The Official 2014 NFL Draft Thread
 

I realize we have the offseason thread but that can be about just about anything. I figured it would be a good idea to have one spot where we can all just discuss the draft this week, the rumors, the picks, busts or underrated values, how stupid NFL GMs are, etc.

The rumors about rising/falling stock of players is just crazy this year. There seems to be a lot of divergence of opinion on just who the best prospects are. And a lot of splits between taking best players available versus best at need positions.

QB talk has dominated, of course, and I think this is one of the more intriguing groups of prospects at a position as we have seen in a while. I believe there are a number of QB prospects available whom I think can play and maybe even be stars. But sifting through them all and making the right choice looks like a chore.

I predict 5 QBs will go in the first round, despite all the naysayers. NFL teams love to pick QBs. I would say 6, except this draft is pretty deep, so it's going to get too crowded in the first round for that to happen.

I'm hopeful ucla will have two first round picks for the first time in whenever

I would be very happy if the draft played out like this mock.

http://nfldraftgeek.com/2014nflmockdraft.html

Vikings bringing in the top DT and trading back into the late first to get Bridgewater with the Patriots pick.

Speaking of mocks, I am surprised there haven't been more moves here to do some mocks among our FOFC cogniscenti, considering we have done them for much less interesting drafts in past years.

I considered trying to get 15-30 people together on here to each be the GM of a team or two and make their picks for them in a mock draft style about a month ago but I didnt think the interest would be there. Also, it would be hard to reproduce the actual war room feeling as we would likely only be looking to do the best we could THIS year.

The Saints pick at 27. I think a lot hinges on how many QBs go early. For every QB that is drafted before 27, one more position player slides down the board.

I have no idea how that will play out. If Bortles, Manziel, Bridgewater, and Carr all go in the top 20, I would be surprised but not shocked. If only one of them is off the board by the time the Saints pick at 27, I would be surprised but not shocked.

I dunno about anyone else, but I already have draft fatigue. It's stretched on too long this year and I'm in "just get it the fuck over with" mode.

+1

Would not be very happy if my beloved Cards drafted a QB in round one and two like in this draft :) What I think will happen is that they will go with the best player available on their board at either QB, DE/DT, LB, or CB. I would prefer the defense pick (probably CB due to the Honey Badger injury at the end of last season). I've seen them attached to every highly rated QB in this draft, but I think it will likely be Carr or Bridgewater if they take one in round one.

I don't see where that many go. It isn't a position with a lot of strength to it. This would require a number of teams in the later first round to draft them, and I simply don't see why they would. Six QBs going is just begging for at least 3 of them to fail hard. Are teams really wanting to risk a first rounder with those kinds of odds? Anything outside of three maybe four is being generous.

I like Goodell's emphasis on punishing players who do bad things off the field, but pretty much all his other changes have been bad. The Draft has really been ruined, to the extent that I sometimes have forgotten it was even on.

Haha! Yes I noticed that as well.

Im thinking he changed round 1 without changing round 2. He actually wrote about Hyde in the 2nd round writeup under Cards must have just forgotten to change the name of the player.

I agree on the draft, it's to long.

Arent we all given the choice of how much time we allocate to something? If so many of you are struggling with the draft couldnt you turn the TV off or not read draft articles? Something to consider;)

This is a pretty popular sentiment. The guys over at Profootballtalk have been hammering home on this for the last week or so.

While I am not a big fan of the draft getting pushed back two weeks - it really is only two weeks later, so I feel a lot of the complaining is a bit overblown - I haven't really experienced any draft fatigue. I think it's pretty easy to regular your intake. I only ever watch ESPN when I am on the treadmill at the gym (so, 40-60 minutes a week depending on how disciplined I am), I listen to NFL radio occasionally to and from work and then read various mock drafts and analysis when I feel like it. If I start getting bored or tired of it, I change the channel, do something else until it sparks my interest again.

The likely chance that Clowney will get rewarded with a top draft pick ruins the draft for me. But it will be fun to compare the mocks with actual.

It is possible that Mack gets taken before him. At least rumors of it.

