It’s that bittersweet moment when the rubber meets the road. I know I said last week that I was hoping to hit the fifty mark in the Huddle Report contest but that may be a little lofty give the difficulty of predicting this years draft class. I’ll be lucky to hit on any of these…I say it every year but this year it’s a real fear. Tomorrow morning I’ll be adding two additional rounds to this mock. I’ll say this I went for the gusto on this one, so if the picks look a little strange it’s because I’m going all out in this finale.
1. Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB, South Carolina
The Texans flirted (allegedly) with passing on Clowney. At the end of the day Rick Smith can’t pass on a guy that could be a once in a decade pass rusher.
2. St. Louis Rams – Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
The Rams may be looking for the right deal but I just don’t see it coming along. I scratch my head a little bit over this one as I see Robinson as an elite prospect – no slighting Matthews – who’s probably 1B.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
The wheels come off for me at No. 3. I’ve flip flopped between Mack and Watkins here about a hundred times and I really think this one could go either way tonight.
4. Cleveland Browns – Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
Rumors of Mike Evans going here if Watkins is off the board but I can’t see Ray Farmer passing on Robinson if he’s available – just too good.
5. Oakland Raiders – Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
Reggie McKenzie wants players that can play right now and Evans fits that bill. Evans gives Matt Schaub a big time weapon that can contribute next year.
6. Atlanta Falcons – Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
After the Falcons are officially out the Jadeveon Clowney trade sweepstakes, they turn their attention to adding an offensive tackle or hope Khalil Mack falls down to them. This could be a trade with Cleveland to jump Oakland for Mack or they could stay put and hope Oakland loves Evans.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
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Lovie Smith is going to have a lot of say on this pick, so I fully expect this one to be a defender and Donald is a perfect fit.
8. Minnesota Vikings – Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
This pick was damn near impossible for me. I could have went a hundred different ways and probably none of them would have been right. The Vikings have been adamant they aren’t going QB here, so I’ll go with a QB.
9. Buffalo Bills – Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
The Bills want one of the tackles and I think it will be between Robinson (no chance), Matthews (little chance), and Martin. I think they’ll be a team that rates Martin over Lewan.
10. Detroit Lions – Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
The Lions are rumored to be hot after the trail of Sammy Watkins and I’m sure they wouldn’t mind Mike Evans. That said, ODB is a nice consolation prize.
11. Tennessee Titans – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St.
This was a last minute change, so I’m sure to be wrong on this one. Ray Horton has been blessed with Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden at his last two stops and may be vying for a lockdown, cover corner.
12. New York Giants – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
I know many believe Lewan is a top 6-10 pick in this draft but I can’t see it. That said, he’s exactly what the Giants need and should start day one. Eli has to be ecstatic about this one.
13. St. Louis Rams – Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
Jeff Fisher has done everything he can to stamp Sam Bradford as his guy. But it’s my belief that Bradford may only be ‘their’ guy through this year. With the extra pick in the first, the Rams can take a shot like this.
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14. Chicago Bears – Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
This one was tough. Justin Gilbert gives the Bears a return man but Fuller is the better corner of the two, so he gets the nod.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
The Steelers need some youth and talent in their cornerback group. Dennard is the most physical corner that could excel in Pittsburgh.
16. Dallas Cowboys – Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
Anthony Barr gets a lot of love at this spot and many view this as his floor. But I see Shazier as the better fit at an all-important WLB spot in Rod Marinelli’s defense.
17. Baltimore Ravens – Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
The Ravens add another weapon to Joe Flacco’s arsenal. With Owen Daniels locked in for just this year and Dennis Pitta aging and injured Ozzie looks to the future.
18. New York Jets – Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
The Jets signed Eric Decker in the offseason but still need to add weapons if they want to any more offensive success than they found in 2013.
19. Miami Dolphins – Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada
I love the fit of Bitonio in this scheme. I think you can plug him in at RT in this zone scheme and he’s a significant upgrade.
20. Arizona Cardinals – Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St.
Bruce Arians knows Carson Palmer probably has another good season or two left before it’s time to move on. With no young QB (worth speaking of) in the pipeline he goes and gets his guy. This is a perfect fit for Carr as he can hold a clipboard for a season or two and learn from Palmer.
21. Green Bay Packers – C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
How much will injury concerns affect Mosley’s stock. He’s a top 15 talent all injuries aside but you have to be concerned. I think this may be his landing spot…if it’s not it’s going to be a long wait.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
If Barr makes it down to the Eagles he looks like a Chip Kelly defender. Long and athletic fits the mold of what the Eagles are looking for on D. The good news is that he won’t be forced to play down in and down out with the Eagles as they have two capable starters. Kelly will unleash the athletic Barr as a situational pass rusher in year one.
23. Kansas City Chiefs – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
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Many will be surprised that Ha’Sean is available at this pick. Personally, I’m not one of them. I don’t buy him or Calvin Pryor as top 20 players in this draft.
24. Cincinnati Bengals – Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
Some late concerns with injuries popped up making me think he’s more of a lock in this range than I originally thought. I love this fit .
25. San Diego Chargers – Brad Roby, CB, Ohio State
I’m as uncomfortable with this pick as any in this draft and that’s saying a lot. I could think of 10 guys at this point that made some sense to me. They need a corner and Roby is a talented one…I’ll keep it simple.
26. Cleveland Browns – Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Bridgewater fits what Ray Farmer looks for in the position. This is a great landing spot for him as he won’t be pushed into playing next year with Brian Hoyer returning from an ACL.
27. New Orleans Saints – Marcus Martin, C/G, USC
There’s been a ton of smoke around this one, including the late draft invite. The Saints have to fill some holes on their OL as I think that could be Drew Brees’ kryptonite in 2014.
28. Carolina Panthers – Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia
I can’t see how the Panthers go WR here without exhausting all OL options. With guys like Morgan Moses, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Ja’Wuan James etc. still on the board, no way they snatch a WR in this deep class.
29. New England Patriots – Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
This could be the floor for Pryor as Bill Belichick would love to add a physical safety with range to his defense.
30. San Francisco 49ers – Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
I’m not a fan of this pick and for the Niners sake I hope they trade up the board and grab an Odell Beckham or Kyle Fuller type.
31. Denver Broncos – Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State
This one is all about the pass rush and could be more of a future pick. This pick may also be driven by the fact that the Broncos just didn’t have enough athletes on defense to stop the Seahawks defense. Lawrence is a significant athletic upgrade.
32. Seattle Seahawks – Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
Hageman is a top 15 value but his motor is a bit inconsistent for many teams taste. That said, he’s a great value that restocks Seattle’s front four.
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