2014 NFL Draft Review: Power Ranking Every Team's Haul 1 Year Later

The 2015 NFL draft is just around the corner. What better time than now to grade last year's class?

Granted, one season is hardly enough time to properly assess a batch of rookies, but we can still rank each team's haul based on what we saw after one year.

Some rookies didn't see the field due to injury, which can hardly be counted against their teams. It still left a hole when it comes to evaluation, however. Plenty of rookies showed out, while others showed nothing. 

Subjectively speaking, let's give the top three rounds more weight, since those picks expected to make impacts as rookies. If a team found a mid- or late-round gem, it'll serve as a bonus. 

The more rookies that contributed positively, the better for that team's ranking.

32. Seattle Seahawks

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Seahawks 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
2	45	Paul Richardson	WR	Colorado
2	64	Justin Britt	OL	Missouri
4	108	Cassius Marsh	DE	UCLA
4	123	Kevin Norwood	WR	Alabama
4	132	Kevin Pierre-Louis	LB	Boston Col.
5	172	Jimmy Staten	DT	Middle Tenn. St.
6	199	Garrett Scott	OL	Marshall
6	208	Eric Pinkins	DB	San Diego St.
7	227	Kiero Small	RB	Arkansas

 

The Seattle Seahawks left some scratching their heads after last year's draft, but who were we to argue with success?

It seems our questions had merit, at least after one season.

Paul Richardson couldn't get much going save for one good game late in the season despite Percy Harvin's abrupt departure via trade and a relative lack of serious competition at the wide receiver position. Despite being known as a burner, Richardson averaged an abysmal 9.3 yards per reception, though that was partially a function of the way offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell utilized him.

Worse is the fact so many wide receivers showed out as rookies—Davante Adams, Jarvis Landry, John Brown, Martavis Bryant, Allen Robinson and other more productive peers were selected after him.

Offensive lineman Justin Britt didn't solve any problems at right tackle, rating out as one of the worst in the league at Pro Football Focus.

The only other rookie to even hit 100 snaps was Kevin Norwood, who wasn't particularly good and was also taken before some far better options.

Really, though, how much does any of that matter if we are looking back at 2014? The Seahawks were one ill-fated play away from winning the Super Bowl despite what seems like a poor draft after one season. 

It's all relative.

31. Houston Texans

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Texans 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	1	Jadeveon Clowney	DE	South Carolina
2	33	Xavier Su'a-Filo	OL	UCLA
3	65	C.J. Fiedorowicz	TE	Iowa
3	83	Louis Nix	DT	Notre Dame
4	135	Tom Savage	QB	Pittsburgh
6	177	Jeoffrey Pagan	DE	Alabama
6	181	Alfred Blue	RB	LSU
6	211	Jay Prosch	FB	Auburn
7	216	Andre Hal	DB	Memphis
7	256	Lonnie Ballentine	DB	Vanderbilt

 

Despite a bounce-back season for the organization that saw the Texans in the playoff hunt until late in the season, it was a nightmare season for Houston's rookies.

After much public handwringing about whether Jadeveon Clowney was worth the No. 1 overall pick, injury struck hard—he played just 146 injury-marred snaps that culminated in dreaded microfracture surgery. If Clowney can play football again, who knows how his right knee will hold up or whether he will be nearly as explosive as he once was.

Xavier Su'a-Filo played in just 130 snaps through 13 games last season, during some of which he didn't even make an appearance. We didn't even see defensive tackle Louis Nix, whom head coach Bill O'Brien recently said just needs to be able to "get through practice," per ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli.

Tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz played the second-most snaps among rookie tight ends—a handful fewer than Green Bay's Richard Rodgers—and he was, by far, the worst-rated among his peers over at Pro Football Focus. 

30. Atlanta Falcons

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Falcons 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	Pos.
1	6	Jake Matthews	OL	Texas A&M
2	37	Ra'Shede Hageman	DT	Minnesota
3	68	Dezmen Southward	DB	Wisconsin
4	103	Devonta Freeman	RB	Florida St.
4	139	Prince Shembo	LB	Notre Dame
5	147	Ricardo Allen	DB	Purdue
5	168	Marquis Spruill	LB	Syracuse
7	253	Yawin Smallwood	LB	Connecticut
7	255	Tyler Starr	LB	South Dakota

 

It was an ugly year for the sixth-overall pick.

Jake Matthews was pegged as the league's worst offensive tackle by Pro Football Focus. Dead last.

He was equally awful as a pass-blocker and run-blocker, giving up 51 total quarterback pressures while unable to grade the road for his running backs throughout the year.

Of course, it didn't help that he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1. He wound up missing just one week, but that is the sort of injury that could hamper a player for a long time. 

