Post by Juggs on Mar 12, 2015 18:12:25 GMT -5
Morkim challenged whether Mett or Manziel would be drafted first if the draft were today, and I'm sitting on a train with nothing better to do .
Here's my take on what would happen if today were the 2014 NFL draft and we knew what we know now.
Texans: Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU
Clowney still has a chance to prove doubters wrong, but the performance of OBJ was among the best every by a rookie. This is a no brainer, especially with Andre Johnson leaving.
Rams: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
The Rams do what they should have done the first time, take the superstar and ignore the Robinson hype.
Jaguars: Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
This is no referendum on Bortles. He could still be a fine quarterback, and it’s not that the Jags are moving on after one year, it’s just that Mack can’t be passed up.
Browns: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
The Browns don’t need to trade down now since they know they can get an uncoverable beast.
Raiders: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
The Raiders drafted better than any team in 2014, so when everything is reset, they’re going to get worse. But they would be stupid not to lock up their franchise QB and let him slip away.
Falcons: Jadaveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
Are there better players still available? Yes, based on what we saw on the field. However, not so based on talent, especially if Clowney is playing his natural position in Dan Quinn’s 4-3.
Buccaneers: Joel Bitonio, G, Nevada
If the Bucs are going to start a rebuild and draft Jameis Winston, they might as well protect him with the draft’s best lineman.
Bills: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
The Bills are a talented team who have no answer at quarterback. While Bridgewater is a reach, he’d be the best thing for Buffalo.
Vikings: Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
Suddenly without Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings are now desperate for a QB. Mettenberger outplayed his sixth round status.
Lions: Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
Reggie Bush couldn’t stay healthy, and the Lions are now without an answer. Hill was probably the biggest contributor of any rookie in 2014 and will help the lions make a playoff push.
Titans: Taylor Lewan, LT, Michigan
Lewan dropped because of character concerns that never came to fruition. Not only did he step in at LT and outplayed all other tackles as a rookie, Lewan has emerged as an unexpected leader in the locker room.
Giants: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
The biggest loser of this re-do, the Giants need an answer for when Victor Cruz goes down mid season. Mike Evans can do a lot of what Odell Beckham did.
Rams: Zach Martin, G, Notre Dame
The thing about having two top picks is, if there’s a re-do like this, your team can get better even though you had an amazing class to start with.
Bears: CJ Mosley, LB, Alabama
Mosley fell due to injury concerns that didn’t come up in 2014. Nicknamed “the replacement” in Baltimore for his high level of play and consistency in his first season, Chicago just got way better.
Steelers: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
In retrospect, Verrett was the best corner in a very weak class. The Steelers had no bigger need and could take Ryan Shazier again, but will pass to get a similar quality guy at a more important position.
Cowboys: Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
Surprise surprise, Sean Lee got hurt again. Chris Borland didn’t. He was great and would make Cowboys fans forget about the talented, but often injured Lee.
Ravens: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
The Ravens thought they needed to build the defense, but it turned out that Turrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil were a team by themselves. The Ravens catching the falling Bill and have a new #1 receiver.
Jets: Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice
The Jets needed a cornerback in this draft, and they correctly scouted that there was no good answer, but they missed hard on Calvin Pryor and Dexter McDougle. Gaines quietly became the #1 corner in Kansas City and was among the best in a weak CB class.
Dolphins: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
Even though Cooks missed most of the season hurt, and the Dolphins could lock up Ju’Wuan James OR Jarvis Landry here, I think Cooks entices them based on his preseason and first few weeks.
Saints: Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky
The Saints defense fell apart last year, especially Curtis Lofton, who probably ended his career on a bad note. Williamson won the starting job almost immediately in Tennessee and led the AFC in tackles per game by a rookie.
Packers: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
The Packers waited and snagged the best defensive player available in real life. They’ll do it again here.
Browns: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
The white knight slips pretty far because of an underwhelming rookie year on a bad team, but with the proper tools (Jordan Cameron and Kelvin Benjamin) he could develop much quicker.
Chiefs: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU
Do I have to explain this one? Best receiver still on the board.
Bengals: Timmy Jernigan, DT, FSU
Domata Peko was one of the worst starters in the league this year, and while Jernigan was bottlenecked behind Baltimore’s great front 7, he came on as a top rookie in the last few games of 2014.
