Final 2014 First Round NFL Mock Draft with commentary

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21. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Donald
DT, Pittsburgh

Sebastian’s Take: Donald could very well end up being the best player in this class and Packers would salivate to see him drop this far. With tape that would usually constitute a top-5 selection, lack of size is the only thing holding this player back. I recently wrote an article outlining why the Giants should consider him at #12.

22. Philadelphia Eagles
Brandin Cooks
WR, Oregon State

Felix’s Take: The Eagles offense lost plenty of talent this offseason, releasing DeSean Jackson and letting go of the reliable Jason Avant. While the offense is spectacular, there is still a hole to consider with Jeremy Maclin returning from a major knee injury. Enter Cooks. The speedy and talented wide receiver does exceptionally well considering size limitations, playing the ball well and working routes well. He’d be a nice replacement in a similar role to keep the offense running smoothly.

23. Kansas City Chiefs
Marqise Lee
WR, USC

Adam’s Take: The Chiefs have a dearth of game altering options on the outside. Enter Lee, another “faller” following an injury-plagued junior season and pedestrian combine. He’s a versatile receiver with game breaking ability in space, and his change of direction and route running are potentially elite traits. He’d team up nicely with the sizeable flanker Dwayne Bowe, as well as provide Jamaal Charles more isolation opportunities.

24. Cincinnati Bengals
Kony Ealy
DE, Missouri

Sebastian’s Take: With the loss of Michael Johnson in free agency, the Bengals need to fill that defensive line hole through the draft. Kony Ealy is the best defensive end left at #24. He was a terror for Mizzou throughout the season and will fit great on a Bengals team that seems to be just one piece away from being elite.

25. San Diego Chargers
Kyle Fuller
CB, Virginia Tech

Felix’s Take: The Chargers were the surprise team of the year, doing an excellent job offensively with a resurgent Philip Rivers. Defensively, however, the Chargers were at the bottom of the league, particularly versus the pass. Fuller is a prototype corner with excellent skills, physical and agile enough to contend with the bigger and smaller receivers of the NFL. Fuller is a plug and play.

26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)
Ryan Shazier
OLB/DE, Ohio State

Adam’s Take: Shazier rates amongst the most intriguing prospects in the draft. He didn’t run at the combine due to a hamstring injury, but he absolutely blew up the vertical jump posting a record 42’ leap. Additionally, he ran a 4.36 40 at the Ohio State Pro Day early in March. The Browns are always on the hunt for athleticism on D and Shazier is overflowing with it. Undersized targets haven’t scared them off in the past.

27. New Orleans Saints
Jason Verrett
CB, TCU

Sebastian’s Take: The Saints already added plenty of talent to their defense this offseason, but they elect to add an undersized cornerback out of TCU with premiere ball skills. He is only 5’9 and 190 pounds, but otherwise has everything you’d want in an NFL corner. His fluid hips and speed make him a great prospect similar to Tyrann Mathieu and Captain Munnerlyn.

28. Carolina Panthers
Morgan Moses
OT, Virginia

Felix’s Take: While the Panthers are in desperate need of offensive firepower, their scheme is based on a power running attack that places Cam in ideal passing situations. Even without such a scheme, the Panthers need to protect Cam PERIOD. Morgan Moses is one of the top second-tier tackles with tremendous size and power. Adding Moses will give Carolina a chance to replace the retired Jordan Gross with a mauler that could dominate on every down at the edge.

29. New England Patriots
Calvin Pryor
SS, Louisville

Adam’s Take: Most pundits are assuming that DT is the pick here, but lethal hitting Pryor is very much the Patriots brand of vodka. An energizer bunny on the back line that’s constantly around the football, he forced nine fumbles while at Louisville and laid out receivers with regularity. The question is: can he control himself out there and play a disciplined brand of ball? Suspensions could be hot and heavy.

30. San Francisco 49ers
Dee Ford
OLB/DE, Auburn

Sebastian’s Take: The San Francisco 49ers cannot get much better on defense, but instead of reaching for a receiver, they snag the best player available in Dee Ford. A monster off the edge, Ford had an incredible Senior Bowl in which he seemed unstoppable. With all the problems surrounding Aldon Smith, it doesn’t hurt the Niners to add more pass rushing talent.

31. Denver Broncos

Xavier Sua’Filo
OG, UCLA

Felix’s Take: Commonly, the mocked position here for Denver has been at inside linebacker, often including Shazier. To my knowledge, the Broncos did a good job in free agency to supplement their defense but the apparent need is at the offensive line. In the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning had no time to complete passes and their offense was completely disrupted by Seattle’s defense. Su’a-Filo is a versatile, talented lineman that can be plugged in a variety of positions. He is strong at the point of attack and maintains solid leverage. Peyton will benefit greatly by having a solid blocker to add to their front.

32. Seattle Seahawks

Louis Nix III
DT, Notre Dame

Adam’s Take: We’ve all seen the shirtless pictures by now from Nix’s Pro Day. Believe it or not, he was operating at a slimmed down 330 pounds (shed 23 lbs.) and looked fully healthy during drills. Most scouts consider him a specialized nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme… but not all. While the fit in Seattle is not ideal by any stretch, I couldn’t let him slip out of round 1. Nix will likely be off the board earlier.

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2014 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Round 1

By Sebastian Cosentino | May 6, 2014