2014 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. Major changes in all 3 rounds.
Next update: Next week. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2014 NFL Mock Draft is based on my NFL Power Rankings.

NFL Draft Recent Links:

2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/16): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/15) /April Fools Mock (3/31)
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/23)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)

ARCHIVED 2014 NFL MOCK DRAFT

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Houston Texans: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
I wrote this in my NFL Power Rankings a couple of weeks ago regarding the No. 1 pick: Mel Kiper appeared on Sunday NFL Countdown and said that the No. 1 overall pick will come down to three players: Jadeveon Clowney, Anthony Barr and Jake Matthews. If the 2014 NFL Draft were held today, Clowney would probably be the pick. But this reminds me of the 2011 NFL Draft. Both Kiper and Todd McShay thought a defensive lineman would be the top choice (Kiper said Nick Fairley, while McShay suggested Da’Quan Bowers), yet the Panthers ultimately fell in love with Cam Newton.

The same thing will probably happen to the Texans unless they sign/trade for Jay Cutler. Houston will have five months to become smitten with Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Brett Hundley or Johnny Manziel. One of those signal-callers will probably be the No. 1 pick.

Given how important the quarterback position is, Teddy Bridgewater or another signal-caller will the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, barring an acquisition of Cutler, or something like that. There’s really no discussion. Clowney, Barr and Matthews wouldn’t get Houston’s franchise back into the playoffs. A franchise quarterback would. The Texans will talk themselves into drafting one of them.

By the way, I’m doing this live because I thought it’d be fun to get instant feedback. I’m going to post my mock anyway, so why not do it this way? Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
TRADE! The Rams would take Texas A&M left tackle Jake Matthews if they were to stand pat, but I’d say there’s an 83-percent chance that this pick gets traded. There are just too many valuable commodities available here. One of Oakland, Cleveland or Minnesota could fall in love with a quarterback and look to jump the Jaguars to land that specific signal-caller. Or, as in this case, Tampa Bay wants to secure the greatest pass-rushing prospect to enter the NFL Draft in a very long time.

The Buccaneers are a strong candidate to move up for several reasons. First, as Charlie Campbell outlined in his plan to rebuild the Buccaneers, Mark Dominik was always criticized for never fixing the pass rush. The Buccaneers need to get as much pressure on the quarterback as possible considering that they reside in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. Second, there’s really nothing for Tampa to take at No. 7. Jadeveon Clowney and Anthony Barr will be off the board. A quarterback probably won’t be an option, and they have too much money dedicated to their receivers. It’s a bit high for Louis Nix, and what if Khalil Mack doesn’t make sense for the offense they want to run? Third, a number of teams, including rival Atlanta, may take Clowney, so that’s another reason Tampa may want to move up.

As discussed, the South Carolina product an elite prospect from a talent perspective, but Clowney has motivational issues, as Charlie Campbell reported before anyone else in the summer. He put very little effort into his 2013 season. There have also been new questions about Clowney’s off-the-field interactions, as a recent report revealed negative things about his entourage. The Buccaneers will have to worry about him quitting or taking too many trips to Mons Venus, but they’ll ultimately target him because of his ability.

Pick change; previously Khalil Mack, DE/OLB
Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
General manager David Caldwell told reporters last year that his plan was to build Blaine Gabbert. He even used advanced metrics last April when he spent the No. 2 overall pick on a right tackle because the numbers showed him that Gabbert played much better with strong protection on that side. That’s not a good sign.

Jaguar fans better hope that this isn’t a sign for the type of signal-caller Caldwell will choose this May because he’s definitely taking one if Jadeveon Clowney is off the board.

Blake Bortles made his debut in my mock draft a couple of weeks ago, as Tony Pauline reported it’s likely that he’ll declare. Bortles isn’t coming out of nowhere though; he was a top-10 pick in my 2015 NFL Mock Draft, and he has a legitimate shot to be selected No. 1 overall this May.

Pick change; previously Jadeveon Clowney, DE
Cleveland Browns: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
I gave the Browns a “D” grade for getting rid of Rob Chudzinski so quickly, as you can see in my Black Monday Coach Firing Grades page. Reports have trickled out that the Browns are smitten with Johnny Manziel, and they fired their coach because Chudzinski didn’t like the Texas A&M product very much. It makes sense, as Manziel wasn’t a particularly good fit for Chud’s system, but he’s talented and intriguing enough to be chosen in the 4-10 range.

The Browns obviously have to grab a quarterback with one of their two selections. Brandon Weeden is awful with his backhanded, underhanded and hook-shot passes. Brian Hoyer was decent in his two full games, but he’s likely not the long-term answer. Jason Campbell looked solid before imploding at Cincinnati. Cleveland’s new regime has to find the quarterback it wants to roll with going forward.

Pick change; previously Blake Bortles, QB
Oakland Raiders: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
NOTE: Brett Hundley announced he would be heading back to school. I’ll have an updated 2014 NFL Mock Draft, live on Tuesday. Follow me Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor have both exceeded expectations and played well at times this year, but that can be attributed to offensive coordinator Greg Olson’s excellent coaching. Olson has gotten the most out of these two, as well as Josh Freeman and Chad Henne (Blaine Gabbert was a lost cause). Imagine what he’ll do with a legitimate franchise quarterback.

