BSPN 2014 NFL MOCK DRAFT "FINAL"

Rd 1: Pick 1	Houston Texans
Jadeveon Clowney	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DE	6’5”	265 Lbs.	S.  Carolina
	The Texans have the burden of choosing number 1 in a draft that is absolutely loaded with talent.  I think Houston would gladly trade their 1st pick if they were able to pick up additional selections, but in this draft, no one wants to move up.  So, the question is whether they draft a quarterback or take the best player available?  Clowney is easily the most talented, naturally gifted player in the draft, but he has been said to be lazy and less than inspiring in his preparation.  Johnny Manziel will be the people’s sentimental favorite, but is he worthy of the number 1 overall pick?  I don’t think so and I don’t think the Texans do.  Clowney will be their pick.  Other Needs:  QB,OT,OG,FS,CB,TE

Rd 1: Pick 2	St. Louis Rams
Greg Robinson	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OT	6’5”	332 Lbs.	Auburn
	Greg Robinson looked like the epitome of pure power and quickness.  St. Louis, like Houston, would love to trade out of this spot in the draft, but might find it difficult to find a buyer.  Robinson will fit in nicely for Jeff Fisher’s offense and will give QB Sam Bradford an opportunity to show that he was worth the first-round pick that the Rams used to select him. And Robinson is an impressive specimen and should become and All-Pro tackle sooner than later.  Also, Fisher would love to develop a consistent running game with RB Zac Stacey getting more carries. Robinson will undoubtedly help the Rams become a more balanced football team in 2014. He is a plug and play offensive tackle and worthy of the number 2 pick overall. Other Needs: WR,RB, SS,OC,TE

Rd 1: Pick 3	Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles	Position	Height	Weight	College
	QB	6’5”	235 Lbs.	Central Florida
	Bortles is perhaps the most prototypical NFL quarterback in this year’s draft. He’s big, tall, and physical and can make all of the throws necessary for Pro football. Perhaps more than anything, he showed his competitive acumen as he chose to take part in all of the field drills and throwing exercises at the Indianapolis scouting combine; something that his competition at QB chose not to do. Johnny football, Teddy Bridgewater, AJ McLaren and Derek Carr all decided not to throw the Indianapolis in fear that it would affect their draft stock. Bortles hit the ground running and impressed scouts enough that some believe he could be the first quarterback taken. Other Needs: WR,OL,LB,CB,FS,RB

Rd 1: Pick 4	Cleveland Browns
Khalil Mack	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OLB	6’2”	251 lbs.	Buffalo
	Cleveland has made some positive moves in free agency, acquiring: S Dante Whitner, LB Carlos Dansby, RB Ben Tate, WR Nate Burleson, WR Andrew Hawkins, and taking WR Josh Gordon last year in the supplemental draft. However, during the off-season they also lost a great defender in LB D’Qwell Jackson, a salary cap casualty. The Brown’s defense was very formidable in’13, and their offensive was gaining momentum until QB Brian Hoyer was injured. Hoyer had a promising start, but still the Brown’s or shopping for their franchise quarterback. Johnny Manziel has been mentioned for Cleveland, but replacing Jackson with a potential superstar like, OLB Khalil Mack, could be too much to resist. He is a phenomenal talent and the Brown’s quarterback may still be available with their (second) 1st round pick at 26, (Manziel? Carr? Bridgewater? Garoppolo?) Mack will be Brown’s man du jour. Other Needs: WR,QB, S,LB,DT

Rd 1: Pick 5	Oakland Raiders
Sammy Watkins	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	6’0”	211 lbs.	Clemson
	The Raiders have struggled mightily over a decade now and Reggie McKenzie has been making some questionable moves acquiring veterans rather than building through the draft. In a big move, GM Reggie McKenzie acquired Matt Schaub, the pariah of Houston after about a half a dozen pick-6’s last year with the Texans. One thing Schaub needs is weapons, He has got a couple, already; RB Maurice Jones Drew signed with Oakland and Darren McFadden is healthy again. This makes for two very different effective rushers and can catch. James Jones will help Schaub as a possession receiver, but the Raiders need a deep threat and this draft has plenty and the best is Sammy Watkins. He should be available at 5. Other Needs: LB,DE,DT,CB,OT,OG

