This article is part of our NFL Draft series.
Thanks for checking out our latest mock draft! This three-round edition features five trades. Make sure to follow us on Twitter at @NFLDraft2K14!
Trades
-CLE trades No. 4 and No. 83 to STL for No. 2 and 2014 5th round pick
-ATL trades No. 6, No. 68, 2014 4th round pick and 2015 1st round pick to JAC for No. 3
-MIA trades No. 19 and No. 50 to MIN for No. 8
-SF trades No. 30 and No. 61 to PIT for No. 15
-STL trades No. 44 and 2014 4th round pick to OAK for No. 36
1. Houston Texans – Johnny Manziel*, QB, Texas A&M (6-0, 215)
It's trendy to lock Blake Bortles in at this pick because coach Bill O'Brien's coaching history included tall QBs like Tom Brady, Christian Hackenberg, Ryan Mallett and Matt Cassel. The 'Bill O'Brien Needs a Big QB' narrative is inconvenienced by the fact that he also coached QBs like George Godsey (6-foot-2), Thaddeus Lewis (6-foot-1), Brian Hoyer (6-foot-2) and Matt McGloin (6-foot-1). Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater are better than Bortles.
2. Cleveland Browns (from WAS via STL) – Teddy Bridgewater*, QB, Louisville (6-3, 205)
The Browns are consistently linked to Manziel, but they'd learn to love Bridgewater if necessary. They'd need to get ahead of Jacksonville to get him, though.
3. Atlanta Falcons (from JAC) – Jadeveon Clowney*, DE, South Carolina (6-5, 275)
Perhaps more than any other team in the league, the Falcons show a clear willingness to make big trades upward in the draft. Landing Clowney would be quite a consolation prize for Atlanta fans after getting blindsided by last year's wasted season.
4. St. Louis Rams (from CLE) – Greg Robinson*, OT, Auburn (6-5, 320)
The Rams need to add tackle talent in light of Jake Long's ACL tear and Rodger Saffold's expired contract.
5. Oakland Raiders – Sammy Watkins*, WR, Clemson (6-1, 205)
Even if the Raiders take Blake Bortles here, they won't be able to provide him with a No. 1 WR. They can take Watkins here and catch a QB in the second round.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (from ATL) – Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo (6-3, 250)
The idea of passing on Clowney isn't easily sold, but Mack is an elite prospect in his own right, and hauling in three more premium picks is a good idea for a Jacksonville roster that appears talent deficient at all positions other than perhaps WR.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Blake Bortles*, QB, UCF (6-3, 230)
Mike Glennon wasn't really any more convincing as a rookie than Matt McGloin was for Oakland. There's no need to pass on Bortles if they think he can turn into a franchise QB.
8. Miami Dolphins (from MIN) – Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M (6-5, 305)
Minnesota wouldn't find a great prospect fit at eight in this scenario, but the Dolphins would have plenty reason to move up for Matthews, solidifying their own line while blocking the division rival Bills from getting a shot at him.
9. Buffalo Bills – Eric Ebron*, TE, North Carolina (6-4, 245)
The Bills should try hard to keep Jairus Byrd in town, which would mostly make Ha Ha Clinton-Dix a non-consideration here. The Bills have no comparable in-house talent at tight end, though, so snagging Ebron would provide an immediate upgrade at a need position.
10. Detroit Lions – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix*, S, Alabama (6-1, 210)
WRs, TEs and CBs can be found later on, but a safety prospect comparable to HHCD won't be.
11. Tennessee Titans – Anthony Barr, (3-4) OLB, UCLA (6-4, 250)
Barr is correctly receiving criticism for his lack of actual skill as a defender, but it's a forgivable shortcoming given the short amount of time he's actually played on defense. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton can show him the light.
12. New York Giants – Mike Evans*, WR, Texas A&M (6-5, 225)
Rueben Randle isn't fully convincing, and Victor Cruz and Jerel Jernigan are mostly slot targets. Evans can provide true WR1 potential.
13. St. Louis Rams – Kelvin Benjamin*, WR, Florida State (6-5, 235)
They'd rather have Evans, but the Rams would probably need to turn to Benjamin here if they have their hearts set on landing a big WR.
