Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Justin's Week 15 Mock Draft

1. Houston Texans (2-14) - Teddy Bridgewater (QB/Louisville)



With Gary Kubiak officially gone, there is little doubt that the Texans will move on from Matt Schaub.  Jadeveon Clowney could be an option as well, but the need for a quarterback vastly outweighs the need for a pass rusher.

Scouts reportedly are not as smitten with Bridgewater as much as previous top quarterbacks such as Andrew Luck or Cam Newton, but he has been stellar all season and should be the top quarterback selected.

2. St. Louis Rams (7-9) - Jadeveon Clowney (DE/South Carolina)



The Rams are tied for fifth in the league in sacks and have a pair of talented edge rushers in Robert Quinn and Chris Long, but you can never have enough guys who can take down the quarterback in the league.  Clowney is the top player in this draft and With multiple first round picks this year, they can afford to take the top player available.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) - Anthony Barr (OLB/UCLA)



Quarterback is in play here, especially with Mike Glennon's recent struggles, but it looks like Greg Schiano will survive another year in  Tampa Bay and if he does, he may stick with Glennon and take the top player instead.  Barr has flourished at linebacker since converting to the position last year.

4. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Brett Hundley (QB/UCLA)



Cleveland has a talented defense and a great receiver in Josh Gordon, but they still need to put the rest of their offense together.  Hundley could finally provide stability to a franchise that has started 20 different signal callers since returning to the NFL in 1999.

5. Oakland Raiders (4-12) - Johnny Manziel (QB/Texas A&M)



Oakland seems to have already moved on from Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin has been less than stellar since taking over at quarterback.  It wouldn't be surprising at all to see the Raiders take Manziel to be their new franchise player, especially with their history of taking athletic players.

6. Buffalo Bills (5-11) - Khalil Mack (OLB/Buffalo)



Mario Williams has been solid for the Bills, but the team needs to bring more guys who can get to Tom Brady if they expect to compete in the AFC East.  Mack has skyrocketed following a solid campaign.

7. Atlanta Falcons (5-11) - Jake Matthews (OT/Texas A&M)



Sam Baker signed a contract extension during the offseason, but he played poorly before landing on injured reserve last month.  Baker will return, but a right tackle is still a need for Atlanta.  Matthews has played well at both right and left tackle in college and has the family pedigree as well.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) - Derek Carr (QB/Fresno State)



Jacksonville will be undergoing an offensive makeover during the offseason and quarterback again is the team's top need.  Carr has improved consistently throughout his college career and has great arm strength, but accuracy and footwork is still an issue that he needs to work on.

9. Tennessee Titans (6-10) - Jason Verrett (CB/TCU)



Alterraun Verner has been fantastic for Tennessee all season, but his contract is expiring and he could sign elsewhere.  If he leaves, the team will need to find a new cornerback to replace him.

10. Minnesota Vikings (6-9-1) - Tajh Boyd (QB/Clemson)



I don't see Boyd as a first round draft pick, but quarterbacks tend to be drafted higher than their actual value.  Minnesota is in need of a quarterback and could forego the top player available to fill a positional need.

11. St. Louis Rams (7-9) - Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix (S/Alabama)



Safety play has been terrible in St. Louis this season.  Clinton-Dix is the top player available and he would fill a need for the Rams.

12. New York Jets (7-9) - Mike Evans (WR/Texas A&M)



The Jets lack playmakers on their offense and if they want Geno Smith (or whoever starts at quarterback in 2014) to be successful, they need to bring in a reliable receiver for them.  Evans is a big target who could play well in the slot in the NFL.

13. Detroit Lions (7-9) - Sammy Watkins (WR/Clemson)



Detroit needs another receiver who can play across from Calvin Johnson to keep defenses from overloading his side of the field.  Watkins is an offensive weapon who could make Detroit's pass offense even more dangerous.

14. New York Giants (7-9) - Vic Beasley (DE/Clemson)



The Giants pass rush has regressed over the past two seasons and with the loss of Osi Umenyiora last year and the potential loss of Justin Tuck in the spring, they team will need to rebuild the unit.  Beasley has a great motor and has been a terror all season, but his size could effect where he is drafted.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-9) - Davante Adams (WR/Fresno State)



Pittsburgh let Mike Wallace walk in free agency in favor of Antonio Brown, but the team still needs a second receiver to play across from him.  There is a good chance that Adams will return to school, but if he does declare he should be drafted somewhere in the top 20.