Rd 1: Pick 6	Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OT	6’5”	308 lbs.	Texas A&M
	The Falcons have invested heavily in the draft and with their money on their offense and it has produced one of the most explosive scoring teams in the NFL. However, the Seahawks, Panthers and 49ers have shown that it is their dominating defenses that create winning opportunities for the offense to flourish. Last season, the Falcons chose, CB Desmond Trufant, with their first choice and should probably use this year’s pick to fortify a still porous defense. However, after investing $20 million per year for their QB, Matt Ryan, they must protect him. Ryan was sacked 50 times (2nd most NFL) last year and the ’14 draft has some very talented O-Lineman. Jake Matthews is one of the best and an area of obvious need. Other Needs: DE,DT,LB,SS,OG,RB

Rd 1: Pick 7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	6’4”	231 lbs.	Texas A&M
	The Bucs just lost, Mike Williams, (one of their most productive WRs) in a trade with the Bills for a 6th round pick this year. It was a move to replace a troubled player who seemingly couldn’t stay out of trouble away from the game. Now, Tampa needs to retool their receiving corps and there is a bevy of talented receivers in the upcoming May draft for new Bucs’ head coach, Lovie Smith. Smith is a defense invited HC, but he also puts a high value on his “chosen QB” and the tools necessary for his QB to be successful. Mike Evans is a rare talent and at 6’4”, 231 lbs., he is a big target with good hands and above average route running skills. Evans has shot up the draft board after the scouting combine and now the 2nd most wanted WR in the draft. Other Needs: QB,CB,OT,DT

Rd 1: Pick 8	Minnesota Vikings
CJ Mosley	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OLB	6’2”	234 lbs.	Alabama
	The Vikings had a bonanza last year in the first round of the draft, collecting an extra 1st round pick from the Seahawks in the Percy Harvin trade, plus their own No.1 pick (at 23), which produced a “steal of a pick”, DE Sharif Floyd. Then, the Vikes used Seattle’s pick (25th) to draft CB Xavier Rhodes. Finally, with the 29th pick, acquired through a multi-pick trade with New England, they chose WR & KR specialist, Cordarrelle Patterson. A decent day and that was only the first round. Now, the Vikes have a new HC (Mike Zimmer), but have lost their long time vet, DE Jared Allen in FA to the Bears. Now, the “best available front seven defender” would probably be the right pick for GM Rick Spielman. Alabama’s star ILB, CJ Mosley, would be a nice player to add to Zimmer’s subpar D. Spielman may have to use all of the Vikes’ 2014 pics on the defense, but what about QB? Will “Johnny Football” be available at No.8? Zimmer had disparaging remarks to say about him just last week, but was it simply gamesman and ship? If available at 8 would they gamble? Johnny Viking? Other Needs: LB,DE,QB,S,WR

Rd 1: Pick 9	Buffalo Bills
Taylor Lewan	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OT	6’7”	309 lbs.	Michigan
	The Bills have been going through somewhat of a rough stretch. They haven’t been able to find a reliable quarterback since Jim Kelly and Kelly is going through a battle of his own with cancer. Bills team owner, Ralph Wilson, passed away leaving the franchise in control of his widow, and without a team visionary. Now it’s possible the franchise may relocate if a local buyer isn’t found soon. However, the team has a nice roster of young and talented players. However, their offensive line needs to be replenished and Taylor Lewan is a great player, perhaps the best pass blocking tackle on the board. Another position of need, safety to replace Jairus Byrd who was lost in FA to the Saints. Other needs: WR,OLB,CB

