Brugler: Top 50 Prospects for 2014

[Midswat]

50. DT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (6-6, 377, 5.58)
A mountain of a man, McCullers is still very rough around the edges, but engulfs ballcarriers and has intriguing movement skills for a player his size

49. OT Seantrel Henderson, Miami (Fla.) (6-8, 340, 5.26)
Former top high school recruit, Henderson looks the part and has a lot of NFL traits, but can he stay football focused?

48. S Karlos Williams, Florida State (6-1, 230, 4.60)*
With LaMarcus Joyner moving to cornerback, Williams is penciled in as a starter at safety with his freakish blend of strength and athleticism.

47. OLB Khalil Mack, Buffalo (6-2, 245, 4.79)
A versatile linebacker, Mack already holds the school-record for tackles for loss (56) and is just 19 away from the NCAA record.

46. WR Odell Beckham, LSU (5-11, 187, 4.50)*
With 40+ catches each of his first two seasons in Baton Rouge, Beckham is poised for a big 2013 season at wide receiver and as a return man.

45. DE Anthony Chickillo, Miami (Fla.) (6-3, 265, 4.79)*
Although the production has been average, Chickillo rushes off the edge with quickness and anger and could have a breakout junior year.

44. RB Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona (5-10, 200, 4.53)*
After leading the nation in rushing last season with 1,929 yards (148.4 per game average), what will Carey do for an encore as a junior?

43. CB Bennett Jackson, Notre Dame (6-0, 185, 4.45)
A former wide receiver, Jackson put himself on the NFL radar last year in his first season as a starter, recording four interceptions.

42. QB Aaron Murray, Georgia (6-1, 212, 4.76)
The school record-holder for career touchdown passes (95), Murray has some Drew Brees to him, but too often folds on the big stage.

41. DE Kony Ealy, Missouri (6-5, 260, 4.70)*
Although the production hasn't matched up just yet (4.5 sacks), the coaching staff has compared Ealy to former Mizzou rusher Aldon Smith.

40. CB Marcus Roberson, Florida (6-0, 186, 4.52)*
Roberson is part of a crowded and talented secondary, but he led the team in passes defended (12) in 2012 and is slated to start in 2013.

39. DE Chaz Sutton, South Carolina (6-4, 248, 4.78)
The “other” pass rusher for the Gamecocks, Sutton had five sacks last season and will move into a full-time defensive end role as a senior.

38. CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon (5-10, 190, 4.52)*
One of the Pac-12's breakout stars last season, Ekpre-Olomu led the conference with 20 passes defended and his pro arrow is pointing up.

37. DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State (6-2, 298, 4.98)*
A quick-footed, penetrating interior player, Jernigan finished among the team leaders in tackles for loss last season (eight).

36. OT David Yankey, Stanford (6-5, 302, 5.08)*
After moving from guard to tackle last season, Yankey started every game at left tackle in 2012 and was a large part of Stanford's offensive success.

35. DL Dominique Easley, Florida (6-2, 280, 4.85)
Although not as explosive as Sharrif Floyd, Easley led the team in sacks last season with four and has versatility to line up inside and outside.

34. TE Colt Lyerla, Oregon (6-5, 245, 4.59)*
A freakish specimen, Lyerla's production (32 career catches) has been average-at-best the past two seasons, but his athletic upside is huge.

33. QB A.J. McCarron, Alabama (6-2, 212, 4.80)
Although he has a near-flawless collegiate resume, McCarron doesn't have elite physical tools and still has work to do before he's a top prospect.

32. DE Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (6-5, 245, 4.67)
Jeffcoat looks the part and has intriguing rush ability, but needs to stay healthy, missing the final seven games of 2012 with a right pec injury.

31. RB DeAnthony Thomas, Oregon (5-9, 178, 4.34)*
A lightning-fast track athlete, Thomas will be compared to Tavon Austin due to his electric playmaking ability, but he isn't nearly as polished yet.

30. QB David Fales, San Jose State (6-3, 220, 4.88)
Fales has only good (not great) arm strength and underthrows deep shots, but he sees the field extremely well and is a high-completion passer.

29. OLB A.J. Johnson, Tennessee (6-2, 240, 4.73)*
A physical thumper, Johnson led the SEC in tackles (138) last season, adding 8.5 tackles for loss and six scores on offense as a goal line back.

28. QB Zach Mettenberger, LSU (6-5, 230, 4.87)
A quarterback with ideal physical tools, Mettenberger struggled last fall, but the light bulb came on for him in the second half of the season.

