DLF NFL Mock Draft: The Top Ten

Eric Olinger

bortles

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, a few of us decided we would take a crack at predicting how it would shake out by doing a NFL mock draft. Eric Hardter (@EDH_27), TheFFGhost (@TheFFGhost) and I (@OlingerIDP) will be mocking the entire first round of the draft. Below are picks one through ten with comments. Even though we know there will be plenty of trades on draft night, we obviously can’t predict them, so we decided to draft as is. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section.

#1 – Houston Texans

Ghost – Blake Bortles, QB UCF
“The Texans clearly have a need for a quarterback and Bortles appears to be the most ‘safe.’ His upside isn’t as incredible as a Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater, but his floor isn’t as low, either.”

Eric H. – Blake Bortles, QB UCF
“It seems like a lock that the Texans will select a signal caller and the only question is ‘which one?’  In both New England and Penn State, new head coach Bill O’Brien had a preference for pocket passers – combined with the fact O’Brien worked under UCF coach George O’Leary (Bortles’ college coach), the signs are there.”

Eric O. – Blake Bortles, QB UCF
“As much as the Texans want people to believe they’re going to select Jadeveon Clowney, they are pretty much forced into selecting a quarterback after trading Matt Schaub to the Oakland Raiders, so the only question is which one. Coach Bill O’Brien likes big bodied passers, so I expect the pick to be Bortles.”

 #2 – St. Louis Rams

Ghost – Jake Matthews, OT  TEX A&M
“The Rams need serious help on their offensive line. Matthews is one of the top at his position in this class and could help solidify their tackle positions for years to come.”

Eric H. – Greg Robinson, OT AUB
“For what it’s worth, I think St. Louis will trade out of this pick.  With that said, Robinson possesses the greatest upside at the tackle position and the Rams seem to be perpetually rebuilding their offensive line.”

Eric O. – Jake Matthews, OT TEX A&M
“If St. Louis actually makes this pick at this spot, I would consider it a huge upset. This spot is where I believe Clowney will be taken by a team trading up. The Rams need a bookend to Jake Long and they get their man, either here or a couple spots lower.”

#3 –  Jacksonville Jaguars

Ghost – Jadeveon Clowney, DE SC
“Do I seriously think Clowney even gets this far? No, someone will trade up to grab him, I’m certain of it. However, stranger things have happened. If he falls to Jacksonville, the Jaguars will be doing cartwheels on their way up to the podium with their pick.”

Eric H.-   Teddy Bridgewater, QB LOU
“I could be wrong, but I just don’t buy into the notion that the Jags won’t be looking for a franchise signal caller.  Chad Henne isn’t the answer and was only signed to a two-year deal anyhow.  Bridgewater is arguably the QB1 of the 2014 class and represents enormous value here.”

Eric O.-   Jadeveon Clowney, DE SC
“If he’s still on the board, look for Jacksonville to select the draft’s top player as they continue to build this team through the trenches. Jacksonville has quietly put together a very scary defense in the mold of the Seahawks. Adding Clowney gives them (and IDPers) a legit playmaker at defensive end.”

#4 – Cleveland Browns

Ghost – Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM
“Cleveland, you can finally say goodbye to Greg Little‘s incredibly bad hands and say hello to being consistently competitive again. A Watkins/Gordon duo will immediately cause fear in opposing secondaries.”

Eric H. – Johnny Manziel, QB TEX A&M
“Unsurprisingly, you might be noticing a trend by now – the top teams all seem to need help under center.  Though I’m not convinced of Manziel’s professional prospects, the Browns have been lacking charisma at the position for years, something Johnny Football offers in spades.”

Eric O. – Teddy Bridgewater, QB LOU
“Twelve months ago, draftniks started the ‘Tank for Teddy’ campaign and now he’s not even the consensus number one. Cleveland gets their man at four and finally has a franchise quarterback. I could see the Browns selecting an offensive tackle to bookend Joe Thomas here too if Bridgewater continues to trend downward. The Browns could then look to move back up and still land him.”

#5 – Oakland Raiders

Ghost – Greg Robinson, OT AUB
“The Raiders aren’t going anywhere until they can keep their quarterback(s) upright and create holes for their running backs. Robinson will help add some stability to their line, but they still need a lot more help.”

Eric H. – Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM
“You could throw a dart at a list of Oakland’s draft needs and find a position where they’re lacking.  Despite that, new quarterback Matt Schaub needs someone other than James Jones to throw to – coupling this with the Raiders’ obsession with shiny, fast toys and this makes too much sense.”

Eric O. – Greg Robinson, OT AUB
“Everything in my gut says Sammy Watkins here because that’s totally a Raider thing to do, but I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they’re smart enough to add to their pitiful offensive line. The handling of Jared Veldheer was comical and now they’re in trouble.”

