Pro Football Draft Preview, 2014

Pro Football Draft PreviewMarch 2014

CheeseheadTV

Has top-notch instincts and eye

discipline that allow him to flow to the

football.

Chris Borland

#PFDP

3 | Cheesehead TV 2014 Draft Preview CheeseheadTV.com

Publisher: Corey Behnke

Editor: Brian Carriveau

Design: Alex Tallitsch

Writers:

Al BraccoAndrew GardaPaul GuillemeteJay HodgsonZach KruseAaron NaglerJayme Snowden

Thanks to everyone who bought the fourth-annual edition of the Cheeseh-ead TV NFL Draft Guide.

We would never be able to create this publication without all of the great readers, followers and supporters of Cheesehead TV.

Cover photo: David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletic Communications

Inside cover photo: Texas A&M Ath-letic Department

Back cover photo: Missouri Athletic Department

* All stats from 2013 unless indicated

* All rankings and mock drafts are the authors own opinion and not a con-sensus

* All measurements are from the NFL Combine. If a player wasnt invited or didnt participate, a few pro day mea-surements were taken from NFL.com.

Letter from the Editor

Hey Ted, Crack a Window?

A Joint NFL Pilgrimage

In Command and In Demand

He Reminds Me Of ...

The Top 100

NFL Mock Draft

Packers Team Needs

NFC North Needs

NFL Team Needs

Quarterbacks

Runnings Backs

Fullbacks and H-Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Tackles

Interior Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Outside Linebackers

Inside Linebackers

Cornerbacks

Safeties

Special Teams

Packers Mock Draft

Packers Position Analysis

All-Bowl Team

What Theyre Saying

4

5

6-7

8-9

10

11

12-17

18

19

20-23

24-28

29-32

33-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-53

54-57

58-62

63-67

68-72

73-78

79-82

83-84

85-90

91-92

93-94

Interactive Index


Dear NFL Draft fans,

For the fourth consecutive year, Cheesehead TV is proud to present Pro Football Draft Preview, a digital preview publication catered specifically to Green Bay Packers fans. Those that have read our previous editions will see the same things weve always provided: over 350 pro prospects ranked and analyzed, mock drafts, needs broken down by every NFL team, feature articles, columns and more, all from a Packers point of view. Every year we try to take it up a notch, and the best new addition this season is the inclusion of video. Were proud to partner with the folks at DraftBreakdown.com to allow you to see several of these players in action. If theres another NFL Draft guide that includes video, I have yet to see it.

Anyone that ordered our publication should have received two versions. The first will be a fully in-line interactive copy, available to view on your home computer in Adobe Reader. Youll be able to watch video and listen to interviews without ever leaving the .pdf file. The second version will be a standard mobile version with interactive features available via the web for your tablet, smartphones and other devices. Instead of viewing video in-line, youll be taken by link to a website. However you choose to consume our content, were just glad you chose Cheesehead TV and we appreciate your support.

As usual, we always try to view players the way we anticipate the Packers and general manager Ted Thompson would view them. That includes looking at players through the lens of Mike McCarthys modified West Coast offense and Dom Capers 3-4 defense.

For the first time in years, however, the Packers are pushing the boundaries of a traditional 3-4 as evidenced by the signing of Julius Peppers and classifying him informally as an Elephant, which is essentially a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end.

While weve continued to sort players based on the way they fit into a 3-4 defense, please be aware that some of them defy categoriza-tion. No matter how we group them, we would always face the same challenge.

Despite the signing of Peppers, the Packers biggest needs re-main on the defensive side of the football. Theres obviously a gaping hole at the safety position and inside linebacker could stand an upgrade. It wouldnt be a surprise to see the Packers address both those positions on the first two days of the Draft.

On the offensive side of the football, theres an obligation to provide Aaron Rodgers with a big target thats probably 6 5 or taller as long as Jermichael Finley remains unsigned. Whether that player is a tight end or a wide receiver is probably imma-terial. Now that Evan Dietrich-Smith has departed Green Bay as a free agent, center has emerged as an under-the-radar need too. The Packers might pursue a true center, but considering Thompsons track record, it wouldnt be unexpected to see the team find a college tackle to convert to an interior offensive line-man in the NFL.

My thanks go out to everyone involved in making this publica-tion a reality from the writers to those with a behind-the-scenes role. And once again, thanks to you, the reader for your patron-age.

With that, please enjoy the rest of Pro Football Draft Preview.

Go Pack Go,

Letter from the Editor

Hey Ted, Crack a Window


NFL Draft 2014

Back in January, Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodg-ers made a somewhat bold procla-mation on his weekly radio show when asked about the possibil-ity that the Packers championship window might be closing.

Its the end of a window and the beginning of a new one. We can open up a window that lasts four or five years. This window has a chance to open up and be really bright for four, five years, Rodg-ers said. My contract is for six more years and I expect to be play-ing well all six.

At the time, the Packers and their fans were still smarting from yet another devastating playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. More im-portantly, the team was preparing to enter an offseason that would see 17 players set to hit unrestricted free agency. Whether by chance or by design, general manager Ted Thompson seemed to have created something of a perfect storm, contract-wise, for the roster to be given a significant makeover, and Rodgers comments seemed to reflect that idea.

While a Packers team that featured the likes of James Jones, Ryan Pick-ett and Evan Dietrich-Smith may have won a bunch of football games in 2013, they fell short of the ultimate goal of winning a champion-ship, and as head coach Mike McCarthy stated in his introductory press conference, that will always be the goal as long as he is coaching the team.

Of course, not all those pending free agents ended up departing, with both expensive and dirt-cheap deals keeping players like Sam Shields and B.J. Raji in town.

The biggest shock of the offseason was undoubtedly the news that Thompson and the Packers had more than dipped their toes into the free agency waters when they signed aging defensive end Julius Pep-pers.

The 13-year veteran will play a key role in the Packers attempt to turn their defense around after three years of sub-standard to downright terrible play on that side of the ball.

Thompson still has work to do when it comes to reshaping the roster for 2014 and beyond and the draft is where he will do the bulk of it.

After what appears to be an excellent draft class in 2013, Thompson needs to bring another group of players who can not only push the veterans on the roster, but also take their jobs in training camp.Packers fans may bemoan the draft and develop mantra Thompson and the Packers live by but a Super Bowl title and three straight division titles certainly suggest that the teams current way of operating produces results.

Of course, repeated knockouts by the 49ers in the playoffs have left a sour taste in the mouth of Packers fans as well. Make no mistakethat feeling is felt ten-fold inside 1265 Lombardi Ave. The people who work inside that building know better than anyone that Green Bay isnt nicknamed Playoff Townits called Titletown.

When the NFL Draft takes place in New York City in May, Thompson will undoubtedly be looking to bolster the safety position and to provide Rodgers with another pass catcher, be it a wide receiver or tight end. But most importantly, he will be laying the foundation for the team that Rodgers spoke about back in early January, the one with a championship window that should be open for the foreseeable future.

Aaron Nagler


A Joint NFL PilgrimageBY: BRIAN CARRIVEAU

It was coincidence when offensive line-man Weston Richburg and tight end Crockett Gillmore went from playing high school football together in Bush-land, Tex. to being recruited by the same out-of-state university at Colorado State.

A nice story got better when Gillmore was a late invite to the nations premiere college football all-star game at the Se-nior Bowl, joining Richburg. Gillmore got the promotion after an impressive outing the previous week at the East-West Shrine Game.

Then things just got downright eerie when both were invited to the NFL Combine, pro footballs version of a job interview. Wherever one goes, the other follows.

Its very rare, said Colorado State of-fensive coordinator Dave Baldwin. I havent seen it in my 35 years of coach-ing, and Ive been a lot of places ... And both will be drafted, which is the unique story about it.

Richburg and Gillmore, two childhood friends from the Texas panhandle, are on the doorstep of the NFL, knocking to come in.

The similarities in the road the two have traveled are uncanny. Considering ev-erything theyve been through, it prob-ably wouldnt be surprising to see them drafted by the same team.

But wherever they land, theyll always have the memories of going through their journey togetherfrom a high school with about 350 students to the NFL.We text all day, every day. Once we got here, were constantly going at it, said Gillmore at the NFL Com-bine.

Its been a great experience. Its just been a huge blessing for us to represent Bush-land and Colorado State. Being from a town thats so small and come together here is just unreal.

Weston Richburg

Making the transition to collegeat least from an academic standpointhas been rather seamless for Richburg, who received a degree in Animal Sciences from CSU.

I grew up on a farm, raising cows, raising pigs, so I dealt with that my entire child-hood, throughout high school, said Rich-burg. I really developed a love for it and its something I wanted to continue with and something Id like to do after my foot-ball days are over with, go back to the farm and raise cows.

First things first, however, Richburg is in-tent on fulfilling a career in professional football, and he enters the NFL Draft as one of the highest-rated centers in this years class.

Coming from a mid-major program like Colorado State, Richburg will have to prove he can play with the big boys at the next level.

Ask Richburg and hell rattle off several selling points, including his experience pulling on outside-zone runs and hold-ing up one-on-one on pass plays with-out the help of a guard when facing 3-4 defensive fronts.

I get my hands on guys quick, said Richburg. If I can do that, I can negate any moves theyre going to try and throw me. I think thats one of my big-gest things. And I like to get after guys. Ive got an attitude, really like to be physical.