Both Ra'Shede Hageman and Dezmen Southward had mediocre rookie seasons in limited duty at defensive tackle and safety, respectively.

The Falcons had a glut of mediocre running backs that kept Devonta Freeman from seeing the field too much, but he should see plenty more playing time this year after Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers were jettisoned.

29. Detroit Lions

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Lions 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	10	Eric Ebron	TE	North Carolina
2	40	Kyle Van Noy	LB	BYU
3	76	Travis Swanson	OL	Arkansas
4	136	Larry Webster	DE	Bloomsburg
4	133	Nevin Lawson	DB	Utah St.
5	158	Caraun Reid	DT	Princeton
6	189	T.J. Jones	WR	Notre Dame
7	229	Nate Freese	K	Boston College

 

Partially due to injury, the best Lions rookie wasn't even drafted last year.

That was among players who were in on at least 25 percent of their team's snaps, as rated by Pro Football Focus. The player? Offensive tackle Cornelius Lewis, of whom you have probably never heard.

The Kansas State product was pressed into action due to injuries and ineffectiveness at the position, and he did all right considering the circumstances. He did allow 27 total quarterback pressures on 526 total snaps—including the playoffs—but he was the best right tackle the Lions had after Garrett Reynolds and LaAdrian Waddle were sent to injured reserve.

Notice we haven't talked about tight end Eric Ebron or outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy? Those were Detroit's first two picks of the draft, and neither made a real impact.

The latter was because of injury—Van Noy played just 51 snaps on the year—but there was no such excuse for Ebron. He simply wasn't good in his first season, dropping four of his 46 targets and generally being ineffective in the passing game.

28. Philadelphia Eagles

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Eagles 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	26	Marcus Smith	DE	Louisville
2	42	Jordan Matthews	WR	Vanderbilt
3	86	Josh Huff	WR	Oregon
4	101	Jaylen Watkins	DB	Florida
5	162	Ed Reynolds	DB	Stanford
5	141	Taylor Hart	DE	Oregon
7	224	Beau Allen	DT	Wisconsin

 

Jordan Matthews. 

That's pretty much all the Philadelphia Eagles got in the 2014 draft. Granted, it was a good get—he came on strong in the middle of the season, winding up with 872 yards and eight touchdowns despite having a regressing Nick Foles and new and barely improved Mark Sanchez at quarterback.

Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com had this to say about first-round pick Marcus Smith, who was an abject disappointment as a rookie: 

"

Critics’ worst fears were realized in 2014 with Marcus Smith, the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round pick. It’s almost as if his rookie season never actually happened. Smith played on just 68 defensive snaps in addition to 37 on special teams, failing to register an official NFL statistic in the process.

Actually, even the most skeptical projections on Smith likely couldn’t have predicted he would be that useless. Sure, most published rankings had a second- or third-round grade on the Louisville product, but that still ought to be good enough to crack the lineup occasionally.

"

Hopefully he can rebound in his second year.

Receiver Josh Huff and defensive tackle Beau Allen were the only other rookies who registered decent playing time, but neither of them did much with his opportunities. 

27. Buffalo Bills

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Bills 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	4	Sammy Watkins	WR	Clemson
2	44	Cyrus Kouandjio	OL	Alabama
3	73	Preston Brown	LB	Louisville
4	109	Ross Cockrell	DB	Duke
5	153	Cyril Richardson	OL	Baylor
7	221	Randell Johnson	LB	Florida Atlantic
7	237	Seantrel Henderson	OL	Miami

 

Trading away future first-round pick to move up eight spots and take Sammy Watkins looks rather boneheaded in hindsight.

Watkins was thoroughly outshined by several receivers in what everyone correctly predicted was a deep class. The former Clemson star is talented, to be sure, but Buffalo's ill-advised gambit isn't likely to pay off at this point.

He would have to ascend to the top of the heap among his 2014 rookie peers in the coming years for that to happen, and Odell Beckham Jr.'s crown seems secure.

After one season, it's difficult to say the Bills drafted well outside their ill-advised gambit. The best pick may have been Preston Brown, who looks to be a starter at inside linebacker for new head coach Rex Ryan this year.

For a little while, it seemed like offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson might be the steal of the draft. His off-field and motivational issues sunk his draft stock, but he looked great in the preseason. Unfortunately, Pro Football Focus didn't think much of him during the regular season—Henderson came in as the second-worst rookie tackle in the league.

26. Kansas City Chiefs

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Chiefs 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	23	Dee Ford	DE	Auburn
3	87	Phillip Gaines	DB	Rice
4	124	De'Anthony Thomas	RB	Oregon
5	163	Aaron Murray	QB	Georgia
6	193	Zach Fulton	OL	Tennessee
6	200	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	OL	McGill

 

The Kansas City Chiefs clearly needed help along the offensive line, yet they waited until the sixth round to select Zach Fulton. He won the starting job and proceeded to have one of the worst seasons in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

One man who didn't have a disappointing season—when healthy—was De'Anthony Thomas. The dynamic running back out of Oregon was electric in the return game, evoking memories of return man Dante Hall. He averaged 30.6 yards per kick return and 11.9 yards per punt return, which included an 81-yard touchdown scamper.