Chargers: Bene Benwikere, CB, San Jose State
Losing out on Verrett, the Chargers get a less talented guy who stayed healthy and would have had an even bigger impact for this season.
Eagles: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
Philadelphia’s whole defense was broken down the stretch in 2014. Clinton-Dix might not have stopped that, but he might have made enough of a difference to get the Eagles a playoff berth.
Cards: Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State
Maybe if the Cardinals had protected Carson Palmer a little better, then they would have gotten one game farther in the playoffs. Not that they could have beaten Seattle, but still. No QBs are worth it here. Manziel and Garapollo would be interesting, but it’s too early.
Panthers: John Brown, WR, Pittsburgh State
The Panthers got screwed here, but Brown played very well for the Cardinals and he would have been way better if he got more touches and had better quarterback play.
Patriots: Malcom Butler, CB, West Alabama
I’m not kidding. They won the super bowl and they’re only focus needs to be making sure that doesn’t change, so the one rookie who made an impact for them gets the pick. Don’t mess with a good thing.
49ers: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St.
The 49ers lost out on Borland, and they have no one else as long term replacements for Bowman and Willis. Shazier should have gone higher than this but fell due to a ridiculous class of inside linebackers.
Broncos: Corey Linsley, C, Ohio St.
The Broncos biggest failure was not keeping Peyton upright. Linsley is the classes best center and looks like he should have been a top 10 pick based on his performance as a rookie.
Seahawks: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Just like the Pats, the Seahawks only goal should be to improve their weakness in the super bowl. After Jeremy Lane broke his leg, the Pats attacked his backup. That wouldn’t have been as easy if his backup had been Dennard, a talented rookie who got stuck in a log jam for playing time in Cincy this year.
Guys who just missed round 1:
Seantrell Henderson, Telvin Smith, Ju’Wuan James, Eric Ebron, Weston Richburg, Justin Britt, Dezmen Southward, Christian Kirksey, Brandon Oliver, Tre Mason, Allen Hurns, Donte Moncrief, Brandon Linder, Billy Turner, Andre Williams, Carl Bradford, Lorenzo Talioferro, Cyril Richardson, Jonathan Newsome, Devon Kennard, John Urschel, EJ Gaines, Zach Fulton, Travis Carrie, Keith McGill, Isiah Crowell,
Here's my take on what would happen if today were the 2014 NFL draft and we knew what we know now.
Texans: Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU
Clowney still has a chance to prove doubters wrong, but the performance of OBJ was among the best every by a rookie. This is a no brainer, especially with Andre Johnson leaving.
Rams: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
The Rams do what they should have done the first time, take the superstar and ignore the Robinson hype.
Jaguars: Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
This is no referendum on Bortles. He could still be a fine quarterback, and it’s not that the Jags are moving on after one year, it’s just that Mack can’t be passed up.
Browns: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
The Browns don’t need to trade down now since they know they can get an uncoverable beast.
Raiders: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
The Raiders drafted better than any team in 2014, so when everything is reset, they’re going to get worse. But they would be stupid not to lock up their franchise QB and let him slip away.
Falcons: Jadaveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
Are there better players still available? Yes, based on what we saw on the field. However, not so based on talent, especially if Clowney is playing his natural position in Dan Quinn’s 4-3.
Buccaneers: Joel Bitonio, G, Nevada
If the Bucs are going to start a rebuild and draft Jameis Winston, they might as well protect him with the draft’s best lineman.
Bills: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
The Bills are a talented team who have no answer at quarterback. While Bridgewater is a reach, he’d be the best thing for Buffalo.
Vikings: Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
Suddenly without Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings are now desperate for a QB. Mettenberger outplayed his sixth round status.
Lions: Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
Reggie Bush couldn’t stay healthy, and the Lions are now without an answer. Hill was probably the biggest contributor of any rookie in 2014 and will help the lions make a playoff push.
Titans: Taylor Lewan, LT, Michigan
Lewan dropped because of character concerns that never came to fruition. Not only did he step in at LT and outplayed all other tackles as a rookie, Lewan has emerged as an unexpected leader in the locker room.
Giants: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
The biggest loser of this re-do, the Giants need an answer for when Victor Cruz goes down mid season. Mike Evans can do a lot of what Odell Beckham did.
Rams: Zach Martin, G, Notre Dame
The thing about having two top picks is, if there’s a re-do like this, your team can get better even though you had an amazing class to start with.
