Gary Heinrich 2014 NFL Mock Draft - 14 April 2014

1. Jadeveon Clowney 2. Jake Matthews 3. Khalil Mack 4. Johnny Manziel 5. Sammy Watkins
Round 1
1Houston Texans 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesHoustonJadeveon ClowneyDESouth Carolina
Houston finds itself in a difficult spot.  They need a QB, but do not see any of this years crop as the long term answer.  They will go with Clowney.  
2Saint Louis Rams 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSt. Louis (from WAS)Jake MatthewsOTTexas A&M
The Rams will trade out of this spot if they can.  If a trade is not possible, they will go with the most game ready tackle in Matthews.  They will consider Sammy Watkins, but having taken a WR at #8 last year, they will opt to improve their O-line.
3Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesJacksonvilleKhalil MackLBBuffalo
Gus Bradley believes in building the team starting with defense.  Khalil Mack has vaulted up draft board and fits a need at DE.  They will find a qb at the top of round two or three.
4Cleveland Browns 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesClevelandJohnny ManzielQB Texas A&M
The Brown's need to generate buzz for their fans.  Johnny Football is the one player in this draft that will draw attention to the team.  With a new GM & Coach in place following a hair trigger firing at the end of the year, the owner needs to get this new regime off to a fast start.
5Oakland Raiders 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesOaklandSammy WatkinsWRClemson
The Raiders' trade for Matt Schaub allows them to grab the most exciting offensive player in this draft.  Adding him with free agent signing James Jones will greatly improve the WR position.  Look for a greatly improve passing game.  A QB will be available later in the draft.
6Atlanta Falcons 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesAtlantaGreg RobinsonOT Auburn
The Falcons were hoping that they could trade up for Clowney, but with Houston taking him first, they will be staying put.  They will look at Anthony Barr but will decide that adding to the O-line makes the most sense.  They are pleasantly surprised that Robinson is on the board and make the pick. 
7Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesTampa BayTaylor LewanOTMichigan
The Buc's have a choice here, WR/OLB or OT.  History show that tackles are hardest to find and they opt for Taylor Lewan.  This is an extremely deep WR draft and they can get a good one in second or third round.  
8Minnesota Vikings 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesMinnesotaDerek CarrQBFresno State
The Viking's stick out their neck on a QB that has been moving up the boards since the end of the season. They are not concerned with the family legacy and believe he has the best chance to win in their system. Spielman is betting his job that Carr will be better than Bridgewater or Bortles over the long haul.
9Buffalo Bills 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesBuffaloEric EbronTENorth Carolina
The Bills upgrade the TE position, giving EJ Manuel a big target over the middle.  They will look to upgrade the O-line in the second round.
10Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDetroitJustin GlibertCBOklahoma State
The Lion's strenghten the defensive backfield with this pick.  The option of Mike Evans will be discussed in the war room, but their free agent signing of Golden Tate will move them in this direction.
11Tennessee Titans 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesTennesseeAnthony BarrLBUCLA
The Titan's will be tempted by Bridgewater being on the board, but are going to give Locker one more year to prove he is the QB of the future for them. Barr will give them a big pass rusher on the outside and fill a major need.
12New York Giants 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew York GiantsZack MartinOTNotre Dame
The Giants move to strenghten their O-line with Martin.  They believe he is a better choice at this point in the draft with both top OLB's off the board.
13Saint Louis Rams 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSt LouisMike EvansWRTexas A&M
The Rams select another target for Bradford. Evans was a touchdown machine at A&M and will give them a real deep threat.  Paired with Austin in the slot, this group will be threat to score on every play.
14Chicago Bears 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesChicagoAaron DonaldDTPittsburgh
The Bears are thrilled to find Donald on the board.  He fills the need for a "3" on the line and gives them a real pass rush threat from the inside.  With Jared Allen on the end drawing double teams, Donald should have a big impact as a rookie on their defense.
15Pittsburgh Steelers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesPittsburghHa Ha Clinton-DixSAlabama
The Steelers look to recreate the hitting history from the safety spot.  Ha Ha will be an instant starter in the backfield.  
16Dallas Cowboys 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDallasLouis NixDTNotre Dame
The Cowboy's get the nose man they want to toughen up the D-line.  Nix is a massive man that will generate pressure up the middle. Nix is the top option on their board and they grab him.
