2014 NFL Draft: Top Prospects Whose Stock Is on the Decline

Let the 2014 NFL draft frenzy begin.

Not that the draft has been absent from the minds of fans since last year's concluded, but serious talk can begin in earnest now that we are approaching the end of the collegiate season and some NFL teams are already looking ahead.

As is the case every year, wild fluctuations in stock for various prospects will occur. Whether it's up-and-down play from a prospect over the course of the season, or film review, workouts and interviews that will come later, one thing is for sure: How the draft looks will change drastically in the coming months.

Let's take a look at three players whose stock is on the decline for various reasons. It's far from over for these guys, but they need to turn things around in a hurry.

No.	Player	Pos.	Stock
1	Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville	QB	--
2	Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina	DE	--
3	Marcus Mariota, Oregon	QB	--
4	Khalil Mack, Buffalo	LB	Up
5	Jake Matthews, Texas A&M	OT	Down
6	Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M	QB	Down
7	Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama	OT	Up
8	Mike Evans, Texas A&M	WR	Up
9	C.J. Mosley, Alabama	LB	Up
10	Anthony Barr, UCLA	LB	Down
11	Louis Nix, Notre Dame	DT	Up
12	Vic Beasley, Clemson	DE	Up
13	Derek Carr, Fresno State	QB	Up
14	Sammy Watkins, Clemson	WR	Down
15	Cameron Erving, Florida State	OT	Up
16	Ryan Shazier, Ohio State	LB	Down
17	Trent Murphy, Stanford	DE	Up
18	Jason Verrett, TCU	CB	Up
19	Kyle Van Noy, BYU	LB	Down
20	Eric Ebron, North Carolina	TE	Up
21	Tajh Boyd, Clemson	QB	Down
22	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama	S	Down
23	Cyril Richardson, Baylor	OG	Up
24	Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida	CB	Up
25	De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon	RB	Down

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

It's crazy to think at one point in time Clemson's Tajh Boyd was considered a surefire top-10 selection in the draft.

Boyd is a statistical monster. He has thrown for 3,248 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions this year while completing 67.3 percent of his throws.

As ESPN points out, Boyd's production is not limited to just his senior year:

So what's the problem?

Flick on the film and fans will find a quarterback in a shotgun-happy attack who makes few reads and relies too much on the players around him. While not necessarily a deal-breaker, a slow release, the propensity to pull it down to take off and average height equals an iffy pro package.

Boyd's 156 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 51-14 loss to Florida State in mid-October still rings loudly as well.

Make no mistake—Boyd will still be a high selection, but his stock is on the decline, especially with other quarterbacks playing well.

De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon

Before the season, De'Anthony Thomas was thought to be a top selection, in the Tavon Austin mold, thanks to his versatile skill set.

Now, the 5'9" and 176-pound running back has had his stock derailed by injury and mediocre production.

Thomas was impressive in 2012 with 1,146 total yards and 16 total touchdowns rushing and receiving. Add in another 611 yards and two touchdowns on returns, and it's easy to see why Thomas was slotted as a top pick.

Thomas then missed four games this year. He has not been overly impressive since his return, either:

	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD
UCLA	10	31	3.1	1	3	17	0
@Stanford	6	30	5.0	0	4	45	0
Utah	4	11	2.8	0	4	28	1
@Arizona	16	83	5.2	0	6	74	0

Confusion abounds about where Thomas will play in the NFL. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller sees him at wide receiver:

Regardless, Thomas' stock has taken a major hit as of late. Questions about his role at the next level don't help things.

Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

Johnny Manziel is tough to figure out as an NFL prospect.

Forget the questions about his maturity; from an on-field perspective, Manziel seems to have it all.

Alright, it would be nice if he were a bit taller in order to quell questions about his ability to see over linemen. Outside of that, Manziel has improved in his sophomore year in most areas.

Unfortunately, Manziel's stock is at a new low this year after the worst game of his collegiate career in a loss to LSU:

Manziel threw for 224 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the putrid showing, completing just 39 percent of his throws. While an outstanding athlete who can extend or make plays with his feet, the loss calls into question Manziel's ability to make the right decisions against professional opponents.

There is plenty of time for Manziel to turn things back around, but he needs his serious on-field auditions to be better before he is the NFL's most scrutinized player leading up to the draft.