2014 NFL Mock Draft

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Walter of WalterFootball has been WalterFootball'ing since 1999'. Older Content is being kept around here. Thanks for reading.

Last update: Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013. Some changes in both 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.

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2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 2/11): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (2/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25)

ARCHIVED 2014 NFL MOCK DRAFT

@walterfootball

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 cannot learn the playbook. Terrelle Pryor isn't a realistic option either because he can't read defenses.

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.

Check out an interview I had with DaRaiders.com.

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.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
The Jaguars have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL, save for the Raiders. 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.

Tajh Boyd 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.

And yes, Boyd over Jadeveon Clowney. The latter is the superior prospect, but the quarterback position is way too important, and Jacksonville doesn't have a franchise signal-caller.
Buffalo Bills: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
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.

Jadeveon Clowney is the obvious pick with quarterback not being a need. Clowney is the top pass-rushing prospect to come along in a very long time, and he would obviously help Buffalo finally defeat Tom Brady. Imagine a defense comprised of both Clowney and Mario Williams. That's pretty scary.
Cleveland Browns: Marqise Lee, WR, USC
Greg Little will be entering his contract year when the 2014 NFL Draft rolls around. He did a better job with his drops to close out the 2012 season, but he's still not seen as reliable. Unless he has a strong 2013 campaign, the Browns will consider selecting a top-tier receiver to pair with Josh Gordon.

Marqise Lee has enjoyed a terrific 2012 campaign and is currently projected to be a top-10 pick despite the recent USC wideout failures. Chip Kelly is familiar with the Southern Cal prospect.
New York Jets: Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
New York will go with the top player on their board, and that could easily be Anthony Barr. The Jets have a nice interior pass rush with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson. Drafting Barr would give them a great 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.

Anthony Barr should really help New York'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.
Arizona Cardinals: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
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 Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan.
Philadelphia Eagles: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
Jeremy Maclin, who is entering his contract year, just tore his ACL. Maclin hasn't been able to stay healthy throughout his career, so the Eagles may want to search for a No. 1 receiver next offseason.
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.
Detroit Lions: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
It's no secret that the Lions have major issues at offensive tackle. Their setup will fail this season, which could force Martin Mayhew's hand.

Taylor Lewan probably would've been a top-three pick (perhaps even No. 1 overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft, so Detroit has to consider itself lucky to get someone as talented as him at No. 9 overall.
San Diego Chargers: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama
It's a shame for Philip Rivers that the Chargers couldn't obtain a left tackle this offseason. 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.

Cyrus Kouandjio currently has a wide draft range, but if San Diego was willing to take D.J. Fluker at No. 11, it'll definitely consider Kouandjio with the 10th pick, as Kouandjio is the superior prospect.
Tennessee Titans: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
Alterraun Verner is entering his contract year, so Tennessee will need a new starter if it can't retain him. Besides, the Titans need to fix their woeful pass defense.

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 (I had him going 14th in a previous update). Roby had a ridiculous 17 pass break-ups as a redshirt sophomore. He has gotten into legal trouble recently, but perhaps the Titans will forgive his only him, given that he has been given a second chance by Ohio State.

Pick change; previously A.J. McCarron, QB
St. Louis Rams: Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee
The Rams signed Jake Long this offseason, but they still need tackle help because Rodger Saffold will be a free agent next spring. Besides, who knows how long their current left tackle will be able to hold up?

Pick change; previously Bradley Roby, CB
Dallas Cowboys: Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida
Anthony Spencer was re-signed to just a 1-year deal, so he'll likely walk next spring. His backup, Tyrone Crawford, recently tore his Achilles. Dallas will be in desperate need of an upgrade at left end next spring.
Kansas City Chiefs: James Hurst, OT, North Carolina
The Chiefs just spent the No. 1 overall pick on Eric Fisher, but they'll need a bookend for him once Branden Albert moves on. If you don't think Kansas City would draft two consecutive offensive tackles with its first-round picks, well, remember who's making the decisions now.

Pick change; previously Antonio Richardson, OT
Minnesota Vikings: A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama
The Vikings didn't find a young quarterback this offseason because they didn't want to hurt Christian Ponder's confidence. However, if Ponder stinks again, Minnesota may look into drafting a young signal-caller.

I had A.J. McCarron in the second round in one of my previous updates, but I'm hearing he belongs way earlier. I still want to see him have another strong campaign, but as it stands now, he could be chosen as high as the top 10.

Pick change; previously David Fales, QB
Miami Dolphins: Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame
The Dolphins were reportedly looking closely at defensive tackle prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft because both Randy Starks and Paul Soliai have expiring contracts this upcoming March.

Louis Nix would fill Soliai's void, as Miami continues to add 3-4 personnel.

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

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings