Noteworthy 2014 NFL Draft picks

Tag: 2014 NFL Draft


11May 2014
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Noteworthy 2014 NFL Draft picks

Demetrius Hart (left) and Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix as high school teammates. Clinton-Dix was the #21 overall pick
while Demetrius Hart has struggled with injuries and off-the-field issues (image via Orlando Sun-Sentinel)

I have done my best to list as many relevant players for Michigan fans as possible using NFL.com’s Draft Tracker. Some of these players were offered by Michigan, so you may remember watching their high school highlights or hoping they would sign with Michigan three to five years ago. Some of them also attended Big Ten schools, so you may remember watching them frequently during the last three to five years.

All of them have accomplished a great feat, and special congratulations go to the guys highlighted in blue. Go Blue!

1st round:
1. Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina (Houston Texans)*
2. Greg Robinson – OT – Auburn (St. Louis Rams)*
4. Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson (Buffalo Bills)*
9. Anthony Barr – OLB – UCLA (Minnesota Vikings)*
11. Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan (Tennessee Titans)*
15. Ryan Shazier – LB – Ohio State (Pittsburgh Steelers)*
16. Zack Martin – OT – Notre Dame (Dallas Cowboys)*
21. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – S – Alabama (Green Bay Packers)*
24. Darqueze Dennard – CB – Michigan State (Cincinnati Bengals)
29. Dominique Easley – DE – Florida (New England Patriots)*
31. Bradley Roby – CB – Ohio State (Denver Broncos)

2nd round:
37. Ra’Shede Hageman – DT – Minnesota (Atlanta Falcons)
39. Marqise Lee – WR – USC (Jacksonville Jaguars)*
41. Lamarcus Joyner – CB – Florida State (St. Louis Rams)*
44. Cyrus Kouandjio – OT – Alabama (Buffalo Bills)*
48. Timmy Jernigan – DT – Florida State (Baltimore Ravens)*
56. Cody Latimer – WR – Indiana (Denver Broncos)
57. Carlos Hyde – RB – Ohio State (San Francisco 49ers)
58. Stanley Jean-Baptiste – CB – Nebraska (New Orleans Saints)
59. Jack Mewhort – OT – Ohio State (Indianapolis Colts)
61. Allen Robinson – WR – Penn State (Jacksonville Jaguars)
63. Jarvis Landry – WR – LSU (Miami Dolphins)

3rd round:
65. C.J. Fiedorowicz – TE – Iowa (Houston Texans)
68. Dezmen Southward – S – Wisconsin (Atlanta Falcons)
71. Christian Kirksey – LB – Iowa (Cleveland Browns)
75. Tre Mason – RB – Auburn (St. Louis Rams)*
77. Chris Borland – LB – Wisconsin (San Francisco 49ers)
78. Spencer Long – OG – Nebraska (Washington Redskins)
83. Louis Nix III – DT – Notre Dame (Houston Texans)*
89. Chris Watt – OG – Notre Dame (San Diego Chargers)*
92. Trai Turner – OG – LSU (Carolina Panthers)*
95. Michael Schofield – OT – Michigan (Denver Broncos)*

4th round:
101. Jaylen Watkins – CB – Florida (Philadelphia Eagles)*
102. Bashaud Breeland – CB – Clemson (Washington Redskins)*
112. DaQuan Jones – DT – Penn State (Tennessee Titans)
115. Shaq Evans – WR – UCLA (New York Jets)*
117. Ka’Deem Carey – RB – Arizona (Chicago Bears)#
119. Anthony Hitchens – OLB – Iowa (Dallas Cowboys)
126. Khairi Fortt – ILB – California (New Orleans Saints)*
130. James White – RB – Wisconsin (New England Patriots)*
131. Brock Vereen – S – Minnesota (Chicago Bears)

5th round:
144. Telvin Smith – ILB – Florida State (Jacksonville Jaguars)*
147. Ricardo Allen – CB – Purdue (Atlanta Falcons)*
149. Kevin Pamphile – OT – Purdue (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
150. Aaron Lynch – DE – South Florida (San Francisco 49ers)*
161. Corey Linsley – C – Ohio State (Green Bay Packers)
175. John Urschel – OG – Penn State (Baltimore Ravens)
176. Jared Abbrederis – WR – Wisconsin (Green Bay Packers)

6th round:
186. Lache Seastrunk – RB – Baylor (Washington Redskins)*
209. Quincy Enunwa – WR – Nebraska (New York Jets)
212. Marquis Flowers – OLB – Arizona (Cincinnati Bengals)*#