When you start 50 consecutive games as Richburg did over the course of his college career (a school record), you tend to pick up some tricks of the trade. According to his coach, Richburgs football smarts and his versatility are the best things he has going for him.

Hes highly, highly intelligent, said Baldwin. He understands offensive line play. He can play guard, center or tackle, understands that whole aspect. Hes the first kid Ive been around in a long time that could play all three positions and is comfortable in the verbiage and the technique and the whole deal. His intelligence of the O-line play, knowledge of it, hes way be-yond a young kid thats going into that league.

During his junior and senior seasons, Richburg made every start at center, but his first two years in college in-cluded two starts at tackle and three at guard. Center may be Richburgs most comfortable position, but in the NFL where teams frequently carry only seven offensive linemen on their game day active rosters, his experi-ence playing different positions will come in handy.

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Draft FeatureThe list of Richburgs positive quali-ties doesnt end there. Baldwin also cited Richburgs work ethic, his lead-ership as a two-time captain and his ability to get to the second level as reasons hell make it in the pros.

With Evan Dietrich-Smith moving on from the Packers in free agency, it wouldnt be surprising to see Green Bay address the center position in the Draft, and Richburg could be a poten-tial mid-round pick.

Any new additions to the Green Bay offensive line would have the respon-sibility of paving the way for last seasons NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Eddie Lacy. Good thing for Richburg, he has experience leading the charge for an effective run game in college.

Theres a reason Colorado State run-ning back Kapri Bibbs (also eligible for the NFL Draft) led major college running backs with 31 rushing touch-downs this past season, and a lot of it has to do with both Richburg and Gillmore helping to open up holes.

I love Kapri, said Baldwin. I wish he was coming back, but theres eight or nine runs where hes not touched where hes going into the end zone. There were holes and the Mike back-er is cut by Weston and outside zones where our tight ends get em. Theres no back that can make things happen without an offensive line up front, and I certainly think those two were key to us moving the football.

Crockett Gilmore

Simply looking at Gillmores size, youd think hed be a devastating run blocker as a tight end. With a frame that measured 6 6 and 260 lbs. at the Combine, he should be able to more than hold his own as a blocker, but it wasnt always that way.

Gillmore spent his first year in Fort Col-lins, Colo. on the defensive side of the football. The Rams envisioned him as a big, tall pass rusher with a good initial burst off the line of scrimmage, but when injuries struck and the need arose, they switched him to tight end shortly before his sophomore season, a position hes played ever since.

His blocking was a work in progress, slowed by a shoulder injury. But accord-ing to Coach Baldwin, Gillmore was able to grow into a physical blocker his se-nior season thanks in part due to better health.

Theres now an edge to Gillmores game, a touch of nastiness that puts him on a level with some of the better tight ends in this years Draft.

There are guys out there who are con-sidered better, but I know my game and I know that there isnt that much of a dif-ference, said Gillmore. I like to bring what I call a bad attitude. People started noticing.

Maybe Gillmores blocking ability is what makes him a well-rounded pros-pect, one very worthy of being drafted and making an impact in the NFL, but its not the best part of his game.

How Gillmore is going to make his mon-ey is through an ability to haul in the football in ways that others cant.

His strength is his catching ability, said Baldwin. He has phenomenal hands, plucks the ball out of the air with his big frame. And then he just seems to make people miss. Hes got big size, but the first tackler never seemed to tackle him this year. Hed pluck the ball out and was supposed to be hit and the next thing you know, hes getting another 10 yards. Great concentration in a crowd.

With NFL-caliber talents like Gillmore, Richburg and Bibbs on the roster, its not surprising that Colorado State had their first winning season and bowl win since 2008, going 8-6 and beating Washington State in the New Mexico Bowl. The Rams hadnt won more than four games in any of the four previous seasons.

I think we had a knock because were Colorado State, but we knew all along that we could compete with anybody, said Gillmore. We went down to Alabama this year and gave them a run for their money.

Despite losing 31-6, Colorado State hung with the perennial power into the fourth quarter, trailing only 17-6 until there was less than 12 minutes remaining in the con-test.

Gillmore and Richburg also proved their mettle in the all-star game environment at the Senior Bowl. Neither looked out of place among the nations elite.

It was a great week, said Gillmore. It was fun to get the opportunity to go play against the best players in the country. And then to go play like I did, I felt like it was definitely something that helped me out.

With Colorado States pro day in the rear-view mirror, all thats left for Gillmore and Richburg is the NFL Draft. Chances are, their paths will diverge for the first time in their lives.

Knowing these two players, however, theyre likely to heed the advice of the sage Yogi Berra: When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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In

Command is in d

emand Safety Tre Boston is very

proud of the fact that for-mer NFL coach Jerry Glan-ville named him a captain of his team at the East-West Shrine Game. For a player who wasnt even a captain on his own team at North

Carolina, to be chosen among a bunch of players who were leaders at their respective universities, it was an extreme privilege.

It means a lot, especially when scouts tend to not think Im not a leader for my team at UNC, said Bos-ton. To go into an atmosphere where you have tons of leaders on the team and separate yourself from them, thats definitely an honor.

As Boston prepares to enter Mays Draft, the search is on to find out what type of leader he is. With each passing year, the NFL seemingly becomes more and more of passing league and judging from the amount of money thrown at safeties in free agency, the posi-tion is becoming more and more valued. Defenses are looking for field generals, players skilled at communi-cation in an effort to slow down todays high-powered offenses.

So why wasnt Boston a captain for the Tar Heels? As some-one who led his team in tackles (94) and interceptions (five) and was named a second-team All-ACC selection, one might think his on-field accomplishments alone might merit such a distinc-tion. Figuring out Boston isnt easy. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock described the paradox on air during the Combine say-ing, Some call it cocky. Some call it confident.

An interview with North Carolina associate head coach Vic Koenning, also in charge of safeties, raised as many questions as answers. Koenning acknowledged the difficulties of faced by Larry Fedora and a new coaching staff coming in during Bos-tons junior year.

His leadership skills, we probably could have harnessed them better, said Koenning. He was a guy I worked on trying dif-ferent things with him, and I think that hes got a lot of upside as far as his leadership ability.

I think we probably could have gotten more out of him had we been there the full time. Some of the things that happened to Tre, he had a bunch of different coaches. The guys that he broke in with may not have been the best at teaching him how to be a leader, and I think that we were just starting to scratch the sur-face with that this last year.

Maybe the Shrine Game was the equivalent of turning over a new leaf for Boston. Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson was there in person for the week of practice and had the opportu-nity to have a discussion with Boston, to find out what makes him tick. What did they talk about? About football, about coming to Green Bay, stuff like that, said Boston.

Its no secret the Packers need help at safety. After getting zero in-terceptions from the position 2013, acquiring a playmaker to insert next to Morgan Burnett in the starting lineup is a necessity. Draft-ing a safety in the first round of the NFL Draft isnt out of the ques-tion. Theres a decent chance theyll select a player such as Deone Bucannon, Calvin Pryor or Ha Ha Clinton-Dix with the 21st overall selection. But the Green Bay Packers also arent going to close the door on addressing another position in the first round.

There are plenty of other holes that need to be filled in Green Bay such as inside linebacker, tight end and wide receiver. Thompson isnt going to rule out adding a talented player just because of the void at safety.

Thats why Thompson was doing his due diligence on Boston. Maybe the Packers dont get around to picking a safety until the second day of the Draft. Or maybe theyre willing to select more than one. Considering the lack of talent, anything is possible.

What Thompson probably found out in his meeting with Boston are some of the things the North Carolina product feels are his best qualities.

I used to play corner, so I think man coverage, said Boston. A lot of guys didnt play corner as safeties, and I played corner for my first two years and that just translated into safety. It made it so much easier for me to guard slots and tight ends.

Boston insisted he didnt give up a single touchdown his senior season, which was a major improvement on his first three years at UNC when he gained a reputation for allowing too many.

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I used to play corner so I think man-coverage

Draft FeatureThe issue in the past, according to Koenning, was sometimes an attempt by Boston to do too much, both against the pass and the run.

I think hes got a really good feel for kind of finding the ball with vision, said Koenning. Sometimes Ive got a say-ing, and I didnt invent it, but I tell my guys its a Chinese proverb, whether it is or isnt I dont know, but He who sees everything, sees nothing.

And I think Tres eyes are his best friend and sometimes theyve been his enemy, because he tries to almost see every-thing. As he gets more experienced, hell be able to harness that better and better.

What Koenning truly appreciates about Boston was the way he put the team ahead of himself in his final game in a North Carolina uniform, the Belk Bowl against Cincinnati, in which Boston was asked to play linebacker.

With several linebackers hurt heading into the postseason, Boston lined up at both the Will and Sam linebacker posi-tions and played well, leading the team with nine tackles and added an interception.

Facing Cincinnatis four wide receiver sets, playing lineback-er wasnt a whole lot different than playing the nickel corner-back position, which is where Koenning thinks Boston will best fit his first season in the NFL. A comparison was drawn to Tavon Wilson of the New England Patriots, a safety/cor-nerback hybrid Koenning coached at Illinois.

Boston has no preference for free or strong safety. He says as long as hes on the field, he doesnt mind where he plays.