Bears: CJ Mosley, LB, Alabama
Mosley fell due to injury concerns that didn’t come up in 2014. Nicknamed “the replacement” in Baltimore for his high level of play and consistency in his first season, Chicago just got way better.
Steelers: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
In retrospect, Verrett was the best corner in a very weak class. The Steelers had no bigger need and could take Ryan Shazier again, but will pass to get a similar quality guy at a more important position.
Cowboys: Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
Surprise surprise, Sean Lee got hurt again. Chris Borland didn’t. He was great and would make Cowboys fans forget about the talented, but often injured Lee.
Ravens: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
The Ravens thought they needed to build the defense, but it turned out that Turrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil were a team by themselves. The Ravens catching the falling Bill and have a new #1 receiver.
Jets: Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice
The Jets needed a cornerback in this draft, and they correctly scouted that there was no good answer, but they missed hard on Calvin Pryor and Dexter McDougle. Gaines quietly became the #1 corner in Kansas City and was among the best in a weak CB class.
Dolphins: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
Even though Cooks missed most of the season hurt, and the Dolphins could lock up Ju’Wuan James OR Jarvis Landry here, I think Cooks entices them based on his preseason and first few weeks.
Saints: Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky
The Saints defense fell apart last year, especially Curtis Lofton, who probably ended his career on a bad note. Williamson won the starting job almost immediately in Tennessee and led the AFC in tackles per game by a rookie.
Packers: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
The Packers waited and snagged the best defensive player available in real life. They’ll do it again here.
Browns: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
The white knight slips pretty far because of an underwhelming rookie year on a bad team, but with the proper tools (Jordan Cameron and Kelvin Benjamin) he could develop much quicker.
Chiefs: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU
Do I have to explain this one? Best receiver still on the board.
Bengals: Timmy Jernigan, DT, FSU
Domata Peko was one of the worst starters in the league this year, and while Jernigan was bottlenecked behind Baltimore’s great front 7, he came on as a top rookie in the last few games of 2014.
Chargers: Bene Benwikere, CB, San Jose State
Losing out on Verrett, the Chargers get a less talented guy who stayed healthy and would have had an even bigger impact for this season.
Eagles: HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
Philadelphia’s whole defense was broken down the stretch in 2014. Clinton-Dix might not have stopped that, but he might have made enough of a difference to get the Eagles a playoff berth.
Cards: Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State
Maybe if the Cardinals had protected Carson Palmer a little better, then they would have gotten one game farther in the playoffs. Not that they could have beaten Seattle, but still. No QBs are worth it here. Manziel and Garapollo would be interesting, but it’s too early.
Panthers: John Brown, WR, Pittsburgh State
The Panthers got screwed here, but Brown played very well for the Cardinals and he would have been way better if he got more touches and had better quarterback play.
Patriots: Malcom Butler, CB, West Alabama
I’m not kidding. They won the super bowl and they’re only focus needs to be making sure that doesn’t change, so the one rookie who made an impact for them gets the pick. Don’t mess with a good thing.
49ers: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio St.
The 49ers lost out on Borland, and they have no one else as long term replacements for Bowman and Willis. Shazier should have gone higher than this but fell due to a ridiculous class of inside linebackers.
Broncos: Corey Linsley, C, Ohio St.
The Broncos biggest failure was not keeping Peyton upright. Linsley is the classes best center and looks like he should have been a top 10 pick based on his performance as a rookie.
Seahawks: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
Just like the Pats, the Seahawks only goal should be to improve their weakness in the super bowl. After Jeremy Lane broke his leg, the Pats attacked his backup. That wouldn’t have been as easy if his backup had been Dennard, a talented rookie who got stuck in a log jam for playing time in Cincy this year.
Guys who just missed round 1:
Seantrell Henderson, Telvin Smith, Ju’Wuan James, Eric Ebron, Weston Richburg, Justin Britt, Dezmen Southward, Christian Kirksey, Brandon Oliver, Tre Mason, Allen Hurns, Donte Moncrief, Brandon Linder, Billy Turner, Andre Williams, Carl Bradford, Lorenzo Talioferro, Cyril Richardson, Jonathan Newsome, Devon Kennard, John Urschel, EJ Gaines, Zach Fulton, Travis Carrie, Keith McGill, Isiah Crowell,