7th round:
217. Ted Bolser – TE – Indiana (Washington Redskins)
224. Beau Allen – DT – Wisconsin (Philadelphia Eagles)
237. Seantrel Henderson – OT – Miami (Buffalo Bills)*
241. Christian Bryant – FS – Ohio State (St. Louis Rams)
242. Corey Nelson – OLB – Oklahoma (Denver Broncos)*
244. Jeremy Gallon – WR – Michigan (New England Patriots)*

*Offered by Michigan out of high school
#Played for Rich Rodriguez at Arizona

11May 2014
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2014 NFL Draft results and undrafted free agent news

1st round: Offensive tackle Taylor Lewan to Tennessee Titans (#11 overall)

3rd round: Offensive tackle Michael Schofield to Denver Broncos (#95 overall)

7th round: Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon to New England Patriots (#244 overall)

Undrafted free agents:
Jibreel Black – DT – Pittsburgh Steelers
Cameron Gordon – LB – New England Patriots
Thomas Gordon – S – New York Giants
Marvin Robinson – S – Dallas Cowboys*
Fitzgerald Toussaint – RB – Baltimore Ravens

*Robinson spent the 2013 season at Ferris State after transferring away from Michigan

9May 2014
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2014 NFL Draft live updates

13. St. Louis Rams
Aaron Donald – DT – Pittsburgh
Rivals 3-star, #32 DT in 2010
ESPN 4-star, #22 DT
Pittsburgh (PA) Penn Hills High School

12. New York Giants
Odell Beckham, Jr. – WR – LSU
Rivals 4-star, #6 WR, #43 overall in 2011
ESPN 3-star, #62 ATH
New Orleans (LA) Isidore High School

11. Tennessee Titans
Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan
Rivals 4-star, #16 OT, #194 overall in 2009
ESPN 4-star, #12 OT, #148 overall
Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral High School

10. Detroit Lions
Eric Ebron – TE – North Carolina
Rivals 3-star, #21 TE in 2011
ESPN 4-star, #8 TE
Greensboro (NC) Smith High School

9. Minnesota Vikings (trade from Cleveland Browns)
Anthony Barr – OLB – UCLA
Rivals 4-star, #5 ATH, #50 overall in 2010
ESPN 4-star, #11 ATH, #102 overall
Los Angeles (CA) Loyola High School

8. Cleveland Browns (trade from Minnesota Vikings)
Justin Gilbert – CB – Oklahoma State
Rivals 4-star, #26 ATH in 2010
ESPN 3-star, #39 ATH
Huntsville (TX) Huntsville High School

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans – WR – Texas A&M
Rivals 3-star ATH in 2011
ESPN 3-star, #52 WR
Galveston (TX) Ball High School

6. Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews – OT – Texas A&M
Rivals 4-star, #7 OT, #48 overall in 2010
Scout 5-star, # 1 OG
ESPN 4-star, 81 grade, #7 OT, #90 overall
Missouri City (TX) Fort Bend Elkins High School

5. Oakland Raiders
Khalil Mack – OLB – Buffalo
Rivals 2-star ILB
Scout 2-star SLB
ESPN unranked LB
Fort Pierce (FL) Westwood High School


4. Buffalo Bills (trade with Cleveland Browns)
Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson
Rivals 5-star, #3 WR, #15 overall
Scout 5-star, #5 WR
ESPN 4-star, 82 grade, #4 WR, #39 overall
Fort Myers (FL) South Fort Myers High School highlights.


3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles – QB – Central Florida
Rivals 3-star, #44 pro-style QB
Scout 2-star QB
ESPN 3-star, 76 grade, #68 QB
Oviedo (FL) Oviedo High School

2. St. Louis Rams
*Greg Robinson – OT – Auburn:
Rivals 4-star, #2 OG, #90 overall
Scout 4-star, #7 OG
ESPN 4-star, 80 grade, #10 OG
Thibodaux (LA) Thibodaux High School


1. Houston Texans
*Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina:

Rivals 5-star, #1 SDE, #1 overall in 2011
Scout 5-star, #1 DE
ESPN 5-star, #1 DE, #1 overall
Rock Hill (SC) South Pointe High School highlights.

*Offered by Michigan

8May 2014
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2014 Mock NFL Draft

Taylor Lewan

I won’t claim to be an NFL expert, but as a big college and pro football fan, I like to take my shot at an NFL mock draft and see how I stack up against Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Mike Mayock, and the like. So here’s my 2014 mock NFL Draft. If any trades are announced before the beginning of the draft, I reserve the right to make some changes. Otherwise, I’m guessing roughly 29 of these picks will be 100% accurate.

