2014 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 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 few 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.

With Jay Cutler re-signed, the same thing will almost certainly happen to the Texans, who will have four months to become smitten with Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles 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 selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. 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.
Atlanta Falcons: 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 (HIMYM) 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, Atlanta (or perhaps Tampa Bay) wants to secure the greatest pass-rushing prospect to enter the NFL Draft in a very long time.

Thomas Dimitroff has an extensive history of moving up in the draft, so he could certainly make a move like this. Dimitroff would love to add Clowney to his roster because the Falcons had major problems pressuring the quarterback this season; only the Jaguars registered fewer sacks. This is obviously a major problem, as Drew Brees and Cam Newton are standing in the way for the Falcons to re-claim the NFC South title.

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 Falcons will have to worry about him quitting or taking too many trips to the numerous strip clubs in Atlanta, but given that the team is coming off such a dismal season, Dimitroff may take a chance like this.

Pick change; previously Anthony Barr, DE/OLB (No. 6)
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 omen.

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 few weeks ago, and he’s here to stay because he officially declared several days ago. Bortles isn’t coming out of nowhere though; he was a top-10 pick in the previous version of my 2015 NFL Mock Draft, and he has a legitimate shot to be selected No. 1 overall this May.
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.
Oakland Raiders: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
With Brett Hundley returning to school – check out my thoughts on Hundley going back to UCLA here – there is no quarterback worth taking here unless the Raiders want to reach a bit by snatching Derek Carr off the board.

Perhaps they’ll settle for someone like Tajh Boyd in Round 2 instead if they can land Sammy Watkins, who just put together an unbelievable bowl performance. Watkins is an absolute stud, and he’ll almost certainly be a top-five selection. The Raiders could definitely use him, given that they don’t have anything that resembles a No. 1 receiver. Andre Holmes, Rod Streater and Denarius Moore are all nice players, but they’re all secondary options, at best.

Pick change; previously Brett Hundley, QB
St. Louis Rams: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
If the Rams move down four 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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo
I had the Buccaneers moving up for Jadeveon Clowney in my previous update. Like the Falcons, Tampa had major problems generating pressure on the quarterback this past season. As Charlie Campbell outlined in his plan to rebuild the Buccaneers, Mark Dominik was always criticized for never fixing the pass rush, so this will be a point of emphasis for Lovie Smith.

Speaking of Smith, I’m sure he’d love to land Khalil Mack, who would be a perfect fit in his defense. Mack is coming off a monstrous season at Buffalo, as he was unblockable even against Ohio State.

Pick change; previously Jadeveon Clowney (No. 2)
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. Johnson, by the way, could easily be released following the 2014 season because of salary implications. E.J. Manuel could definitely make a second-year improvement with a dominant weapon at his disposal.
Detroit Lions: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
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.

Pick change; previously Sammy Watkins, WR
Tennessee Titans: Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
This is a major steal for the Titans, who shouldn’t take more than five seconds to hand in their card if Anthony Barr somehow falls to them at No. 11. The Titans have some decent pass-rushers on their defensive line, but only nine teams registered fewer sacks than them in 2013. Kamerion Wimbley was a huge disappointment this past season, so Barr would be an upgrade.

Pick change; previously Greg Robinson, OT
New York Giants: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
Like the Titans, the Giants shouldn’t take too much time deciding their selection if Greg Robinson is available. The stud left tackle would fill a major need. Will Beatty, who struggled at times in 2013, broke his leg in the season finale and may not be ready for Week 1. There was already some speculation that he could move to right tackle, with Justin Pugh shifting inside to his more natural guard position. Robinson is the best player available and could make all of this happen.

Pick change; previously Khalil Mack, DE/OLB
St. Louis Rams: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
St. Louis’ defense came on late in the year, but it struggled at times during the year for a couple of reasons. One was 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.
Chicago Bears: Louis Nix, NT, Notre Dame
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. Louis Nix, a top-10 talent, is yet another steal for a team in the 11-14 range.

Pick change; previously Ra’Shede Hagemean, DT
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ra’Shede Hageman, DE/DT, Minnesota
I think Pittsburgh will take a receiver in the first round, but the top three players at the position are off the board. If that’s the case on Draft Day, it’ll depend on how much the team likes Kelvin Benjamin.

The Steelers spent a couple of early selections on five-techniques in recent years, but they’ve all disappointed. Only four teams registered fewer sacks on the quarterback than Pittsburgh, so perhaps the front office will try again.

Pick change; previously Marqise Lee, WR
Dallas Cowboys: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
Despite having DeMarcus Ware on the roster, the Cowboys inexplicably finished in the bottom 10 of sacks this season. Ware playing hurt was a problem, but there’s no one else who could consistently get to the quarterback.

Monte Kiffin is likely to be fired, so it remains to be seen what sort of defense Dallas will run. Kony Ealy makes sense for both the 4-3 and 3-4, and he fills a need across from Ware.

Pick change; previously Vic Beasley, DE/OLB

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.