But in an attempt to come full circleto scrutinize, investi-gate, evaluate and decipher the type of player and person Boston isperhaps only he can put into words what his NFL employer will be getting for their investment.

Somebody whos accountable; somebody whos coachable; somebody thats going to give 110 percent every day, said Boston. I think I take pride in that, and thats really what I think teams are going to get.


This column is intended to serve as a quick reference point for draftniks that like to link a current prospect with some-one who has already played in the NFL. Its certainly not pure science and wont always pan out, but the compari-sons are meant to give you an idea of what to expect from some of these prospects as pros.

Lets start with one comparison that most Wisconsin and Big Ten fans have already heard a hundred times. Chris Bor-land is a slightly short (5 11) but incredibly productive col-lege player that looks like a solid fit for an inside linebacker slot in a 3-4 scheme pro defense. He has recorded over 100 tackles each of the past three seasons. If anything, his arm length of 29 1/4 is more of a concern than his height. Bor-land is reminiscent of two guys who overcame their size limitations quite nicely in Zach Tomas and London Fletcher.

Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks lit up the Com-bine with quickness, speed and explosiveness, just like most draftniks thought he would. He could do some of his best work in the slot, but Cooks is more than that. Hes also fast enough (4.33 40-yard dash) that he can go deep at any time. Cooks has success potential and playing style of Antonio Brown of the Steelers to be split out wide.

Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans is a bit hard to proj-ect as an NFL player comparison because hes so young and is likely to grow even more. He must do so without losing any of his current 4.53 speed. Hes already long (6 5) and shows strong hands in battling for the ball with defenders. There have been some comparisons of to Alshon Jeffrey, but hes much bigger and stacks up better when compared to Brandon Marshall, also of Da Bears.

Ohio States Carlos Hyde heads to the NFL Draft as the un-disputed top big running back for the 2014 NFL Draft. He slimmed down to run faster at the Combine but figure him to play somewhere between 230 and 240 lbs. in the NFL. He gained 1,521 yards last season at a 7.3 yards per carry pace, which included 15 touchdowns. Overall, hes very reminis-cent of Jerome Bettis. Bettis averaged an unspectacular 3.9 ypc as a pro, but he helped his team control the clock, which is what can be expected from Hyde. For a ball-control team, hell help them run the clock and convert third-and-short, just like The Bus.

Mississippi State guard Gabe Jackson finished his career with a total of 52 games started in four years. Twice a consensus All-American and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, he leaves the Bulldogs for the pro ranks this year. Hes been criticized for being too slow to play in the NFL, especially after running a 5.51 40 at the Combine, but those critics overlook his more meaningful 10-yard split of 1.78 seconds.

He may not be ideal for the majority of the NFLs pass-dominated teams, but for those that still rely on the run-ning game as a serious component of their offense, hell be a force and start for a long time. Jackson is every bit as dominant as Chance Warmack, the ex-Alabama great who went in the first round last year.

When healthy, Southern Cal wide receiver Marqise Lee has been the top receiver for the Trojans the past three years as he hauled in 248 balls for 3,655 yards and 29 touchdowns over his career. Last season was his lowest statistical output after playing on a limited snap count for much of the year because of nagging injuries. His explo-siveness and quickness are belied by his recently posted 4.52 40 at the Combine. The reality is that very few college cornerbacks could cover him with any success, a trend that should continue as a pro. His explosiveness bears a resemblance to Santonio Holmes.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel can indeed be to the NFL today what Fran Tarkenton was back in the 1960s. Manziel has an uncanny combination of arm, elu-siveness and feel for the game to be a standout despite being slightly less than ideal in size. And for what its worth, Tarkenton was never six feet tall except in his dreams, either.

Notre Dames Troy Niklas is a good all around in-line tight end who will block just as well as he catches. Hes not likely to have more receptions than any of his teams primary re-ceivers, but he can catch well enough that hell have to be accounted for. He should make a great red-zone player with his size, offering a receiving threat as well as a blocking op-tion. Think of Vikings current TE Kyle Rudolph, another Golden Domer, when looking for a comparable player.

Ohio States Bradley Roby not the best cover-corner in this years draft class, but he may be the best all-around corner-back out there. He is absolutely fearless in run support and is very effective at press cover in a short area. If an NFL sec-ondary coach can help him at locating the ball in the air, he has Pro Bowl potential. Roby is similar to another ex-Buck-eye that was slightly undersized but made a living provid-ing decent pass coverage and fearless run support by the name of Antoine Winfield.

Auburn tackle Greg Robinson is a legit man-child who may still need some polish to his game, especially in pass protec-tion, but he has the size and athleticism to be truly dominant as a pro. Theres no doubt he will be a Pro Bowl left tackle in short order. Hes reminiscent of another big-bodied athlete that has excelled in the NFL named Ryan Clady of the Den-ver Broncos.

He Reminds Me Of ... Pigskin Paul Guillemette


The Top 100 ProspectsPigskin Paul GuillemetteThe Top 100

#1 Jadeveon Clowney/DE/South Carolina#2 Sammy Watkins/WR/Clemson#3 Greg Robinson/OT/Auburn#4 Jake Matthews/OT/Texas A&M#5 Khalil Mack/OLB/Buffalo#6 Johnny Manziel/QB/Texas A&M#7 Anthony Barr/OLB/UCLA#8 Teddy Bridgewater/QB/Louisville#9 Mike Evans/WR/Texas A&M#10 Blake Bortles/QB/UCF#11 Justin Gilbert/CB/Oklahoma State#12 Taylor Lewan/OT/Michigan#13 Eric Ebron/TE/UNC#14 Zack Martin/OT/Notre Dame#15 C.J. Mosley/ILB/Alabama#16 Brandin Cooks/WR/RS/Oregon State#17 Louis Nix/DL/Notre Dame#18 Marqise Lee/WR/USC#19 Stephon Tuitt/DL/Notre Dame#20 Kony Ealy/DL/Missouri#21 Dee Ford/OLB/Auburn#22 Timmy Jernigan/DL/Florida State#23 Derek Carr/QB/Fresno State#24 Aaron Donald/DL/Pitt#25 Calvin Pryor/S/Louisville#26 RaShede Hageman/DL/Minnesota#27 Jason Verrett/CB/TCU#28 Odell Beckham/WR/RS/LSU#29 Bradley Roby/CB/Ohio State#30 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix/S/Alabama#31 Xavier Sua-Filo/OG/UCLA#32 Gabe Jackson/OG/Mississippi State#33 Ryan Shazier/OLB/Ohio State#34 Deone Bucannon/S/Washington State#35 Jordan Matthews/WR/Vanderbilt#36 Kyle Fuller/CB/Virginia Tech#37 Carlos Hyde/RB/Ohio State#38 Darqueze Dennard/CB/Michigan State#39 Bishop Sankey/RB/Washington#40 Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State#41 Davante Adams/WR/Fresno State#42 Dominique Easley/DL/Florida#43 Jimmy Garoppolo/QB/Eastern Illinois#44 Allen Robinson/WR/Penn State#45 Troy Niklas/TE/Notre Dame#46 Ego Ferguson/DL/LSU#47 Cyrus Kouandjio/OT/Alabama#48 Trent Murphy/OLB/Stanford#49 Antonio Richardson/OT/Tennessee#50 Kyle Van Noy/OLB/BYU

#51 Austin Seferian-Jenkins/TE/Washington#52 Christian Jones/LB/Florida State#53 Morgan Moses/OT/Virginia#54 Kareem Martin/DL/UNC#55 Jace Amaro/TE/Texas Tech#56 Lache Seastrunk/RB/Baylor#57 David Yankey/OG/Stanford#58 Lamarcus Joyner/DB/Florida State#59 DaQuan Jones/DL/Penn State#60 Scott Crichton/OLB/Oregon State#61 Martavis Bryant/WR/Clemson#62 JaWuan James/OT/Tennessee#63 Donte Moncrief/WR/Ole Miss#64 Chris Smith/OLB/Arkansas#65 Charles Sims/RB/West Virginia#66 Demarcus Lawrence/OLB/Boise State#67 Anthony Johnson/DL/LSU#68 Telvin Smith/ILB/Florida State#69 Travis Swanson/OC/Arkansas#70 Cyril Richardson/OG/Baylor#71 Cameron Fleming/OT/Stanford#72 Jimmie Ward/S/Northern Illinois#73 Adrian Hubbard/OLB/Alabama#74 Will Sutton/DL/Arizona State#75 Tre Mason/RB/Auburn#76 Jeremiah Attaochu/OLB/Georgia Tech#77 Daniel McCullers/DL/Tennessee#78 Seantrel Henderson/OT/Miami#79 Pierre Desir/CB/Lindenwood#80 Chris Borland/ILB/Wisconsin#81 Jarvis Landry/WR/LSU#82 Jackson Jeffcoat/OLB/Texas#83 Joe Bitonio/OT/OG/Nevada#84 Paul Richardson/WR/Colorado#85 Craig Loston/S/LSU#86 Trai Turner/OG/LSU#87 Bashaud Breeland/CB/Clemson#88 Keith McGill/CB/Utah#89 Brandon Thomas/OG/OT/Clemson#90 Marcus Martin/OC/USC#91 Jay Bromley/DL/Syracuse#92 C.J. Fiedorowicz/TE/Iowa#93 Terrance Brooks/S/Florida State#94 E.J. Gaines/CB/Missouri#95 Stanley Jean-Baptiste/CB/Nebraska#96 A.J. McCarron/QB/Alabama#97 Louchiez Purifoy/CB/Florida#98 Jeremy Hill/RB/LSU#99 Deandre Coleman/DL/Cal#100 Logan Thomas/QB/Virginia Tech

BlAkE BoRtlEs, QB

#1 Texans #2 Rams

JAdEVEoN ClowNEY, dE


MOCK DRAFT 2014

(BUT MOST LIKELY DOESNT)

BY ANDREW GARDA

For a long time Teddy Bridgewater made sense with this pick. To many, he wasand still isthe top quarterback in the NFL draft.