1. Houston Texans:
Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina
It seems like all the top prospects come with some baggage, and Clowney is no exception with his occasional loafing and numerous traffic violations. However, he has the freak athleticism to warrant being the top pick.


2. St. Louis Rams:
Greg Robinson – OT – Auburn
Jake Long has been injury prone and former tackle Rodger Saffold has moved inside, so Robinson could slide in to start immediately.


3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 
Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson
The Jaguars need a dynamic receiver, and Watkins could be that guy.


4. Cleveland Browns
Johnny Manziel – QB – Texas A&M
I’m not a fan of Manziel and this pick wouldn’t make sense to me, but it’s the Browns, so I expect them to make a poor choice at quarterback.


5. Oakland Raiders
Khalil Mack – OLB – Buffalo
Mack is top five talent who might come off the board earlier than this, but nobody really seems to project him to go much lower. Pass rushers are premium players and don’t seem to drop on draft day.


6. Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews – OT – Texas A&M
I want to believe that Taylor Lewan is the better pro prospect, but that might be the homer in me. I will resist the temptation to believe he’ll be the second tackle taken.


7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans – WR – Texas A&M
This is the third Aggie to go in the first seven picks (if these selections hold up). I never thought I would see that. Evans would make it very difficult to cover Tampa Bay’s outside receivers.


8. Minnesota Vikings
Blake Bortles – QB – Central Florida
I’m tempted to go with Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley here, but the Vikings reached on a quarterback a few years ago when they took Christian Ponder. With Manziel already off the board, they might feel the pressure to get a QB now instead of waiting until the second round.


9. Buffalo Bills
Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan
I had a tough time not picking North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron here, but young quarterback E.J. Manuel needs an offensive line more than a tight end.


10. Detroit Lions
Darqueze Dennard – CB – Michigan State
As much as I hate to root for a former Spartan, Dennard seems to fit what defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will want to do.

Hit the jump for picks 11-32.

11. Tennessee Titans
C.J. Mosley – LB – Alabama
The Titans could use some help at inside linebacker and Mosley looks like the best of the crop.


12. New York Giants
Zack Martin – OG – Notre Dame
There are some higher profile players to potentially take here, but the Giants have more success when they can run the ball, which they struggled to do last year.


13. St. Louis Rams
Calvin Pryor – FS – Louisville
Pryor fills a huge need for St. Louis at the safety position.


14. Chicago Bears
Aaron Donald – DT – Pittsburgh
Donald becomes a disruptive tackle for the Bears, who have been lacking a disruptive force in the middle for a while.


15. Pittsburgh Steelers
Odell Beckham – WR – LSU
Beckham gives Ben Roethlisberger another weapon on the outside, something the Steelers have been lacking.


16. Dallas Cowboys
Anthony Barr – OLB – UCLA
The Cowboys lost DeMarcus Ware to the Denver Broncos this off-season, so Barr would appear to be a good fit as a replacement. This seems too good to be true, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody else trades up to get Barr before he can fall to the Cowboys.


17. Baltimore Ravens
Eric Ebron – TE – North Carolina

Some people have Ebron projected to go a lot higher, so I think the Ravens could afford to grab him here even though tight end isn’t a huge need.


18. New York Jets
Kyle Fuller – CB – Virginia Tech

Fuller, again, could be a real catch here for the Jets. Rex Ryan likes to draft defense, and they’ve lost a couple good corners in the past couple seasons.

19. Miami Dolphins
Cyrus Kouandjio – OT – Alabama

Kouandjio could help out an offensive line that has taken some big hits over the past couple years.

20. Arizona Cardinals
Dee Ford – DE – Auburn
Of the guys available at this spot, the one who seems to fit a need is Ford.


21. Green Bay Packers
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix – S – Alabama

If Clinton-Dix falls this far, I think the Packers would snap him up in an instant. I’m not sold on Clinton-Dix as a dynamic playmaker, but they need a safety and he’s a solid prospect.

22. Philadelphia Eagles
Brandin Cooks – WR – Oregon State
Chip Kelly dips into the Pac-12 talent pool once again for a receiver to replace DeSean Jackson


23. Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Gilbert – CB – Oklahoma State
The Chiefs shore up their defensive backfield with Gilbert, who some have projected as a top-10 pick.


24. Cincinnati Bengals
Ryan Shazier – LB – Ohio State

Shazier stays quarantined in the terrible state of Ohio.