Rd 1: Pick 10	Detroit Lions
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	Position	Height	Weight	College
	S	6’1”	208 lbs.	Alabama
	New coach Jim Caldwell has already begun to change the climate around the normally undisciplined and immature Lions facility. Megatron is showing signs of his age and the beating he takes from being the only real primary pass receiver in Detroit. After losing Louis Delmas, Caldwell is going to need a new dominant safety and Alabama’s HaHa Clinton-Dix is a very good one to replace Delmas. A definite top 10 talent, he’s got good size and length and covers better-than-average. His real value is in his ability to cover the middle of the field and give run support to the average LB’s of the Lions, He reminds one of Seahawks’ S Kam Chancellor in Seattle. He’s not as big, but might have better ability to cover smaller receivers than Chancellor. Other Needs: CB,OT,WR,LB,FS

Rd 1: Pick 11	Tennessee Titans
Justin Gilbert	Position	Height	Weight	College
	CB	6’0”	202 lbs.	Oklahoma State
	This is going to be a very important, and very difficult decision for new head coach, Ken Wisenhunt. He’s got a top 10 pick quarterback in, Jake Locker, but this could be a make or break year for the former Husky QB. Johnny Manziel has been mentioned with the Titans, but they will likely give Locker one more chance to prove his worth. However, Wisenhunt will need help on the backend of his defense, and Justin Gilbert is the best CB’s available on most of the scout’s big board’s. Bortles could also be a possibility here, as could Darrick Carr. I still think the Titans will select a player in the secondary; Gilbert will likely be a plug-and-play corner. Other Needs: WR,OT,TE,QB,LB,CB

Rd 1: Pick 12	New York Giants
Eric Ebron	Position	Height	Weight	College
	TE	6’4”	250 lbs.	North Carolina
	This is one of the easiest predictions perhaps on the board. The New York Giants desperately need a big, athletic past target who could also block occasionally and Eric Ebron is the best available, Austin Saferian Jenkins, notwithstanding. Unfortunately, ASJ is rehabbing from foot surgery and had a down senior season. Much of this was systemic as “then, UW coach Steve Sarkissian” asked ASJ to do more blocking and to put on more weight (285 lbs.). Jenkins is now down to 265 lbs. and feels much lighter and athletic. However, Ebron is a little bit better pass receiver and route runner and he’s ready to play now. This is an easy pick: the Giants needed to replace Marcellus Bennett two years ago but failed. Now is the time to fill this big-time need for the G-Men. Eli Manning needs tools and protection, Ebron can provide both receiving, and to a lesser extent pass blocking. However, this is a team with many holes and many needs. Other Needs: WR,OT,OG,LB,CB, FS,QB

Rd1: Pick 13	St. Louis Rams
Darqueze Denard	Position	Height	Weight	College
	CB	5’10”	199 lbs.	Michigan State
	The Rams are another team with a quarterback that has a lot to prove and many critics. One of Sam Bradford’s problems is his fragility. He can’t stay healthy and therefore can’t help the Rams from the sidelines. St. Louis has been linked to some of the more popular QB’s in the draft, but look for defensive minded coach Jeff Fisher to fortify his defense with one of the best corners in the draft, Darqueze Denard. Denard is a very rangy DB with fluid hips and instincts of a much more experienced corner. The Rams also need a big bodied receiver, maybe even a tight end, but they will likely work on their defense which is the strongest part of their team and getting better. It’s all about competing with the Seahawks and 49ers in the NFC West and that means big D. Other Needs: WR,SS,RB,QB

Rd 1: Pick 14	Chicago Bears
Aaron Donald	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DT	6’0”	285 lbs.	Pittsburgh
	The Bears desperately need to get younger in their front 7. The acquisition of veteran DE Jared Allen and with Jeremiah Ratliff, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, the Bears defense is getting old. Drafting a young defensive tackle like Donald would go a long way in shoring up an interior run stuffer and push of the middle to displace QB and letting the edge rushers get the sacks more easily. The Bears have been getting older and their FA moves off-season has done little to repair that. Perhaps a decent draft and would be a good start. However, Mark Trestman is an offensive guru and the question is; will he balance his team with some D not?  Other Needs: LB,DT,CB,SS,OG,OC