Then at the NFL Combine Houston Texans head coach Bill OBrien talked about fit and getting the right players and coaches in. Blake Bortles also talked about his approach, what he needs to improve and what he did in school.

The Texans and Bortles are a fit. Bortles is a raw prospect with a ton of upside. While he has a smooth release and can make every throw, he doesnt have elite arm strength and his mechanics need some work.

He has a habit of not step-ping into his throws and having his weight in the wrong spot as well.

Ultimately, though, scouts saw more of the good than bad near the end of UCFs season, especially in the win over Baylor in the Fi-esta Bowl, and they walked away impressed with him and his decision to throw in Indianapolis.

It Happens This Way

NFL Draft 2014

The Rams may try to trade out of this selection but as-suming they dont, athleti-cally, Jadeveon Clowney is easily the best player in this draft. He has a great com-bination of size, athleticism and strength as well as a toolbox filled with pass rush moves.

There are still plenty of questions about how hard a worker he isthere were tons of both bad and good at the Combinebut hes too good to pass up for the Rams. Clowney could go any-where from first overall to the back half of the top ten. The problem is teams arent forthcoming about how con-cerned they really are about his drive.

Not knowing the truth, but guessing based on actual games hes played, its hard to imagine him dropping past the first two or three picks.

Andrew Garda

MOCK DRAFT 2014 13 | Cheesehead TV 2014 Draft Preview CheeseheadTV.com

While there are a bunch of players the Jaguars would be happy with at the third overall selec-tion, it shouldnt sur-prise anybody that one is Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater is the safe and smart pick having shown ability in a pro-style offense, good mo-bility, sharp accuracy and leadership in the huddle.

Hes the most pro-ready of the prospects in this years quarterback class.

While new head coach Mike Pettine is a defen-sive guy, hes not going to be able to ignore that his team will not win without a quarterback.

Manziel has the tools to be great. Is there perceived risk off the field?

Yes, but he impressed plenty of people at the Combine and is working hard to change the per-ception of him. Its his up-side that will attract the Browns and it is pretty high.

The Oakland Raiders have so many holes, they have to start somewhere. While its true that they appear to still need a quarterback, pulling the trigger on Derek Carr here may be too early.

The Raiders need more weapons and Sammy Watkins is a dynamic player that catches the ball well and is danger-ous after the catch.

Hes is an exceptional re-ceiver, and would immedi-ately be a playmaker.

Pro Football Focus recent-ly ranked all 32 offensive lines, and the only team they rated worse than the Atlanta Falcons were the Arizona Cardinals. Sam Baker has been okay over his career, but after sign-ing a fat contract last year, he ended up hurt.

Jake Matthews is a tre-mendous talent, quick off the snap and a great pass blocker. He could step in immediately on the left side, allowing Baker to slide to guard or start at right tackle.

#3 Jaguars #6 Falcons#5 Raiders#4 browns

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While the Buccaneers need a quarterback, they potentially face the same problem as the Oakland Raiders.

Theres little faith in tak-ing Derek Carr this high, and were also talking Lovie Smith, defensive mastermind.

Khalil Mack has a high motor, is a very explosive hitter and picturing him across from Lavonte Da-vid will give opposing of-fenses the chills.

The only thing the Min-nesota Vikings dont have on offense is a quarter-back, but unless they trade up (or way back), they shouldnt mess with a quarterback here, espe-cially considering new head coach Mike Zimmer is a defensive guy and the Vikings defense needs help.

Anthony Barrs ranking has dropped a bit with the rise of Khalil Mack, but hes still a great pros-pect.

Months ago it might have made sense for the Bills to take Eric Ebron here, but after they re-signed both their tight ends, it doesnt make as much sense now.

What does makes sense is getting more help to keep E.J. Manuel on his feet.

Greg Robinson is a tough road grader who is also a very good pass blocker, with the tools to be even better than he was at Au-burn.

The Lions are a mess in the secondary. They did improve this year, but they really only have one half of a successful cor-nerback tandem in Chris Houston.

Oklahoma States Justin Gilbert is coming off a tre-mendous season and has all the tools you want in a corner: the size to avoid getting pushed around, the speed to keep up with elite receivers and the agility to go up and de-flect passes.

#7 Buccaneers #10 Lions#9 Bills#8 VIKINGS

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NFL Draft 2014

MOCK DRAFT 2014 14 | Cheesehead TV 2014 Draft Preview CheeseheadTV.com

The Tennessee Titans were not very good at lineback-er last season, specifically at middle linebacker.

C. J. Mosley is good at us-ing his length and overall agility to get through a crowd cleanly and deliver a big hit.

When tackling, he does an excellent job of wrapping up a ball carrier and driv-ing through him.

He also is very field aware, rarely making mental mistakes and able to adjust on the fly.

The New York Giants have a lot of issues, but offensive line is prob-ably the biggest. Injuries destroyed a line thin on talent and depth.

If the Giants want to bounce back, they need quarterback Eli Manning to rebound. And to do that they are in desper-ate need of help on the offensive line.

Taylor Lewan plays with a nasty streak and would help get the of-fensive line back on track.

If the Rams are all in on Sam Bradford, then they need to give him more receiving weap-ons.

Mike Evans plays a tough style of football and has tremendous body control, as well the size and strength to overpower a defensive back. Most importantly, Evans has the mental tough-ness to go across the middle and catch balls in traffic. When the ball is in the air, he wants it.

The Chicago Bears got dominated by opposing running backs, so first and foremost, the atten-tion should be on the in-terior during their defen-sive rebuild.

Jernigan has excellent burst and agility, as well as top-shelf strength and power, so he will be able to step in and clog the running lanes.

As a bonus, he can col-lapse the pocket and will help contain the power-ful NFC passing offenses they have to overcome.

#11 Titans #14 Bears#13 Rams#12 Giants

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The Steelers have corners but nobody all that thrill-ing. While they grabbed safety help in free agency, they need to improve ev-erything across the board in the secondary.

Darqueze Dennard is a great player, potentially the most well-rounded corner in the draft, in fact. Hes a hard worker who can fit into any type of scheme, so he should be able to walk right into Pittsburgh and find a role.

Sure, the Ravens signed Steve Smith to replace Anquan Boldin, but lets be honestthats no more than a stopgap.

While junior Marqise Lee had a lot injury issues this past year, he won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the nation after his sophomore sea-son. When healthy, Lee has the look of the No. 1 receiver and would com-plement Torrey Smith very well.

Theres a lot of work to do, so this pick could go any number of ways on the defensive side of the ball, but Donald has really gained heat in the draft process and Jerry Jones loves him some heat.

Aaron Donald has tremen-dous explosion off the snap, has several good pass-rush moves and can get under the pads of opponents. Hes a bit undersized but has a non-stop motor and a fight-ers mentality.

With such a gaping hole existing on the roster, it sure seemed as if the Jets would address the sec-ondary in free agency.

The Jets need offensive tal-ent but can get that later. There are few top safeties or corners.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is one of those. He can eas-ily handle the deep routes and support in man cover-age, doesnt get fooled by the quarterbacks eyes.

#15 Steelers #18 Jets#17 Cowboys#16 Ravens

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NFL Draft 2014

MOCK DRAFT 2014

#21 Green Bay Packers

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Adding Branden Albert helps the offensive line a ton, but there is still work to do. Zack Martin can kick into guard and solid-ify the interior of the line or stay at right tackle. Suffice to say, Martin would be an immediate upgrade at either spot on the line. He isnt the pro-totypical size of an NFL tackle, but he gets low and keeps his balance, is quick off the snap and plays with a nice nasty streak when run block-ing.

TCUs Jason Verrett is a ball-hawking defender who is great at sucker-ing quarterbacks into throws he can pick off, whether its by jumping a route or laying off a receiver to bait a throw.

Verrett is also very tough in run support and has no compunc-tions about hitting ball carries when the oppor-tunity arises.

He and Patrick Peterson would be a great tan-dem at cornerback.

This is almost a best-case scenario as both Calvin Pry-or and Alabamas Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could be gone long before now.

Safeties tend to drop in the draft, and many teams ahead of Green Bay have plenty of other needs that this isnt outside the realm of possibility.

A physical, instinctive safety, Pryor had a great career at Louisville under Charlie Strong.

He has tremendous ball skills, his vision and field awareness give him a head start against both the pass and the run.

The Packers need help at a few positions on the de-fensive side, but they couldnt pass up Pryor if he was there.

#19 Dolphins #20 Cardinals

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The Eagles have a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball despite some nice addi-tions in free agency. With Louis Nix dropping here, its hard to argue with a pick like this, especially when Philadelphias current nose tackle, Bennie Logan, is ranked No. 38 out of 69 tackles by Pro Football Focus and just wasnt all that great last season.

