WE’VE BEEN THROUGH the song and dance that is the NFL Combine and self-promotion exercises that make up pro-days but now, for 32 top college prospects, the biggest night of their young career is about to take place.
Tonight (1am Irish time), in New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the 2014 National Football League Player Selection Meeting – known to everyone as the NFL Draft – gets under way and months of fevered speculation will come to an end.
Though we don’t possess a crystal ball in the TheScore.ie Towers, here is how we think the first ten picks will go tonight, as well as some notable others.
1. Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney – Defensive End, South Carolina
Though he almost certainly took a deliberate step backwards in his last season in college in order to protect his Draft value, Clowney is so good – we’re talking Von Miller, Ndamukong Suh good – the Texans must ignore their needs at quarterback and take him off the board with the first pick.
With the NFL’s best defensive player, JJ Watt, lining up at the other end of the defensive line, I’m hoping the Texans are not on my schedule next season or any time soon if I’m an offensive co-ordinator, offensive lineman or quarterback.
2. St. Louis Rams: Greg Robinson – Offensive Tackle, Auburn
If, for some reason, the Texans don’t draft Clowney, expect any number of teams to throw picks at the Rams in order to move up to this spot. Even with Clowney going first, the Rams could still trade out of here but, if they stay, Robinson is the man here.
The NFC West is the toughest division in football and with the Rams backing Sam Bradford for at least one more year, they need to provide him with the best protection possible. Robinson is that guy.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Khalil Mack – Outside Linebacker, Buffalo
The Jaguars really should be drafting a quarterback here but with a head coach who is a former defensive co-ordinator with the Seattle Seahawks – who built their Super Bowl run on defense – you have to assume that Gus Bradley will also look at that side of the ball when rebuilding the Jags.
Mack could easily be the top pick too but Jacksonville will hope he gets to three as he fits their existing defence perfectly.
4. Cleveland Browns: Jake Matthews – Offensive Tackle, Texas A & M
The Browns are another team who should be taking a quarterback but, with a second pick in the first round, they’ll probably wait until then before picking one up and Jake Matthews’ ability to play any position along the front five will make him their selection.
Matthews comes from an incredible family of NFL pros with his dad Bruce in the Hall of Fame; uncle Clay Matthews Jr. a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Browns and cousins Clay III and Casey an All-Pro linebacker for the Packers and linebacker for the Eagles respectively.
5. Oakland Raiders: Sammy Watkins – Wide Receiver, Clemson
The Raiders appear to be in ‘win now’ mode and have signed a number of players who would make them favourites to win the 2011 Super Bowl but maybe not the 2014 one.
With than in mind, the pick here should be the most NFL-ready quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, but instead they’ll look to give Matt Schaub some speed to play with – quelle surprise Raiders – and Watkins, with a 4.43 40-yard dash, is that receiver.
Don’t be surprised though if, like last year, the Raiders trade down.
6. Atlanta Falcons: Taylor Lewan – Offensive Tackle, Michigan
While Lewan is not in the same class as another former Wolverine, Jake Long, he is still the pick for the Falcons here as they look to bounce back from a disastrous 2013. Lewan immediately makes the Atlanta offense better and, whatever side he ends up on, will likely make them playoff contenders again.
The Falcons do need edge rushers though so we could well see a trade between them and the Rams in an attempt to land Khalil Mack.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans – Wide Receiver, Texas A & M
There’s a chance Blake Bortles goes here but Lovie Smith will be reluctant to pass up the opportunity to pair Evans with Vincent Jackson and create a receiving tandem that will give defensive co-ordinators many headaches.
Evans’ big body means he can bully defenders and a WR definitely fills a hole here after the departure of Mike Williams.
8. Minnesota Vikings: Blake Bortles – Quarterback, University of Central Florida
We finally have our first quarterback off the board and, for my money, it’s Bortles. I spoke to his former head coach in UCF, George O’Leary, a few weeks ago and he told me that one of the reasons Bortles left for the NFL is because he – O’Leary – had ascertained there was “top ten interest” in the quarterback.
Otherwise, O’Leary said, he would have advised him to stay and play one more year with UCF which would, of course, have included the Croke Park Classic.
While Bridgewater is a better ‘natural’ quarterback, the Vikings can afford to give Bortles some time behind Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder.
9. Buffalo Bills: Eric Ebron – Tight End, North Carolina
A young quarterback needs a safe, go-to-guy and while the Bills are strong at wide receiver, tight ends – especially ones that can get off the line of scrimmage as easily and quickly as Ebron – are harder to find.
While he definitely needs to get stronger in the blocking game, the numerous comparisons to Vernon Davis shows how good Ebron can become.
