2014 NFL Mock Draft – Rapid Reactions
By Dan Salem
Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
After tag teaming a 2014 NFL Mock Draft, going pick for pick through round one, there’s lots to debate. Rapid reactions, trades and more trades! Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in part two of this week’s TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
[Part one – 2014 NFL Mock Draft Tag team]
TODD:
Here are some of my reactions from our tag team mock draft (in order by pick):
1. Houston Texans: I feel strongly that Houston is going to end up with Blake Bortles, although I am not sure what is more likely; they draft him first overall or they manage to trade back and still grab him a few spots later.
2. St. Louis Rams: I forced your hand with this pick. St. Louis needs an offensive lineman but can’t let Clowney drop past two.
8. Minnesota Vikings: I’m not sure how I feel about all three of the top quarterbacks going in the first eight selections. Although that seemed very likely a few weeks ago, each one has seen their stock drop for one reason or another. While none of our picks were unrealistic, having all three gone this early does seem far-fetched.
12. New York Giants: By all accounts, we had Mike Evans drop too far. No one expects him still to be on the board at 12. But, again, where did we make a poor selection? I don’t see one, meaning a drop like this for someone is possible come real draft day.
13. St. Louis Rams: This is where the Rams get burned a bit by the Clowney selection second because there is no worthy o-lineman here at thirteen.
19. Miami Dolphins: It’s amazing what a difference a few months of inactivity makes. After the season, Kouandjio was challenging Jake Matthews as the top tackle off the board. Now, going nineteenth might be generous even.
20. Arizona Cardinals: I expect Arizona to strongly consider Derek Carr here or one of the other quarterbacks. They have a pretty strong roster which looks slightly worse depending on your feelings of Carson Palmer. Either way though, even if you like Palmer, they need a plan for the future at QB at some point in this draft.
25. San Diego Chargers: I’d be surprised if Clinton-Dix is still available here on draft day. In fact, two safeties might be gone by 25 during the real draft.
26. Cleveland Browns: Adding Manziel and Beckham to Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron makes Cleveland a very interesting and entertaining passing attack next season, even if they don’t win games because of it.
29. New England: I really wanted Marqise Lee for New England here. You grabbed him for the Panthers just one spot prior.
32. Seattle Seahawks: We took seven wide receivers in the first round, compared to zero running backs. That certainly says something about the quality of the players at those respective positions this season, but I think it also makes a fair generalization about the league in 2014.
More from Los Angeles Rams
- One surprise NFL team that should get in the Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes
- Rams: Will 2023 be a bounce back season for Cooper Kupp?
- 2023 NFL Season: 3 major in-season trades that could go down
- Could the Los Angeles Rams trade their 3 core players in 2023?
- Los Angeles Rams finally add a veteran free agent in 2023
DAN:
The lack of trades is the lone black mark on our mock draft. Without any trades, I think our mock will be close to reality. But as I look back over the picks, my reaction is to what might be with some crazy trading going down. Here we go.
1. Houston Texans: Houston wants to pick Bortles, but would rather get him at three or four. I think Jacksonville trades with Houston and takes Clowney with the first pick.
2. St. Louis Rams: The Rams are free to grab their offensive tackle with the second pick, if Clowney is gone. If Houston keeps its pick and goes quarterback at number one, then St. Louis is trading with either Oakland or Cleveland. Whichever team wants Manziel more will pay for pick number two.
8. Minnesota Vikings: I know you scoff at the top three quarterbacks all going this high, but teams need leaders and the Vikings are no different than Houston and Cleveland and Oakland in that regard.
10. Detroit Lions: The Lions could do anything and everything with the tenth pick. I can see them trading up to get a game changer at around the fifth or sixth pick, or trading way back with someone like the Jets at eighteen. They have holes to fill, but are known to make bad decisions. Watch out for some shenanigans with Detroit.
19. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are stuck with a bad pick at nineteen, considering their team feels like one of the worst in the league. They need more help than is available at nineteen. Will they pay for that right? I say no.
29. New England Patriots: It was amazing to me how many teams at the back end of the draft, like New England, need help at wide receiver. These teams all thrived last year without the benefit of a dominating pass attack. Almost contrary to what the league is suppose to be.
There is a lot of good wide receiver talent in this draft and many of the former star receivers in the league have aged themselves out of prominence. Its true that running backs are no longer worthy of first round picks on average, but this is just a pass heavy draft. Watch a lot of backs go in day two when the risk is gone.