Rd 1: Pick 15	Pittsburgh Steelers
Calvin Pryor	Position	Height	Weight	College
	S	5’11”	207 lbs.	Louisville
	Pitt Steel has lost a bit of its luster over the last couple of years and has been eliminated from the playoffs. Troy Polamalu is showing serious signs of slowing down and this is a defense that relies heavily on its free safety. Calvin Pryor is the best free safety on the board and I look for HC Mike Tomlin to select the Louisville standout with their 15th pick overall. David DeCastro had a severe knee injury in training camp last year, but is back strong again and should help anchor an improved o-line to help RB’s LeGarrett Blount and LeVeon Bell to run more freely and also give aging QB Ben Roethlisberger some time to make plays down field with his arm. The Steelers also haven’t remedied the loss of WR Mike Wallace yet either.  Other Needs: CB, LB, WR, QB

Rd 1: Pick 16	Dallas Cowboys
Timmy Jernigan	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DE	6’1”	299 lbs.	Florida State
	Meanwhile in Big “D”, mad scientist, Jerry Jones, is still trying to juggle the jobs of; Team Owner, CEO, President, GM, Personnel Exec. And probably locker room janitor. Perhaps if he picked one job, he might actually be good at it. Losing DE DeMarcus Ware in a casualty of the salary cap move, the Cowboys will likely draft a pass rushing DE and with the 16th pick, Timmy Jernigan is a very good one. He plays the Cowboys style of defense, running Monte Kiffin’s newly adopted flex 4-3 set, much like the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks run and I. Jernigan is a big, fast down linemen and gets tremendous leverage at the (point-of-attack) giving him the ability to bulrush tackles or chop-cut underneath in the three gap, attacking the quarterback from the interior. Players like this are rare and look for Dallas to take advantage of Jernigan’s availability in a deep draft. Other Needs: QB, RB, OT, FS

Rd 1: Pick 17	Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Fuller	Position	Height	Weight	College
	CB	5’11”	190 lbs.	Virginia Tech
	The Ravens are still showing signs of missing a strong defensive secondary. Perennial All-Pro, S Ed Reed, is gone and so are CB Cary Williams and CB James Ihedigbo. There’s no question that John Harbaugh’s “defense first” mentality needs to be fortified after losing so many defensive standouts since 2012. The Ravens have lost; LB Dannelle Ellerbee, DE Paul Kruger, DE Arthur Jones and LB Ray Lewis from that vaunted defense. Look for Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome to spend May 8-10 drafting a lot of players to rebuild defensive dominance after roster casualties after winning Super Bowl XLVII. Kyle Fuller is a fantastic CB with the size and coverage ability to play FS as well. Ozzie has his work cut out for him, but he’s got an eye for talent and should do fine. Baltimore will be back in the playoffs sooner than later. Other Needs: LB, FS, SS, CB, WR

Rd 1: Pick 18	New York Jets
Brandin Cooks	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	5’9”	185 lbs.	Oregon State
	Rex and the Jets have always made sound personnel decisions on their defense, and it has shown in their performance in 2013. DT Mohammed Wilkerson, DE Quentin Coples, DE Sheldon Richardson, and CB Dee Millner, have all contributed early in their careers. On the other side of the ball, the Jets have made some strange acquisitions. The jury is still out on Geno Smith and now John Idzik has introduced Michael Vick to the mix. Smith doesn’t have a particularly strong sense of confidence and Vick will do nothing to remedy that. However, whoever plays quarterback is going to need weapons and with Santonio Holmes a free agent and John Curley getting the most catches last season, the Jets are going to need a deep threat WR. Oregon State’s SE, Brandin Cooks, has 4.33 speed and reliable hands. He’s not big, but he makes up for it with his ability to get open. Another early draft speedster, Stephen Hill, hasn’t produced as they had hoped, but pair Cooks with Vick and recently acquired, Chris “CJ2K” Johnson on the field at the same time, and the Jets are going to have afterburner speed coming from several different positions. Other Needs: SS, OT, OC, TE