Unfortunately, first-round pick Dee Ford didn't do much in his rookie season, playing just 122 snaps on the season. His bust of a rookie season was only magnified by the fact the Chiefs had a major need at wide receiver and plenty of great ones were left on the board.

25. Arizona Cardinals

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Cardinals 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	27	Deone Bucannon	DB	Washington
2	52	Troy Niklas	TE	Notre Dame
3	84	Kareem Martin	DE	North Carolina
3	91	John Brown	WR	Pittsburgh St.
4	120	Logan Thomas	QB	Virginia Tech
5	160	Ed Stinson	DE	Alabama
6	196	Walt Powell	WR	Murray State

 

Arizona general manager Steve Keim did a nice job of taking advantage of the New Orleans Saints' desire to move up in the first round to select receiver Brandin Cooks.

The Cardinals got an extra third-round pick to move down seven spots in Round 1, where they selected a player they were likely targeting all along—safety Deone Bucannon.

Unfortunately, the rookie out of Washington wasn't particularly good in his rookie year—he was far and away the worst-rated rookie at his position, according to Pro Football Focus, though most of that had to do with his poor run support and pass-rushing prowess.

Troy Niklas didn't see the field much thanks to ankle injuries that ultimately put him on injured reserve.

The Cardinals did find a diamond in the rough with wide receiver John Brown, who was great amidst a sea of fantastic rookie wideouts. Brown made several game-changing plays that ultimately helped Arizona get to the playoffs. The injury bug ran rampant, particularly among the quarterbacks, which would have sunk the Cardinals' season were it not for a great start.

24. Denver Broncos

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Broncos 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	31	Bradley Roby	DB	Ohio St.
2	56	Cody Latimer	WR	Indiana
3	95	Michael Schofield	OL	Michigan
5	156	Lamin Barrow	LB	LSU
6	207	Matt Paradis	OL	Boise St.
7	242	Corey Nelson	LB	Oklahoma

 

There isn't too much to say about the Denver Broncos rookie class from yesteryear.

Cornerback Bradley Roby was the only rookie who got significant playing time, and the first-round pick certainly experienced trial by fire.

Roby was targeted 92 times, per Pro Football Focus, allowing six touchdowns on balls thrown his way while intercepting just two passes.

Were it not for a glut of pass-catchers ahead of him, wide receiver Cody Latimer might have gotten in on the rookie fun at wide receiver. He should get a chance to shine in his sophomore season given Wes Welker's departure, but we don't have much to evaluate from his first season.

23. New England Patriots

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Patriots 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	29	Dominique Easley	DT	Florida
2	62	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	East. Illinois
4	105	Bryan Stork	OL	Florida St.
4	130	James White	RB	Wisconsin
4	140	Cameron Fleming	OL	Stanford
6	179	Jon Halapio	OL	Florida
6	198	Zach Moore	DE	Concordia-St. Paul
6	206	Jemea Thomas	DB	Georgia Tech.
7	244	Jeremy Gallon	WR	Michigan

 

A rookie sealed New England's Super Bowl victory. So what does this ranking matter?

Cornerback Macolm Butler was an undrafted rookie at that, and he made the biggest play of the entire season when he picked off quarterback Russell Wilson's ill-advised throw in the end zone to win it all for the Patriots.

Still, there wasn't much to see from the rest of New England's draft class last season. Bryan Stork took over as the starting center, and he did a fine job in that role. 

First-round pick Dominique Easley wasn't expected to contribute much as a rookie due to the torn ACL he suffered in college, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is the latest quarterback-in-waiting while Tom Brady continues to defy Father Time and his critics.

22. Cleveland Browns

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Browns 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	8	Justin Gilbert	DB	Oklahoma St.
1	22	Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M
2	35	Joel Bitonio	OL	Nevada
3	71	Christian Kirksey	LB	Iowa
3	94	Terrance West	RB	Towson St.
4	127	Pierre Desir	DB	Lindenwood

 

The Cleveland Browns did a nice job of extracting a pound of flesh from the Buffalo Bills, nabbing their first-round pick for this year's draft while moving down just four spots and drafting the man they were targeting all along.

Unfortunately, that man was Justin Gilbert, a marvelous athlete who was an abject disappointment at cornerback in his first season.

Things got worse when the Browns seemingly went against their own scouting, moving up from No. 26 to select quarterback Johnny Manziel while Teddy Bridgewater—who was reportedly higher on their list, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN.com—was still on the board.