27. DL Will Sutton, Arizona State (6-0, 268, 4.79)
Sutton lacks prototypical size for the position, but has explosive get-off quickness to penetrate and disrupt the backfield (23.5 TFL in 2012).

26. DE Trent Murphy, Stanford (6-4, 261, 4.80)
Murphy is a productive, aggressive and versatile stand-up pass rusher who led the team in tackles for loss (18) and sacks (10) last year.

25. CB Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida (6-0, 190, 4.47)*
A two-way star who plays at corner and receiver, Purifoy is a terrific athlete with good length who has a knack for making plays on the ball.

24. CB Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma (6-0, 182, 4.47)
Colvin has seen action at both safety and cornerback (25 career starts) and finished second on the team in interceptions last season with four.

23. OLB Adrian Hubbard, Alabama (6-5, 248, 4.76)*
While still far from a polished pass rusher, Hubbard is well-built with NFL quickness and strength and intriguing NFL potential if he develops.

22. DE Morgan Breslin, USC (6-2, 250, 4.67)
A former JUCO transfer, Breslin made an instant impact last season for the Trojans with his explosive burst, leading the team with 13 sacks.

21. OLB Ryan Shazier, Ohio State (6-2, 226, 4.63)*
A tackling machine, Shazier has fantastic instincts, range and production (115 tackles in 2012) with a knack for finding the ballcarrier and finishing.

20. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington (6-6, 267, 4.75)*
Despite an April 2013 DUI arrest, Seferian-Jenkins is still the top draft-eligible tight end in the country with his large frame and fluid athleticism.

19. WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers (6-5, 220, 4.59)*
A Josh Gordon clone, Coleman has smooth movement skills for his size with good build-up speed and a large catching radius.

18. OLB Christian Jones, Florida State (6-3, 232, 4.74)
Jones, who led the Seminoles in tackles (95) last season, has an impressive combination of speed and strength to make plays at all levels.

17. DL Aaron Lynch, South Florida (6-6, 262, 4.65)*
Lynch led Notre Dame in sacks (5.5) as a true freshman in 2011, but transferred to South Florida and sat out the 2012 due to family reasons.

16. OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee (6-6, 332, 5.16)*
Ironically nicknamed “Tiny,” Richardson earned the left tackle starting gig as a sophomore last season, forcing Dallas Thomas inside to guard.

15. OLB Kyle Van Noy, BYU (6-3, 235, 4.67)
A pesky pass rusher, Van Noy doesn't have the size or freaky athleticism as Ziggy Ansah, but he's the more polished with good production.

14. OT Cyrus Kouandijio, Alabama (6-5, 312, 5.12)*
Kouandijio took over the left tackle starting job in 2012 and started all 14 games for the National Champs and should only get better.

13. WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson (6-1, 200, 4.49)*
After a remarkable freshman campaign, Watkins' production took a step back last year, but his explosive athleticism cannot be coached.

12. CB Jason Verrett, TCU (5-10, 182, 4.49)
A JUCO transfer, Verrett started 23 games the past two years and led the Big 12 in interceptions (6) and passes defended (22) in 2012.

11. DT Louis Nix, Notre Dame (6-3, 326, 5.17)*
The rock of the Irish front-seven, Nix has rare movement skills for a 330-pounder with the strength to easily take-on and dispose of blocks.

10. QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson (6-1, 225, 4.68)
An athletic, strong-armed passer, Boyd lacks ideal height, but has really progressed the past few seasons, recording top-shelf production.

9. OLB Anthony Barr, UCLA (6-4, 238, 4.73)
A former running back, Barr moved to defense last spring and had a breakout junior season with 13.5 sacks; how much better can he get?

8. CB Bradley Roby, Ohio State (5-11, 190, 4.42)*
Although he lacks ideal size and needs to refine his technique, Roby has elite speed and led NCAA in passes defended last season (1.73 per game).

7. LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama (6-2, 232, 4.56)
A versatile linebacker, Mosley is outstanding in pass coverage with a nose for the ball and understands how to put himself in position to win.

6. DL Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame (6-5, 303, 4.89)*
A defensive end for the Irish's three-man front, Tuitt is a scheme-versatile big man with the foot quickness and natural strength to disrupt the pocket.

5. WR Marquise Lee, USC (6-0, 195, 4.51)*
The No. 1 weapon for the USC offense, Lee doesn't have elite speed or size, but he is explosive with the ball in his hands and a home run threat.

4. OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan (6-7, 310, 5.04)
Entering his fourth season as Michigan's starting left tackle, Lewan needs to tweak some technique issues, but he has NFL length, quicks and nastiness.

