2014 NFL Mock Draft

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Last update: Thursday, May 2, 2013. Round 2 added.
Next update: Next week. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2014 NFL Mock Draft is somewhat random.

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2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 2/11): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
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ARCHIVED 2014 NFL MOCK DRAFT

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Oakland Raiders: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
The Raiders are terrible for many reasons, and it all starts at the quarterback position. They have nothing there. Matt Flynn is not a starting-caliber player because of his physical limitations, while fourth-round rookie Tyler Wilson is nothing more than a career backup for similar reasons.

Teddy Bridgewater definitely doesn't have those restrictions. He's capable of being chosen No. 1 overall despite Jadeveon Clowney's presence, given how important it is to find a franchise quarterback.
New York Jets: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
I slotted a quarterback to the Jets in my 2014 NFL Mock Drafts prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, but they definitely won't go in that direction now that Geno Smith is on the roster. Instead, they'll go with the top defensive prospect in an incredibly long time.

Jadeveon Clowney is the obvious pick with quarterback not being a need. The Jets have a nice interior pass rush with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. Drafting Clowney would give them a nice bookend on the exterior with Quinton Coples. New York would suddenly go from being somewhat mediocre in terms of getting to the quarterback to being one of the best teams in the NFL in that regard.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
Anyone who thinks Johnny Manziel is too small to be chosen in the top five is completely mistaken. Manziel currently stands at 6-foot-1, 200. That's taller than Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Robert Griffin (6-2, 220) is pretty much the same size as Manziel will be following next season. Manziel also boasts a very good arm and great accuracy. There's no reason why he can't be a top-five selection if he continues to play as he did in his Heisman campaign.

The Jaguars easily have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. New general manager David Caldwell said that he believes in building around Blaine Gabbert. This means one of two things: He's either completely clueless or he's cunning enough to tank the 2013 season in order to land one of the stud quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL Draft. For Jacksonville's sake, I hope it's the latter.
Tennessee Titans: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
It's no surprise that Jake Matthews returned to school, given that his father, Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews, wanted his son to earn his degree. Plus, it's not like Jake needed the money.

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.

Quarterback will be a big need if the Titans are drafting fourth overall, but someone has to sign Josh Freeman. Perhaps it'll be the Raiders and Freeman's former offensive coordinator, Greg Olson, but Tennessee will also be in the mix.
San Diego Chargers: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama
The Chargers go back to Alabama for another offensive tackle. This time, they nab a prospect capable of protecting Philip Rivers' blind side.

It's a shame for Rivers that the Chargers couldn't obtain a left tackle. Rivers has been in rapid decline partly because of poor protection, so San Diego better hope that he's not completely ruined by the 2014 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
The Arizona beat writers repeatedly tried to tell everyone that the Cardinals felt content at the tackle position, given that Levi Brown was coming back from injury and Bobby Massie improved tremendously in the second half of his rookie campaign (he didn't allow a single sack after Week 8).

That's all good, but what if Brown struggles again? Left tackle will definitely be in play, so Arizona may consider Taylor Lewan, who probably would have been the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft had he declared.
Buffalo Bills: Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
The Bills spent a ton of energy addressing their offense in the 2013 NFL Draft, but they didn't do anything to help their pass rush. That would explain why they traded for Jerry Hughes a couple of days afterward. Go here to see my grades for the Hughes-Sheppard trade.

Anthony Barr should really help Buffalo's efforts to get to the quarterback. A former running back, Barr played defense for the first time this past season and made an instant impact, recording 13 sacks. The sky's the limit for him, as he'll only get better at his new position.
Kansas City Chiefs: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
Alex Smith probably won't perform well in 2013, but Andy Reid is a stubborn guy, so he may blame Smith's predictable struggles on a lacking receiving corps. The Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe, and that's pretty much it. They signed Donnie Avery, but they're about to find out how inefficient of a wideout he really is.