Dwayne Bowe is a good, but not great, wide receiver. He sure cant do it alone, and while Donnie Avery had moments this past season, the offense is sorely lacking in receiving threats. Kelvin Benjamin is fast, but also has a big frame and the strength to play physical on shorter routes.

The Bengals are going to miss Mike Zimmer a ton, but might actually miss Michael John-son more. Simply put, they have to reload, particularly at defensive end. Kony Ealy ex-celled at defensive end for Mizzou and is a perfect fit for a 4-3 like Cincinnatis. If they switch to 3-4, he could easily slide to outside linebacker.

#22 Eagles

#24 Bengals

#23 Chiefs

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has tremendous ball skills, his vision and field awareness give him a head start against both the pass and the run

NFL Draft 2014

#25 Chargers

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#27 Saints

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#26 Browns

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#28 Panthers

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MOCK DRAFT 2014


While they need a play-maker or two on offense for Tom Brady, they can do that later and the in-terior of their defensive front is a higher priority.

RaShede Hageman trashed his opponent and ate up the middle of the offen-sive line constantly dur-ing practice at the Senior Bowl. He can be a tad in-consistent but has huge upside.

The 49ers re-signed An-quan Boldin, but thats a short-term solution for a long-term problem.

Davante Adams is a bit raw but has great leap-ing ability and great hands, which allow him to go over defenders for tough catches. Hes a perfect addition to the offense and eventual replacement for Boldin down the road.

The Broncos are a team that could be interested in moving up for C.J. Mos-ley, which would be quite a leap. Instead, theyll settle for an edge rush-er.

Dee Ford can bend the edge and close quickly on the quarterback. Hell be a perfect fit in Denver. With the rest of the front seven, he could find huge success.

It seems crazy that Eric Ebron has fallen this far, but thats how things can play out. He could get picked up by any number of teams who would like a tight end like him.

It helps that Ebron can line up at wide receiver, since Seattle lost Golden Tate to the Detroit Lions in free agency. Most comfortable in the slot, Ebron can set up almost anywhere.

#29 Patriots #32 Seahawks#31 Broncos#30 Niners

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At first the Panthers seemed like a team who needed to get Steve Smith some help. Now they actually have to replace himand pretty much everyone else.

Odell Beckham Jr. has ex-cellent acceleration, which will quickly make defen-sive backs give him space or risk him whipping by. When a defensive back forces press coverage, Beckham does a good job of getting off the line with minimal disruption.

NFL Draft 2014

The Chargers need to im-prove up front on defense, but there is no way to sur-vive in Peyton Mannings division without good cornersand no way to get past the Patriots or Colts either.

The Chargers cant keep relying on Eric Weddle each yearthey have to make a move. While not one of the top tier of cor-nerbacks, Kyle Fuller is the best of the rest. Hes very good against both the pass and the run.

Offensive line help might tempt the Browns, but even in a deep draft, it makes sense for a Browns team that didnt do any-thing much offensively in free agency (apologies to Ben Tate) to get their new quarterback some help.

Brandin Cooks had a ri-diculous 40-yard dash at the Combine, but hes about more than speed. Hes got tremendous hands, fantastic vision and can make incredible plays after the catch.

The cornerback cupboard is a bit bare, as are the tackles, and while receiv-er is a possibility, a pass-rusher is a bigger need.

Defensive-coordinator Rob Ryan got some help for his secondary in free agency in the form of Jairus Byrd. Now he needs help for the front seven. Ryan Shazier has an explosive first step and can rapidly close on the quarterback. Hes re-lentless in pursuit and can drop into coverage.

MOCK DRAFT 2014

33. Texans: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT34. Redskins: Sua-Filo, OG35. Browns: David Yankey, OG 36. Raiders: Derek Carr, QB37. Falcons: Jace Amaro, TE 38. Buccaneers: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE39. Jaguars: Allen Robinson, WR40. Vikings: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB 41. Bills: Kyle Van Noy, OLB42. Titans: Carlos Hyde, RB43. Giants: Scott Crichton, DE44. Rams: Jimmie Ward, S 45. Lions: Antonio Richardson, OT46. Steelers: Jarvis Landry, WR47. Cowboys: Kareem Martin, DE48. Ravens: Morgan Moses, OT49. Jets: Paul Richardson, WR50. Dolphins: Jordan Matthews, WR51. Bears: Bradley Roby, CB52. Cardinals: Carl Bradford, OLB53. Green Bay Packers: Stephon Tuitt, DT54. Eagles: Terrence Brooks, S55. Bengals: Marcus Roberson, CB56. Niners (from Kansas City): Marcus Martin, C57. Chargers: Trent Murphy, DE58. Saints: Donte Moncrief, WR59. Colts: Lamarcus Joyner, CB60. Panthers: Jaylen Watkins, CB61. Niners: Dominique Easley, DT62. Patriots: Martavis Bryant, WR63. Denver Broncos: Chris Borland, ILB64. Seahawks: Marcus Smith, DE

65. Texans: Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB66. Redskins: Pierre Desir, CB67. Raiders: Gabe Jackson, OG68. Falcons: Trevor Reilly, OLB69. Jets (via Buccaneers): Troy Niklas, TE70. Jaguars: Tre Mason, RB71. Browns: KaDeem Carey, RB72. Vikings: Brandon Thomas, OG73. Bills: Jared Abbrederis, WR74. Giants: Bruce Ellington, WR75. Rams: Jack Mewhort, OT76. Lions: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE/OLB77. Niners (from Titans): Deone Bucannon, S78. Cowboys: Dakota Dozier, OG79. Ravens: Weston Richburg, C80. Jets: Telvin Smith, LB81. Dolphins: Bishop Sankey, RB82. Bears: Yawin Smallwood, ILB83. Browns (from Steelers): Kelce Quarles, DT84. Cardinals: Zach Mettenberger, QB85. Packers: C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE86. Eagles: Christian Kirksey, OLB87. Chiefs: Cyril Richardson, OG88. Bengals: Joel Bitonio, OT89. Chargers: Robert Herron, WR90. Colts: Billy Turner, OT91. Saints: Jeremy Hill, RB92. Panthers: Ed Reynolds, S93. Patriots: Travis Swanson, C94. Niners: Arthur Lynch, TE95. Broncos: Mike Davis, WR96. Vikings (Seahawks): Charles Sims, RB

Round Two Round Three


NFL Draft 2014


Packers Team Needs2013 Season Recap

The Packers season was a nauseating ride of highs and lows, punctuated by a promising 5-2 start, Aaron Rodgers sev-en-game absence and the eventual divi-sion title-clinching win over the Chicago Bears in Week 17. A team that didnt lose in October went 0-4-1 without Rodgers in November, and it took two come-from-behind wins over Atlanta and Dallas in December to set up Rodgers return in the finale. An improbable win over the Bears gave the Packers an 8-7-1 record and a third straight NFC North title. But for the third time in three years, the Packers failed to reach the conference title game, falling at home in the Wild Card round toyou guessed itthe San Francisco 49ers. Injuries defined another season in Green Bay, with Rodgers miss-ing seven games to a broken collarbone and Clay Matthews five with a recurring broken thumb. Casey Hayward (ham-

string, 13 games) and Randall Cobb (broken leg, 10) also missed considerable time. The Packers went 0-4 against playoff teams.

Key Players

The importance of Aaron Rodgers to the Packers franchise was demonstrated in stunning detail. With Rodgers, Green Bay started 5-2 and looked like a Super Bowl contender. Everything spiraled downward follow-ing his injury, as the Packers struggled on offense and lost their edge on defense during a 2-4-1 stretch without their elite quarterback. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy emerged as a true difference-making runner, and Jordy Nelson remained as reliable as they come at receiver. Without Clay Matthews, Mike Daniels emerged as Green Bays most consistent pass-rusher. The $39 mil-lion paid to Sam Shields this offseason proves the Pack-ers project him as a No. 1 cornerback. Green Bay now needs others on defense to make the jump from role player to core contributor.

Help Wanted Ad

The uncharacteristic signing of Julius Peppers in free agen-cy shows general manager Ted Thompson is serious about fixing a defense that has consistently underachieved in re-cent years. The front seven looks like a potential strength, but only if the Packers find a sideline-to-sideline inside linebacker with coverage abilities. Arguably the teams biggest need comes at safety, where the Packers are now looking for a starter to plug in next to Morgan Burnett. Thompson has failed badly in finding a successor to Nick Collins, as Jerron McMillian busted in his second year and M.D. Jennings proved unworthy of starting another full season for a hopeful championship defense. Both inside linebacker and safety could be first-round options. On offense, the Packers lost Evan Dietrich-Smith and James Jones in free agency, and theres uncertainty at tight end. Is the next starting center on Green Bays roster? Thompson has always struck gold with early-to-mid-round receivers, and this class looks like one of the deepest in years. Jer-michael Finleys status clouds the future of the tight end position. Simply put, Thompson needs to add one or two new starters on defense while also making sure his quar-terback remains well protected and flush with weapons.