14. Chicago Bears – C.J. Mosley, MLB, Alabama (6-2, 230)
When you give up 5.3 yards a carry over a full season, you could probably use Mosley's assistance.
15. San Francisco 49ers (from PIT) – RaShede Hageman, (3-4) DE, MIN (6-6, 310)
Hageman should test very well at the Combine, and the 49ers could use a top prospect at end to groom as Justin Smith's eventual successor. Pittsburgh should want to trade down since they don't have a 3rd round pick.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas (6-5, 310)
Center was a liability for the Ravens last year, but they might not get a good replacement if they wait until the 2nd round to address the position.
17. Dallas Cowboys – Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh (6-1, 290)
Who knows whether Rod Marinelli, Monte Kiffin or anyone else will have any say in Dallas' draft process, but Donald is an on-paper fit for the scheme the Cowboys are misguidedly attempting to implement.
18. New York Jets – Jace Amaro*, TE, Texas Tech (6-5, 260)
Geno Smith just might look a little better in 2014 if he has even a single reliable target to throw to, especially if it's a big target. Amaro is a no-brainer pick if he goes this far.
19. Minnesota Vikings (from MIA) – Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State (6-2, 220)
Carr's footwork is very sloppy and his brother's shadow could weigh him down, but Minnesota's strong running game and competent WR duo of Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson would keep his burden manageable.
20. Arizona Cardinals – Dee Ford, (3-4) OLB, Auburn (6-2, 240)
Ford's speed off the edge would be a valuable addition to a defense that otherwise only has John Abraham turning the corner.
21. Green Bay Packers – Louis Nix*, DT, Notre Dame (6-2, 345)
There's a good chance that Nix would be an upgrade over the disappointing B.J. Raji, and at a much cheaper price.
22. Philadelphia Eagles – Calvin Pryor*, S, Louisville (6-2, 210)
Philadelphia is pretty much empty at safety, so Pryor should start immediately.
23. Kansas City Chiefs – Odell Beckham*, WR, LSU (5-11, 195)
Beckham would be an upgrade over Donnie Avery the second he stepped on the field. The Chiefs can't afford to give Jamaal Charles such a heavy burden as a receiver two years in a row.
24. Cincinnati Bengals – Bradley Roby*, CB, Ohio State (5-11, 190)
Roby had a rough junior year at Ohio State, but he should look better than corners like Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard in a Combine setting.
25. San Diego Chargers – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State (6-0, 200)
Gilbert would likely be an immediate upgrade over Derek Cox for San Diego.
26. Cleveland Browns (from IND) – Marqise Lee*, WR, USC (6-0, 195)
Bridgewater, Lee, Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron would make for an elite long-term foundation on offense.
27. New Orleans Saints – Ryan Shazier, (3-4) ILB, Ohio State (6-2, 230)
The Saints should try to improve their run defense in 2014. Shazier would help there and provide an upgrade for the inside blitzing.
28. Carolina Panthers – Jarvis Landry*, WR, LSU (6-0, 195)
Landry has some of the best hands you'll ever see, and he's surprisingly good at getting open for a player without obviously blazing speed.
29. New England Patriots – David Yankey*, G, Stanford (6-5, 315)
Yankey would start at guard in this scenario, allowing New England to move Dan Connolly to center in order to replace Ryan Wendell.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State (5-11, 200)
Dennard isn't likely to wow at the Combine and he won't be able to use contact as much in the NFL as he did at Michigan State, but his hardnosed style of play would fit well in Pittsburgh.
31. Denver Broncos – Kony Ealy*, DE, Missouri (6-5, 275)
Ealy would replace Robert Ayers at the very least and could project as Shaun Phillips' long-term replacement.
32. Seattle Seahawks – Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (6-7, 310)
Lewan would replace and eventually project as an upgrade over free agent Breno Giacomini.
Second round
33. Houston Texans – Zack Martin, OT/G, Notre Dame (6-4, 305)
34. Washington Redskins – Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt (6-3, 205)
Pierre Garcon could use some help, and Robert Griffin could use it even more.
35. Cleveland Browns – Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood (6-1, 195)
36. St. Louis Rams (from OAK) – Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (6-1, 215)
37. Atlanta Falcons – Cyrus Kouandjio*, OT, Alabama (6-5, 310)
38. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Xavier Su'a-Filo, G, UCLA (6-3, 305)
39. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois (6-2, 220)
If the Jaguars don't land one of Manziel, Bridgewater, Bortles or Carr, then Garoppolo or Zach Mettenberger would probably make the most sense in the 2nd round.