Rd 1: Pick 19	Miami Dolphins
Zack Martin	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OT	6’4”	308 lbs.	Notre Dame
	The Dolphins will start the “Dennis Hickey” era at GM after a 6yr stint with the much-maligned GM, Jeff Ireland, holding the position. Dolphins have had mixed reviews with some of their draft picks of late, still waiting for DE Dion Jordan to produce after starting his career on IR. Ryan Tannehill seems to have the talent, but wasn’t able to gain chemistry with speedster and new Dolphin WR, Mike Wallace, acquired FA. Miami spent a load on FA’s last season acquiring; LB Dannell Ellerbee, CB Brent Grimes, CB Cortland Finnegan among others. Drafting players hasn’t been as successful, and the Phins are up to their old tricks this year acquiring through FA;  FS Louis Delmas, RB Knowshon Moreno, OT Brandon Albert, OG Shelley Smith. The Seahawks, 49ers, Rams and Packers are proving that building through FA is not the way to build a championship team. The Phins do have a lot of talent on this roster no doubt. One area of need is OT and Notre Dame’s Zack Martin would fit the bill nicely. He has quick feet, good pass blocking skills and can bulldoze big DE’s in the running game as well. It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins can resist picking flashier, skilled positions in this deep draft. Other Needs: CB, WR, LB, FS

Rd 1: Pick 20	Arizona Cardinals
Darrick Carr	Position	Height	Weight	College
	QB	6’2”	214 lbs.	Fresno State
	The Cards have drafted smartly over the last two seasons. LB Kevin Minter, CB Tyrann Mathieu and LB Alex Okafor are all productive defensive players taken recently. Bruce Arians will be looking to bolster an already impressive defensive squad, but will probably wait until the middle rounds. One of the offensive players making a meteoric rise in the draft is QB Derek Carr of Fresno state. He had a terrific Pro day and scouting combine and his performance in college was vastly overlooked until the talent evaluation combines began. As fast as Teddy Bridgewater is falling, Carr has skyrocketed. He has good size, a better than average arm and throws an accurate ball. His leadership skills have caught the eye of many scouts and look for Arizona to jump all over and early opportunity to pick Carr with their number 20 pick. This could be one of the biggest steals in the draft, hands down. Gaining a franchise quarterback has become a hallmark of championship football teams and Derek Carr could be the next great find to replace veteran Carson Palmer. Other Needs: WR, RB, OL, CB, SS, OG

Rd 1: Pick 21	Green Bay Packers
O'Dell Beckham	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	5’11”	198 lbs.	Louisiana State
	The Pack should be back with Aaron Rodgers healthy again. Out for six games in the middle of the season with, a fractured collarbone, hampered GB, but they still managed to win the division with Detroit faltering as usual and the Vikings finding ways to lose. Clay Matthews thumb is healthy and BJ Raji has been re-signed and is playing a make or break season. James Jones defected through FA to Oakland and Jennings left to the Vikes, last season. Perhaps the best QB in football needs to retool and O’Dell Beckham could be the right target to draft with the 21st overall. He’s not big, but plays bigger than his height. He has strong hands and runs precise routes, something A-Rod will appreciate with the numerous timing routes he is famous for throwing to Jordy Nelson and Josh Cribbs. The Packers could also use a TE after losing JerMichael Finley to FA and serious spinal cord injury. Finley might play again, but it will likely be for another team and even that is in somewhat doubt. Other Needs: LB, QB, TE, OT, SS, FS, CB