17Baltimore Ravens 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesBaltimoreOdell BeckhamWRLSU
The Ravens opt for speed on the outside on offense.  They missed Boldin a lot last year and need to add to the WR corps.  Beckham gives them the speed from the slot.  He is not afraid to go over the middle and catches everything close.
18New York Jets 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew York JetsMarqise LeeWRUSC
The Jets get a wide out that is the best route runner in the draft.  He has excellent hands and will give Geno Smith a great target on the outside.  
19Miami Dolphins 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesMiamiTimmy JerniganDTFlorida State
Miami needs help on the O-Line but all the top players are gone.  To avoid a reach the Dolphins opt to work on the D-line.  With Jernigan they get a player that is able to play at either tackle spot.  He will rotate as he develops into a top tackle in the league.
20Arizona Cardinals 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesArizonaBlake BortlesQBUCF
The Cardinals are thrilled to find the QB of the future available this late in the draft.  He has the highest upside of the QB's but has the most to learn.  He will get to sit behind Carson Palmer and learn for a year or two before he will play.  
21Green Bay Packers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesGreen BayC.J. MosleyLBAlabama
The Packers look to improve the inside play of the linebackers.  Finding Mosley, whom many think is a top ten talent, should be an upgrade.  He should be in the starting line up on opening day.
22Philadelphia Eagles 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesPhiladephiaDarqueze DennardCBMichigan State
The Eagles find a corner to strenghten the defense.  Dennard will bring a physical style of play to the team. He is great in press coverage and will take on the top receiver of the opposing teams.
23Kansas City Chiefs 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesKansas CityBrandin CooksWROregon State
The Chiefs grab lightning in a bottle with Cooks.  He will give them a burner with excellent hands.  Cooks will start by working in the slot.  His route running is top notch and will give many CB's fits trying to cover him.  Alex Smith will have a new target to stretch the field.
24Cincinnati Bengals 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesCincinnatiKony EalyDEMissouri
The Bengels get a young DE to add to their line.  He will be called on to be one of the players that fills Johnson's spot. Ealy is a great addition to the rotation the Bengals use with the D-line.  
25San Diego Chargers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSan DiegoRyan ShazierLBOhio State
Shazier is a tackling machine, leading the Buckeye's in tackles and tackles-for-loss last year.  His 4.4 40 at the combine has him moving up the board. He has good instincts and the speed to cover a lot of ground roving sideline to sideline.  
26Cleveland Browns 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesCleveland (from IND)Kelvin BenjaminWRFlorida State
The Brown's use this extra pick from the trade with Indy to grab a tall receiver to play  across from Josh Gordon. Benjamin will be the jump ball WR in the red zone to balance the speed of Gordon.  With Manzel throwing the ball, this will be a top threat WR duo in the league.
27New Orleans Saints 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew OrleansKyle FullerCBVirginia Tech
The Saints get the third rated corner in the draft.  They are surprised that he is still available this late in the draft but will fit in early as they work to upgrade the defensive backfield.
28Carolina Panthers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesCarolinaBradley RobyCBOhio State
Carolina replaces the Captain with Roby.  He has physical skills to be a top flight CB.  They will need to work hard to harness those skills as well as control his hits  under the new rules to keep him on the field.
29New England Patriots 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew EnglandJace AmaroTETexas Tech
The Patriots get help at the important TE postion.  Amaro is a quick receiver that is too fast for most LBs to cover.  He is a beast in the middle of the field using his size to block off most safeties from the ball.  He will give Brady a new target to take pressure off the edges.
30San Francisco Giants 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSan FranciscoRa'Shede HagemanDEMinnesota
The 49er's get the best D-lineman on their board.  They will need some insurance for the issues ongoing with the team members. It appears  that Justin Smith may be nearing the end of his career and Hageman makes sense as his replacement.
31Denver Broncos 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDenverDee FordDEAuburn
The Broncos need help at the DE position. Dee Ford is an excellent edge rusher with 14.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks last year.  He will work into the rotation quickly and strengthen the defensive line.
32Seattle Seahawks 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSeattleXavier Su'a-FiloUCLA
The Seahawks get help for the offensive line in Su'a-Filo.  He moves very well with good feet and hands.  He should work into the O-line quickly and make an impact as a rookie.
Round 2
33Houston Texans 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesHoustonTeddy BridgewaterQBLouisville
Things could not have worked out better for the Texans.  The fallout from Bridgewater's poor pro-day and interviews have him ready to fall into their hands.  They are amazed but will be happy to add him to the team.