40. Minnesota Vikings – Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (6-6, 260)
41. Buffalo Bills – Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU (6-3, 245)
42. Tennessee Titans – Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State (5-8, 205)
Freeman charges through traffic better than most backs with 15 pounds on him. He'd be a major fantasy factor if he landed on a squad with a thin depth chart. Tennessee should qualify as such when/if they cut Chris Johnson.
43. New York Giants – Austin Seferian-Jenkins*, TE, Washington (6-6, 275)
Brandon Myers was a one-year, stopgap solution at tight end. Seferian-Jenkins can turn into a Martellus Bennett sort of player.
44. Oakland Raiders (from STL) – Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU (6-5, 235)
Selecting Mettenberger would be a sneaky way for GM Reggie McKenzie to perhaps buy himself more time. Mettenberger might miss the first six weeks or so due to his late-season ACL tear, but if he can show promise in the second half of 2014 then it could put Oakland on the upswing.
45. Detroit Lions – Davante Adams*, WR, Fresno State (6-2, 220)
Adams could easily go sooner than this, so the Lions should grab him in a hurry if he lasts this long. Adams could be another Muhsin Muhammad.
46. Pittsburgh Steelers – Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia (6-6, 325)
47. Dallas Cowboys – Craig Loston, S, LSU (6-0, 215)
48. Baltimore Ravens – Allen Robinson*, WR, Penn State (6-3, 210)
Robinson probably wouldn't overtake Torrey Smith as Baltimore's top WR at any point, but he would likely establish himself as the team's No. 2 WR in a hurry.
49. New York Jets – Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois (5-11, 195)
50. Minnesota Vikings (from MIA) – Marcus Roberson*, CB, Florida (6-0, 190)
51. Chicago Bears – Stephon Tuitt*, DL, Notre Dame (6-6, 310)
52. Arizona Cardinals – Tre Mason*, RB, Auburn (5-9, 205)
Rashard Mendenhall is a free agent (good riddance), and Andre Ellington hasn't shown the durability necessary to last long as a feature back. Mason and Ellington would be an excellent duo to build around.
53. Green Bay Packers – Marcus Smith, (3-4) OLB, Louisville
54. Philadelphia Eagles – Terrance Mitchell*, CB, Oregon (6-0, 190)
55. Cincinnati Bengals – Telvin Smith, OLB, Florida State (6-3, 220)
56. San Francisco 49ers (from KC) – Ed Reynolds*, S, Stanford (6-1, 210)
57. San Diego Chargers – Brandin Cooks*, WR, Oregon State (5-10, 190)
Eddie Royal isn't what you should strive for in your slot wideout. Adding Cooks would give San Diego a YAC threat it completely lacks at the moment.
58. New Orleans Saints – Lache Seastrunk*, RB, Baylor (5-9, 210)
Aside from Kenny Stills and Darren Sproles, the New Orleans offense doesn't have any standout speed these days. Changing that is necessary, and Seastrunk can come through on that front.
59. Indianapolis Colts – Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State (6-4, 300)
60. Carolina Panthers – Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State (6-4, 340)
61. Pittsburgh Steelers (from SF) – Chris Borland, (3-4) ILB, Wisconsin (5-11, 245)
62. New England Patriots – Dominique Easley, DT, Florida (6-2, 285)
63. Denver Broncos – Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (5-10, 180)
64. Seattle Seahawks – Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech (6-3, 250)
Third round
65. Houston Texans – Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin (6-1, 190)
The Texans have no legitimate third WR after Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, so snagging Abbrederis here makes lots of sense. Abbrederis might be the best WR in this draft at burning defenses deep.
66. Washington Redskins – Terrence Brooks, S, Florida State (5-11, 200)
67. Oakland Raiders – Troy Niklas*, TE, Notre Dame (6-6, 270)
Oakland has a few projects at tight end in David Ausberry, Mychal Rivera and Nick Kasa, and there's a bit to like about all of them, but Niklas is a strong value at this point and a plausible immediate upgrade.
