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Welp. We're almost there. This, believe it or not, is the final 2014 NFL Mock Draft that I have for you guys. For this one, I need to stress that this is NOT what I think SHOULD happen, but what I think WILL happen to the best of my ability.
This is the mock that I'm going to compare to the real thing and see how far off I am. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't get a single one right, because that just how crazy this draft is. Not to mention, I'm doing this draft without trades when there's guaranteed to be multiple ones in the first round. So without further ado, here is my final mock for this 2014 NFL Draft.
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Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina | I don't believe for a second that Houston is considering Khalil Mack here. Clowney is the draft's best player, so he's going first overall. |
2. |
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Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn | Robinson has been mocked to St. Louis for ages now, and I don't see why they wouldn't grab him. |
3. |
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Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo | Some think this is where Teddy Bridgewater goes, but I think they wait. Gus Bradley goes after what worked in Seattle and needs his "Predator." Mack is the best one of those since Von Miller. |
4. |
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Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M | Yes, even though Bridgewater is far and away "my guy," everything I've been hearing from the Browns for months says "Manziel." |
5. |
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Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson | Think Watkins to Oakland is about as solid a selection as there is. He's completely clean and this appears to be his draft range. Matt Schaub needs an elite weapon. |
6. |
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Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M | There's talk of the Falcons moving up for Clowney and/or Robinson with the Texans. While I can't project trades here, I'm fairly certain if they miss out on both of those guys, Matthews, a future 10 year starter at LT has to be on their list. |
7. |
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Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M | So this has to be the most "no duh" pick in this entire draft, right? Right? |
8. |
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Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida | A bit of a surprise, I can see the Vikings not being enamored with any of the skill players left. I'm not buying an interest in Donald, I just don't see Zimmer giving up on Shariff Floyd so quickly. I've heard whispers from Charlie Casserly that the QB that the Vikes seem to like the most is Bortles. |
9. |
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Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan | The Bills lose out on Jake Matthews, but they still get a terrific player in Taylor Lewan to protect E.J. Manuel's blindside. Think the Eric Ebron love here is a smokescreen. |
10. |
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Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech | Surprise! Fuller has been on the same meteoric uptick as Stephon Gilmore and D.J. Hayden have been in prior years. They both went around 11/12 as well, so this is the range for that. |
11. |
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C.J Mosley, ILB, Alabama | Several rumors point to Mosley as a top 15 pick. I buy that, he's better than Sean Lee coming out of college. Tennessee loves to draft linebackers, and they need a solid one for their new 3-4 scheme. |
12. |
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Zack Martin, OG/OT, Notre Dame |
So the Giants are now on the clock and they are in a pretty awesome scenario with Eric Ebron and Aaron Donald both on the board. They don't go with either, unfortunately. Did I initially think the Zack Martin love was smoke at first? Yes. However, the general rule of thumb is that the more unique reports that come out about a particular rumor, the more likely that there's some fire to it. We've gotten a metric ton of Martin-to-NYG rumors thus far, and several others indirectly hinting at it by now placing Martin in the top 12 consistently (like Mayock and McShay). Would I be disappointed if this were the case? I won't lie to you. Yes, I would. Do I think Martin is an excellent player who will help the team? Yes, I do. I still reserve the right to not like it, though. |
13. |
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Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama | Another pick that makes too much sense. Clinton-Dix is an ascending prospect and if the Rams decide they don't want a receiver here, HHCD would be an excellent choice for an ailing defensive secondary. |
14. |
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Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh | There are rumors that Donald could go as high as 5. Certainly possible, but unlikely. NFL teams are highly concerned about his length (you can decide for yourself if that's stupid or not), so I think Donald is in for a fall to the mid-first round. He'll be the pick for the Bears if he's there. |
15. |
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Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St | If Gilbert is here, I don't see how the Steelers pass with their geriatric defense needing overhauls in multiple places. Starting with a long, freakishly athletic corner is a good way to start the healing process. |
16. |
