2014 NFL Mock Draft (Picks 1-16): Kevin Hanson
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Updated: Monday, May 13, 2013
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The 2014 NFL Draft will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 2014.
Below you will find the 2014 NFL mock draft from EDSFootball.com owner Kevin Hanson.
This mock draft will be updated from now until draft day with changes, as needed, and additional rounds will be added as we get closer to the draft.
Until we release our consensus preseason NFL power rankings for the 2013 season, I will use my own personal power rankings.
To view more mock drafts, check out our 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database.
To keep track of our updates, follow me on Twitter (@EDSFootball), LIKE us on Facebook and/or add us to your circle on Google+.
Recommended: Play daily fantasy sports at Fanduel.
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1. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
The nation's top high school recruit as a senior, Clowney would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he were eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. Provided the Raiders don't select a potential franchise quarterback here, Clowney should be a lock to go first overall in 2014.
Casual fans became aware of Clowney's talents on New Year's Day after his bone-crushing, fumble-forcing hit on Michigan's Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl, but Clowney has lived up to the hype ever since he stepped on campus at South Carolina.
A physical freak, Clowney was one of six players tied for third in the nation with 13.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2012. In addition, only Georgia's Jarvis Jones (24.5) had more tackles for loss than Clowney (23.5), who was tied for second with Arizona State's Will Sutton.
The only team with fewer sacks than the Raiders (25) last season was the Jaguars (20).
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
As much as I was surprised that the Jaguars did not draft a quarterback in 2013, I was just as surprised that Arizona quarterback Matt Scott went undrafted. The Jags signed Scott as an undrafted free agent and it wouldn't surprise me if he ends the year as the team's starting quarterback.
Either way, I don't expect them to pass on a potential franchise signal-caller in this year's draft.
Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. At 6-3 and 218 pounds, the sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts and finished with a 27:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Johnny Football might get more hype in college football, but Bridgewater should be the first quarterback drafted assuming he declares early for the 2014 draft.
3. New York Jets (draft history) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC
It seemed possible that the Jets would draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks in 2013, but they used both on defense. Even though West Virginia's Geno Smith fell to them in the second round, the Jets lack weapons for Smith (or Mark Sanchez or David Garrard).
Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, had a monster season. He led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.
Current Stanford head coach David Shaw had high praise for Lee saying that he is the best receiver he's seen since scouting Randy Moss.
4. Arizona Cardinals (draft history) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
Lewan surprised many when he decided to return to school for his senior season. Had he declared early for a draft that featured three offensive tackles selected with a top-four pick, Lewan might have been a top-five pick himself.
As a junior in 2012, he was a first-team AP All-American with Luke Joeckel. Lewan has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.
5. San Diego Chargers (draft history) - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
The Chargers drafted their right tackle of the future in Alabama's D.J. Fluker in the first round and now they can address the blind side here.
Paired with Luke Joeckel as the bookend tackles protecting Johnny Football last year, Matthews will make the transition to the left side in 2013. The son of Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews, Matthews has a legitimate shot of being the first tackle off the board, but he should be a very high first-round pick either way.
6. Tennessee Titans (draft history) - Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 from 141.2.
The team's current mobile (but inconsistent) quarterback Jake Locker will be entering a walk year in 2014. With the team upgrading their interior offensive line in both free agency and the draft as well as adding an additional playmaker in Justin Hunter, Locker will need to step up in his third year to keep the team from possibly going in a different direction.
7. Buffalo Bills (draft history) - Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation in sacks (13.5) in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0).
With another season of experience after the position switch, Barr has a chance to go in the top 10 of the 2014 NFL Draft.
8. Cleveland Browns (draft history) - David Fales, QB, San Jose State
With a new front office and coaching staff, the Browns may go in a different direction from Brandon Weeden, who was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the previous regime.
Fales began his collegiate career at Nevada behind now-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he transferred to JUCO from Nevada before ending up at San Jose State. In his first season with the Spartans, Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns and completed 72.5 percent of his pass attempts.
9. Carolina Panthers (draft history) - Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
In my last update, I had the Panthers selecting Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby and that pick would still make sense. That said, they need an upgrade opposite Steve Smith, who will turn 34 years old this season.
As a freshman, Watkins had 82 receptions for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. His sophomore campaign was slowed by suspension and injury as he was overshadowed by teammate DeAndre Hopkins, but he has the talent to be the second receiver off the board and a top-10 pick.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (draft history) - Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
While Manti Te'o got more than his fair share of attention, Tuitt and nose tackle Louis Nix did not receive the attention that they deserve. Tuitt will be able to step in Day 1 and replace Tyson Jackson, who is scheduled to become a free agent in 2014.
11. Detroit Lions (draft history) - Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama
Playing left tackle for the most talented offensive line in the country, Kouandjio was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Although he tore his ACL in the middle of his freshman season, Kouandjio made big strides ("leaps and bounds" as teammate Chance Warmack calls them) in his sophomore campaign.
With the retirement of left tackle Jeff Backus and free-agent loss of Gosder Cherilus, the Lions went defensive line with the fifth-overall pick as the three top tackles in the 2013 draft class were already off the board. Picking six spots lower, the Lions don't miss out on a top-three left tackle this time around.
12. Indianapolis Colts (draft history) - C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
If he declared early and entered the 2013 draft, Mosley would have likely been a first-round pick. Along with Jarvis Jones and Manti Te'o, Mosley was a first-team All-American selection at linebacker in 2012.
Not only did he lead the country's top-ranked defense and national champions in tackles (99), Mosley is a versatile linebacker that can play inside or outside and has excellent coverage skills.
13. Dallas Cowboys (draft history) - Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida
A former five-star recruit, Lynch led Notre Dame in sacks (5.5) as a true freshman in 2011. After transferring to South Florida to be closer to home, he sat the 2012 season out, but he has the potential to be a top-10 pick in 2014.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (draft history) - Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
The Eagles re-signed Michael Vick on a one-year deal for the upcoming season and although they have Nick Foles and Matt Barkley, their fourth-round pick in 2013, on the roster, neither seem to be ideal fits for Chip Kelly's offense.
Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he broke Cam Newton's SEC record for most yards with 5,116 yards: 3,706 passing and 1,410 rushing. In fact, he led all SEC players in rushing — both yards and touchdowns (21).
With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014.
15. Miami Dolphins (draft history) - Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
The Dolphins used a pair of Day 2 picks to draft corners, but Brent Grimes and Richard Marshall are due to become free agents after the 2013 and 2014 seasons, respectively.
Tied for third in the country in passes broken up (17) and seventh in passes defended (19), Roby was a second-team AP All-American as a sophomore and has the chance to be the top cornerback selected in the 2014 draft.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (draft history) - Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington
Seferian-Jenkins is the top tight end prospect in this year's draft class. In addition to tight end, Seferian-Jenkins has lined up at defensive end on pass-rushing situations and has played basketball for the Huskies. He won't be playing basketball for them this season, though.
Then again, he may not play football, either, as he was arrested for DUI back in March and is currently suspended from the team. Fortunately for ASJ, he has 12 months to stay out of trouble and put all of this behind him.
- Continue to Picks 17-32
- Mock Draft Databases: 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database | 2013 NBA Mock Draft Database
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