This article is part of our NFL Draft series.
Thanks for checking out our new two-round NFL mock! This one went wild on the trades, projecting eight in total. Check out the 2nd round if you're interested in the running backs, as four of them landed in that round. Five quarterbacks made appearances, while 10 wideouts and four tight ends came off the board.
For a steady source of draft news and prospect analysis, make sure to check us out on Twitter at @NFLDraft2K14!
Trades:
-CLE trades No. 4 and No. 71 to STL for No. 2 and 2014 5th round pick
-MIA trades No. 19 and No. 50 to TB for No. 7
-SF trades No. 30 and No. 61 to PIT for No. 15
-OAK trades No. 36 and No. 67 to CIN for No. 24 and 2014 4th round pick
-ATL trades No. 37 and 2014 2nd round pick to NE for No. 28
-STL trades No. 44 and 71 to HOU for No. 33 and 2014 5th round pick
-BAL trades No. 48 and 2014 4th round pick to JAC for No. 39
-PIT trades No. 62 and 2014 4th round pick to ARZ for No. 52
1. Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney*, DE, South Carolina (6-5, 275)
If Clowney really runs in the 4.4-second range at the Combine, it'll be awfully hard to pass on the idea of him and J.J. Watt in the same (thoroughly terrifying) front four.
2. Cleveland Browns (from WAS via STL) – Johnny Manziel*, QB, Texas A&M (6-0, 215)
Look for Manziel's stock to rise as GMs and coaches near the moment of truth on draft day. It's one thing to pass on Manziel in the abstract, but it's another to walk away when the opportunity to pick him is right in front of you.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Teddy Bridgewater*, QB, Louisville (6-3, 205)
Even if teams trade ahead of them, the Jaguars are in fine position to land a superb prospect capable of turning around the franchise. Bridgewater qualifies as such.
4. St. Louis Rams (from CLE) – Greg Robinson*, OT, Auburn (6-5, 320)
Jake Long (ACL) is on shaky ground, and Rodger Saffold might walk in free agency. Robinson projects as a mauler similar to Trent Williams.
5. Oakland Raiders – Sammy Watkins*, WR, Clemson (6-1, 205)
Watkins projects as a potential top-five WR in the NFL, and taking him ensures that Oakland's next QB project will have higher odds of success.
6. Atlanta Falcons – Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo (6-3, 250)
Atlanta has enough money tied up in Sam Baker to punt at tackle at this pick, and there isn't a guard worth taking this high. Mack is the top pass-rushing talent available.
7. Miami Dolphins (from TB) – Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M (6-5, 305)
The Dolphins have a lot of resources tied up at positions like QB, WR, the defensive line and LB, so they might be able to convince themselves they're an elite LT away from making a playoff push.
8. Minnesota Vikings – Blake Bortles*, QB, UCF (6-3, 230)
The Vikings could punt at QB if both Manziel and Bridgewater remain out of reach, but there would be plenty hoping for Bortles' selection if he should fall this far.
9. Buffalo Bills – Eric Ebron*, TE, North Carolina (6-4, 245)
Jace Amaro is a more natural receiver than Ebron, but scouts reportedly are more infatuated with Ebron. Buffalo is in any case trying to give more help to EJ Manuel.
10. Detroit Lions – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix*, S, Alabama (6-1, 210)
Louis Delmas is a lost cause, and the Lions have a couple young assets to look toward at CB in Darius Slay and Bill Bentley. Safety is the more urgent need.
11. Tennessee Titans – Anthony Barr, (3-4) OLB, UCLA (6-4, 250)
Barr's rawness figures to hurt his stock a bit, but his upside is still quite big. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton is one of the best bets to get the most out of Barr.
12. New York Giants – Jace Amaro*, TE, Texas Tech (6-5, 260)
Amaro looks a lot like a young Jeremy Shockey, which the Giants could use right now.
13. St. Louis Rams – Mike Evans*, WR, Texas A&M (6-5, 225)
Evans would offer St. Louis much more size than Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin, and much more polish than Brian Quick.
14. Chicago Bears – C.J. Mosley, MLB, Alabama (6-2, 235)
Jon Bostic figures to be a three-down player for Chicago one day, but he wasn't ready for it in 2013. Mosley is ready right now.
15. San Francisco 49ers (from PIT) – RaShede Hageman, (3-4) DE, Minnesota (6-6, 310)
Hageman's relatively high stance makes him a better fit over the tackle-guard gap rather than the truly interior positions. He'd be a high-upside project for Jim Harbaugh to eventually put in place of Justin Smith.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Kelvin Benjamin*, WR, Florida State (6-5, 235)
The Ravens would rather have Mike Evans, but they'd probably take a chance on Benjamin as they seek to provide some size at WR.
17. Dallas Cowboys – Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh (6-1, 290)
Monte Kiffin won't succeed in Dallas, but he'll still probably make a push for a tackle like Donald, who has traits not unlike former Tampa tackles Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland.