Manziel's story is well-known as he barely saw the field and ultimately flopped and got hurt when he did.

It wasn't all bad news for Cleveland fans, however. The Browns fared far better the rest of the way, starting with one of the best rookie offensive linemen in the league in Joel Bitonio. He was certainly rated as such by Pro Football Focus.

Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell—an undrafted rookie find—had fine inaugural seasons in the backfield, joining forces to make the run game respectable after Ben Tate faltered and was ultimately cut.

It's rare to see so many rookies make an impact—positive or negative—in one season for a team. Then again, the Browns are perpetually rebuilding.

21. Chicago Bears

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Bears 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	14	Kyle Fuller	DB	Virginia Tech
2	51	Ego Ferguson	DT	LSU
3	82	Will Sutton	DT	Arizona State
4	131	Brock Vereen	DB	Minnesota
4	117	Ka'Deem Carey	RB	Arizona
6	191	Pat O'Donnell	P	Miami
6	183	David Fales	QB	San Jose St.
7	246	Charles Leno	OL	Boise St.

 

Kyle Fuller got off to a great start on the year, intercepting two passes in an unexpected victory against the San Francisco 49ers and following up with two forced fumbles and another big interception against the New York Jets in Week 3.

Then the wheels fell off, as they did for the entire Chicago Bears season.

Fuller would intercept just one more pass the rest of the way, allowing five touchdowns in that span. He wound up with the second-worst rating in the league at his position over at Pro Football Focus.

It's not a good thing when your sixth-round punter has, by far, the best season of all your draft picks. That is what Pat O'Donnell gave the Bears.

20. New York Jets

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Jets 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	18	Calvin Pryor	DB	Louisville
2	49	Jace Amaro	TE	Texas Tech
3	80	Dexter McDougle	DB	Maryland
4	104	Jalen Saunders	WR	Oklahoma
4	115	Shaquelle Evans	WR	UCLA
4	137	Dakota Dozier	OL	Furman
5	154	Jeremiah George	LB	Iowa St.
6	195	Brandon Dixon	DB	Nebraska
6	209	Quincy Enunwa	WR	Louisiana Tech
6	210	IK Enemkpali	DE	NW Missouri St.
6	213	Tajh Boyd	QB	Clemson
7	233	Trevor Reilly	LB	Utah

 

Those are a lot of names.

The New York Jets had the most draft picks of the 2014 draft, taking 12 players to try to replenish a cupboard left bare by poor salary-cap management and attrition. Unfortunately, all the draft picks in the world wouldn't have helped, at least if New York's draft strategy was any indication.

Heck, fourth-round pick Jalen Saunders was cut in September.

The only rookie who made a decent impact was first-round safety Calvin Pryor, who had a bit of a roller-coaster season. Perhaps he was miscast—Pryor recently told Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com he was playing outside his college comfort zone, something he won't have to do next season in a revamped secondary:

"

They already told me what my role will be. I'm going to be strong safety. I'm not going to be playing free anymore. So I'm going to be back to my old self, doing what I do, being down in the box.

I was placed in some positions that in college I wouldn't normally do. [The news] was music to my ears. That made my day go better. I'm definitely enjoying it.

"

Tight end Jace Amaro recovered from a disastrous preseason to have a decent rookie season—at least when compared to other rookies at his position in recent years—and he should be an integral part of the offense in Year 2.

Undrafted rookie Marcus Williams was the only other greenhorn who made any sort of impact for Gang Green, holding his own when pressed into action in a terrible secondary. Given the overhaul in that area this offseason, it's difficult to see him with a role going forward unless he switches to safety.

We should see plenty more from this class, but its inaugural season was pretty much forgettable.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Steelers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	15	Ryan Shazier	LB	Ohio St.
2	46	Stephon Tuitt	DE	Notre Dame
3	97	Dri Archer	RB	Kent St.
4	118	Martavis Bryant	WR	Clemson
5	157	Shaquille Richardson	DB	Arizona
5	173	Wesley Johnson	OL	Vanderbilt
6	192	Jordan Zumwalt	LB	UCLA
6	215	Daniel McCullers	DT	Tennessee
7	230	Rob Blanchflower	TE	Massachusetts

 

It's tough to evaluate Ryan Shazier's rookie season.

The former Ohio State star was moved to middle linebacker, where the Pittsburgh Steelers felt they could take advantage of his athleticism. Injuries got in the way, however, and he played just 260 snaps on the year.

Pittsburgh's second-round pick fared worse—Stephon Tuitt was one of the worst 3-4 defensive ends in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

None of that helped an increasingly porous defense. The offense, however, found a gem.

