NFL Draft 2014: Latest Expert Mock Results from Around the Internet

The 2014 NFL draft could play out in any number of ways, and that is evident when examining the latest expert mock drafts from across the Internet.   

Mocks have overtaken the web since before the college and NFL seasons even came to an end, but things are now starting to come into focus with the draft on the horizon. Even with all the information that is out there, however, there is still plenty of uncertainty among those who know the teams and prospects best.

With that in mind, here is the latest look at some of the most high-profile 2014 NFL mock drafts on the web along with trends worth keeping an eye on.

Latest Expert Mock Drafts

Pick No.	Team	Mel Kiper (ESPN.com)	Bucky Brooks (NFL.com)	Matt Miller (B/R)	Mike Chiari (B/R)
1	Houston Texans	Jadeveon Clowney	Jadeveon Clowney	Jadeveon Clowney	Jadeveon Clowney
2	St. Louis Rams (via WAS)	Greg Robinson	Greg Robinson	Sammy Watkins	Sammy Watkins
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Sammy Watkins	Johnny Manziel	Teddy Bridgewater	Blake Bortles
4	Cleveland Browns	Johnny Manziel	Sammy Watkins	Johnny Manziel	Johnny Manziel
5	Oakland Raiders	Khalil Mack	Blake Bortles	Greg Robinson	Khalil Mack
6	Atlanta Falcons	Taylor Lewan	Jake Matthews	Khalil Mack	Greg Robinson
7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Mike Evans	Mike Evans	Mike Evans	Mike Evans
8	Minnesota Vikings	Blake Bortles	Khalil Mack	Blake Bortles	Teddy Bridgewater
9	Buffalo Bills	Jake Matthews	Eric Ebron	Jake Matthews	Jake Matthews
10	Detroit Lions	Odell Beckham	Darqueze Dennard	Justin Gilbert	Justin Gilbert
11	Tennessee Titans	Darqueze Dennard	Justin Gilbert	Anthony Barr	Darqueze Dennard
12	New York Giants	Aaron Donald	Aaron Donald	Eric Ebron	Aaron Donald
13	St. Louis Rams	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
14	Chicago Bears	Justin Gilbert	Calvin Pryor	Aaron Donald	Calvin Pryor
15	Pittsburgh Steelers	Zack Martin	Odell Beckham	Taylor Lewan	Anthony Barr
16	Dallas Cowboys	Calvin Pryor	Anthony Barr	Kony Ealy	Dee Ford
17	Baltimore Ravens	Eric Ebron	Taylor Lewan	Zack Martin	Taylor Lewan
18	New York Jets	Brandin Cooks	Marqise Lee	Odell Beckham	Eric Ebron
19	Miami Dolphins	C.J. Mosley	Zack Martin	C.J. Mosley	Zack Martin
20	Arizona Cardinals	Derek Carr	Dee Ford	Derek Carr	Kony Ealy
21	Green Bay Packers	Ryan Shazier	C.J. Mosley	Jimmie Ward	C.J. Mosley
22	Philadelphia Eagles	Kelvin Benjamin	Kyle Fuller	Dee Ford	Odell Beckham
23	Kansas City Chiefs	Marqise Lee	Brandin Cooks	Brandin Cooks	Brandin Cooks
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Kony Ealy	Ryan Shazier	Kyle Fuller	Morgan Moses
25	San Diego Chargers	Anthony Barr	Bradley Roby	Darqueze Dennard	Kyle Fuller
26	Cleveland Browns (via IND)	Kyle Fuller	Teddy Bridgewater	Cody Latimer	Xavier Su'a-Filo
27	New Orleans Saints	Cody Latimer	Kony Ealy	Davante Adams	Ryan Shazier
28	Carolina Panthers	Morgan Moses	Cyrus Kouandjio	Morgan Moses	Marqise Lee
29	New England Patriots	Ra'Shede Hageman	Ra'Shede Hageman	Dominique Easley	Stephon Tuitt
30	San Francisco 49ers	Jordan Matthews	Jason Verrett	Allen Robinson	Davante Adams
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Verrett	Xavier Su'a-Filo	Ryan Shazier	Jason Verrett
32	Seattle Seahawks	Stephon Tuitt	Morgan Moses	Jason Verrett	Cyrus Kouandjio