3. OT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M (6-5, 305, 5.14)
Although often overshadowed by Luke Joeckel, Matthews might be the better NFL prospect and will move from right tackle to left tackle as a senior.

2. QB Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville (6-3, 220, 4.65)*
A tough-minded, intelligent passer, Bridgewater has the athleticism, arm strength and overall “feel” that NFL scouts look for in the position.

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (6-6, 268, 4.65)*
A freak athlete for his size, Clowney has the prototypical size, strength and explosive traits to abuse blockers and blow up the backfield.

 

[Cowboysrule122]

Let's bomb the season and go get Clowney........

 

[Slatemosphere]

No manziel?

 

[dbair1967]

No manziel?

He's a true freshman now correct? If so he wont be eligible till 2015

 

[jnday]

I like #49 & #50 just because they are big boys.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

2014 draft definitely looks more promising than 2013. Wish we would have stocked up on picks for it. Will we get any comp picks coming our way?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I really like Chaz Sutton.

 

[Theebs]

We will need an end next year. A strong side end.

And who is sitting their as a prospect hopefully where we draft in the thirties! Jackson jeffcoat.

Jim jeffcoats son, born three days before the cowboys beat the bears in the wild card came Dec 91.

Good omen. It would be prett awesome to have him end up here.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Jeffcoat is a weak-side end.

 

[cmd34]

50. DT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (6-6, 377, 5.58) Hopefully new coaches can light a fire under him.

49. OT Seantrel Henderson, Miami (Fla.) (6-8, 340, 5.26) Bryant McKinnie clone. Basketball feet. Drama queen.

44. RB Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona (5-10, 200, 4.53)* Would have been in my top 10 wish list if we didn't acquire Randle.

38. CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon (5-10, 190, 4.52)* Oregon's Secondary Coach John Neal, who's got like 6 guys in the League right now, says Ifo is the best one yet. No way we go CB that high though.

36. OT David Yankey, Stanford (6-5, 302, 5.08)* Very popular mock pick for the Cowboys so far. Love his toughness.

34. TE Colt Lyerla, Oregon (6-5, 245, 4.59)* Would have loved him had we not drafted Escobar. Versatile tight end.

32. DE Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (6-5, 245, 4.67) Legacy pick.

31. RB DeAnthony Thomas, Oregon (5-9, 178, 4.34)* Was worried how he would translate to NFL. Tavon Austin is really helping him out. As fast a player as I've ever seen on a football field.

27. DL Will Sutton, Arizona State (6-0, 268, 4.79) My guy. Perfect DT for our scheme.

22. DE Morgan Breslin, USC (6-2, 250, 4.67) Not overly impressed with his athleticism or technique but he just keeps coming.

20. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington (6-6, 267, 4.75)* Freak. Again, no need with Escobar.

15. OLB Kyle Van Noy, BYU (6-3, 235, 4.67) Reminds me of Clay Matthews. Can cover and pass rush. Makes plays.

14. OT Cyrus Kouandijio, Alabama (6-5, 312, 5.12)* Tyron Smith only more advanced at this stage. We'll need a top 5 pick for him.

9. OLB Anthony Barr, UCLA (6-4, 238, 4.73) Not as physical but Von Miller type player.

5. WR Marquise Lee, USC (6-0, 195, 4.51)* Don't even know how to explain his athleticism. He's all USC has going for them next year.

4. OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan (6-7, 310, 5.04) Doubt we'd go O Line in the 1st round 2 years in a row but would love it if it happened.

3. OT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M (6-5, 305, 5.14) See above. Will be the more polished of all of the 2014 Tackles.

2. QB Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville (6-3, 220, 4.65)* Big fan of him but only we we draft him is if next year is a disaster of epic proportions.

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (6-6, 268, 4.65)* Absolute monster. Best defensive player available in years. Once we win our 4th game of the season, we've basically eliminated ourselves from the Clowney sweepstakes.

 

[Jon88]

Can we just enjoy this year's draft?

Shit...

 

[cmd34]

And who is sitting their as a prospect hopefully where we draft in the thirties!

Did we already trade way down in the 2014 1st? Damn it Jerry!

 

[Slatemosphere]

He's a true freshman now correct? If so he wont be eligible till 2015

Oh wow..I thought he was a redshirt freshman

 

[cmd34]

He was a RS Frosh last year. He is eligible to declare for the 2014 draft.

 

[Mr.Po]

50. DT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (6-6, 377, 5.58) Hopefully new coaches can light a fire under him.

For a man his size he should dominate way more than he does. Should be doing his best imitation of John Henderson but more often than not he tends to stand straight up without a lot of initial push. He is athletic for his mammoth build but it often doesn't translate onto the field. Maybe going back to 4-3 will be his lightning rod.

