Top 5 Draft Classes And Why!
- Updated: May 12, 2014
Reflecting back on the 2014 NFL Draft, we saw a lot of movement in the early rounds when Cleveland and Buffalo navigated the board impeccably. Coming out of the first round, it seemed that Cleveland was on their way to assemble a monstrous draft class along with potent activity in free agency. However, the tortoise always wins the race and seemingly Cleveland and Buffalo were the hares. Here are the top five draft classes, highlighting key selections:
5. St. Louis Rams
Key Selections – Greg Robinson OL (Auburn) (2) – Round 1, Aaron Donald OL (Pitt) (13) – Round 1, Lamarcus Joyner DB (Florida State) (41) Round 2, Maurice Alexander S (Utah State) (110) Round 4, Michael Sam DE/OLB (Mizzou) (241) Round 7.
An excellent job by the Rams adding depth to their already developing defense. LaMarcus Joyner is quasi-first round talent and Maurice Alexander is a steal for a fourth round pick. Adding Aaron Donald and Michael Sam to the free agency signing of Alex Carrington makes St. Louis frightening up the middle. Not to mention Chris Long and Robert Quinn are awaiting foes on the outside at the defensive end position.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Key Selections – Ryan Shazier LB (Ohio State) (15) – Round 1, Stephon Tuitt DT (Notre Dame) (46) – Round 2, Dri Archer RB (Kent State ) (97) – Round 3, Martavis Bryant WR (Clemson) (118) Round 4.Dan McCullers DT (Tennessee) (215) – Round 6.
Tomlin and company got the ball rolling in the first four rounds. Shazier is a great complement to Jarvis Jones and Stephon Tuitt is an upgrade for Pittsburgh’s defensive line in the wake of Ziggy Hood’s departure. Pittsburgh was looking for a big receiver who can emerge as a playmaker, Martavis Bryant is a strong candidate with his 6’4 frame and dashing speed. Dri Archer and Dan McCullers are both underrated prospects and Pittsburgh will get ergonomic value add of adding Archer to their depth chart and potentially starting McCullers across from Tuitt. McCullers has the potential to be a disruptive force and true nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Key Selections – Jordan Matthews WR (Vanderbilt) (42) – Round 2, Josh Huff WR (Oregon) (86) – Round 3, Jaylen Watkins CB (Florida) (101) – Round 4.
Truthfully, all seven picks by Philadelphia were wonderfully crafted. However the three picks listed above are of exception value. This is because Watkins and Matthews were argued to be potential first round caliber talent in 2013. Josh Huff is one of the unsung talents at wide receiver in this draft. With Jeremy Maclin returning from injury, along with Riley Cooper, the Eagles have two true possession receivers in Huff and Matthews. Both wideouts are 6’3 or better and can make catches in traffic and emerge as both horizontal and vertical threats. These are wonderful decoys for the two speed demons in Maclin and Cooper and add another dimension to their offense aside from the duo of McCoy and Sproles. Great draft by the Birds.
2. New York Jets
Key Selections – Calvin Pryor S (Louisville) (18) – First Round, Jace Amaro TE (TTU) (49) – Round 2, Jalen Saunders WR (Oklahoma) (104) – Round 4, Quincy Enunwa WR (Nebraska) (209) Round 5.
The Jets actually had a good draft for once, in fact they had a great one. The Jets fielded twelve picks and added some talent across the board to fortify a team that flourished in free agency. The best picks were the combination of Jalen Saunders and Quincy Enunwa. The Jets are scarce at wide receiver and adding a bigger receiver in Enunwa, who has 4.5 speed could solve the riddle of the Jets two receiver. Jalen Saunders can accompany Jeremy Kerley inside as a slot receiver who can be a mismatch with his blazing acceleration. Jace Amaro adds depth to the tight end position and allows the Jets to experiment with multiple packages including fellow bull Jeff Cumberland.
1. Chicago Bears
Key Selections – Kyle Fuller CB (Virginia Tech) (13) – Round 1, Ego Ferguson DT (LSU) – Round 2, Will Sutton DT (ASU) – Round 3, KaDeem Carey RB (Arizona) – Round 4, David Fales QB (SJSU) – Round 6.
Without question the Chicago Bears had the most qualitative draft out of the thirty-two NFL teams. This is largely because they stole first round talent in rounds one, three and four. Will Sutton never got the recognition he deserved as a ferocious defensive lineman at Arizona State. Now him and Ego Ferguson can both emerge as starters and certainly add depth to a juggernaut line assembled by the front office during free agency. The Bears will have the likes of Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young. This football team has made great strides resigning Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings, along with the acquisition of Ryan Mundy. The best pick of the draft perhaps with the steal of KaDeem Carey going in the fourth round to the Windy City. Carey could arguably be the best runner in the draft, he was stellar at Arizona.
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