25. San Diego Chargers
Marqise Lee – WR – USC
Lee heads down the road to San Diego where he can be a playmaker for Phillip Rivers.


26. Cleveland Browns
Kelvin Benjamin – WR – Florida State

The Browns pick up a receiving target for their quarterback of the future.


27. New Orleans Saints
Stanley Jean-Baptiste – CB – Nebraska
I think Jean-Baptiste might be a little bit of a reach here, but the Saints need help at cornerback and I’m not sold on Roby. Jean-Baptiste is a big guy who could be an attempt to replicate what Richard Sherman does in Seattle.


28. Carolina Panthers
Morgan Moses – OT – Virginia
Jordan Gross retired, so say hello to Cam Newton’s new blind side protector.


29. New England Patriots
Stephon Tuitt – DE – Notre Dame

I’ve seen Ra’Shede Hageman projected to the Patriots quite a bit, but I’m going against the grain because I think the Patriots have gambled too much with their picks. Tuitt seems like more of a sure bet, although he doesn’t have the same upside.


30. San Francisco 49ers
Jason Verrett – CB – TCU
The 49ers have needed a good cover corner for a while despite having solid defenses.


31. Denver Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater – QB – Louisville
I actually hope this doesn’t happen because I really like Peyton Manning and I hope that guy can play forever. I just love watching him play. But something crazy happens in every draft, and maybe this is it. The Broncos can’t count on Manning being around forever.


32. Seattle Seahawks
Joel Bitonio – OT – Nevada
There are a couple directions the Seahawks could go with this pick, but it’s probably the choice between a couple offensive linemen.

What do you think? Where did I go wrong? And what do the Lions do at #10?

6May 2014
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NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Taylor Lewan could be the most talented tackle in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Here’s a 2014 NFL Draft preview from Michigan’s perspective. There should be a few Wolverines selected by NFL teams, and a few guys may latch on as undrafted free agents. If you want a look back, I did a similar post for the 2013 NFL Draft. I whiffed on Denard Robinson (I had him pegged as a 2nd rounder but he fell to the 5th), got pretty close on William Campbell (I had him in the 6th round at #188 overall and he went at #178), and did okay on Jordan Kovacs (I had him going in the 7th round; he went undrafted but caught on with the Dolphins).

The first round will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th. The second and third rounds will be on Friday, May 9th, starting at 7:00 p.m. The fourth through seventh rounds will be on Saturday, May 10th, beginning at 12:00 noon.

Players are listed in order of projected likelihood of being drafted.

Taylor Lewan, OT
Lewan measured in at 6’7″ and 309 lbs. at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.87 forty, which was the top time for his position group. He also did 29 reps on the bench press, vertical jumped 30.5″, broad jumped 9’9″, had a 4.49 shuttle, and did a three-cone drill in 7.39 seconds. Lewan became a starter during his redshirt freshman year and surprised a lot of people when he returned for his fifth year in 2013 when he could have been a top ten draft pick last year. His stock essentially had nowhere to go but down, and he probably hurt his chances a little bit with some off-the-field issues that were revealed or occurred during the 2013-2014 school year. Lewan is a very consistent pass blocker and a powerful run blocker with a nasty disposition. He has taken some bad penalties at times, and he has a pending assault and battery charge stemming from late in the 2013 season during an altercation outside an Ann Arbor bar. If he pleas or is found guilty, the punishment will likely be light, but that’s still a bit of a red flag. He’s in the discussion for the top offensive tackle in the draft along with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews and Auburn’s Greg Robinson.
Best guess: 1st round to Buffalo Bills (#9 overall)

Jeremy Gallon, WR
Michigan’s all-time record holder in season receiving yardage, Gallon measured in at the NFL Combine at just 5’7″ and 184 lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, which surprised those of us who watched him for five years at Michigan, showing good acceleration and short speed but getting caught from behind on multiple occasions. However, he does have excellent leaping ability, can outmuscle corners for jump balls, has strong hands, and can break some tackles. He will almost certainly get drafted, but it will have to be by a team with an open mind toward working with small-ish receivers.
Best guess: 5th round to Denver Broncos (#171 overall)


Michael Schofield, OT
Schofield measured in at 6’6″, 301 lbs. at the NFL Combine. His arms are 34″ in length and a hand width of 9 5/8″. He ran a 5.01 forty, which was good for #6 among offensive linemen. He also put in a 4.57 shuttle, a 7.62 three-cone drill, a 24″ vertical, and a 93″ broad jump. Analysts have pretty consistently pegged as going in the middle rounds, perhaps in the 4th or 5th. Schofield was consistent but not dominant at the college level.
Best guess: 6th round to New York Giants (#187 overall)


