dolphins signed both Branden Albert and Shelley Smith to help bolster the offensive line, the right side is still a concern.

Martin is expected to be able to play both tackle or guard at an NFL level. His was impressive in the combine Strong in pass protection (Tannehill sacked 58 times last season) He doesn't have the longest arms but is versatile and has good technique.

I avoided taking Lewan even though I know the Dolphins owner likes him. For me, Martin is more reliable and doesn't have discipline problems. There is strong depth in the Offensive line in this years draft and I just about resisted the urge to take the guard Xavier Su’a-Filo(I'd consider trading down and taking him and a tackle with the next pick)

Heffo001 and Arizona Cardinals are now on the clock.

As an Irish fan I'm going to miss this havoc wreaking DT a lot, I'd have liked him to say for longer. Nix is a beast who could become a huge star at this level. Nix is a very intelligent football player and thats what sets him apart for me amongst DT's in this draft. He has great power and he can bull rush to an elite level. He also gets his hands up in the air when he is not getting to the QB. He is always trying to be disruptive and never gives up on the play and he is deceptively fast for a DT. he has been double-teamed quite a lot over the past few years with good reason.

With the 27th pick of the 2014 NFL draft the New Orleans Saints select…



Missouri DE/OLB Kony Ealy.


A huge splash in the defensive backs in free agency suggests the Saints, like the Broncos and Patriots, will go all out in the final years of their HOF quarterback’s tenure. Having already turned around one of the worst defences in league history Rob Ryan is, I feel, one top pass rusher from an elite defence- a truly remarkable turnaround.

To fill that breach comes Ealy, a slightly raw prospect with a very high ceiling. Astute in reading plays, great length and effective in shooting gaps Ealy has been compared to Justin Tuck and while he is a way from fulfilling his potential I see a great project for one of the game’s most innovative coaches in Ryan.


2013 Stats: 43 Tackles 9.5 Sacks 14.5 TFL


On the clock is Silver Tiger with the Carolina Panthers' selection.

With the 29th pick in the 2014 draft the New England Patriots select...


Stehon Tuitt, DE/DT, Notre Dame


The Patriots biggest needs during Free Agency appeared to be DT, DE & TE. During the free agency period, despite Vince Wilfork originally stating he wanted away, he evetually signed a new long term contract. Additionally looking at the Pats roster there seems to have a lot of depth at DT with the likes of Siliga and Vellano.

At TE, unfortunately Rob Gronkowski has gotten injured during the last few years & can't really be depended on, but I just don't see the value of TE at this spot.

That leaves DE, where beside Chandler Jones & Rob Ninkovich, there isn't much talent around, which is why I have picked Tuitt. Jones & Nincovich can't be expected to play 90% of the snaps each game & thats where Tuitt comes in. He is deceptively quick for his size managing to score a 77 yard fumble return TD 2 years ago. He's has developed skillful, effective finesse moves as a pass-rusher and appears to have a very high ceiling.
Can also play DT, if another injury plagued diasater happens on the most of the defensive line again like last year for the Pats.

Adrian522 is on the clock.