Martavis Bryant was one of those big, fast receivers with raw potential coming out of Clemson. He fell to the Steelers because of a relative lack of college production and a deep class. All the better for Pittsburgh, which got one of the most explosive receivers in the draft.

Bryant averaged an eye-popping 21.1 yards per reception and scored eight touchdowns in 10 games, having missed the first six games with an AC sprain. He helped open up that offense and unleash running back Le'Veon Bell to his full potential, and he was just getting started.

18. Washington

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Washington's 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
2	47	Trent Murphy	LB	Stanford
3	66	Morgan Moses	OL	Virginia
3	78	Spencer Long	OL	Nebraska
4	102	Bashaud Breeland	DB	Clemson
5	142	Ryan Grant	WR	Tulane
6	186	Lache Seastrunk	RB	Baylor
7	217	Ted Bolser	TE	Indiana
7	228	Zach Hocker	K	Arkansas

 

The last remnants of the trade that brought Robert Griffin III to the nation's capital in 2012 were felt in a big way last season, as Washington was without a first-round pick yet again.

Just two rookies made any sort of impact for Washington last season—outside linebacker Trent Murphy and cornerback Bashaud Breeland.

The former graded out as one of the best rookies at his position over at Pro Football Focus, and the latter was just the opposite.

Breeland did have his moments, however, including successfully checking Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant in the season finale.

17. San Diego Chargers

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Chargers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	25	Jason Verrett	DB	TCU
2	50	Jeremiah Attaochu	LB	Georgia Tech
3	89	Chris Watt	OL	Notre Dame
5	165	Ryan Carrethers	DT	Arkansas St.
6	201	Marion Grice	RB	Arizona St.
7	240	Tevin Reese	WR	Baylor

 

There wasn't much to say for the San Diego draft class from a year ago. Outside of cornerback Jason Verrett—who was one of the best rookies at his position despite playing just 231 snaps—there just wasn't much to see from Chargers draft picks.

That is, of course, unless we talk about undrafted rookie Branden Oliver.

The compact running back drew comparisons to Natrone Means and his number-sake Darren Sproles after a big performance early in the season, though that was certainly the peak of his rookie year. He was the top-rated rookie back over at PFF, but he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.

Jeremiah Attaochu was the only other rookie of note, a pass-rusher who notched two sacks in limited duty due to injury.

16. New Orleans Saints

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Saints 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	20	Brandin Cooks	WR	Oregon St.
2	58	Stanley Jean-Baptiste	DB	Nebraska
4	126	Khairi Fortt	LB	California
5	167	Vinnie Sunseri	DB	Alabama
5	169	Ronald Powell	LB	Florida
6	202	Tavon Rooks	OL	Kansas St.

 

It's a good thing the Saints moved up for Brandin Cooks last year.

Granted, they probably could have found a quality receiver or two had they stayed put at No. 27—Kelvin Benjamin was still on the board at that point, after all—but New Orleans found a pass-catching machine in the former Oregon State star.

An injury cut his season short, but Cooks was well on his way to 100-plus receptions, which would have led the league.

Outside their dynamic rookie wideout, however, the Saints didn't get much out of their draft picks. Undrafted free agent Pierre Warren did an admirable job of stepping in at safety; he intercepted a pair of passes in six games after being pressed into action.

15. Miami Dolphins

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.
1	19	Ja'Wuan James	OL	Tennessee
2	63	Jarvis Landry	WR	LSU
3	67	Billy Turner	OL	North Dakota St.
4	125	Walt Aikens	DB	Liberty
5	171	Jordan Tripp	LB	Montana
5	155	Arthur Lynch	TE	Georgia
6	190	Matt Hazel	WR	Coastal Carolina
7	234	Terrence Fede	DE	Marist

 

General manager Dennis Hickey made nice work of the 2014 draft in his first year on the job. All he got was a demotion for his trouble.

Regardless of the Mike Tannenbaum hire, the Miami Dolphins have some nice, young building blocks.

With the top offensive tackles gone, the Dolphins took some ridicule for selecting Ja'Wuan James with the 19th pick in the draft. He played well at right tackle before being forced out of position due to Branden Albert's injury.

The crown jewel of Hickey's draft came in the form of Jarvis Landry. Overshadowed by his former teammate Odell Beckham, Landry quickly ingratiated himself with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and wound up second to Beckham among rookies with 84 receptions on the year.

14. Cincinnati Bengals

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Bengals 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	24	Darqueze Dennard	DB	Michigan State
2	55	Jeremy Hill	RB	LSU
3	88	Will Clarke	DE	West Virginia
4	111	Russell Bodine	OL	North Carolina
5	164	A.J. McCarron	QB	Alabama
6	212	Marquis Flowers	LB	Arizona
7	239	James Wright	WR	LSU
7	252	Lavelle Westbrooks	DB	Georgia Southern

 

In many other years, Jeremy Hill would have been in serious contention for Rookie of the Year. Alas, his candidacy was buried in an avalanche of wide receivers.