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Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA | Jerry Jones might just go streaking if Barr is still available. He loves his linebackers and Barr is a monstrously high upside player who provides a pass-rushing presence. |
17. |
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Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU | The Ravens haven't been shy about needing a wide receiver, and so they go for the LSU product that plays big, plays fast, and plays aggressive. He's the possession guy opposite Torrey Smith with the speed to double as another deep threat. |
18. |
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Eric Ebron, TE, UNC | Ebron's fall ends here. Really, this was an easy pick. Huge need for the Jets. On top of that, they've historically picked my favorite players in each draft. Loved Quinton Coples. Loved Sheldon Richardson. Loved Dee Milliner. No reason that trend doesn't continue. |
19. |
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Cyrus Kouandijo, OT, Alabama | There are multiple rumors out there that not only do the Dolphins like Kouandijo but are locked in to picking an offensive lineman in the first round. |
20. |
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Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville | A bit of a projection, but my top five ranked quarterback falls to the late-first round portion of this draft. Too many rumors about teams not being enamored with him that I can see the Cardinals grabbing him. |
21. |
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Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State | This pick makes too much sense. Shazier will be the WILB and dominate the way Daryl Washington does for Arizona. |
22. |
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Marqise Lee, WR, USC | I'd be scared as all hell if Lee falls in the Eagles' laps. Chip Kelly has not been afraid to draft players who have burned him in college. Lee torched his Oregon Ducks repeatedly. |
23. |
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Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State | This is also a pretty clear pick to me. KC desperately needs a guy to stretch defenses and keep them away from Jamaal Charles. Dwayne Bowe is a possession "Z", not an "X." Enter Brandin Cooks. |
24. |
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Weston Richburg, OC, Colorado State | A bit of a surprise but as of right now, Cincy only has someone named Trevor Robinson as their center. They need an upgrade at the position and whispers are the Richburg drops into the latter half of the first round. |
25. |
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Jason Verrett, CB, TCU | There are some rumors out there that the Chargers are enamored by a corner in particular. That is likely Kyle Fuller or Jason Verrett, since they play a predominately zone corner scheme as far as I know. Verrett is available here, and thus, the selection. |
26. |
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Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State | With Buster Skrine better as a slot corner, the Browns pair my top rated corner with Joe Haden to form a dominating duo and really put the finishing touches on a very strong defense. |
27. |
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Demarcus Lawrence, OLB, Boise State | I've regularly mocked Kyle Van Noy in this spot, and if I had my druthers, this is where he'd go. However, I'm projected what I think WILL happen, not how I think it SHOULD. Lawrence has been one of the fastest risers |
28. |
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Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada | The Panthers are desperate for an offensive play-maker, whether that be a weapon or a lineman. They decide that this draft is too deep at wide receiver and so they can wait on that. Meanwhile, left tackle is on red alert with Jordan Gross retiring. Bitonio is one of the few lineman left who has the ability to play on the blindside. |
29. |
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Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG, UCLA | XSF and the Patriots have been connected throughout this draft. It was between he and Ra'shede Hageman, but I go with the ultra-smooth athlete from UCLA. |
30. |
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Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State | The 49ers were hoping and praying for Darqueze Dennard to fall to 30. They most likely trade up in the real thing, but if they decide to stay put, I can easily see Robinson as an end of the round pick to bolster the offensive output. |
31. |
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Marcus Martin, OG, USC | Whoa. Really? Yeah. Even though Manny Ramirez is signed through 2015, he can stand to be upgraded. Not to mention Zane Beadles is gone. Marcus Martin was invited to the draft for a reason and many think he can be an All-Pro at guard or center. |
32. |
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Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana |
Latimer sneaks into the end of the round because he seems like the prototype Seattle pick. Big, fast, with a ton of confidence. They add a big possession guy to go along with Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Final mock drafts from 'Invictus,; Jesse and 'Raptor' will be scored using a system devised by The Huddle Report. That system gives one point for each player correctly placed in the first round and two more points if the mock drafter also gets the team correct. Each pick can thus score zero, one or three points.
We will look not only at how our mock drafters do against each other, but how they score against experts at The Huddle Report. Here is a look at last year's best Huddle Report mock drafts, and the five-year averages of draft analysts.