34Washington Redskins 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesWashingtonCalvin PryorSLouisville
The Redskins find a first round talent at the top of the second round.  Pryor is a playmaker with a habit of causing turnovers.  He is fast with good size to cover Tes, while delivering a blow causing a lot of dropped passes.
35Cleveland Browns 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesClevelandJeremy HillRBLSU
The Browns are focusing on building more offensive weapons on the team.  With most teams using RB by committee, even with the signing of Tate in free agency, this will improve the running game.
36Oakland Raiders 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesOaklandZach MettenbergerQBLSU
The Raiders get their developmental QB in Mettenberger.  With Schaub set for the next two years, he can finish the rehab on his knee and learn the offense. This is one of the best possible landing spots for him as he will not be forced into action early.
37Atlanta Falcons 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesAtlantaAustin Seferian-JenkinsTEWashington
The Falcons get the tight end they need. Jenkins slips out of the first round due to a foot injury, but is a very good value at this point in the draft.  He is better than the DE options available and fills a need.
38Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesTampa BayCody LatimoreWRIndiana
The Buc's take the fastest rising WR in the draft.  He had a very good combine and personal workouts which have moved him above better known prospects.
39Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesJacksonvilleA.J. McCarronQBAlabama
The Jags opt for an SEC QB over an FCS one.  The leadership and winning record were driving factors in choosing him over Savage or Garoppolo.  He can sit behind Henne and learn with an opportunity to start later in the year.
40Minnesota Vikings 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesMinnesota Keith McGillCBUtah
Minnesota goes for a tall CB to help cover Megatron, Jeffries and the other big receiver in the NFC North.  He has decent speed, smooth hips and good hands with over 20 passes defensed last year. He had a very good Senior Bowl and Combine to move him this high in the draft.
41Buffalo Bills 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesBuffaloKyle Van NoyLBBrigham Young
The Bills get a pass rushing OLB with the skill to drop into coverage.  He had 17 passes defended with two interceptions last year.  A strong pro day has moved him into the top ten in the second round.  
42Tennessee Titans 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesTennesseeJimmy WardSS Northern Illinois
The Titan's grab a strong safety with good tackling and cover skills to strenghten the back of the defense.  Ward has averaged over 100 tackles the last two years with 10+ passes defensed per year.  He should work into the rotation fairly quickly for them. 
43New York Giants 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew York GiantsJason VerrettCBTCU
The Giants get a CB that will be competing for the starting slot from the start of camp.  He is very strong and does not allow for separation with the receiver.  Verrett is a little short for some teams, but has averaged 15 passes defensed with four interceptions for the last two years. 
44Saint Louis Rams 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSt LouisDion BaileySUSC
Dion Bailey brings flexibilty to the Rams.  He started at Will LB in 2012. He moved to safety for 2013.  He displayed good coverage skills, is a strong tackler and could play LB on passing plays. 
45Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDetroitJoel BitonioOT/GNevada
Lions add depth to an offensive line that could uses more big bodies.  Bitonio can swing between tackle and guard.  He has the potential to be a good right tackle or move inside and win a starting job.
46Pittsburgh Steelers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesPittsburghMorgan MosesOTVirginia
The Steelers are getting a large man with good pass protection technique.  They had him as the their top tackle on the board and it fills a need on the offensive line.  They will work on improving his strength and muscle mass.  He will likely work first at right tackle with the potential to move to the left side in a few years.
47Dallas Cowboys 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDallasDeone BucannonSSWashington State
The Cowboy's had very bad safety play in 2013. They need an upgrade badly. Bucannon gives them a big hitter to control tight ends over the middle. He has good cover and tackling skills and should get time on the field early this year. 
48Baltimore Ravens 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesBaltimoreJeremiah AttaochuDEGeorgia Tech
The Raven's get another big strong OLB for their defense. Attaochu is very fast with above average athletic skills.  He moved to DE last year from OLB, but should be a good fit at LB in the pros.
49New York Jets 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew York JetsTroy NiklasTENotre Dame
The Jet's have not had adequet TE play since Dustin Keller left. Niklas had 39 catches with 5 TD's last year.  He is an above average blocker and should be able to control the middle of the field, opening lanes for the wideouts.