18. New York Jets – Calvin Pryor*, S, Louisville (6-2, 210)
Rex Ryan figures to lobby for more toys on defense, and if Muhammad Wilkerson, Quinton Coples, Sheldon Richardson and Dee Milliner are any indication, he'll probably get what he wants.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from MIA) - Zack Martin, OT/G, Notre Dame (6-4, 305)
Martin would be a versatile upgrade for the Tampa Bay offensive line, giving them a starting option at tackle or guard.
20. Arizona Cardinals – Dee Ford, (3-4) OLB, Auburn (6-2, 240)
The Cardinals don't have any pass rushers other than John Abraham, who will be 36 years old in May.
21. Green Bay Packers – Louis Nix*, NT, Notre Dame (6-2, 345)
Nix is worth a pick well earlier than this, but the relatively low demand for nose tackles this year could let him fall to Green Bay.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – Marqise Lee*, WR, USC (6-0, 195)
The Eagles' passing game did fine in 2013, but subbing Lee for Jason Avant would make it even more dangerous.
23. Kansas City Chiefs – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State (6-0, 200)
Dunta Robinson was a bust free agent signing and Brandon Flowers has had durability issues. Getting Gilbert would give KC a very strong nickel set.
24. Oakland Raiders (from CIN) – Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State (6-2, 220)
Carr's pocket presence issues make it hard to project him as much more than an average starting QB in the NFL, if even that, but Oakland would have to be happy with getting Carr and Watkins.
25. San Diego Chargers – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State (5-11, 200)
The Chargers didn't get what they hoped for from Derek Cox as a free agent signing, so CB remains a primary need.
26. Cleveland Browns (from IND) – Odell Beckham*, WR, LSU (5-11, 195)
Beckham is a very explosive and well-built WR who would give the Browns a dangerous short-route YAC threat while Josh Gordon works downfield.
27. New Orleans Saints – Ryan Shazier*, (3-4) ILB, Ohio State (6-2, 230)
Shazier's speed and disruptiveness would be a nice complement to Curtis Lofton's steady play on the inside.
28. Carolina Panthers – David Yankey*, G, Stanford (6-5, 315)
With the draft so deep at receiver, the Panthers can get Cam Newton good weapons later on. Yankey would help get the team's weak running game back on track, meanwhile.
29. Atlanta Falcons (from NE) – Cyrus Kouandjio*, OT, Alabama (6-5, 310)
The Falcons have a history of trading up, and the Patriots a history of trading back. Getting a pass rusher and a blocker are the two top priorities for Atlanta, so Kouandjio and Mack would be nice catches.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers (from SF) – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (6-7, 310)
The Steelers went cheap at tackle by drafting Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert outside of the first round, but the results weren't good enough.
31. Denver Broncos – Jarvis Landry*, WR, LSU (6-0, 195)
Eric Decker is a free agent, and he probably isn't worth the big dollars with such a spectacular WR draft coming up. Landry might lack Beckham's explosiveness, but Landry's hands are superb and he knows how to get open.
32. Seattle Seahawks – Timmy Jernigan*, DT, Florida State (6-2, 300)
The Seahawks have good depth on its interior with all of Brandon Mebane, Jordan Hill and Jesse Williams hanging around, but Jernigan can provide a boost to that rotation as well as depth behind Red Bryant at the big DE spot in Seattle's front.
2nd round
33. St. Louis Rams (from HOU) – Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (6-1, 215)
The Rams could use an upgrade alongside T.J. McDonald at safety. Bucannon is a fierce player who fits Jeff Fisher's old school approach to defense.
34. Washington Redskins – Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois (5-11, 195)
Not unlike John Cyprien a year ago, Ward is a small school safety whose stock is rapidly on the rise. He was impressive during the Senior Bowl week.
35. Cleveland Browns – Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood (6-1, 195)
Joe Haden is elite at one CB spot, but Buster Skrine gets beat like a drum at the other.
36. Cincinnati Bengals (from OAK) - Kony Ealy*, DE, Missouri (6-5, 275)
Ealy isn't explosive and probably won't change games, but he's a versatile player who shows a lot of reliability. The Bengals need insurance at end if Michael Johnson walks.
37. New England Patriots (from ATL) – Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas (6-5, 310)
Interior linemen are expensive these days, so the Patriots might rather draft Swanson than re-sign Ryan Wendell.
38. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Scott Crichton*, DE, Oregon State (6-3, 265)
Coach Lovie Smith will want to find some explosiveness on the edge to complement the steady but unspectacular Adrian Clayborn.
39. Baltimore Ravens (from JAC) - Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State (6-4, 300)
The Ravens are known to be searching for an upgrade at center. If they don't get Swanson or Richburg, they probably won't get one.
40. Minnesota Vikings – Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (6-6, 260)
Murphy rarely 'wows' on tape, but he's too rock solid to fall further than this, if this far at all.
41. Buffalo Bills - Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU (6-3, 245)
If the Bills go to more of a wide-nine scheme in 2013, then adding talent at LB is a must. Kiko Alonso was great as a rookie, but he doesn't normally show the gap consciousness that you'd like from a wide-nine MLB. Van Noy is a rock.