The LSU product had a great rookie year, supplanting Giovani Bernard after he suffered injuries and the sophomore blues. Hill had 1,339 total yards and nine touchdowns on the year—not too shabby for a guy who was expected to fight for playing time early in his career.

Hill looks to be the workhorse back—the thunder to Bernard's lightning going forward.

The Bengals didn't get much out of any of their other draft picks, however, including heralded cornerback Darqueze Dennard. Injuries and seniority buried him on the depth chart, which frustrated the rookie out of Michigan State, as he told ESPN.com's Coley Harvey:

"

It is kind of frustrating, but at the same time, everything happens for a reason. I'm big on that. Of course everybody wants to come in and be the Deion Sanders and play a full game and have a number of interceptions, but that's not how it is. Everybody has different learning experiences. I just have to continue to control what I can and put all my faith in the man upstairs.

"

With Terence Newman gone, Dennard is sure to get an opportunity to prove himself this season.

13. Carolina Panthers

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Panthers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	28	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Florida St.
2	60	Kony Ealy	DE	Missouri
3	92	Trai Turner	OL	LSU
4	128	Tre Boston	DB	North Carolina
5	148	Bene Benwikere	DB	San Jose St.
6	204	Tyler Gaffney	RB	Stanford

 

The ups and downs of Kelvin Benjamin really kept this from being a better class when looking back after one season.

Carolina's big rookie wideout made some amazing plays, but he also showcased his red flags with some concentration issues throughout the year. Still, he was one of the best rookies in a stacked class, and a bit of maturity could have him challenging Odell Beckham Jr. for the title of best receiver in class.

Where the Panthers class failed was offensive tackle—the team entirely failed to address the position after Jordan Gross retired, and the quarterbacks paid the price.

Trai Turner was a nice third-round pickup who played well along the interior of the line, but bad bookends led to disaster.

12. Indianapolis Colts

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Colts 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
2	59	Jack Mewhort	OL	Ohio St.
3	90	Donte Moncrief	WR	Mississippi
5	166	Jonathan Newsome	DE	Ball St.
6	203	Andrew Jackson	LB	West. Kentucky
7	232	Ulrick John	OL	Georgia St.

 

Donte Moncrief was a pleasant surprise—though not to some draftniks—when he started to get significant playing time for the Indianapolis Colts.

The former Mississippi wideout made some big plays for the Colts, including 54 yards and a score against the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs. He should see a bigger role going forward, even with Andre Johnson on roster.

Outside linebacker Jonathan Newsome and offensive lineman Jack Mewhort—who moved to guard early—were in similar boats, making positive contributions along the defensive and offensive fronts.

The Colts also found a nice undrafted free agent in Zach Kerr, who was a decent rotational player along the defensive line.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	7	Mike Evans	WR	Texas A&M
2	38	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Washington
3	69	Charles Sims	RB	West Virginia
5	143	Kadeem Edwards	OL	Tennessee St.
5	149	Kevin Pamphile	OL	Purdue
6	185	Robert Herron	WR	Wyoming

 

If only Charles Sims hadn't broken his ankle.

The rookie running back got some serious hype—at least in the fantasy football realm—before getting injured during the preseason. Perhaps as a result of that ankle injury, he was awful upon his midseason return, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry.

Wide receiver Mike Evans was far from disappointing, however. Even with a suboptimal quarterback situation, Evans put up numbers worthy of the Rookie of the Year Award were it not for a certain New York star.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins wasn't nearly as good at tight end—he couldn't hold off Brandon Myers or Luke Stocker for playing time at times.

10. Baltimore Ravens

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Ravens 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	Minnesota
1	17	C.J. Mosley	LB	Alabama
2	48	Timmy Jernigan	DT	Florida St.
3	79	Terrence Brooks	DB	Florida St.
3	89	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Colorado St.
4	134	Brent Urban	DT	Minnesota
4	138	Lorenzo Taliaferro	RB	Virginia
5	175	John Urschel	OL	Coastal Carolina
6	194	Keith Wenning	QB	Penn St.
7	218	Michael Campanaro	WR	Ball St.

 

Were it not for a dominant season that was one of the best in the league at defensive tackle for Aaron Donald, Baltimore Ravens C.J. Mosley might have won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

The former Alabama star led all rookie linebackers in tackling. He notched 133 total tackles for the year, which was good for seventh in the entire league. Mosley added three sacks, eight passes defensed and two interceptions to his raw statistical tally.

General manager Ozzie Newsome had a nice all-around draft beyond Mosley. Timmy Jernigan was a solid rotational player along that defensive line, rating as the best 3-4 defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus.

