2014 NFL Draft: The Complete Guide to Day 3

The first round of the 2014 NFL draft was filled with excitement for draft fans. Between surprise quarterback picks, like Johnny Manziel landing in Cleveland at No. 22, and top-end values slipping down the board, like Aaron Donald falling to St. Louis at No. 13, every pick starting at No. 3 overall kept draft fans on the edge of their seats.

Day 2 provided a unique kind of excitement, with teams trading up for the talent that was available in the early portion of the second round. Only two quarterbacks were taken on Friday—Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders) and Jimmy Garappolo (New England Patriots)—landing in unique spots, while one of the draft's best defensive prospects, Louis Nix, slid to the third round.

Let's take a look at the top-150 prospects who still remain available heading into Day 3 along with some teams that can define the the final rounds, the latest rumors regarding where players may end up and some of my personal predictions.

Top Players Available on Day 3

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Note: Our rankings do not include quarterbacks.

1 - Pierre Desir - CB - Lindenwood
2 - Shayne Skov - ILB - Stanford
3 - Caraun Reid - DT - Princeton
4 - Dion Bailey - S - USC
5 - Aaron Lynch - DE - South Florida
6 - David Yankey - OG - Stanford
7 - Jaylen Watkins - CB - Florida
8 - Cameron Fleming - OT - Stanford
9 - Isaiah Crowell - RB - Alabama State
10 - Antonio "Tiny" Richardson - OT - Tennessee
11 - Keith McGill - CB - Utah
12 - Bruce Ellington - WR - South Carolina
13 - Chris Smith - DE - Arkansas
14 - Brandon Coleman - WR - Rutgers
15 - Ka'Deem Carey - RB - Arizona
16 - Storm Johnson - RB - Central Florida
17 - Jon Halapio - OG - Florida
18 - Walt Aikens - CB - Liberty
19 - Jared Abbrederis - WR - Wisconsin
20 - Mike Davis - WR - Texas
21 - E.J. Gaines - CB - Missouri
22 - Yawin Smallwood - ILB - Connecticut
23 - DaQuan Jones - DT - Penn State
24 - Cyril Richardson - OG - Baylor
25 - Kapri Bibbs - RB - Colorado State
26 - Nevin Lawson - CB - Utah State
27 - Ed Stinson - DE - Alabama
28 - Carl Bradford - OLB - Arizona State
29 - Robert Herron - WR - Wyoming
30 - Antone Exum - CB - Virginia Tech
31 - Aaron Colvin - CB - Oklahoma
32 - Kelcy Quarles - DT - South Carolina
33 - Ahmad Dixon - SAF - Baylor
34 - Devonta Freeman - RB - Florida State
35 - Ed Reynolds - S - Stanford
36 - Terrance Mitchell - SAF - Oregon
37 - Tyler Larsen - OC - Utah State
38 - Jalen Saunders - WR - Oklahoma
39 - Martavis Bryant - WR - Clemson
40 - Vinnie Sunseri - S - Alabama
41 - Lamin Barrow - ILB - LSU
42 - Trey Millard - FB - Oklahoma
43 - Josh Mauro - DE - Stanford
44 - Jordan Tripp - OLB - Montana
45 - Jackson Jeffcoat - DE - Texas
46 - Jeoffrey Pagan - DE - Alabama
47 - Lache Seastrunk - RB - Baylor
48 - Seantrel Henderson - OT - Miami (FL)
49 - Jay Prosch - FB - Auburn
50 - A.C. Leonard - TE - Tennessee State
51 - Kevin Norwood - WR - Alabama
52 - Matt Hazel - WR - Coastal Carolina
53 - James Gayle - DE - Virginia Tech
54 - Marcus Roberson - CB - Florida
55 - Antonio Andrews - RB - Western Kentucky
56 - Bashaud Breeland - CB - Clemson
57 - Xavier Grimble - TE - USC
58 - Howard Jones - OLB - Shepherd
59 - Taylor Hart - DE - Oregon
60 - Anthony Johnson - DT - LSU
61 - Justin Ellis - DT - Louisiana Tech