The NFL was very careful to give a BS reason for pushing the draft back (scheduling conflict). I would assume that this is because they want to gauge the ratings and/or how the public perceived the change.

If the powers that be crunch the numbers and decide to move it back, then they can do so with a complete save of face and pretend like they never intended this to be a permanent change anyway.

On some level, I can see them saying that sportsblogs writing about NFL draft fatigue are still better for the league than those same blogs writing about the NBA or NHL playoffs. No publicity is bad publicity and all that.

I don't necessarily have draft fatigue, but I do hope they stop messing with things that aren't broken in an effort to somehow improve their revenue. There is only a certain amount of change something you love can undertake before you begin to have trouble recognizing it. The things Goodell keeps talking about changing and actually changing are things that have been fine as-is for a long long time. They are part of what made the game what it was and they didn't need changing.

It reminds me in a way of women and men with body image issues who get plastic surgery on top of plastic surgery until they are so different from their original form that they become a whole other entity.

It also reminds me of our government, changing things that are unnecessary and leaving actual problems untouched.

I can't wait for Thursday night, but that is because I like the draft and I love football. I would have preferred to see it in April, however. On Saturday and Sunday. I like spending my weekend with the sport, not cramming the good parts in on a work night and leaving the boring stuff for when people actually have spare time to really enjoy it.

Probably be the best thing for him to not be the first player or even first defensive player taken.

I suppose we'll see. It is rare that the mocks over-pick QBs in the first round. They usually under pick them, saying exactly what you're saying, i.e. "none of these guys are any good, etc.". It was the kind of thing they said in the Newton draft, where Cam Newton was a definie #1 and maybe Gabbert goes after that, but no one else looks like a first round talent. And then we watched as Newton, Gabbert, Locker, Ponder, etc. went first round, followed by Kaep and Dalton early in the 2nd round. Tebow was taken in the first round, for Pete's sake.

The bottom teams may not need QBs but the top ones do, and I suspect they're behind a lot of the "QBs dropping" talk to get people off of their targets. I think three QBs go top 10 minimum, a fourth somewhere between 10-20, and then another will get picked up near the end of round one, so a team can stash him and their rights to him for five years.

As a Rams fan, this draft is fascinating to me. They have a few need positions, which this draft has a bunch of fits for them, and two prime picks. Which direction they go is anyone's guess. As long as they don't take Manziel, I'll be happy.

As a Falcons fan I wish the draft would hurry up and get here just because the whole "Atlanta may trade everything for the first pick" stories are not good for my heart. I just want them to stick at 6 and get an offensive lineman, I was hoping Robinsons stock wouldnt shoot up before the draft but it looks to be too late so I just hope Matthews falls now.

The Rams are in a great spot, like you say. They don't seem to feel the need to replace Bradford just yet, which is probably the right call, since he has been at least decently effective those rare times he has been healthy and the skill position talent around him is finally getting to be decent. They will probably have a good shot next year at a better QB draft with guys like Winston, Mariota and Hundley to be available. So they can use these two high picks to get some real talent at other spots.

My gut has said Watkins and a tackle, but not sure they would go with both offense picks.

As a Redskins fan I'm just hoping we address the offensive line early and often. Wouldn't mind seeing a RT and C being two of the first three picks. Also wouldn't mind trading back from 34 either, unless someone juicy drops.

LaCanafora said on a radio show that the Vikings and Rams have discussed a trade including Bradford.

Shoot me now... The thing with Bradford is I can't name another younger QB other than Luck that I consider to be considerably better than him.

Thanks for proving my point on the bust factor. :lol: You miss on a DT in the first round then that sucks. You miss on a QB and you could be without a job. You better fall in love with a QB in order to take him in the first, and I just don't see that many guys worth it this year.

Wilson?

Really?

Newton? Wilson? RGIII when healthy? Nick Foles? Kapernick?

I like him, but I don't think he'd do any better than Bradford has on the Rams. People forget just how bereft of talent the Rams were when they drafted Bradford.