Rd 1: Pick 22	Philadelphia Eagles
Marqise Lee	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	5’11”	192 lbs.	Southern California
	Philly made big news this off-season after dumping one of the biggest playmaking WRs in the game, DeSean Jackson. Fearful of his off-season associations allegedly with gangs, Chip Kelly et al., decided to cut bait and go in a different direction. It turned out to be a favorable move by D Jax former teammates as no one really came to his defense. Nonetheless, the Eagles are without a speedy playmaking wide receiver who can take the top off defenses the way that Jackson did. Daryn Sproles was acquired from the Saints, and that well defray some of the hurt for losing Jackson, but they still would like to have a speedy receiver to do some of the things that the constant malcontent, Jax, did while he was in the city of brotherly love. Marqise Lee of USC just might be the player to fill that position. Lee should be available at 22, but there are other players who could fill this position, as well. The draft is quite deep in great wideouts. Other Needs: FS, CB, LB, OG, TE

Rd 1: Pick 23	Kansas City Chiefs
Kelvin Benjamin	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE Senior info	6’5”	240 lbs.	Florida State
	The Chiefs busted out in ’13 like gangbusters, storm trooping the AFC and gathering 9 consecutive W’s, & finishing 11-5.  A few injuries and some bad luck, the wheels fell off for the Chiefs and coach Andy Reid’s season. Enjoying a last-place schedule might have had something to do with the 9-game winning streak, but there was no denying that KC had a team with several talented players. QB Alex Smith, often thought to be a game manager, performed like one at KC the way he did at SF, making few mistakes, his hallmark. One of the best RB’s, Jamaal Charles, and a premier WR, Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs looked like a balanced offense and a stifling defense, led by LB’s; Tamba Hali, Nico Johnson, Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston. The Chiefs had a quartet of LB’s that were extremely disruptive rushing the QB and sure tacklers. CB Brandon Flowers and S Eric Berry were excellent DB’s, but KC needs more help in the secondary. However, the Chiefs primary need will be finding passing targets for Smith. Bowe is not enough, but this draft is loaded with WRs. The Chiefs will draft a big WR that can hurt opponents in the red zone. Kelvin Benjamin, 6’5” 240 lbs. is that player;  Good hands and better speed than you would expect from a big WR. KC won’t have an easy time in’14. Many AFC teams have improved and the draft will shift the power somewhat also creating parity as it is designed to do. Other Needs: TE, OL, S,

Rd 1: Pick 24	Cincinnati Bengals
Kony Ealy	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DT	6’4”	273 lbs.	Missouri
	The Tigers have a big problem on their hands… The “Red Rifle” aptly called this, for his bright red hair. In the last three years, the only QB to throw for more TD’s than Dalton is Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Yet, Cincy is still cautiously considering extending his deal. The Bengals have made the playoffs in three straight seasons, yet each has resulted in a familiar one-and-out scenario that Dalton and Marvin Lewis are all too familiar with. They have far too many talented players to lose so many opportunities in the playoffs. Cincy has no shortage of talented players on the roster. AJ Green is one of the best WRs in the game, and tight ends Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham a great scoring tandem. Marvin Lewis needs more; fast, big and more athletic defensive linemen. Fortunately, for the Bengals, the draft has several good ones. At 24, and might be a little bit Other Needs:

Rd 1: Pick 25	San Diego Chargers
Louis Nix III	Position	Height	Weight	College
	NT	6’2”	331 lbs.	Notre Dame
	The Chargers have been a team shrouded mystery and obscurity and always held down, I believe, but unimaginative coaching that didn’t really get the facts the defense is half the game, if not more. Even since the days of Don Coryell, Chargers have been a very fast-paced, throw first, and run if you have to offense, but they’ve never really truly committed to building a defensive dominating team. Last year, they surprise everyone when they drafted LB Manti Téo, and I believe they’re going to double back with another defender in NT Louis Nix III. Nix is a big body, with small space quickness and a player who develops tremendous leverage allowing him to stuff the run with power. This will be important for a new coach. Other Needs:

Rd 1: Pick 26	Cleveland Browns (from Indy)
Johnny Manziel	Position	Height	Weight	College
	QB	5’11”	207 lbs.	Texas A&M
	Many believed the Browns blew a No.1 draft selection on RB Trent Richardson, and they soon found that out on the field. However, inexplicably, Jim Irsay, (the owner of the Colts) bailed the Brown’s out as he gave up Indy’s No.1 for the troubled young RB. Richardson struggled early and often and now, the Brown’s possess the Colts first selection in a draft that is loaded at any positions. QB Brian Hoyer had a decent ‘13, but sustained an injury midseason. Failed experiment, Brandon Weeden, stepped in but Cleveland has now understood his limitations, as well. Johnny Manziel might be available at 26, but will he? If he's still there, he would be a good pick for the Brown’s. Pairing him with outstanding LB Khalil Mack with the fourth pick overall and it would be fair to say that Cleveland fans would have reason to fill the stadium.  Other Needs: RB,WR,DE

Rd 1: Pick 27	New Orleans Saints
Dee Ford	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DE	6’4”	244 lbs.	Auburn
	The Saints resurgent defense was clearly sparked by new DC, Rob Ryan, taking the worst defense in the NFL in creating a very formidable group. However, they lost a lot of talent on the defensive line and a year of suspensions to player, coach and front office didn’t help. Jonathan Vilma was the spiritual and veteran leadership that wants help this team win a title, but he’s gone now and so is Will Smith, among others. Rookie S Kenny Vaccaro played well as did another rookie, WR Kenny Stills. The Saints need more tools for Brees, but addressing the defensive line will come first. Dee Ford is a formidable pass rusher, sort of a poor man’s Jadeveon Clowney. In fact, Ford believes he’s better and DC Ryan is going to love that level of confidence in his players. It might be a stretch to say that, but he will fit in nicely with some other nasty defenders that Ryan is assembling in New Orleans.  QB Brees had another outstanding year, and on the other end of his TD passes was pro-bowl TE Jimmy Graham. However, he will need to get much more physical or the Saints must add another pass blocking TE that can also handle the physical nature of defenses like the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals. Other Needs: WR,TE,OT,CB

Rd 1: Pick 28	Carolina Panthers
Morgan Moses	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OT	6’6”	314 lbs.	Virginia
	Carolina unloaded a lot of WR salary in the off-season, but they emptied their roster so cleanly, QB Cam Newton has only, TE Greg Olson, to throw to from last year’s receiving corps. With so many WRs to choose from in this draft, the Panthers will need to address their o-line first. Morgan Moses is a mountain of a man, with quick feet and long arms. He’s a bit raw and will need to be refined to handle the pass blocking schemes that Carolina will need, but he’s a quick learner and has all the physical tools to become a great OT for the Panthers for the next decade. Next, they will need to get a speedy receiver and perhaps a possession slot receiver as well. This is a big area of need and they could do it in reverse WR first, OT after. .Other Needs: TE,OG,OC

Rd 1: Pick 29	New England Patriots
Ryan Shazier	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OLB	6’1”	237 lbs.	Ohio State
	The Patriots invested deeply into their newest defender, CB Darrelle Revis, after losing Aqib Talib to the Broncos in FA. Vince Wolfork finally agreed to restructure his contract staving off the likelihood of their best D linemen demanding a trade. Brady is determined to play until he’s 50, and Bob Kraft knows that the clock is ticking on his HOF QB. As bad as Brady needs targets, this football team needs to stop others from running the score up. Ryan Shazier is a freak talent, much like the Seahawks DE/ LB Bruce Irvin in ‘12. Shazier is very instinctive and has a high football IQ to match his athleticism. OLB is important now for the Pats after losing LB Brandon Spikes in FA. In a deep WR draft, Belichick and Tom will still get the targets they need to continue scoring throughout the Brady era. Gronk is expected to be healthy at some point in ‘14, but when? What about TE? Will QB Mallett be traded? Other Needs: CB,OT,RB,QB