2014 Outlook

The term rebuild was floated around briefly this offsea-son, but the Packers will never be anything less than in reloading mode while Aaron Rodgers is healthy and un-der contract. Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson bring organizational stability, and theres still a lot to like on a talented roster. With a booming running game, the Green Bay offense has a chance to be one of the most balanced and efficient units in football next season. And the defense has most of the necessary pieces to be very good, but only if luck returns and the injury bug packs its bags and leaves Green Bay. There seems to finally be an organizational push to fixat any costwhat has ailed the defense in previous seasons. The NFC remains a tough collection of top teams and the NFC North continues to get better, put-ting the onus on Thompson to fill in some of the missing pieces and unite the talent base. But the Packers remain a front-runner to win the division and an annual contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

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NFL Draft 2014 Zach Kruse

Recap: The Bears made it three years in a row starting hot but collapsing down the stretch. This time around, a 3-0 start failed to hold up against the ups and downs of the remaining 13 games. With a chance to win the division in each of the last two weeks, the Bears were blown out by the Eagles and then lost a heartbreaker to the Packers in the finale. A historically productive offen-sive output was coupled with maybe the franchises worst ever defense.

Help wanted: Defense, defense, de-fense. All of Chicagos major needs can be found on the defensive side of the football, where the Bears allowed the most points in franchise history and finished dead last in the NFL against the run. Free agency helped with La-marr Houston and Willie Young added to be new starters at defensive end. But defensive tackle, linebacker and safety are still big problem areas. The defense as a whole needs more young, differ-ence-making talent.

2014 outlook: The Bears figure to en-ter next season with one of the NFLs best offenses. All the big pieces return. Where Chicago ends up will likely de-pend on the progress of a defensive rebuild that is still in its infant stages. If the Bears can become respectable on defense, this is a playoff-caliber team with high upside.

Key players: QB Jay Cutler, RB Matt Forte, WR Brandon Marshall

Recap: The Lions were giftwrapped the division title but threw away the opportunity by losing six of their last seven games, including four in a row to close the season. Turnovers (34 giveaways, third most) and frustrat-ing inconsistency led to a few late gut-punches. The collapse eventually cost Jim Schwartz and his staff their jobs.

Help wanted: The offense filled its need at receiver behind Calvin John-son by signing Golden Tate, one of the games more underrated pass-catchers. Now, the Lions can focus on rebuild-ing the secondary, which needs help at both cornerback and safety. Each po-sition could use a new starter. Losing Willie Young in free agency could put Detroit in the market for a pass-rusher. The Lions have always prioritized the front seven on defense over the back four.

2014 outlook: New head coach Jim Caldwell brings a calming presence to the Detroit sideline. Maybe his arrival will take the scary-talented but annu-ally underachieving Lions to the next level. For that to happen, Caldwell will need to get Matthew Stafford turned around. The Lions will only go as far as their franchise quarterback takes them. But this is still a roster built to win big in todays game. Theres no reason the Lions cant compete.

Key players: QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson, DT Ndamukong Suh

Recap: One year after becoming a sur-prise playoff team, the Vikings had their 2013 season derailed by a laugh-able game of musical chairs at quarter-back and a defense that couldnt hold a late lead. Three underwhelming quar-terbacks started games and the Vikings blew five fourth-quarter leads. Minne-sota only lost three games after Week 9, but a 1-7 start was too much to over-come. Leslie Frazier and his staff were fired after the season.

Help wanted: The Vikings were an aggressive player in free agency, re-signing Everson Griffen and filling big holes at nose tackle (Linval Joseph) and slot cornerback (Captain Mun-nerlyn). But last seasons 32nd ranked scoring defense could still use another talent infusion, especially at linebacker, perimeter corner and safety. Finding a long-term solution at quarterback is still the franchises biggest issue. Pick-ing at No. 8 overall might solve it.

2014 outlook: The fiery, defensive-mind-ed Mike Zimmer receives his first head coaching opportunity for a team that overachieved in 2012 and then crashed back to earth last season. The Vikings have difference makers on offense and a potentially disruptive front four, but question marks at quarterback and the backend of the defense limit Minnesotas 2014 ceiling.

Key players: RB Adrian Peterson, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Greg Jennings


The NFC North

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Help wanted: Deep and tal-ented on offense, the Cowboys need to rebuild a defense that lost both DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher.

The two had half of the de-fenses 34 sacks in 2013.

Finding new starters at defensive end and tackle top the teams biggest needs.

Help wanted: A forgettable season along the offensive line led to the worst year of Eli Mannings career.

Fixing the problems up front can have a trickle down effect for Ben McAdoos new offense.

The Giants could also use help at receiver and linebacker, and few teams prioritize picking

pass-rushers more.

Help wanted: Signing Mal-colm Jenkins in free agency helped fill an obvious hole at safety.

With most of Chip Kellys of-fense returning, the Eagles can focus on getting better at edge

rusher, cornerback and along the de-fensive line.

More talent on defense will be a priority.

Help wanted: A defense that allowed 20 or more points in 15 of 16 games and finished 30th overall in points needs an immediate talent infusion.

Adding Jason Hatcher along the defensive line was a start, but safety and linebacker re-main big needs.

On offense, Washington could use a receiver to pair with Pierre Garcon.

Help wanted: Free agency has added help up front, but the defenses need for an im-proved pass rush still exists.

Atlantas 32 sacks ranked 29th in 2013, with only Osi Umeny-iora (7.5) registering more than five.

The offensive line could also use a jolt at both tackle spots, and Tony Gonza-lezs retirement left a hole at tight end.

Help wanted: Surrounding Cam Newton with a new cast of receiving options is priority No. 1, especially after letting go long-time receiver Steve Smith.

The retirement of Jordan Gross leaves Carolina without a left tackle, and the losses of Cap-tain Munnerlyn and Mike Mitchell in free agency have

depleted the secondary.

Help wanted: Landing Jairus Byrd in free agency gives New Orleans one of the top safety combos.

Now, finding a shutdown cor-ner to play on the outside can complete the secondary. Re-stocking the talent at receiver and edge rusher are also pri-orities after losing both Lance Moore and Will Smith this off-season.

Help wanted: One of the more active teams in free agency, Tampa Bay has already filled most of its most glaring holes.

On offense, guard and tight end represent the biggest re-maining needs. And the team doesnt have a sure-fire option at slot receiver or nickel cor-nerback.

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Help wanted: Eventually, finding a long-term option at quarterback will need to be addressed.

In the meantime, Arizona wants to solidify the offen-sive lineespecially in the NFC Westand strengthen the pass rush around veteran

Carson Palmer.

The secondary could also benefit from improvements at cornerback and safety.

Help wanted: One of the NFLs most complete rosters could still use better talent at both cornerback and receiver, two positions where San Francisco swung and missed during free agency.

And how much more does Justin Smith have in the tank? At some point, his re-placement at defensive end will need to be found.

Help wanted: The Super Bowl champs dont need much help.

This is a roster beaming with talent, but receiver is now an issue without Golden Tate and an attacking defensive line would prefer another disrup-tor in the rotation.

A seam-busting tight end would add to Seattles already ultra-efficient offense.

Help wanted: Plucking OT Jake Long and TE Jared Cook in free agency were solid gets for the Rams, who needed help at both positions.

Offensive line is still an area where St. Louis could use a top pick, but safety now looks like the teams most pressing need.

Finding a starter at strong-side line-backer is another priority for the im-proving Rams.

NFC Team Needs


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AFC TEAM NEEDS

Help wanted: Despite the re-signing of Vince Wilfork, one of New Englands biggest needs remain along the de-fensive line, where they need an infusion of young talent to eventually take over for the long-time veteran.

There probably isnt enough depth at either tackle or end. Finding insurance for Rob Gronkowski at tight end wouldnt hurt.

Help wanted: The Jets re-leased Antonio Cromartie and then struck out while trying to find his replacement in free agency.

Eric Decker helps at receiv-er, but another playmaker is needed for second-year quar-terback Geno Smith.

Help wanted: An offensive line in shambles on and off the field had one hole patched up by the signing of left tackle Branden Albert.

Guard and right tackle are next on the wishlist. Signing Cort-

land Finnegan doesnt solve the need at cornerback.

Help wanted: Michael Oher signed in Tennessee, leaving right tackle as a need in Balti-more.

Finding a starter to play along-side Matt Elam at safety is ar-guably the highest priority, and the interior of the offen-sive line still needs help.

Help wanted: Losing Michael Johnson and Anthony Col-lins in free agency opens up defensive end and offensive tackle as top needs.

Cornerback could use an in-fusion of younger talent.

Help wanted: A roster that is strong on defense and at the of-fensive skill positions now just needs a franchise quarterback. Is Brian Hoyer that guy? Well see. The Browns will have a chance to draft a top quarter-back at No. 4 overall. Receiver and cornerback are also op-tions.

Help wanted: Pittsburgh is thin at receiver behind Anto-nio Brown, offensive tackle remains a significant problem area and cornerback needs youth.

A team running Dick LeBeaus defense will always be in the market for front seven help.

Help wanted: Cordy Glenn is a rock at left tackle, but the right side of the offen-sive line could use an up-grade.

Finding another playmaking linebacker to slot in next to Kiko Alonso is another pri-ority.

AFC Team Needs

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Help wanted: The Texans feel like a team that could get turned around in a hurry with the right quarterback in place.