Floes is the one I'd take. I don't consider any of the other guys to be considerably better than Bradford. Foles is better but I also don't put him in a different category than Bradford, yet.

If Bridgewater's there, I'm not sure the Patriots are interested in trading down. Now I'd still prefer a Hageman, Nix or Shazier, but if we're picking Bridgewater as a future QB and not just some random QB like Savage or Garoppollo I'd take it.

I admitedly don't watch a ton of Rams games, but I think their GM would trip over himself trying to do a 1-1 trade for any of those guys, not even factoring in salary.

Foles is the one you take out of that group? :eek:

Heh heh, true enough, but that doesn't mean teams learn from it. Reality is, it's a QB driven league, and front offices know if they don't have one, they need to get one.

This is the rumored second step to the Bradford trade. Obviously no idea how much smoke there is, not much at this point.

I think RGIII is going to have durability issues, Kapernick needs to become a more comfortable passer in the pocket and Foles is going to have to prove that last season isn't a fluke.

I would definitely take Newton over Bradford. Wilson, I'm not sure, has a great defense and monster running game.

Bradford could be interesting if he had some real talent around him.

First three non-QBs off the board? Just a general question...

I am guessing, in order, Clowney, Mack, Watkins.

I would too taking salary into account. Go back and look at the Rams offensive personnel over the time Bradford has been there. There has not been a significant contributor on their offense that has left and done anything anywhere else. His best WR has been Danny Amendola for crying out loud, who I like, but you're in trouble when he's your best guy.

And yes, Foles is the one I take out of that group with Wilson next. I don't like Kapernick at all, and I have never been a Newton fan. I am a big believer in pocket passers which is why I take Foles.

Maybe Clowney is a given, and you go the next three besides him. In which case...

(Clowney)


Mack
Watkins
Robinson

Probably right. Unless someone falls in love with Robinson/Matthews.

You probably won't see him running the read option much anymore. It'll be interesting to see how he plays this year - he has the arm strength and short/middle accuracy to work in the pocket, and will certainly scramble occasionally. All about the decision making and long balls - and of course, upgrading the bush league O-line.

As a Ram fan for 45 years I agree with Warhammer just shoot me now.

I'm hoping they take Watkins and a tackle at 13(?). Keep Sam on his feet and healthy with some real weapons and lets see what he can do.

Let me say this, with no knowledge of anyone within the Rams organization.
Watkins is under the impression that if he is on the board the Rams take him automatically. He actually said the words he was told, "If you are still on the board we will knock Goodell getting up there to pick you."

Now how much of that is pandering, how much of that is real...I dunno.

But thats what he is telling folks.

Watkins and Nuk Hopkins taken last year by the Texans are two good stories. Both came from really really bad places. And it looks very good for both to change their life.

I remember interviewing Watkins before he ever played a college snap and asking why he came to Clemson when all the suitors in FL were calling and he was a South Florida boy. His response gives me chills to this day.

"Ive buried 3 close friends and before I am done at Clemson will probably bury 1 or 2 more. Shit was everywhere back home. If I want to not only change my life, but my kids lives and my grand kids lives...you know make the Watkins family proud society figures for generations I had to get away from that trash. It feels like just being here I have accomplished my dreams, but I ahve done jack yet. But I will. Watch and tell everyone I told you.

I reminded him of that last time we spoke. He smiled and said, "Man I still aint done jack...you gonna interview me on media day of the Super Bowl when I make it?"

I'm a big Sammy fan and not because he came from Clemson. I am a fan of the man and the person he has become. He will make some team proud.

Gotta move on from Bradford if you like any of the QB's on the board. I think Manziel represents a unique marketing opportunity. Over the next 10-15 years several "good" teams won't win a SuperBowl. May as well put asses in the seats. And if they are LA asses, even better.

Agreed that they gotta move the 2nd for multiple picks.

I'm an even bigger Watkins fan now. Good stuff.

I'm not sold yet that he will be the top receiver in this class when it is all said and done, but he seems to have a good head and a good idea of what it takes to be successful. About as close to can't miss as a WR can get, IMO.