Rd 1: Pick 30	San Francisco 49ers
Ra’Shede Hageman	Position	Height	Weight	College
	DT	6’6”	310 lbs.	Minnesota
	The 49ers have had a string of trouble of late, with significant player injuries, off field legal problems, contract negotiation stalemates and a less than cordial relationship between; GM, CEO, ownership and head coach. The 49ers need some good news and that could come in the form of Minnesota DT Ra’Shede Hageman. Aldon Smith may be out indefinitely and Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are near the end of their careers. It has been the 49ers area of strength, but now it’s time for them to retool on the interior defensive line. Hagerman is a very athletic 310 lb. DT, running 5.02, 32 reps of 225 lbs. and 35.5” vertical leap. He’s explosive and should complement the 49ers defense nicely. Navarro Bowman might miss the entire ‘14 (injury) and with the absence of Smith, Hagerman would be a nice pick at 30 for the 49ers. They have 12 pics in a very deep draft. Other Needs: WR, S, CB, OT, QB

Rd 1: Pick 31	Denver Broncos
Xavier Su'a-Filo	Position	Height	Weight	College
	OG-OC	6’4”	307 lbs.	UCLA
	John Fox might be the most overrated coach in football. His team was beaten in the Super Bowl in every aspect of the game, including coaching. That said, the Broncos seemingly went out and tried to buy a championship. They brought in DE DeMarcus Ware, CB Aqib Talib, S DJ Hayden and WR Emmanuelle Sanders. Denver is still likely the team to beat in the AFC, however New England and Kansas City won't the far behind. The beat down by the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII displayed clearly that the Broncos were deficient in many ways, but despite the 43-8 drubbing, it was the Broncos defense that played better than its record-breaking offense. Manning is another year older (38) and will need even more protection for their passing game. Xavier Su'a-Filo could go a long way to protecting the Broncos $20 million per year investment in Manning. Other Needs: OT, TE, S, CB, RB, QB, DE

Rd 1: Pick 32	Seattle Seahawks
Cody Lattimore	Position	Height	Weight	College
	WR-SE	6’3”	215 lbs.	Indiana
	The Seahawks go into to the draft with just six selections. They have no 3rd round or 7th round selections due to the Percy Harvin trade last year and the trade to acquire, QB Terrelle Pryor, from Oakwood earlier this month. This would be a problem for most HC’s and GM’s, but the Seahawks have had an uncanny ability to find great talent in the middle and late rounds. As usual, Super Bowl championship teams get cannibalized by lesser teams as not everyone can fit under the NFL salary cap structure. However, Seattle has managed to preserve the core talent nucleus of this team without losing any real impact players. PC & JS have followed their plan of purging high-paid players that are no longer producing commensurate with their current contracts. Although some of these players were great contributors in Seattle’s plight to a title, business is business. This is not to say that Seattle has no imminent needs going into the draft; they do… Slot receiver, Golden Tate, defected to the Lions and RT, Breno Giacomini, to the Jets. These positions were areas of need before FA took Tate and Giacomini, though. Fortunate for Paul Allen and Co, this draft is extremely deep at both positions of need for Seattle. Now, is decision time for Carroll and Schneider. The WR position goes perhaps 10 players deep, and it’s an area of immediate need. Cody Latimer will likely slide to the 32 spot and Seattle would likely nab him there. Donté Moncrief, DaVanté Adams and Alan Robertson are also possible choices here. Lattimore is long and has a thick athletic frame, but it is his speed and smooth route running that attracted the Seahawks. Third year QB, Russell Wilson, needs a deep threat to open up the running game and the soft zone in the middle of the field and with Percy Harvin commanding the shallow zones and middle of the field, Latimer could take off the top of even the best defenses making Harvin and Marshawn Lynch lethal, and don’t forget Wilson’s ability to run when the corners, safeties and weak side linebacker are pulled out of position. This would be a high value acquisition and I expect Seattle to pull the trigger on a big, athletic and deep threat WR. The Seahawks could become a multi-headed monster; Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Christine Michael, Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Sidney Rice, Cody Lattimore and the most smothering and dominating defense in football. Chris Matthews