10. Detroit Lions: Justin Gilbert – Corner Back, Oaklahoma State
There are few corner backs in the NFL with Gilbert’s size (6 foot, 200 lbs) and speed (4.37 in the 40) and so – for a team in need of a defensive back – Gilbert is a no-brainer.
Kyle Fuller and the brilliantly monikered Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are also possibilities here if Gilbert is somehow off the board.
Notable others
Teddy Bridgewater likely just falls outside the top-10, ending up the quarterback needy Tennessee Titans at 11 while Johnny Football – Johnny Manziel – could be picked up by the Browns with their second pick in the first round at 26.
Well, that’s how I think it will go but, as always, anything can happen on Draft night. How do you see it playing out? Let us know in the comments below.
Manziel can pass unlike Tebow
But can Johnny Football run like Tebow?
Love Manziel put he is setup to be the next Tebow
I think so too. So much sideshow, very little end product.
Wow. Have you watched any NCAAF the last few years? To say JF has no end product is absolutely ridiculous. Open your eyes man.
He practically single handedly dragged Texas A&M through 2 seasons in the SEC, which included beating a very strong Alabama team. Won the heisman and was runner up the following year. “Very little end product” is complete nonsense.
Haha I have been living in Texas for the past 2 and a half years. I have seen my fair share of johnny football so I couldn’t leave that one slide.
Some say Mike Evans was the real star of Texas A & M.
Yeah, Evans is a serious player too. To say Manziel single-handedly dragged them through is probably an exaggeration alright. The two of them combined were unstoppable at times. A&M’s defense is what let them down last year. The Aggies put up 41 points against Auburn, 42 against Alabama for example and still lost. Wasn’t Manziel’s fault.
Very little end product? Are you off your rocker!
Compared to Luck’s first two years in NCAAF he has a way higher QB rating, 18 more TD passes, 27 more rushing TDs, 2,000 more passing yards with a better % completion and more yards per attempt, don’t forget the Heisman and the fact he’s been playing SEC football too.
Doesn’t mean he will make it in NFL but to say he has very little end product is a shocking statement!
In saying that, your NFL articles are always a good read so we’ll let this one slide, keep up the good work!
Lads, relax. I didn’t kill anyone, I gave an opinion.
As regards end product, I didn’t mean he couldn’t pass the ball or win games in college, I meant that – like Tebow (the subject of the original comment) – he doesn’t have the game for the NFL which is, afterall, what we’re talking about here.
He’s never faced guys who can hit as hard or as fast as he’s about to face in the next few years. RGIII is learning that the hard way.
Thanks Kevin B, appreciate that.
And I could be totally wrong about him, he could win 5 Super Bowls. That’s what makes football so great!
Nobody knows.
I hope there is plenty of this happening to keep it exciting!
“If, for some reason, the Texans don’t draft Clowney, expect any number of teams to throw picks at the Rams in order to move up to this spot.”
The hardest part of drafting Manziel will be the question of how many games he’ll play. He’ll be the first QB drafted though. I hear Cleveland are in love with him, even tempted to trade up to get their man.
Interesting how there’s very little about Michael Sam now. Very late round draft if at all but he’ll be signed. Seahawks or Pats.
Is this years crop of QBs poor that the first one is 8th pick?
More so that the teams picking early have bigger needs.
There’s no Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning but, then again, there were only two years when those guys were drafted either.
Texans should be looking for an Alex Smith type qb surely someone is available
49ers trade up without a doubt but I think the likes of Watkins & Evans will cost them too much – I think Jordan Matthews would be a great pick, id settle for Beckham, not mad about him though – Kelvin Benjamin is too heavy for a wide receiver, teams should stay away from him ! Texans should take Clowney 1st overall then a QB in the 2nd round, a lot of depth to this years draft class.
Johnny Football will be picked 2nd overall !
Gonna go over my internet data limit this weekend with the draft. But … it’s worth it.
It’s not outrageous as plenty people like Mike Mayock have suggested it will happen too but I can’t for the life of me understand why the browns will take Matthews at four. They’ve got a crazy amount of money in the oline already with Macks new contract and Joe Thomas, and while yes the new qb will be well protected, surely if you are going to have two elite talents you go for Watkins to pair with Josh Gordon and you will surely find a serviceable right tackle in the mean time.
That said its beginning to look like Matthews alright even though their line is definitely not an immediate need. A pick I’m looking forward to later is who gets Ryan Shazier, he runs a 4.36 forty and he’s a linebacker! He can actually play as well. Arizona would be a great fit to chase down Wilson and Kaepernick. And Brandon Cooks also as a slot receiver, he’s very underrated due to Watkins and Evans.
Wouldn’t put johnny up as far as 26th I think just outside the top ten,clowney first pick