At No. 1 overall, Houston will have its pick of the litter. But if a quarterback isnt the selec-tion, offensive tackle or edge rusher or the biggest needs.

Help wanted: Losing veteran safety Antoine Bethea in free agency leaves Indianapolis without a starter at the back-end.

Shoring up the interior of the offensive line and adding more depth at edge rusher and cornerback top the rest of the checklist in Indy.

Help wanted: The Titans will want to find a replacement for All-Pro cornerback Alterraun Verner, who left in free agency.

And there may eventually be a serious need at running back, but only if long-time starter Chris Johnson is shown the door.

Help wanted: Despite a free-agent spending spree, Denver needs to replace both start-ing guards from 2013 and find more depth at both cornerback and linebacker. The Broncos could even get greedy and add a receiver from a deep class of pass-catchers.

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Help wanted: The Seattle-to-Jacksonville pipeline has add-ed talent to the defensive front. Now, its time to finally hit on a franchise quarterback.

Chad Henne is nothing more than a stopgap. Weakside line-backer and receiver are also top needs.

Help wanted: Free agency wasnt kind to Kansas Citys offensive line with three start-ers from 2013 departing. Expect the Chiefs to find a new starter or two in the draft. Quarter-back Alex Smith wouldnt mind another receiver and Eric Berry needs a solid running mate at safety.

Help wanted: Reggie McK-enzie has been active in free agency, but the Raiders still need a lot of help. Finding the future at quarterback would be a fine start at No. 5 overall. From there, Oakland is safe drafting the best player avail-able. Upgrades could be had at nearly all positions.

Help wanted: San Diego should be desperate to add a legitimate starting cornerback to a pass defense that finished 2013 ranked 29th in the NFL. Unearthing another gem at re-ceiver (see: Keenan Allen last season) will only aid Philip Rivers as he tracks back to-ward elite status.

AFC Team Needs

In a nutshell: The most pro-ready prospect at his position, Bridgewater comes out of a pro-style offense where he had to scan the whole field and make his progressions.

On film, he repeatedly shows the abil-ity to look off and fool the defense with his eyes before delivering the ball. Bridgewater can fit throws into tight windows but also can throw the ball to where only his receiver can make a play.

He gets the ball out quickly with efficient technique, though his release point is sometimes lower than youd like to see. That may be a factor in his sometimes shaky touch on downfield throws but can be corrected pretty easily. Bridgewater showed poise in big mo-ments and produced when his team needed him to.

There is concern about his weight, although he added nine pounnds. before the Combine. Bridgewater declined to do much of anything at the Combine, which has raised concerns about his competitive drive.

Bowl game: Things started out poorly for Bridgewater as he was sacked for a safety on his first drop back of the Champs Sports Bowl against Miami.

Bridgewater hesitated and should have thrown the ball to his outlet re-ceiver rather than waiting for his pri-mary to get open.

The safety was virtually the only mistake he made all day.

Otherwise, Bridgewater showed great poise under pressure and consistently looked off the coverage to get his receiv-ers open.

By halftime hed completed 19 of 26 pass-es for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Bridgewater added another touchdown pass on a beautiful throw to Senorise Per-ry with eight minutes to go in the third

quarter. On the play, he showed ex-ceptional cool under a heavy blitz and didnt rush the pass despite the pres-sure.

Bridgewater declined to do much of anything in Indianapolis.

However, which has raised concerns about his competitive drive as he en-teres this years draft.

2013 stats: 303 of 427, 3970 yards, 71.0%, 31 TDs, 4 INTs; 63 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD

In a nutshell: Manziels game is predi-cated on mobility, as his ability to move outside the pocket is outstanding, and he is far more comfortable throwing on the move than staying home in the pocket.

That said, Manziel made some big im-provements as a pocket passer this past season, although he still leaves the pocket earlier than he should.

He does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield even when scrambling and can look a defender off when moving so that he can get a receiver open. Manziel is not afraid to throw the ball up and let his receiver make a play, something he did frequently with Mike Evans in 2013.

There are some durability concerns given Manziels frame and playing style, but he has acknowledged that he will have to play smarter in the NFL to stay healthy.

There have been numerous concerns about off the field issues, however Man-ziel has been adamant he is focused on football and reports from the Combine say he impressed teams in interviews.

Vs. ranked opponent: Widely regarded as one of Manziels roughest outings in 2013, the game against No. 5 Missouri isnt as bad as some make it out to be.

Suffering from a thumb injury (initially from the Auburn game on 10/19 and aggravated the week prior to this game versus LSU), Manziel was clearly uncom-fortable and struggling with his grip on the ball.

The gameplan was aimed at less passing and shorter passes, the second of which


most pro-ready prospect

QB

Andrew Garda

#1 Teddy BridgwaterLouisville, Jr. 6 2- 214 lbs.40 yard dash: N/A

#2 Johnny ManzielTexas A&M, So. 5 11- 207 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.68 seconds

Quarterbacks

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is not a strength of Manzielshes more accurate on longer passes. On the shorter passes, Manziel recognized that the cor-nerbacks were giving his receivers a large cushion and started rapidly firing off his passes to take advantage.

Mizzou kept up outstanding pressure and adjusted their coverage, but Manziel was still able to complete passes, showing off his strong arm and ability to stretch a play with his legs. The pressure did force him to hurry several throws, causing some fairly off-target passes.

Overall, a rough game, but considering the injury and an outstanding Missouri pass rush, not as bad as it looks on paper.

2013 stats: 300 of 429, 4114 yards, 69.9%, 37 TDs, 13 INTs; 114 carries, 759 yards, 9 TDs


#3 Blake BortlesCentral Florida, Jr. 6 5- 232 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.93 seconds

In a nutshell: Even Bortles will admit he still has work to do to become an NFL quarterback. Theres no doubt I need coaching, he said during his Combine press conference. I need help, and Im going to work my butt off to do every-thing I can to be the best.

Reports indicate teams were impressed with him both in interviews as well as on the field in Indianapolishis will-ingness to compete in an unfamiliar at-mosphere was a big hit.

Bortles shows flashes of brilliance min-gled with obvious limitations. At times he does a great job of reading the de-fenses and throwing his receivers open, but at other times he misreads the cov-erage or fails to look off defenders.

Bortles clearly has a very strong arm, though he doesnt always step into his throw and could get more out of his arm with improved technique.

Bortles plays with coolness and poise under pressure and led his team to key comeback victories on the road against Penn State and Louisville.

Vs. ranked opponent: One of Bortless sig-nature wins during the 2013 season came at No. 8 Louisville, as his team trailed by 21 points. It didnt start out remarkably for Bortles, however, as he was off-target, shaky with his delivery and held onto the ball too long early in the game.

Several times he was lucky he wasnt picked off. Near the end of the first half the light went on, and Bortles be-gan playing much smarter.

When he threw, his delivery was quicker and the passes were pinpoint accurate.

Bortles took advantage of a Louisville defense on its heels, moving the chains with calm precision, especially on the last drive, showing a short memory and al-ways quickly moving onto the next play.

On the game-winning touchdown, Bor-tles did a great job extending the play while keeping his eyes downfield. When his receiver slipped open, Bortles saw it immediately and delivered a perfect throw.


#4 Derek CarrFresno State, Sr. 6 2- 214 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.69 seconds

In a nutshell: Former Houston Texans No. 1 pick David Carrs brother Derek is a solid athlete who can avoid pres-sure in and out of the pocket, but his accuracy can be spotty as evidenced by an up-and-down week of practice at the Senior Bowl.

Carr will force the ball when he shouldnt and throws off balance too much. Against better competition, Carr struggled.

Bowl game: It was somewhat painful to watch Carr against USC in the Las Vegas Bowl as once the Trojans took the lead, their defense just teed off on him.

Carr folded under pressure and his only success came on short drives. Per-forming under defensive pressure is a concern for Carr, one that was solidi-fied against USC.


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In a nutshell: Mettenberger did not participate in any Combine drills due to a torn MCL/ACL injury that hap-pened in November, which has cloud-ed his future to an extent.

When healthy, Mettenberger shows extremely good arm strength, comes out of a pro-style offense and being a

pocket passer, may not see much deg-radation in his game coming off his knee injury.

Also has some character questions after pleading guilty to two counts of misde-meanor sexual battery after groping a woman at a bar and getting kicked off the Georgia football team early in col-lege career.

Vs. ranked team: Mettenberger was accurate and poised against his former team, No. 9 Georgia, putting his team in the lead of a shootout with 4:14 left to go in the game.

On LSUs final drive he threw four straight completions, including a nice 27-yard pass to put the Tigers in scor-ing position. Unfortunately he couldnt repeat the deed and threw four incom-pletions to end the game.

2013 stats: 192 of 296, 3082 yards, 64.9%, 22 TDs, 8 INTs; 34 carries, -133 yards, 0 TDs


QB

#5 Jimmy GaroppoloEastern Illinois, Sr. 6 2- 226 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.97 seconds

In a nutshell: Garoppolo has an in-credibly strong arm but doesnt show a lot of touch. He makes very quick de-cisions but often only from single-look reads.

Despite his arm, Garoppolo has accura-cy issues on long throws in part due to technique. Worked out of the shotgun in school and will need to get used to being under center.

All-Star game: After an impressive showing at the Shrine Game, Garop-polo built more momentum in Mobile during Senior Bowl practices.

