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.