68. Jacksonville Jaguars (from ATL) – Scott Crichton*, DE, Oregon State (6-3, 265)
69. New York Jets (from TB) – Brandon Thomas, G, Clemson (6-4, 320)
70. Jacksonville Jaguars – Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota State (6-5, 320)
71. Cleveland Browns – Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State (6-0, 235)
Hyde would be a very strong fantasy prospect if he landed in Cleveland as the team's clear starting candidate.
72. Minnesota Vikings – Martavis Bryant*, WR, Clemson (6-4, 200)
Bryant had a lot of consistency issues at Clemson, so it will be interesting to see whether he falls beyond this spot, but he has major upside that could be worth gambling on. Minnesota lacks a WR with the downfield potential Bryant possesses.
73. Buffalo Bills – Aaron Lynch*, DE, South Florida (6-5, 245)
74. New York Giants – Jon Halapio, G, Florida (6-4, 320)
75. St. Louis Rams – Lamarcus Joyner, CB/S, Florida State (5-8, 190)
76. Detroit Lions – C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa (6-6, 260)
Like Brandon Pettigrew, Fiedorowicz is a big tight end who should be more than able to meet the blocking demands of an NFL starter. He might even be an upgrade over Pettigrew.
77. San Francisco 49ers (from TEN) – Brandon Coleman*, WR, Rutgers (6-5, 220)
Coleman doesn't have the short-area coordination to project as an obvious threat on short routes, but he's a big target with the speed necessary to burn defenses deep.
78. Baltimore Ravens – Justin Britt, OT, Missouri (6-6, 315)
79. Dallas Cowboys – Bruce Ellington*, WR, South Carolina (5-9, 200)
Ellington projects very well as a slot prospect, and Dallas has an urgent need at the position after wasting time with the likes of Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris at the position a year ago.
80. New York Jets – Ka'Deem Carey*, RB, Arizona (5-11, 210)
The Jets wouldn't be an obvious choice for Carey's landing spot, but they'd have trouble passing on him in the 3rd round. Carey would be a Shane Vereen sort of complement to Chris Ivory's power running.
81. Miami Dolphins – Kelcy Quarles*, DT, South Carolina (6-3, 300)
82. Chicago Bears – Bashaud Breeland*, CB, Clemson (6-0, 185)
83. St. Louis Rams (from PIT via CLE) – Caraun Reid, DT, Princeton (6-2, 300)
84. Arizona Cardinals – Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech (6-0, 195)
85. Green Bay Packers – Richard Rodgers*, TE, California (6-4, 245)
Rodgers has the athleticism to threaten the middle of the downfield, which makes him a good theoretical fit in Jermichael Finley's role.
86. Philadelphia Eagles – De'Anthony Thomas*, WR, Oregon (5-9, 170)
Thomas would give Philadelphia a killer screen and sweep threat, and he could provide All-Pro returner production, too.
87. Kansas City Chiefs – DaQuan Jones, (3-4) DE, Penn State (6-4, 325)
88. Cincinnati Bengals – Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State (6-0, 315)
89. San Diego Chargers – Josh Huff, WR, Oregon (5-11, 210)
Huff doesn't really jump out on tape, but he's a rock-solid WR who would project nicely in the WR2 role while Cooks mans the slot.
90. Indianapolis Colts – Donte Moncrief*, WR, Mississippi (6-2, 225)
Moncrief had consistency issues at Mississippi, but his high points were quite encouraging. Indianapolis needs a big wideout like him.
91. New Orleans Saints – Antonio Richardson*, OT, Tennessee (6-6, 330)
92. Carolina Panthers – Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska (6-3, 215)
93. New England Patriots – Crockett Gilmore, TE, Colorado State (6-6, 255)
Gilmore is a well-rounded tight end with great size. He obviously wouldn't be any threat to the workload of a healthy Rob Gronkowski, but he might remain fantasy relevant even after Gronkowski's return.
94. San Francisco 49ers – Keith McGill, CB, Utah (6-3, 215)
95. Denver Broncos – TJ Jones, WR, Notre Dame (6-0, 195)
Jones is a very smooth WR who would project nicely as a potential replacement for Eric Decker.
96. Minnesota Vikings (from SEA) – Joel Bitonio, G, Nevada (6-4, 310)