Lorenzo Taliaferro had his moments out of the backfield, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and scoring four touchdowns in limited duty behind Justin Forsett and Bernard Pierce.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	3	Blake Bortles	QB	Central Florida
2	61	Allen Robinson	WR	Penn St.
2	39	Marqise Lee	WR	USC
3	93	Brandon Linder	OL	Miami
4	114	Aaron Colvin	DB	Oklahoma
5	144	Telvin Smith	LB	Arkansas
5	159	Chris Smith	DE	Florida St.
6	205	Luke Bowanko	OL	Virginia
7	222	Storm Johnson	RB	Central Florida

 

The Jaguars are still rebuilding, and quarterback Blake Bortles wasn't supposed to start in his rookie year. 

Things didn't work out that way in Jacksonville, and he found himself thrust into the fire. It showed too—Bortles was the worst quarterback in the league by various metrics.

It wasn't for lack of effort by his young receivers.

Rookies Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee played well when they were healthy—with Robinson looking particularly good before being shelved for good with a foot injury—and undrafted rookie Allen Hurns had some spectacular games.

The Jaguars also got nice rookie years from Brandon Linder and Telvin Smith at offensive guard and outside linebacker, respectively.

8. Tennessee Titans

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Titans 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	11	Taylor Lewan	OL	Michigan
2	54	Bishop Sankey	RB	Washington
4	112	DaQuan Jones	DT	Penn St.
4	122	Marqueston Huff	DB	Wyoming
5	151	Avery Williamson	LB	Kentucky
6	178	Zach Mettenberger	QB	LSU

 

To the naked eye, Tennessee's 2014 draft isn't a looker. From a maligned first-round offensive lineman to a plodding running back and an overrated quarterback, it just doesn't look pretty.

Dig a little deeper, though, and you will find some nice contributions from the Titans rookies last season.

Taylor Lewan was actually the highest-rated offensive tackle among his rookie peers last season, per Pro Football Focus, though he only played 359 snaps because of injury. Avery Williamson was a nice surprise at inside linebacker, where he rated positively on 834 snaps after taking over the starting gig.

That's not too shabby for a fifth-rounder.

Even running back Bishop Sankey wasn't terrible with 3.8 yards per carry, given the fact Tennessee's offensive line was mediocre at best.

In fact, every rookie outside DaQuan Jones played at least 280 snaps, and the big defensive tackle played 91 of his 143 snaps over the final three games of the season.

7. Dallas Cowboys

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Cowboys 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	16	Zack Martin	OL	Notre Dame
2	34	Demarcus Lawrence	DE	Boise St.
4	119	Anthony Hitchens	LB	Iowa
5	146	Devin Street	WR	Pittsburgh
7	231	Ben Gardner	DE	Stanford
7	238	Will Smith	LB	Texas Tech
7	254	Terrance Mitchell	DB	Oregon
7	248	Ahmad Dixon	DB	Baylor
7	251	Ken Bishop	DT	Northern Illinois

 

The Dallas Cowboys made some interesting moves in last year's draft, and they started to pay dividends right away.

Consider the fact they selected Zack Martin despite having Tyron Smith and Doug Free playing tackle. Martin was slotted in as an offensive guard, where he thrived—he ranked just behind Browns rookie Joel Bitonio over at Pro Football Focus with one of the highest ratings in the entire league.

Demarcus Lawrence was the best rookie defensive end last season, earning an expanded role this season in the wake of George Selvie, who moved on to greener pastures.

6. Green Bay Packers

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Packers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	21	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	DB	Alabama
2	53	Davante Adams	WR	Fresno St.
3	85	Khyri Thornton	DT	California
3	98	Richard Rodgers	TE	Southern Miss
4	121	Carl Bradford	LB	Arizona St.
5	161	Corey Linsley	OL	Wisconsin
5	176	Jared Abbrederis	WR	Ohio St.
6	197	Demetri Goodson	DB	Baylor
7	236	Jeff Janis	WR	Saginaw Valley St.

 

Ted Thompson just keeps trucking, finding gems in the NFL draft to fill in for players who skipped town in free agency or were simply let go.

Green Bay's general manager had another fine draft in 2014, at least when looking back at performances by his rookies.

His biggest prize might have been Corey Linsley, who was one of the best centers in the entire league last season. He and San Francisco's Aaron Lynch were certainly the best fifth-rounders from last year's draft.

Looking up at the first round, the Packers solidified the safety position—a major need given the poor play of previous years—with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix out of Alabama. He delivered, allowing a passer rating of just 53.3 on balls thrown his direction and amassing 94 total tackles on the year.

He ended his season on a high note with a two-interception performance in a narrow loss against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.