His strong arm was especially evident during a windy Tuesday practice when his was the only ball not greatly af-fected. His intelligence and personality were clear during interviews as well as on the field.


#6 Zach MettenbergerLSU, Sr. 6 5- 224 lbs.40 yard dash: N/A

#7 A.J. McCarronAlabama, Sr. 6 3- 220 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.94 seconds

In a nutshell: McCarron is comfortable in a pro-style offense, both under cen-ter and in a shotgun formation.

He has solid accuracy on short-to-in-termediate throws but has a tenden-cy to be off target on longer throws, forcing receivers to adjust too much. Does not have a huge arm and benefit-ted from having an excellent offense around him.

Bowl game: McCarron posted some great yardage and touchdown totals in the Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma but turned the ball over three timestwo interceptions and one fumble which

was returned for a touchdown. Both in-terceptions set up scores by Oklahoma as well.

McCarron threw some really nice pass-es overall but made far too many mis-takes.

2013 stats: 226 of 336, 3063 yards, 67.3%, 28 TDs, 7 INTs; 34 carries, -22 yards, 0 TDs

#8 Brett SmithWyoming, Sr. 6 2- 206 lbs.40 yard dash: N/A

In a nutshell: An incredibly under-rated prospect, Smith didnt even get a Combine invite.

Hes a quick, mobile quarterback who does a great job making his reads and adjusting based on coverage, but can be a bit too confident at times. Hes prone to try and fit the ball in tight cov-erage he should avoid. Best game: In what was easily Smiths best game of the yearand his ca-reerthe Wyoming quarterback de-stroyed the Hawaii defense to the tune of 498 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith added a 51-yard touchdown run that showed off his mobility. His eight touchdowns were the most by a single player in Mountain West history.


Quarterbacks

Murray played some incredible football

In a nutshell: Athletically, Thomas is an incredible prospect. His size, build and speed excite coaches, scouts and media across the NFL.

Unfortunately, thats most of what he has going for him. His ball placement is all over the place, his touch is al-most non-existent, and he doesnt see enough of the field. Thomas has the raw pieces but is a real project.

All-Star game: Much like his career, Thomas Senior Bowl experience was a lot of buildup for naught.

Despite looking impressive at the weigh-in, Thomas was inconsistent and streaky in practice, showing poor footwork and telegraphing his throws.

Thomas also completed 4 of 5 passes in the game for a whopping 17 yards and finished with a -39 yards rushing.



#9 Logan ThomasVirginia Tech, Sr. 6 6- 248 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.61 seconds

40 yard dash: N/AGeorgia, Sr. 61 - 207 lbs.Aaron Murray #10

In a nutshell: Murray tore his ACL during the 2013 season and is still rehabbing. Incredibly productive against top-shelf SEC competition, Murray is a four-year starter in a pro-style offense.

Height and build are concerns, as is durability. His low release point contributes to batted balls, as does his aver-age arm. Murray does get rattled under pressure and has fallen apart in big games.

Vs. ranked opponent: While not flawless, Murray played some incredible football against No. 7 Auburn in a huge game. After scoring on a scramble to take the lead, Geor-gia fell behind and Murray had to bring the offense to the Auburn 20 in less than 25 seconds.

His final pass fell incomplete, but otherwise Murray came through when they needed him.


Quarterbacks

#13 Keith Wenning, Ball State

Wenning is a very savvy, four-year starter with a great work ethic but av-erage physical tools. Working almost completely out of the shotgun, he will need to adapt to a pro-style offense.

#15 Jeff Matthews, Cornell

#16 Connor Shaw, South Carolina

Matthews isnt very mobile and his ac-curacy will disappear at times when he is forced to move. On the upside, he is a smart, experienced quarterback and a tremendous leader on the field who could be a tremendous backup.

Shaw is a great competitor who shows great mobility, accuracy and very nice touch on his throws, but is undersized and prone to injury. He has shown enough determination and overall football smarts, though, to think he could hang around the league for some time if healthy.

#14 Stephen Morris, Miami

Morris has very good arm strength and can move around the pocket to buy time, but struggles with pressure overall and ditches the pocket early. There are issues with ac-curacy too as Morris doesnt hit receivers in stride and doesnt often throw them open.

#17 Tom Savage, Pittsburgh

Savage has the prototypical size, arm strength and experience teams look for in a quarterback, but still has some issues. He is prone to stare down his targets.


Quarterbacks

#12 David FalesSan Jose State, Sr. 6 2- 212 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.99 seconds

#11 Tajh BoydClemson, Sr. 6 1- 222 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.84 seconds

In a nutshell: When Boyd is in a rhythm, he can throw sharp passes, especially on shorter routes but gets shaky under heavy pressure.

Boyd is elusive out of the pocket but prone to ditch it too early. He does not see the whole field and some-times struggles to read defenses. Durability is a concern.

All-Star game: Boyd struggled in practices and even among a shaky group of quarterbacks, his accuracy and overall play was unremarkable.

You could tell he was not yet com-fortable under center and will take time to adapt to a pro-style offense. Boyd completed 7 of 16 passes for 31 yards and one interception in the game.


In a nutshell: Fales is a very average athlete with limited mobility out of the pocket and scattershot accuracy.

While possessing many desirable in-tangiblesleadership, confidence, competitivenesshis actual game is very raw.

Just a two-year starter, Fales is still learning to read defenses, look off cor-ners and overcome pressure. Hes a true project.

All-Star game: Fales did not have a great week of practices and was report-edly sick on Monday and Tuesday.

If thats the case, it might explain the many floating and sailing pass-es we saw during those outings.

He capped off a shaky week with an outstanding game, however, completing 6 of 7 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.


#18 Garrett Gilbert, Southern Methodist

#19 Chase Rettig, Boston College

#20 Casey Pachall, TCU

#21 Dustin Vaughn, West Texas A&M

#22 Bryn Renner, North Carolina

#23 James Franklin, Missouri

#24 Brock Jensen, North Dakota State

#25 Kenny Guiton, Ohio State

#26 Keith Price, Washington

#27 Brendon Kay, Cincinnati

#28 Corey Robinson, Troy

#29 Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois

#30 Kolton Browning, Louisiana-Monroe


RB

Jayme SnowdenRunning Backs

40 yard dash: 4.50 secondsAuburn, Jr. 58 - 207 lbs.Tre Mason # 2

#1 Carlos HydeOhio State, Sr. 6 0- 230 lbs.40 yard dash: 4.66 seconds

In a nutshell: Hyde, a 2013 first-team All-Big Ten running back, runs with power. Throughout the 2013 season he carried the Ohio State offense, and often the op-posing teams defenses.

Hyde missed the first three games of the 2013 season due to a suspension but rushed for over 100 yards in the final nine games of the season, averaging 7.3 yards a carry. He lacks breakaway speed, dem-onstrated in his 40-yard dash time but doesnt necessarily need to improve in that regard.

With his ability to stiff arm, spin move and carry would-be tacklers, Hyde possesses the skills needed to overcome his slower speed.

He tweaked his hamstring while run-ning the 40 at the NFL Combine and did not run at OSUs pro day, but he will be a top running back pick re-gardless of his speed numbers.

Best game: While Hyde had many good games in the 2013 seasonespecially against rival Michiganhis standout performance versus Illinois showed his ability to carry and will a team to victory.

In a 60-35 victory, Hyde had 24 carries for 246 yards and four touchdowns and added another two receptions for 26 yards and caught a touchdown pass as well.

While the games final score appears like a lopsided victory, the Buckeyes were watching a 28-point lead dwin-dle away when Hyde scored on 55- and 51-yard touchdown runs.

The two long scoring runs came in the last four and a half minutes of the game, increasing the OSU lead from 12 points to 25, a deficit from which the Illini could not bounce back.

Buckeye coach Urban Meyer cred-ited Hyde with making the differ-ence in the game, telling the As-sociated Press, We did need the help.

2013 stats: 208 carries, 1521 yards, 7.3 ypc,15 TDs; 16 receptions, 147 yards, 3 TDs

In a nutshell: It takes a superstar to break Bo Jacksons single-season rushing re-cord, and in 2013 Mason rushed for 30 yards more than Jackson did in 1985.

Being mentioned in the same sentence as the great Bo Jackson is amazing but breaking his record is legendary. Mason had a phenomenal 2013 campaign, lead-ing the SEC in rushing, coming in sixth in Heisman trophy voting and being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

He also performed well at the NFL Com-bine, as a top performer in the vertical and broad jumps with leaps of 38.5 and 126 inches respectively. Mason is a com-pact runner, but his strong legs allow him to move piles and shake off tacklers.


Running BacksIn the open field, he accelerates, and once free, hes off and running. Mason is a po-tential every down back, as he can handle the wear and tear, is good in short-yard-age situations and has big-play ability on nearly every down.

Postseason game: Auburn wasnt sup-posed to be in either the SEC or national title contention, but after a last second miracle play versus Alabama, the stage was set for Auburn to state their case in the SEC Championship.

Against a Missouri defense that was al-lowing only 119 rushing yards a game, it appeared Mason and his Tigers would have their work cut out for them.

Instead, he shattered the SEC title-game record of 201 yards with a career day of 304 yards on the ground, including four scoring plays of seven, three, one and 13 yards. Carrying the ball 46 times, Mason w

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