 

[cmd34(work)]

1. Oakland Raiders — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: Whichever team winds up picking No. 1 overall will be faced with quite the dilemma. Does that team nab a potential franchise quarterback or Clowney, the country’s best defender and a player that may have been taken first in the 2013 draft had he been eligible? I’ll stick with Clowney here, for now, because he’s the best 2014 prospect. Also, it’s a deep QB draft, so the Raiders (hypothetically) could land Clowney early, then possibly turn around with a QB like A.J. McCarron, Braxton Miller, Derek Carr or David Fales atop Round 2.

2. Arizona Cardinals — Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville: We’re still four months from the college football season, but Bridgewater is the clear top QB prospect for 2014. That’s not to say that the QB crop is weak — several could justify first-round picks (assuming they don’t flop in 2013) and the class could have several players off the board on Day 1 or 2. But there is very little not to like about Bridgewater’s game, and the Cardinals would love to have him.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars — Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson: As a guest analyst on the NFL Network’s draft coverage, LSU head coach absolutely raved about Boyd. Miles’ Tigers fell to Boyd’s … well, Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last year, and Boyd threw for 346 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. Miles said his team tried everything and just couldn’t stop the assault. Boyd has now had back-to-back sensational years, and he is the type of dual-threat QB teams are clamoring for right now.

4. Cleveland Browns — Marqise Lee, WR, USC: Lee is just 6-feet tall, so we’re not talking about a Calvin Johnson-type that’s going to win jump balls consistently. What Lee will do, though, is get open and make plays. He caught a whopping 118 passes last season for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns. You’re looking at a Heisman frontrunner for 2013 and a player that could dramatically improve an NFL offense.

5. New York Jets — Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: The Jets again miss out on the top receiver, this imaginary draft matching 2013 reality. Watkins would be a terrific consolation prize. He split top duties with DeAndre Hopkins as a sophomore and still put up 57 catches for 708 yards. Given a full year to shine as the No. 1 target for Boyd, Watkins should soar.

6. San Diego Chargers — Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M: Because the talent elsewhere will be better at the 2014 draft, offensive tackles will not dominate as they did this year. It’s still a loaded position, and expect Matthews to be right at the top. He might be even better than 2013 No. 2 pick Luke Joeckel.

7. Buffalo Bills — C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama: Oh, look, an elite player from Alabama. Mosley can do it all — he had 107 tackles and a pair of interceptions last season — and would give Buffalo another dynamite young player to pair with 2013 second-rounder Kiko Alonso.

8. Kansas City Chiefs — Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame: Nix is a bit like Star Lotulelei, in that he’s massive (6-foot-3, 330) and yet still nimble enough to beat blockers at the line. Kansas City could drop him right in at nose tackle, but he could play DT in a 4-3 or slide out to DE in a 3-4 if needed.

9. Philadelphia Eagles — Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA: Renowned QB guru Steve Clarkson said that Hundley would have been the top pick in the 2013 draft, had he been eligible. It’s hard to argue, given the skills on this 6-3 QB. Another year like his freshman campaign (3,745 yards passing, 38 total touchdowns) should push Hundley to the draft.

10. Tennessee Titans — Morgan Breslin, DE, USC: Breslin racked up 13.0 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in his first season following a transfer from junior college. He could be the premier pass rusher in the 2014 class.

11. Detroit Lions — Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State: Maybe another year of getting torched by Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and others will convince Detroit to draft a CB in Round 1. And Roby looks like the best of the bunch. Like Dee Milliner (6-0), Roby is a bit small (5-11); also like Milliner, he has speed and just loves attacking the football.

12. St. Louis Rams — Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan: Lewan might have leapfrogged Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel to be the No. 1 pick in 2013, if he had entered his name in the draft rather than returned to Michigan. He’s a clear high first-round prospect and, with Devin Gardner under center rather than Denard Robinson, will get a full year in a pro-style system.

13. Miami Dolphins — Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame: The yin to Nix’s yang, Tuitt dominated at DE in the Irish’s 3-4, chalking up 12.0 sacks and making life miserable for offensive linemen.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State: Sutton’s cut from the mold of Sharrif Floyd (a 2013 first-rounder for Minnesota) — undersized for DT (listed at 6-1, 288 and smaller than that), but a guy who continually makes plays.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers — Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington: Seferian-Jenkins’ situation bears monitoring — he’s currently suspended from Washington for an offseason DUI arrest. If he gets things in order, the rising junior is a definite Round 1 pick. Think Tyler Eifert with even more athleticism.