62 - Avery Williamson - ILB - Kentucky
63 - Telvin Smtih - S - Florida State
64 - DeAnthony Thomas - RB - Oregon
65 - Colt Lyerla - TE - Oregon
66 - Jonathan Dowling - SAF - Western Kentucky
67 - Zach Fulton - OG - Tennessee
68 - George Uko - DT - USC
69 - Dakota Dozier - OG - Furman
70 - Daniel McCullers - DT - Tennessee
71 - Michael Campanaro - WR - Wake Forest
72 - Marion Grice - RB - Arizona State
73 - Jake Murphy - TE - Utah
74 - Lorenzo Taliferro - RB - Coastal Carolina
75 - Derrell Johnson - OLB - East Carolina
76 - Devin Street - WR - Pittsburgh
77 - Ronald Powell - OLB - Florida
78 - James White - RB - Wisconsin
79 - Christian Jones - OLB - Florida State
80 - Ryan Grant - WR - Tulane
81 - Ryan Hewitt - FB - Stanford
82 - Jake Snyder - DE - Virginia
83 - Brent Urban - DT - Virginia
84 - Zack Kerr - DT - Delaware
85 - Andre Williams - RB - Boston College
86 - Charles Leno - OG - Boise State
87 - Chris Davis - CB - Auburn
88 - Kain Colter - WR - Northwestern
89 - Shamar Stephen - DT - Connecticut
90 - Victor Hampton - CB - South Carolina
91 - Andre Hal - CB - Vanderbilt
92 - TJ Jones - WR - Notre Dame
93 - Morgan Breslin - DE - USC
94 - Loucheiz Purifoy - CB - Florida
95 - Tre Boston - S - North Carolina
96 - Bryan Stork - OC - Florida State
97 - Arthur Lynch - TE - Georgia
98 - Jeremy Gallon - WR - Michigan
99 - Michael Sam - DE - Missouri
100 - Joe Don Duncan - TE - Dixie State
101 - Jemea Thomas - SAF - Georgia Tech
102 - Kevin Pierre-Louis - ILB - Boston College
103 - DeDe Lattimore - OLB - South Florida
104 - Hakeem Smith - S - Louisville
105 - Shaquil Barrett - OLB - Colorado State
106 - David Fluellen - RB - Kent State
107 - Greg Blair - ILB - Cincinnati
108 - Marcel Jensen - TE - Fresno State
109 - James Hurst - OT - North Carolina
110 - James Wilder - RB - Florida State
111 - Tyler Starr - OLB - South Dakota
112 - Jacob Pedersen - TE - Wisconsin
113 - Chris Coyle - TE - Arizona State
114 - Darrin Reaves - RB - UAB
115 - Bruce Gaston - DT - Purdue
116 - Wes Johnson - OG - Vanderbilt
117 - Trevor Reilly - OLB - Utah
118 - Matt Patchan - OT - Boston College
119 - Bene Benwikere - CB - San Jose State
120 - Adrian Hubbard - OLB - Alabama
121 - Ben Gardner - DE - Stanford
122 - Shaquille Richardson - CB - Arizona
123 - Prince Shembo - OLB - Notre Dame
124 - Josh Stewart - WR - Oklahoma State
125 - E.J. Dunston - DT - UCF
126 - Dontae Johnson - CB - North Carolina State
127 - Carrington Byndom - CB - Texas
128 - Quincy Enunwa - WR - Nebraska
129 - Marcus Williams - CB - North Dakota State
130 - Sean Paker - S - Washington
131 - Shaquille Evans - WR - UCLA
132 - Kerry Wynn - DE - Richmond
133 - Lewis Toler - CB - Rutgers
134 - Cassius Marsh - DE - UCLA
135 - Tevin Reese - WR - Baylor
136 - James Sims - RB - Kansas
137 - Charles Ross - RB - Rice
138 - Max Bullough - ILB - Michigan State
139 - Zach Bauman - RB - Northern Arizona
140 - Kenny Ladler - S - Vanderbilt
141 - Jonathan Brown - ILB - Illinois
142 - Cornelius Lucas - OT - Kansas State
143 - Ryan Carrethers - DT - Arkansas State
144 - L'Damian Washington - WR - Missouri
145 - Marqueston Huff - S - Wyoming
146 - Anthony Steen - OG - Arkansas
147 - Craig Loston - S - LSU
148 - Jonotthan Harrison - OC - Florida
149 - Chidera Uzo-Diribe - DE - Colorado
150 - Austin Wentworth - OG - Fresno State