16. Green Bay Packers (7-8-1) - Eric Ebron (TE/North Carolina)



Aaron Rodgers will need a new safety valve with Jermichael Finely's imminent future unclear.  Ebron has declared for the draft and is the top tight end available.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8) - Jordan Matthews (WR/Vanderbilt)



Jeremy Maclin is a free agent and coming off of an ACL tear.  If he is not retained, the Eagles will need to find another receiver to play across from DeSean Jackson and keep Riley Cooper in the slot.

18. San Diego Chargers (9-7) - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB/Oregon)



San Diego's secondary showed up against the Broncos last week, but they have been a liability for most of the season.  The Chargers will need to upgrade their pass defense during the offseason.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) - Justin Gilbert (CB/Oklahoma State)



Cincinnati's secondary will need to be broken up during the offseason.  Leon Hall is coming off of an Achilles injury, Terence Newman is 35 and Adam Jones is nothing more than a nickelback.

20. Arizona Cardinals (10-6) - Kyle Van Noy (OLB/BYU)



John Abraham has been fantastic for Arizona this season, but he will turn 36 in the offseason.  Arizona has no other premier pass rusher on their defense and will need to find a long-term solution in the offseason.

21. Miami Dolphins (10-6) - Cameron Erving (OT/Florida State)



Miami is reportedly going to trade Jonathan Martin in the offseason.  With an overweight Bryant McKinnie as their current left tackle, Miami will need to find a blindside protector to keep Ryan Tannehill off his back.

22. New Orleans Saints (10-6) - Louis Nix (DT/Notre Dame)



New Orleans rush defense is among the league's worst and the team will look to upgrade the unit in the offseason.  Nix is a mammoth defensive tackle who can clog up running lanes.

23. Dallas Cowboys (8-8) - Timmy Jernigan (DT/Florida State)



Dallas is another run defense that has just been terrible all season.  There is a good chance that Dallas will move on from Monte Kiffin, but taking the best defensive player will be the teams biggest need heading into the draft.

24. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) - Cyrus Kouandjio (OT/Alabama)



Baltimore needs help at receiver, but with all of the top guys off the board, they will need to look at tackle, where Eugene Monroe is an impending free agent.  Baltimore will need to protect the investment they made in Joe Flacco if Monroe isn't retained.

25. San Francisco 49ers (11-5) - Aaron Colvin (CB/Oklahoma)



Carlos Rogers figures to be a cap casualty in the offseason after his salary rises to $6.25 million.  If he is not on the roster, San Francisco will need to find a new cornerback.

26. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) - Adrian Hubbard (OLB/Alabama)



Justin Houston and Tamba Hali are fantastic, but adding the top player available will provide depth to their pass rush, something needed if they want to dethrone Peyton Manning.

27. Chicago Bears (10-6) - C.J. Mosley (MLB/Alabama)



Chicago's run defense has been awful all season, surrendering over 150 yards per game in the first year of the post-Brian Urlacher era.  Adding new personnel to their front seven will be necessary.

28. Cleveland Browns (4-12) - Lache Seastrunk (RB/Baylor)



Another need on offense, the Browns need to bring in a feature back for their offense.  Seastrunk has a great burst, but he needs to improve in pass protection.

29. New England Patriots (11-5) - Ra'Shede Hageman (DT/Minnesota)



Vince Wilfork will return to New England next season, but Belichick will likely seek to add depth to the position and a player who could ultimately replace Wilfork.  Hageman is a 300-pound monster who can play both end and tackle.

30. Carolina Panthers (11-5) - Taylor Lewan (OT/Michigan)



Jordan Gross' status is up in the air, but if he decides to retire, Carolina will need to find a new tackle to protect Cam Newton.

31. Seattle Seahawks (14-2) - Darqueze Dennard (CB/Michigan State)



Brandon Browner is facing a year-long suspension and will likely not return to Seattle.  The Seahawks will need to find a cornerback to play across from Richard Sherman.

32. Denver Broncos (13-3) - Cyril Richardson (G/Baylor)



The Broncos interior offensive line needs to be upgraded.  Zane Beadles, who is the weak link at guard, is a free agent after the season.

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