Thomas Gordon, S
Gordon, a fifth year senior, played at 5’10” and 210 lbs. last year. He was not invited to the Combine, but he ran a 4.49 at Michigan’s pro day, ran a 4.10 shuttle, had a 40.5″ vertical, and broad jumped 10’5.5″. Gordon was productive in 2011 but has had two mediocre years in 2012 and 2013 – not many busts, but not many big plays, either. He was a box safety under Rich Rodriguez in 2010 and appears to be better playing closer to the line of scrimmage, so some teams may look at him if they play their safeties near the line.
Best guess: Undrafted


Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB
Toussaint is a 5’10”, 205 lb. runner who was not invited to the NFL Combine. He had underwhelming redshirt junior and fifth year senior years, suffering a nasty broken leg in the midst of the 2012 season. However, he turned in a solid pro day with a 4.49 forty, 24 reps on the bench, a 4.10 shuttle, and a 6.59 three-cone drill. Tousssaint’s lack of production in 2012 and 2013 will hold him back, but he showed flashes of excellence as a redshirt sophomore in 2011. He will almost certainly not get drafted, but I do think he has the potential to be one of those guys who hangs on as a sub for guys who get injured as the season goes along.
Best guess: Undrafted


Cameron Gordon, LB
Gordon stands 6’3″, 237 lbs. and has good speed for his size. After starting his career at wide receiver and then moving to free safety, he eventually found a home as an outside linebacker. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind someone who appears to be a future NFLer in Jake Ryan. Gordon gained a lot of experience as a redshirt freshman and was mostly a backup for the remainder of his career. He reminds me a lot of some former Michigan players who had fringe NFL careers (Roy Manning, Shantee Orr), so while he likely won’t get drafted, I do expect him to get picked up by a team and given a shot to make the roster as a special teams player or backup.
Best guess: Undrafted


Jibreel Black, DT
Black is a 6’2″, 278 lb. player who did 29 reps on the bench press at Michigan’s pro day, which was tops on the team that day. He did not produce heavily at Michigan, but he did start a fair share of games and played every position on the defensive line at one point or another. Black used his quickness at defensive tackle because he never put on the bulk to become a great run-stopper. He’s somewhat of a tweener who lacks the ideal speed and height for defensive end and lacks the ideal size to play inside at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted


Quinton Washington, DT
Washington measured in at 6’2″, 292 lbs. at Michigan’s pro day, where he was nursing an ankle injury and could not participate in every phase. He ran a 5.55 forty and did 26 reps on the bench press. He looked larger than 292 during the season, so perhaps he slimmed down in an effort to lower his forty times. Either way, Washington had a mildly productive 2012 season followed by an oddly ineffective 2013 season that saw his playing time reduced. His measurables are not particularly impressive, and when combined with his on-the-field production, he will surely not have his name called in the draft. Washington played offensive guard early in his college career, but he’s not physically imposing enough to warrant a William Campbell-like position change in the NFL, in my opinion. If Washington makes it at the next level, it will have to be as a free agent nose tackle.
Best guess: Undrafted


Courtney Avery, CB
Avery is a 5’11”, 175 lb. player who played cornerback and some safety in college. After a rough freshman season, he had a solid sophomore year followed by diminishing returns as a junior and senior. Despite being named a captain, he was used only sporadically throughout his senior year. Avery has decent size to play corner in the NFL, but he lacks the speed, hips, and anticipation to play it capably at the next level. If he continues his football career, it will likely be at a lower level. I do not even see him as a practice squad player.
Best guess: Undrafted

Drew Dileo, WR
Dileo is a 5’10”, 180 lb. receiver who did a lot of things at Michigan. He played receiver, returned punts, returned kickoffs, and was the holder for extra points and field goals. Dileo did a fine job as a role player at Michigan, but he doesn’t have the size to play receiver in the NFL, nor does he have the speed to make up for it.


Jareth Glanda, LS
Glanda measured in at 6’3″, 256 lbs. as a senior. He was nearly perfect as a long snapper in college, but the job gets even tougher at the next level. Snappers often double as backup linebackers or tight ends in the NFL who can contribute elsewhere in an emergency, but Glanda has no such experience, so that may make it tougher for him to cut it at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted

OTHER SENIORS WHO WILL LIKELY GO UNDRAFTED

Joe Reynolds, WR
Jeremy Jackson, WR