*Mel Kiper's mock draft courtesy of ESPN Insider (subscription required)

*Bucky Brooks' mock draft courtesy of NFL.com

*Matt Miller's mock draft courtesy of Bleacher Report

Biggest Mock Draft Storylines

Jadeveon Clowney Tabbed as Consensus Top Pick

The overarching feeling among talent evaluators seems to be that South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is the best prospect in this draft, and that thought process is reflected within the expert mock drafts. Clowney is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans in each of the highlighted mocks and it is easy to see why.

Clowney has the potential to be the next Bruce Smith or Reggie White, so Houston may not be able to pass up that type of talent. Even though defensive end isn't a big need for the Texans and Clowney may not be an ideal fit for their defense, teams find a way to make things work with a player of his caliber.

Despite the consensus among all four mocks, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport doesn't rule out the notion that Houston could still trade out of the No. 1 spot if it isn't all in on Clowney:

If the Texans do trade down, then one can only assume that the team they strike a deal with would be moving up to select Clowney. Regardless of who ends up selecting at the top of the draft, Clowney is the name that viewers are expecting to hear first.

Pass-rushers are at a premium in the NFL these days, which makes Clowney a very popular man provided there is a belief that he will reach his full potential.

Uncertainty in Quarterback Ranks

Most consider the 2014 draft class to be a strong one in terms of quarterbacks, but nobody seems exactly sure which signal-caller is the best and which NFL teams prefer. All four of the above mocks feature at least three passers going off the board in the first round, with Miller opting for four in the form of Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Derek Carr.

Bridgewater is a particularly interesting case since he was initially viewed as the No. 1 quarterback, but his status has taken a hit in the wake of a poor pro day. The opinion runs the gamut on Bridgewater with Miller giving him to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 3 while Kiper has him falling outside the first round altogether.

One person who hasn't bought into Bridgewater's fall from grace is NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who still rates him as the best quarterback in the draft:

Three of the four mocks have Johnny Football going No. 4 to the Cleveland Browns with the other linking him to the Jags at No. 3. Also, Bortles is off the board inside the top 10 in each of the mocks as well. Carr is a potential late first-rounder to boot, but it will ultimately come down to what the Browns do at No. 4 and how teams like the Arizona Cardinals feel about taking a quarterback.

It is safe to assume that at least three quarterbacks will be selected Thursday night, but predicting the order and identity of those signal-callers is a crapshoot at best.

Wide Receivers Dominate First Round

Much like the quarterback position, it is unclear how many wide receivers will fly off the board in the first round, but anywhere from five to eight is a safe prediction based on the featured mocks. All four mock drafts have a varying amount of receivers being selected, with Brooks on the low end at five and Kiper at the high end with eight.

Everyone agrees that Sammy Watkins will be the first pass-catcher to go with the St. Louis Rams, Jaguars and Browns all looking like realistic options from No. 2 through No. 4. The freakish athlete is likely coveted by teams throughout the first round, though, so a draft-altering trade up could be in play.

One talent evaluator who has been openly bullish on Watkins is Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

"Sammy's a very talented guy," Mayhew said. "He would fit us; he can make plays. His track record speaks for itself, I think."

It would take a certain amount of ammunition for the Lions to move up from No. 10 into a position where Watkins is a possibility, but the thought of pairing him with Calvin Johnson is enticing to say the least.

Aside from Watkins, all four mocks are in agreement that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are smitten with Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans at No. 7. The likes of Odell Beckham, Brandin Cooks and Marqise Lee are also viewed as likely first-rounders, but their positioning could fluctuate significantly. 

Names like Cody Latimer, Jordan Matthews, Davante Adams and Allen Robinson could also come into play, but they are certainly borderline. If several of the highly touted receivers in this year's class ultimately pan out, though, the 2014 NFL draft may one day be viewed as the gold standard in terms of wide receiver talent.

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