16. Carolina Panthers — Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt: Taking a stab at the WR spot here. Matthews, 6-3 and 205 pounds, flirted with the 2013 draft following a 94-catch year. He opted to return to Vandy for his senior year, which should help him polish up his game. He’s not a burner but, like a Keenan Allen, exploits weaknesses in defenses.

17. Dallas Cowboys — Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama: Kouandjio could climb much higher than this. He was the starting left tackle last season for Alabama’s dominant line, and he could climb into the top five with another standout season.

18. Minnesota Vikings — Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M: Manziel’s a tough one to peg. He doesn’t have great size or an elite arm, and his live-it-up lifestyle might scare some teams away. And yet, if he dominates the SEC for a second straight year, it would be tough to drop him very far. And Minnesota, barring a Christian Ponder breakthrough, could be ready for another change at QB.

19. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) — Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon: The Oregon defense is easy to overlook because of the dominance of its offense. Should you do so, however, you risk missing Ekpre-Olomu, who picked off four passes and batted down 20 more last season. Even at 5-10, he has lock-down corner potential.

20. Chicago Bears — Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA: Barr, with 13.0 sacks off the edge last season, might be more suited for a 3-4 than Chicago’s 4-3. Or he’d be a Von Miller-type for the Bears here. Odds are, in the long run, that Barr might be off the board well before this next April. Also in consideration here: McCarron or Aaron Murray.

21. Indianapolis Colts — Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: Roberson will have to work to stand out in Florida’s talented secondary. The soon-to-be junior has all the tools to emerge from the shadows, though, and set himself up for a long NFL career.

22. New Orleans Saints — Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU: The nation was introduced to Van Noy when he recorded 3.5 sacks in BYU’s bowl win over San Diego State — part of 9.5 sacks he had in the Cougars’ final three games. The Ziggy Ansah comparisons are inevitable, but Van Noy is more of a linebacker than his former teammate — and he’s also probably more NFL-ready.

23. Baltimore Ravens — Brandon Coleman, WR, Rutgers: Coleman emerged in 2012 with 43 catches and 10 touchdowns. A strong follow-up season for the developing 6-6 receiver would put Coleman on a lot of radars.

24. New York Giants — Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: Thanks to a 2011 redshirt, Evans, like Manziel, could enter next year’s draft after playing just two college seasons. He should go, too, if he can improve on an 82-catch, 1,105-yard debut. At 6-5, 225, Evans would intrigue any team looking at Coleman.

25. Green Bay Packers — Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford: The Packers finally land their safety in the ball-hawking and intelligent Reynolds, who led the FBS with 301 interception-return yards and three scores last season.

26. Cincinnati Bengals — DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: Another potential underclassman, I’m guessing Parker would declare for the draft if he and Bridgewater dominated again. Parker stepped up as Louisville’s top option in 2012 (40 catches, 10 TDs) and brings a tantalizing mix of speed and size to the table.

27. Seattle Seahawks — Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon: Lyeria made headlines this offseason by suggesting on Twitter that the Sandy Hook tragedy was a government conspiracy. So, maturity could be an issue. His numbers won’t leap off the page — 25 catches for 392 yards and six scores last season — but Lyeria (6-5, 240) is perfectly built to be an option in a creative offense.

28. New England Patriots — Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida: I wanted to find somewhere to drop Purifoy in this mock, and the Patriots seemed a natural fit. Why? Well, the 6-0 Purifoy has shown the ability to stuff receivers one-on-one … and he’s practicing at wide receiver this offseason, so he can play both ways. A high-end Julian Edelman.

29. Houston Texans — Christian Jones, LB, Florida State: Something tells me Jones, who had 95 tackles last season, will ultimately be picked higher than this. He can get into the backfield, diagnose plays and track down running backs. Jones could develop into the total package.

30. Atlanta Falcons — David Yankey, OT, Stanford: Yankey slid out to tackle from guard for 2012. His NFL future might be back on the interior of the line. Either way, that versatility will only serve to drive up his draft stock. Tennessee’s Antonio Richardson is another tackle to watch.

31. Denver Broncos — Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama: Alabama’s track record of producing defensive backs won’t hurt “Ha Ha” next year. He stepped into a starting role in 2012 and picked off five passes, while showing the ability to play center field or shift down into the box or over slot receivers.

32. San Francisco 49ers — Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State: With Bjoern Werner and Tank Carradine gone, Jernigan should be the star of Florida State’s D-line in 2013. He’s a monster up front and could project to fit multiple defensive schemes.

 

[cmd34(work)]

I would be thrilled. Some Texans might be pissed we missed out on Manziel though.