There was a recent report revealing that two NFL general managers have Brett Hundley as their top quarterback. Hundley disappointed a bit in 2013, but it still makes sense because he’s unbelievably talented. I’ve had Hundley in the top 10 this whole time, but I recently took him out of my mock because I felt as though he might go back to school. Perhaps he’ll decide to declare after hearing this report.

Pick change; previously Johnny Manziel, QB
Atlanta Falcons: Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
Anthony Barr is a terrific fit for Atlanta’s defense. Kroy Biermann had been playing the defensive end-outside linebacker hybrid role prior to tearing his Achilles. Biermann, who will be entering a walk year in 2014, may not be 100 percent. Plus, it’s not like the Falcons didn’t need an upgrade anyway. Their pass rush is severely lacking, so Barr would definitely bolster that area.

Barr is the best player available; some argue that he should be chosen before Jadeveon Clowney. A former running back, Barr played defense for the first time last season and made an instant impact, recording 13 sacks. He had 20 TFL and 10 sacks this season. The sky’s the limit for him, as he’ll only get better at his new position.
St. Louis Rams: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
Wow. If the Rams move down five spots and still get the prospect they would’ve chosen at No. 2 overall, they’ll have an instant A+ in my NFL Draft Grades.

The Rams signed Jake Long this past offseason, but they still need tackle help because Rodger Saffold will be a free agent next spring. Besides, Long, who has been extremely injury-prone prior to this season, tore his ACL and MCL right before Christmas. The Rams won’t be able to count on him much going forward because he’s always hurt.

Jake Matthews is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick, as mentioned earlier, so he makes the most sense, even if St. Louis can’t move out of the No. 2 spot.
Minnesota Vikings: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
The Vikings paid Josh Freeman $3 million to find out if he can be their long-term franchise quarterback. That’s how desperate they are for one. Christian Ponder isn’t the answer, while Matt Cassel, despite playing well at the end of the season, isn’t the long-term solution either. Minnesota knows this, as it’s been reported that its front office is heavily scouting quarterbacks in this draft class.

Derek Carr, who can make any throw, was awesome for most of the year, but struggled in a bowl loss to USC. He’ll have a chance to rehab his draft status in the upcoming months though. He still has enough arm talent to be considered in the top 10.
Buffalo Bills: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
With tons of quarterbacks flying off the board, the Bills are in position to take the best player available. It could be argued that Mike Evans would fit that description.

Buffalo has Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods as its starting wideouts, but neither is a No. 1 receiver. E.J. Manuel could definitely make a second-year improvement with a dominant weapon at his disposal.
Detroit Lions: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
I slotted a receiver to the Lions in the previous version of my 2015 NFL Mock Draft, and I’m going to use the same reasoning here: We all saw what happens to Detroit’s offense when Calvin Johnson is unavailable. The Lions need an insurance policy of sorts. Besides, having a solid No. 2 across from Megatron would make the Lions’ scoring attack even more explosive.

Sammy Watkins is the top prospect available anyway, so this selection matches Detroit’s style of drafting.

Pick change; previously Marqise Lee, WR
Tennessee Titans: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
The Titans are fine at offensive tackle right now, but Michael Roos and David Stewart will be free agents in 2015 and 2014, respectively (the latter has a voidable year after this upcoming season). They’ll need to retool at the position if they don’t re-sign either of the two, and there’s a chance Stewart could be released this offseason anyway.

I’ve bumped Greg Robinson up to the No. 2 tackle slot. Robinson has been amazing during Auburn’s improbable run to the national championship – though Alabama should be playing Florida State in the BCS Championship.
New York Giants: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo
The Giants had several major issues this year. One big problem was their inability to get to the quarterback; only six teams had fewer sacks, and New York would’ve finished dead last in that department if it weren’t for Justin Tuck’s late surge. Tuck actually happens to be an impending free agent, so you can see how desperate the Giants will be to improve their pass rush.

Khalil Mack is the top player available. He completely dominated the Ohio State offensive line early in the year. The Buckeyes simply couldn’t do anything about him.

Pick change; previously Sammy Watkins, WR
St. Louis Rams: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
St. Louis’ defense came on late in the year, but it struggled at times during the season for a couple of reasons. One is the play of safety Rodney McLeod. He wasn’t terrible, but it’s clear that the Rams need to find an upgrade next to T.J. McDonald. HaHa Clinton-Dix is arguably the top defensive player available who makes sense for St. Louis.

Pick change; previously Ra’Shede Hageman, DT
Chicago Bears: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
Henry Melton, an impending free agent, tore his ACL earlier in the season and was recently arrested for misdemeanor assault. This could make it easier for the Bears to keep him, but they’ll need a replacement if he walks. Ra’shede Hageman was a monster this year for Minnesota.

Pick change; previously Timmy Jernigan, DT
Pittsburgh Steelers: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
The Steelers will never pass up the opportunity to grab a great offensive play-maker if one is available to them. This draft class is top-heavy at receiver, so Pittsburgh can go with the best player available, and that would arguably be Marqise Lee.

Pick change; previously Louis Nix, DT
Dallas Cowboys: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
Despite having DeMarcus Ware on the roster, the Cowboys inexplicably finished in the bottom 10 of sacks this season. Ware being injured has been a problem, but there’s no one else who can consistently get to the quarterback.

Monte Kiffin is likely to be fired, so Dallas could return to its previous 3-4 defense. If so, Vic Beasley would make a ton of sense.

Go to 2014 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwith.