Andy's 2014 NFL Draft Big Board 2.0

[Andy]

Big Board 2.0 (November 2013)

 

1. Jadaveon Clowney – Defensive End – South Carolina

Clowney may not have eye-popping stats, but on tape, he looks the same and is almost guaranteed to be a force in the NFL.

 

2. Jake Matthews – Offensive Tackle – Texas A&M

Matthews has been the hidden star of the Aggies’ offense with his great footwork in pass protection and his underrated athleticism. He’s a day 1 starter for any team.

 

3. Teddy Bridgewater – Quarterback -- Louisville

Yes, Teddy Bridgewater is better than Marcus Mariota. He has a great arm and is an athletic guy that can extend plays. Competition is weak this year, but he’s going to be good in the NFL.

 

4. Louis Nix III – Defensive Tackle – Notre Dame 

Nix is just a wall; he clogs up lanes and he makes life difficult for running backs. He was a big reason why Notre Dame was good on defense last year. He’ll be the nose tackle that 3-4 defenses dream of.

 

5. Anthony Barr – Outside Linebacker – UCLA 

Barr is still a bit raw as an outside linebacker, but he’s producing and the potential is sky high. I see him as a slightly more productive Barkervious Mingo.

 

6. Taylor Lewan – Offensive Tackle – Michigan

Lewan is one of my favorite tackles in the draft, as he’s just a strong athletic guy. He can challenge Matthews for that top tackle spot by the end of the year.

 

7. Timmy Jernigan – Defensive Tackle – Florida State

Jernigan is not getting recognition, but he’s having an outstanding season in Florida State, and if he continues to improve at this pace, he can be a top 4 pick.

 

8. Marcus Mariota – Quarterback – Oregon

Here’s Mariota. He’s a bit lower than what other experts think, but that’s because he does not overly impress me as a passer, which as we’re seeing with this new breed, is still what holds water. He can run better than anyone, but the arm is still a little under-developed.

 

9. Sammy Watkins – Wide Receiver – Clemson

I’ve always favored Watkins over Lee, and that’s not going to change. Watkins has good size, top notch athleticism and big play making skills. He has top 10 receiver potential in the NFL.

 

10. CJ Mosley – Inside Linebacker – Alabama

Mosley is the rock in the Bama defense. He is a good tackler and keeps everyone in check. He can be the perfect addition to a defense that needs an inside linebacker.

 

 

11. Stephon Tuitt – Defensive Tackle / Defensive End – Notre Dame 

Tuitt is another rock on the Irish defense. He’s a mammoth of a man at 6’6, 305 pounds. He’s actually quite athletic for his size too. He reminds me of Calais Campbell, and fits in perfectly as a 5 tech in a 3-4 defense.

 

12. Khalil Mack – Outside Linebacker – Buffalo

Khalil Mack is this year’s small school prospect that’s making noise. There’s always one each year. Mack is having a great year, notching 7.5 sacks thus far, and shows fantastic potential. He also has 3 interceptions. He hasn’t played a good team in 2 months though.

 

13. Eric Ebron – Tight End – North Carolina

Ebron has really emerged as the best tight end in the draft, and has passed Seferian Jenkins. Ebron is proving to be a game changing pass catcher and has shown that he’s a good blocker as well.

 

14. Ifo Ekrepe-Olomu – Cornerback – Oregon

Ekrepe-Olomu is an outstanding athlete with incredible speed and athleticism. He’s still improving on his recognition but with the right coaching, he’s a top 10 cornerback in the NFL. His ball skills are the best I’ve seen in the last 2 drafts.

 

15. Cyrus Kouandjio – Offensive Tackle – Alabama

Kouandjio isn’t the best offensive tackle in the nation anymore, but he continues to perform well as AJ McCarron’s blindside tackle. He’s got superb athleticism and is the best run blocker in the country.

 

16. Marqise Lee – Wide Receiver – USC

Lee continues to show why he’s a big play receiver. He’s got exceptional speed and solid hands. You would think without Matt Barkley that he would regress, but that’s obviously not the case. This guy has big potential in the NFL.

 

17. Trent Murphy – Outside Linebacker / Defensive End – Stanford

Murphy just continues to get better, which is why I have him a bit higher than where others have him. He’s having one of the best seasons out of anyone on defense in college football, and he’s a guy that you know will work and fight to get better.

 

18. De’Anthony Thomas – Running Back – Oregon

De’Anthony Thomas is a little playmaker. This guy is very elusive and is a threat as both a runner and a receiver. He’s also hard to tackle because he’s small and fast. Look at what Darren Sproles has done for the Saints, Thomas could have that impact and a lot more for most teams.

 

19. Vic Beasley – Outside Linebacker – Clemson

Beasley continues to improve as a pass rusher, and has some very nice performances against some top teams. He’s a little undersized but for some reason, he keeps getting to the quarterback. A player to watch going forward.

 

20. Mike Evans – Wide Receiver – Texas A&M

How many times has Evans bailed out Manziel? Evans is a great possession receiver, plain and simple. This is a big guy with great hands. He’s got very good athleticism for his size and can beat most cornerbacks in college football. He’s a great addition to most teams in need of a reliable receiver.

 

21. Loucheiz Purifoy – Cornerback – Florida

Purifoy continues to improve as a cornerback, but what makes him so great is his athleticism. It’s ridiculous how athletic he is, and some of the plays he makes cannot be coached. He may not be a Day 1 starter, but he’s definitely a future starter in the NFL.

 

22. Justin Gilbert – Cornerback – Oregon State 

Gilbert has returned to his old form after an off season last year. Gilbert is probably the best player on the Beavers’ defense. Gilbert picks up on things very quickly, and if you watch most of his games, his play gets better as the game goes on. That’s encouraging. 

 

23. Clinton-Dix – Safety – Alabama

Clinton-Dix has some attitude problems, but there’s no question that he’s extremely talented. He’s got outstanding instincts/reading skills, which is, if I had to pick one thing, the most important trait if we’re talking about safeties. He can be a huge force in the NFL.

 

24. Adrian Hubbard – Outside Linebacker – Alabama

The potential is sky high for Hubbard, but he hasn’t been that great this year. He breaks off blockers extremely well and knows how to use his range very well. He just needs to work on his finishing skills. It’ll most likely take him a couple of years for him to starting blossoming in the NFL.

 

25. Anthony Johnson – Defensive Tackle – LSU

Johnson is the best player on the LSU defense as he’s a stout defender that makes anyone’s life difficult. He lacks consistency as a pass rusher, but when it comes to clogging up lanes and being a rock in the running game, there aren’t much better than Johnson.

 

26. Antonio Richardson – Offensive Tackle – Tennessee

Richardson gets no recognition, but he does the job. He doesn’t do one thing exceptionally well, but he run blocks and pass blocks equally well. He gets confused though which means he has to work on his recognition skills as a tackle. 

 

27. Aaron Lynch – Defensive End – South Florida

Lynch plays on a weak team, and even when double teamed, he can find a way to have an impact. He’s a versatile player that can play well against the run and finds way to get to the quarterback. I have a feeling he’ll be in the defensive rookie of the year discussion.

 

28. Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Tight End – Washington 

Seferian-Jenkins is not having a good year, but the fact remains that his pass catching skills are second to none and has big potential in the NFL. His stock is dropping, but if he finishes well and has a good combine, he’ll be fine.

 

29. Bradley Roby – Cornerback – Ohio State

Roby is one of my favorite cornerbacks in the draft. Roby doesn’t one thing worse than the others. What puts him in the top 32 is the fact that he reads play very well and can react very quickly. 

 

30. Tajh Boyd – Quarterback – Clemson

Is this too high? Hell no. Boyd’s talent is outstanding; he can make all the throws and has to athleticism to extend plays. Too short? Good joke. After watching Russell Wilson perform the way he’s performing, I don’t buy that short crap anymore.

 

31. David Yankey – Offensive Tackle / Offensive Guard – Stanford

I like Yankey. He comes from a very good system at Stanford, and has done a nice job opening up holes in the running game. The reason I have him in the top 32 is because of his awareness and his reading skills. He does that as well as any offensive lineman in the league.

 

32. Johnny Manziel – Quarterback – Texas A&M

Here’s Manziel. If it came down to purely Manziel’s passing skills, he wouldn’t be drafted in the first 3-4 rounds, but because of his athletic/running ability, it dramatically improves his stock. I wouldn’t usually put him at 32, but if he improves as a thrower in the NFL, he could be a very solid starter.

[CopenhagenColt]

A lot of talent in that pool, that I would love to see in a Colts uniform.

Even if I don't agree with all the placings, especially Clowney at the top.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000278400/article/film-room-breaking-down-south-carolinas-jadeveon-clowney

[Nobody]

Tuitt at 11...? If this was last year. A second rounder now.

[Nobody]

And Manziel is not a top 32 player.

[Dustin]

Lee hasn't regressed?

[BOTT]

Tuitt at 11...? If this was last year. A second rounder now.

McShay and Kiper still have him in top 15

[T Y Goodbye]

Mariota won't declare for the draft this year. He hasn't said one way or another, but I think, given the talent still coming to that team, him being a red shirt Sophomore, and the amount of good QB's in this draft, that he's going to wait one more year. He's only 19 years old, and needs another year at least to begin to fill out and become the QB he's meant to be.

[coltsfanatic24]

Cyril Richardson G from Baylor is playing like a top 10 pick. He's 6'5 340 lbs but nimble for a big guy and has a mean streak. He's been one of the top 7 players i've seen this year and has better potential then Warmack and Cooper.

[BOTT]

Cyril Richardson G from Baylor is playing like a top 10 pick. He's 6'5 340 lbs but nimble for a big guy and has a mean streak. He's been one of the top 7 players i've seen this year and has better potential then Warmack and Cooper.

Said no one

[coltsfanatic24]

Said no one

Cooper was considered a mid to late first round pick but the combine really moved him up. Richardson can do the same he's a great guard with a ton of potential.

[BOTT]

Cooper was considered a mid to late first round pick but the combine really moved him up. Richardson can do the same he's a great guard with a ton of potential.

I was mostly joking, but I don't think anybody puts Richardson in that class. Who knows, mAybe you will turn out to be right.

[Dustin]

Also, I haven't heard anything about - Clinton Dix having attitude problems. 

[NewColtsFan]

I think you'll find with Marriotta that his biggest issue is reading defenses.     That's not an NFL level offense he's running.

 

He's running a gimmicky college spread system.    I don't think it will translate well into the NFL.   What people love most about him are his incredible physical tools.     Great.

 

But he needs more experience playing the game.    He needs another year starting for Oregon.   

 

As for Clowney....   I think he may go first overall.   But I would not be surprised if he doesn't.    I think some team will reach and take the highest rated QB available.    This year's group is better than last years -- though that isn't saying much --  so, it would not surprise me to see a QB go #1 overall....   even if he isn't the best overall talent.

 

All that said.....   nice job, Andy.....   and it's only mid-November!     A long way to go....