Teams Who Can Make a Splash

John Raoux/Associated Press

Seattle Seahawks (six Day 3 picks)

The Seahawks moved out of the first round and traded down from their initial second-round pick, so they obviously aren’t afraid to navigate the draft board in order to secure the best value they can.

They don’t have many glaring needs, either, and after finding a receiver (Paul Richardson) and an offensive tackle (Justin Britt) in the second round, they can look at a variety of positions with their remaining picks.

Don’t be surprised to see general manager John Schneider continue to move around on Day 3 in order to secure as much value as he can.

San Francisco 49ers (eight Day 3 picks)

The 49ers found a running back of the future to replace Frank Gore in Round 2 (Carlos Hyde) along with offensive linemen Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas, who will help build offensive line depth for the long term.

They haven’t addressed defense yet, and with plenty of talent still available heading into Day 3, the 49ers could continue to be aggressive and move up for some of the second- and third-round values who still remain.

Jacksonville Jaguars (five Day 3 picks)

The Jaguars focused on offense with their first three picks, taking their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles and then selecting receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in Round 2 as two offensive weapons for Bortles in the future.

I’d expect the Jaguars to keep targeting offensive players, with offensive linemen and running backs being their top priority. However, I don't think David Caldwell will shy away from navigating on Day 3 in order to get the best value throughout his draft board.

Philadelphia Eagles (four Day 3 picks)

The Eagles took receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff on Day 2 after taking a high-upside edge-rusher (Marcus Smith) in the first round.

With both of the team's top needs addressed, Chip Kelly could be more willing to move down the board in order to secure extra late-round picks or more picks for 2015. Other teams likely realize that most of the Eagles picks are for sale for the right price. 

Latest Rumors

Fred Beckham/Associated Press

— The Giants are in need of safety help, but they opted to add to their offensive and defensive line with their two Day 2 picks. According to Connor Orr of the Star-Ledger, the Giants are likely to target Marqueston Huff of Wyoming and/or Brock Vereen of Minnesota with their Day 3 picks.

— The Bears took a cornerback in the first round and two defensive tackles on Day 2, leaving the linebacking corps as the only defensive spot they still needs to be addressed in the draft. Per Per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, the Bears have interest in UConn linebacker Yawin Smallwood. Smallwood has a connection to newly hired Bears defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni, who coached the UConn Huskies last season. 

— Even after adding cornerback Dexter McDougle in the third round, the Jets still need immediate cornerback help. According to Dan Cosentino of NJ.com, the Jets could consider Bashaud Breeland of Clemson, Jaylen Watkins of Florida and Keith McGill of Utah on Day 3.

— As pointed out by CSN Washington, David Amerson, Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo were drafted by the Redskins last year after working out with the team during the predraft process. Some of the players they have interviewed or worked out this year include McGill, safety Tre Boston, wide receiver Jalen Saunders and offensive tackle Cameron Fleming.

— Day 2 ended without a trade of Kirk Cousins to a quarterback-needy team. However, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweeted that Cousins had “drawn interest of late from several teams” on Thursday, so we’ll see if the Redskins pull off a trade involving the third-year signal-caller on Day 3.

Predictions

John Bazemore/Associated Press

1. Teams with veteran quarterbacks will capitalize on the talent remaining in this quarterback class. The Saints, Packers, Steelers and Cardinals will all consider taking passers in the fourth and fifth round. Aaron Murray makes sense for the Saints, Logan Thomas fits the Steelers and Cardinals, and David Fales or Keith Wenning could be groomed by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

2. Day 2 saw seven running backs get drafted, and six alone will be taken in the fourth round. Running backs in this draft fell par, which was partially due to diminished positional value, but it was also because this class is remarkably deep at the position thanks to a large amount of running backs declaring early. Some of my favorites that I don’t expect to last long include: Isaiah Crowell of Alabama State, Kapri Bibbs of Colorado State and Storm Johnson of UCF.

3. We saw five offensive tackles go in the first round and four more go on Day 2, but we’ll see only three more NFL-level offensive tackles taken throughout the rest of the draft. Offensive tackles in the NFL need to have enough length, athleticism and bend on the perimeter to hold up against pass-rushers. Cameron Fleming of Stanford, Antonio "Tiny" Richardson of Tennessee and Brandon Thomas of Clemson represent the best remaining talent, but I’m sure NFL teams realized coming in that if they needed to address the offensive tackle position, they needed to do it early on.

4. The Patriots will focus on defense on Day 3 of the draft. They drafted Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley with their first-round pick, but they need to continue to add depth throughout the entire unit. Outside of building their offensive line and maybe adding another tight end, most of their depth needs relate to the defensive back and linebacker spots. Marcus Roberson of Florida and DeDe Lattimore of USF look like Patriots-type players to me.

5. Receivers will still be the talk of Day 3. With 14 wide outs going in the first three rounds, I think we’ll see 20 more go between Rounds 4 and 7. Over the past five years, the most receivers taken in one draft was 33, which occurred in both 2008 and 2012. This class is remarkably deep, and we could see 40 receivers taken. 

6. The Jaguars will continue to target the best offensive players available. They took five defensive players with their eight picks in the 2013 draft, which was David Caldwell’s first draft as general manager of the Jaguars. After drafting their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles and adding his two offensive playmakers in Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, the Jags could still use offensive line and running back help. Look for them to draft a few defenders, but offense is clearly the focus for them in this draft.

7. The Seahawks and 49ers will remain active on Day 3. Neither team is afraid to move up or down based on their boards, and neither will have any qualms about straying away from the norm with their selections. The 49ers covet high-upside prospects with long-term potential, while the Seahawks value guys that can fit into their scheme and locker room. Both were consistently active on Day 2, and that trend will continue throughout the remaining rounds.

8.  The Eagles will take Princeton defensive tackle Caraun Reid. I am not sure what they feel their most glaring needs are, but Reid presents excellent value at this point (he is my third-ranked prospect still remaining) and can offer versatility on an Eagles defensive line that has talent but could certainly use more depth. He’s one of the best small-schoolers and overall defensive tackles in this class.