Marqise Lee has enjoyed a terrific 2012 campaign and is currently projected to be a top-10 pick despite the recent USC wideout failures.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington
The Buccaneers want an upgrade at the tight end position. Luke Stocker hasn't developed, and acquiring a talented intermediate target would really help Josh Freeman (or Mike Glennon).

It's not usual to see a tight end go this high, but Austin Seferian-Jenkins is an absolute stud. He'll be a matchup nightmare, much like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. It's worth noting that Seferian-Jenkins was arrested for a DUI on March 9, but that was just one incident. I don't think it'll have too much of an impact on his draft stock if he appears remorseful.
Philadelphia Eagles: Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
The quarterback position is still Philadelphia's greatest need - something that will be even more prevalent next spring once the current signal-caller is dumped after another season of countless turnovers. Matt Barkley was drafted, of course, but if the Eagles considered him a long-term solution at the position, they would have spent an earlier pick on him. The fourth round is usually when backup signal-callers are chosen (Kirk Cousins, for example), so I don't think Barkley is in Philadelphia's future plans outside of being a No. 2.

It's early, but Tajh Boyd will likely garner top-15 consideration - especially from a team like the Eagles. Boyd would be a perfect fit in Chip Kelly's offense. The 6-foot-1 Clemson product is not just a runner; he completed 67.2 percent of his passes last year while maintaining a 9.1 YPA and a 36-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Cleveland Browns: David Fales, QB, San Jose State
Browns' fan JohnnyAllStar commented that Cleveland should move up for a quarterback in today's comment thread. I can't project trades this early, but the Browns can still land a promising signal-caller at the No. 11 spot.

This class is rich in quarterback prospects, which includes David Fales, who is coming off a tremendous season for San Jose State.
Detroit Lions: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
Wide receiver is not Detroit's biggest need, but Martin Mayhew is not one to attack holes on his roster. He believes in taking the top player on his board, and that could easily be Sammy Watkins.

The Lions could stand to grab another stud wideout. Calvin Johnson is unstoppable, of course, and Ryan Broyles projects as a nice slot option, but there's nothing across from Megatron. Watkins could really enhance Detroit's offense, making its aerial attack absolutely potent.
Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame
I have no idea what the Cowboys were thinking when they passed on Sharrif Floyd at No. 18 overall. Moving down and then selecting a third-round guard made it clearer than ever that they need a real general manager. In the meantime, Jerry Jones will continue to run the team into the ground.

Perhaps Jones will suddenly realize that Dallas has a glaring need on the interior of its defensive front. Stephon Tuitt would be a nice fit as Monte Kiffin's three-technique - just as Floyd would have been.
Baltimore Ravens: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
I slotted the Ravens here in my power rankings before they signed Elvis Dumervil and Michael Huff. I guess I should have had more faith in Ozzie Newsome. I'll have an updated order next week.

The Ravens didn't address the cornerback position in the 2013 NFL Draft until Marc Anthony in the seventh round. They'll need to do so next year if Jimmy Smith doesn't improve. He's been very disappointing in his first two seasons.

Bradley Roby considered declaring for the 2013 NFL Draft. If he had, he may have been a top-six selection, which should tell you how much better this class is compared to last year's. Roby had a ridiculous 17 pass break-ups as a redshirt sophomore.
Carolina Panthers: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
The Panthers need tons of cornerback help. Chris Gamble retired, so the Panthers are in obvious need of a new No. 1 cornerback.

Aaron Colvin, who had 11 pass break-ups in 2012, is a tall cornerback - something that is very much in vogue now based on what Seattle has done.
Indianapolis Colts: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
The cornerback run continues, as the Colts did nothing in the 2013 NFL Draft to address that position. They'll have to endure Greg Toler's struggles at the No. 2 corner position in 2013.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, a third-team All-American, intercepted four passes and had 16 pass break-ups as a sophomore.

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.

Go to 2014 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2