42. Tennessee Titans – Devonta Freeman*, RB, Florida State (5-8, 205)
Shonn Greene is locked in as a plodding off-the-bench runner for Tennessee, but a replacement for Chris Johnson as the primary runner is necessary. Freeman is explosive and tough as a runner.
43. New York Giants - Xavier Su'a-Filo, G, UCLA (6-3, 305)
The Giants seem stuck with Justin Pugh and William Beatty at tackle, so guard is the top offensive line position to target for them.
44. Houston Texans (from STL) – Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU (6-5, 235)
Mettenberger probably wouldn't be able to play right away due to his November ACL tear, but he'd give Bill O'Brien a big-armed starting option from about the midway point of the season onward.
45. Detroit Lions - Austin Seferian-Jenkins*, TE, Washington (6-6, 275)
Seferian-Jenkins could go higher than this if he comes to the Combine in shape and shows his full athletic potential. The Lions would probably like him here as an easy replacement for Brandon Pettigrew.
46. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt (6-3, 205)
Matthews would give Ben Roethlisberger some size at WR, at long last.
47. Dallas Cowboys – Dominique Easley, DT, Florida (6-2, 285)
Back-to-back defensive tackle picks is unorthodox, but Dallas' talent deficiency at the position warrants it.
48. Jacksonville Jaguars (from BAL) - Telvin Smith, OLB, Florida State (6-3, 220)
Smith shows very rare instincts for a linebacker, often identifying plays nearly a full second sooner than his standout FSU teammates. He could be another Lavonte David.
49. New York Jets - Davante Adams*, WR, Fresno State (6-2, 220)
Adams has the big frame and strong hands to hopefully counteract Geno Smith's thus far shaky accuracy.
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Troy Niklas*, TE, Notre Dame (6-6, 270)
Niklas was quite impressive as Notre Dame's top tight end in 2013, just his second season at the position. He gives Tampa a better in-line option than Tim Wright, who could then focus on running routes.
51. Chicago Bears - Kelcy Quarles*, DT, South Carolina (6-3, 300)
If the Bears pass on defensive tackle in the first round, addressing the position in the second is almost mandatory.
52. Pittsburgh Steelers (from ARZ) - Ed Reynolds*, S, Stanford (6-1, 210)
Reynolds has the skill set and athleticism to project as a long-term centerfielder for the Steelers.
53. Green Bay Packers – Marcus Smith, (3-4) OLB, Louisville (6-4, 260)
Smith reportedly had a rough Senior Bowl week, but his film is impressive and he should test very well at the Combine.
54. Philadelphia Eagles – Lache Seastrunk*, RB, Baylor (5-9, 210)
LeSean McCoy touched the ball 366 times in 2013, which is too much. A big reason his workload was so huge was because Bryce Brown was an inept off-the-bench runner. Seastrunk can give McCoy some crucial rest while providing immense big-play potential.
55. Cincinnati Bengals – Marcus Roberson*, CB, Florida (6-0, 195)
Cornerback is a thin position for the Bengals, and Roberson has the SEC background that they so often prefer in their early draft picks.
56. San Francisco 49ers (from KC) – Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (5-10, 180)
Verrett's lack of size is a concern that could push him down to this point, where Jim Harbaugh would be all too happy to take the skilled press corner to play as a slot specialist at the very least.
57. San Diego Chargers - Allen Robinson*, WR, Penn State (6-3, 210)
Robinson could go higher than this, but if he runs in the mid 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash, the Chargers might snag a second day steal at WR for the second year in a row.
58. New Orleans Saints – Ka'Deem Carey*, RB, Arizona (5-10, 210)
The New Orleans backfield isn't crowded as much as it is cluttered. Carey would give it a necessary boost in explosiveness.
59. Indianapolis Colts - Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State (6-4, 340)
Trent Richardson is strong and fast, but he showed last year that he can't run without obvious openings in a defense. Jackson can maul open some passages for him.
60. Carolina Panthers – Brandin Cooks*, WR, Oregon State (5-10, 185)
As a smallish WR with great speed and a fiery demeanor, Cooks is an obvious long-term replacement candidate for Steve Smith.
61. Arizona Cardinals (from SF via PIT) – Tre Mason*, RB, Auburn (5-9, 205)
Rashard Mendenhall needs to go, and Andre Ellington doesn't have enough durability to last long as a feature back. Putting Mason in for Mendenhall would likely yield at least 200 more yards on last year's running workload.
62. New England Patriots – Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin (5-11, 245)
If Brandon Spikes walks in free agency, adding Borland would be a nice way for New England to maintain its flexibility between three- and four-man fronts. Like Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower, Borland can help inside or out.
63. Denver Broncos – Terrence Brooks, S, Florida State (5-11, 200)
Rahim Moore (leg) will return from injury in 2014, playing on a one-year deal. Duke Ihenacho, meanwhile, hasn't been thoroughly convincing at the other safety spot.
64. Seattle Seahawks – Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia (6-6, 325)
Breno Giacomini is a free agent at right tackle, and the Seahawks could use an upgrade there, anyway. Moses could easily go higher than this, but he might not have the nimbleness necessary to convince teams of his viability as a blindside blocker.