#6 – Atlanta Falcons

Ghost – Khalil Mack, LB BUF
“This is another instance where I’m sure Mack will be gone at this point, but the Falcons needs a pass rusher and Mack is about as good as it gets. Atlanta will help add some pressure to the quarterback and will take some pressure off their secondary with this move.”

Eric H.- Jadeveon Clowney, DE SC
“Given that Atlanta has been rumored as a team attempting to move up, I have to imagine General Manager Thomas Dimitroff would sprint to the podium if Clowney is available.  Quite possible the most talented player in the draft, he would represent a massive upgrade to Atlanta’s depleted defensive line.”

Eric O. – Eric Ebron, TE NC
“Jadeveon Clowney and both offensive tackles being gone is worst case scenario for Thomas Dimitroff and the Atlanta Falcons. Never ones to sit tight and let the draft come to them, it’s been widely speculated they plan on moving up for one of the aforementioned targets. In this doomsday scenario they would focus on Khalil Mack or Eric Ebron. This offense functioned great with Tony Gonzalez, who retired this offseason, so adding the draft’s best tight end makes sense.”

#7 –  Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ghost – Mike Evans, WR TEX A&M
“If we did this just last week, there was no way I would have thought Evans could end up in Tampa Bay. However, with the departure of Mike Williams, this seems like the perfect place to see another ‘Big Mike’ go to.”

Eric H.-   Darqueze Dennard, CB MSU
“Having lost Darrelle Revis and needing to face off with the trio of Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan six times a year, defensive back is a glaring need for the Bucs.  Though a trade down here isn’t out of the question, defensive-minded coach Lovie Smith will likely attempt to shore up his defensive backfield early and often.”

Eric O. – Khalil Mack, LB BUF
“Giving Lovie Smith a linebacker like Mack to pair with uber-stud Lavonte David would really allow him to put his stamp on this defensive unit. With Sammy Watkins still on the board it would be a tough decision for the Bucs who just traded Mike Williams to Buffalo. The wide receiver depth of this draft gives the edge to Mack.”

#8 – Minnesota Vikings

Ghost – Johnny Manziel, QB TEX A&M
“The Vikings were a mess at quarterback last season and they need a signal caller who can make things happen. Manziel would be able to bring the Vikings back to the ranks of the competitive and would match nicely with Patterson.”

Eric H. – Anthony Barr, LB UCLA
“Quarterback just doesn’t make sense here and I don’t believe there’s another defensive end worthy of being a top-ten selection.  Tackle Jake Mathews was a possibility, but the Vikings’ projected starting linebacker corps has only one sure thing in veteran Chad Greenway.”

Eric O. – Johnny Manziel, QB TEX A&M
“The Vikings desperately need a quarterback to turn things around, so giving Norv Turner the draft’s most polarizing player makes the most sense here. Whichever of the top three quarterbacks ‘fall’ to here is who they’ll take. There is absolutely no chance they enter 2014 with Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder battling it out for top spot on the depth chart. They reportedly love Zach Mettenberger, so if they decide to wait at quarterback they could select Anthony Barr or Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix.”

#9 – Buffalo Bills

Ghost – Eric Ebron, TE NC
“The Bills now have quite the receiving corps, a solid platoon at running back and a young signal caller. Tight end has always been viewed as a bit of a weakness for them despite Scott Chandler performing well for them. The Bills just re-signed Chandler to a short-term deal, but Ebron could be their future and would add extra dimensions to the Bills passing game.”

Eric H. – Jake Mathews, OT
“This is seemingly a match made in heaven.  Injury-prone quarterback E.J. Manuel needs protection and the run game needs room to operate.  Viewed by many as the draft’s top tackle, Mathews would be a coup this low.”

Eric O. – Taylor Lewan, OT
“The Bills need to upgrade their offensive line and Lewan can play both left and right tackle. If they’re serious about E.J. Manuel and C.J. Spiller being the core of this team, they need to improve upfront. They can take advantage of the receiver depth in the later rounds.”

#10 – Detroit Lions

Ghost – Darqueze Dennard, CB MSU
“The Lions need a lot of help in their secondary. I like Dennard as the best cornerback in the class, but Justin Gilbert is a potential pick here as well. Staying in Michigan adds a bit of local flavor for the Dennard pick, though.”

Eric H. – Justin Gilbert, CB OK ST
“I really, really, really wanted to mock Mike Evans here.  However, Gilbert is a great option for a cornerback-need team in the pass-happy NFC North, and the Lions recently inked Golden Tate to a contract containing $13.25 million in guaranteed money.  Though it may crush our fantasy dreams, Gilbert makes the most sense.”

Eric O. – Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM
“This is best case scenario for the Lions. They have publicly fallen in love with Watkins and are rumored to be interested in moving up for the dynamic playmaker. A trio of Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Sammy Watkins would be fantasy heaven with cannon armed Matthew Stafford slinging the rock around. A defensive back would be the fallback option if they cannot land Watkins.”

Stay tuned for picks 11-20.

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