50Miami Dolphins 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesMiamiCyrus KouandjioOTAlabama
Kouandjio has passed the medical exam's on his knees giving Miami a huge man to fill the left tackle position.  He will be one of the building blocks for the Dolphins to start the remake of  the O-line after the disaster in the club house last year.
51Chicago Bears 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesChicagoDontae JohnsonCBNorth Carolina State
The Bear's were able to resign Tillman for one year, but need to start planning for the future.  Johnson is a tall CB that ran a sub 4.5 40 at the combine.  He has played nickle and LB during his college career so offers flexibility on defense.
52Arizona Cardinals 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesArizonaMarcus RobersonCBFlorida  
Roberson will bring above average cover skills to the desert.  He has good size and strength for a CB and will challenge for a role in a weak defensive back field offering to upgrade the unit.
53Green Bay Packers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesGreen BayCraig LostonSLSU
The Packer's get a safety that played in one of the top defenses in the SEC.  Loston has shown good cover and tackling skills. He had a strong performance at the Senior Bowl and a decent combine.  He will have a chance to win a job early in the defensive backfield.
54Philadelphia Eagles 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesPhiladelphiaScott CrichtonDE/LBOregon State
The Eagles find a player that can line up at DE or rush LB.  He was a disruptive force where ever he lined up at Oregon.  If he stays at DE, he will need to develop skills to go with his bull rush.  OLB in the NFL may be a better fit for his skill set.
55Cincinnati Bengals 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesCincinnatiJa'Wuan JamesOTTennessee
James was able to hold Jadeveon Clowney without a sack this year.  He did get a little double team help but mainly took him on one-on-one.  He is a tough run blocker with good pass blocking skills.  He started all 37 games of his career at right tackle.
56San Francisco Giants 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSan Francisco (from KC)Allen RobinsonWRPenn State
The 49er's improve their receiver corps with an all Big Ten performer.  He has nice height with excellent hands. His route running is above average coming out of college, but he will need to adjust to the pro game. Robinson should be a good 3-4 receiver until he builds his skill set.
57San Diego Chargers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSan DiegoPhillips GainesCBRice
The Chargers get one of the stars of the combine.  Gaines had one of the top 40 times, did very well in the drills and left there having opened many scouts eyes.  An above average tackler with good cover skills, he will have a chance to contribute early in the D-backfield.
58New Orleans Saints 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew OrleansDavante AdamsWRFresno State
Adams will be a great complement to Allen, giving Drew Brees two fast options.  He can go deep but also is a good route runner.  He has some blocking skills, yet will need to improve those at the pro level.
59Indianapolis Colts 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesIndianapolisJordan MatthewsWRVanderbilt
The Colts get another target for Andrew Luck.  Matthews is a tall, fast receiver that has excellent route running abilities. He had 112 receptions with over 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns last year.  
60Carolina Panthers 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesCarolinaPaul RichardsonWRColorado
The Panthers are reworking their receiver corps.  They have added a couple in free agency but need a fast, sure-handed receiver to help replace Steve Smith.  Richardson had 83 catches, over 1300 yards and ten touchdowns for the Buffaloes.
61San Francisco Giants 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSan FransiscoStephon TuittDENotre Dame
The rich get richer in this draft.  They may have found their replacement for Justin Smith in the first round. But with the uncertainty of Aldon Smith's availabilty this year, they cannot pass on the value of Tuitt this late in the second round.   
62New England Patriots 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesNew EnglandGabe JacksonGMississippi State
The Patriots are looking for young players to protect Brady.  Jackson is the best player on the their board.  He is very strong and plays well in the middle of the line.  He needs to work on his footwork, but he is an above average run blocker with good pass blocking skills.
63Denver Broncos 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesDenverAntonio RichardsonOTTennessee
The Broncos add a big body to protect their investment in Manning.  He has very good feet and can stop speed rushers.  Richardson is very strong and will be able to hold off bull rushes.  He looks like a first round pick, but has a few injury concerns that drop him to this point in the draft.  If he stays healthly, the Broncos will have a steal. 
64Seattle Seahawks 2014 NFL Mock Draft College Football Draft ProfilesSeattleDonte MoncriefWROle Miss.
The Seahawks need a replacement for Golden Tate.  Moncrief will compete for the #2 spot with Percy Harvin in the slot this year.  He will have lots of one-on-one opportunities as Harvin pulls defenders away him.
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