NFL Draft: 5 Storylines to Monitor
- Updated: May 8, 2014
1. Clowney or Mack?: The Houston Texans have been on the clock for over five months now. They have their minds made up, but it’s time for us to find out if Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack is their guy?
Clowney has been the No. 1-ranked player of most evaluators. I actually have Mack ranked just ahead of Clowney, but I really couldn’t argue with picking either at No. 1.
I have my doubts about Clowney, but none of them have to do with his physical skill or incredible potential. My questions are about work ethic, attitude and scheme fit.
On the other hand, the only concern regarding Mack has to do with the competition he faced. Aside from his dominating performance against Ohio State, Mack really didn’t have to battle many NFL-caliber players.
As far as scheme fit, the nod goes to Mack. As far as potential to be an all-time great, I have to go with Clowney. So what will the Texans do? I think it’ll be Clowney, but we won’t know for a few more hours.
2. Johnny Manziel Saga: Who is going to take the plunge and grab Texas A&M quarterback, Johnny Manziel? The Rams? The Browns? Maybe it’ll be the Buccaneers? Or the Vikings? Is there a surprise team like Dallas? All this could play out early, or it could drag on to the middle of the first round.
The Rams pick at both No. 2 and 13. There has been plenty of speculation that Rams general manager Les Snead is seriously considering taking Manziel at No. 2.
While it wouldn’t completely shock me, I think there is a good chance that they are trying to get the Browns, Buccaneers or another team to panic and trade up. If they could get the Browns to move up, the Rams would get more picks in return and very likely still land offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the No. 4 selection. That’s how business should be done.
The Browns also have two selections in the first round – Nos. 4 and 26. They will likely take a quarterback with one of these selections. Unless they are in love with Manziel, they should take Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack or an offensive linemen at No. 4, then grab a QB at 26, or in the second round (No. 35 overall).
The sleeper team in my eyes, is the Bucs. If Manziel is there at No. 7, I think they jump on him. Why else would there be reports about them looking to trade QB Mike Glennon during the draft. All Glennon did as a rookie was throw 19 TDs and just nine interceptions. That tells me, he doesn’t fit their style of offense. Manziel is pretty much the exact opposite of Glennon. Hmmmm?
3. Receivers, receivers, receivers: This is the deepest draft in recent memory. The deepest of these positions is wide receiver. I think a minimum of five, and as many as nine receivers could be selected in the first round. I also believe around 20 will go in the first four rounds, which is incredible.
The locks to go in the first 32 picks are: Sammy Watkins (Clemson), Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU), Mike Evans (Texas A&M) and Brandin Cooks (Oregon State). USC’s Marqise Lee is probable to be a first-round selection.
After those five, I believe there is a group of six that also could find their way into the latter portion of the first round. The others who could possibly hear their name called Thursday night are: Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Cody Latimer (Indiana), Kelvin Benjamin (Florida State), Davante Adams (Fresno State), Allen Robinson (Penn State) and Bruce Ellington (South Carolina).
No way all 11 get into the first round, but it could be as many as nine. I’m guessing it will end up being around six or seven.
4. Who’s on the move?: Usually there is more smoke than fire considering draft-day trades. But, in the past few seasons, there has been more movement than usual. Will that trend continue Thursday? Here are the teams that have been rumored to possibly be aggressive in the first round.
Atlanta Falcons (No. 6): General manager Thomas Dimitroff has never been shy about wheeling and dealing. The Falcons moved from No. 27 to 6 in 2011 to get receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons have needs at offensive tackle and defensive end. Would Dimitroff mortgage much of his draft to move up five spots to take DE Jadeveon Clowney? It wouldn’t shock me, but at this point I consider it unlikely.
Buffalo Bills (No. 9): The Bills also have a man crush on Clowney, and also have shown interest in linebacker Khalil Mack and receiver Sammy Watkins. I don’t think the Bills have the ammunition to move all the way to No. 1, but if one of the aforementioned players slid to four or five, I could see Buffalo being aggressive.
Detroit Lions (No. 10): The Lions are said to be infatuated with Watkins. That love better be unconditional, because if they were to move up for Watkins, it likely would cost Detroit, which has numerous needs on the defensive side of the ball, most of its early draft picks. This one feels real to me, although the Lions should stand pat. Detroit should keep as many picks as they can, in what is an incredibly deep draft, and improve its defense.
San Francisco 49ers (No. 30): The Niners need to upgrade the cornerback and receiver positions. The good news is: receiver and corner are two of the deepest positions in the draft. … At No. 30, the Niners, who own 11 picks in the draft, have the ammunition to move up if they want to target an Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, or a top corner like Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett or Kyle Fuller. I expect the Niners to be aggressive because they have a talented, deep roster and are just a piece or two away. Now is the time to strike.
After these four, look for the quarterback-needy teams that passed on a signal-caller early in the round to jump back into the late first to get their man.
5. Riser and slider: Every year there is a player that surprises many by slipping his way into the top 10. That player will have a feeling of euphoria come over him as his NFL dream came true, and much earlier than most thought. On the other hand, there usually is a poor soul that sits with the camera fixed on him while he waits for an hour or two longer than was projected. Who will these guys be? Not sure, but I’ll venture a few guesses.
Possible riser: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh: Donald has skyrocketed up draft boards after a great season in 2013, and following that up with eye-opening physical tests at the NFL Scouting Combine. Donald is the prototypical 3-technique tackle and really fits what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 7 pick) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 8) do defensively.
Possible slider: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA: Barr is clearly one of the best athletes in this draft and should be a great fit as a 3-4 rush linebacker. He is just a raw talent and needs time to realize his talents. Right now, Barr is a one-dimensional player that isn’t comfortable playing in space. After the season, Barr was talked about as a possible top-5 pick. Now, there’s a chance Barr could slide into the mid-to-late portion of the first round. On talent alone, he should go in the top-16. The Titans at No. 11, Steelers (No. 15) and Cowboys (No. 16) are the best fits for Barr.
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