Wide receiver Davante Adams quickly overtook Jarrett Boykin as the third wideout on the depth chart, and he developed into a reliable target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

5. San Francisco 49ers

John Froschauer/Associated Press

49ers 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	30	Jimmie Ward	DB	Northern Illinois
2	57	Carlos Hyde	RB	Ohio St.
3	70	Marcus Martin	OL	USC
3	77	Chris Borland	LB	Wisconsin
3	100	Brandon Thomas	OL	Clemson
4	106	Bruce Ellington	WR	South Carolina
4	129	Dontae Johnson	DB	North Carolina St.
5	150	Aaron Lynch	DE	South Florida
5	170	Keith Reaser	DB	Florida Atlantic
6	180	Kenneth Acker	DB	SMU
7	243	Kaleb Ramsey	DE	Boston Col.
7	245	Trey Millard	FB	Oklahoma

 

Another year, another bounty of draft picks for the San Francisco 49ers.

This time around they got some contribution from their rookies, unlike their 2013 class that had some injury woes before it was even drafted.

By far the biggest impact came from inside linebacker Chris Borland, who filled a void at inside linebacker like nobody expected. Had he not been late out of the gate—he made his season debut in Week 6—he might have been in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Despite playing just 487 snaps, Borland was the fourth-highest rated inside linebacker in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus—higher than hit Ravens rookie C.J. Mosley.

Of course, this story has an unfortunate ending, at least for 49ers fans. Borland abruptly retired this offseason due to concerns about injuries.

Fortunately, the 49ers still have plenty of quality talent left over from last year's class.

Carlos Hyde looked every bit like the heir apparent to Frank Gore's throne at running back, a destiny that has come to fruition a year later.

Outside linebacker Aaron Lynch was every bit the steal some pegged him to be after the 49ers snagged him in the fifth round due to character concerns. He rated out as the best rookie at his position over at PFF.

There was something to be desired from cornerback Jimmie Ward and offensive lineman Marcus Martin, however, and guard Brandon Thomas was another one of those injured players San Francisco drafted to sit for a season. 

4. New York Giants

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Giants 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	12	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	LSU
2	43	Weston Richburg	OL	Colorado St.
3	74	Jay Bromley	DT	Syracuse
4	113	Andre Williams	RB	Boston College
5	152	Nat Berhe	DB	San Diego St.
5	174	Devon Kennard	LB	USC
6	187	Bennett Jackson	DB	Notre Dame

 

How much is the single greatest catch this century—perhaps in NFL history—worth when trying to rank an entire rookie class?

Odell Beckham Jr. was far and away the best rookie of the 2014 class, breaking receiving records despite missing the first four games due to injury. He told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post: 

"

They healed up enough to where I could play with them, but they were never truly good and I’m still just working on them and trying to get ready.

I should be good by training camp. The plan is to play at full strength next season, and I definitely hope to do it. I’m just looking forward to getting healthy.

"

Wait. What? Ninety-one receptions for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns on two bum hamstrings? There is nothing more to say here.

Oh, yes, there are other rookies to talk about. 

The running back position was clearly a priority after that awful 2013 season, which is why the Giants drafted Andre Williams to pair up with free-agent acquisition Rashad Jennings. The former spent much of the season unable to gain any traction thanks to his poor catching ability and a 3.3 yards-per-carry average.

He did come on strong late in the year, including a pair of 100-yard games that included a 50-yard touchdown scamper against the Tennessee Titans.

Weston Richburg was moved to offensive guard, where he rated out as one of the worst in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Outside linebacker Devon Kennard, however, was a nice find out of the fifth round, rating positively at PFF in 338 snaps.

3. St. Louis Rams

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Rams 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	2	Greg Robinson	OL	Auburn
1	13	Aaron Donald	DT	Pittsburgh
2	41	Lamarcus Joyner	DB	Florida St.
3	75	Tre Mason	RB	Auburn
4	110	Maurice Alexander	DB	Utah St.
6	188	E.J. Gaines	DB	Missouri
6	214	Garrett Gilbert	QB	SMU
7	226	Mitchell Van Dyk	OL	Portland St.
7	241	C.B. Bryant	DB	Ohio St.
7	249	Michael Sam	DE	Missouri
7	250	Demetrius Rhaney	OL	Tennessee St.

 

The St. Louis Rams wound up with the Defensive Rookie of the Year, a quality cornerback and a dynamic running back (Tre Mason) who flashed his potential.

Aaron Donald was dominant, actually ranking as the best defensive tackle in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus. He had a run of five consecutive games with a sack at one point in the season, crashing the DROY award like the Kool-Aid man.

Oh, yeah.

Sixth-round cornerback E.J. Gaines severely outplayed his second-round counterpart, Lamarcus Joyner, rating as the third-best rookie in the league at his position last season.

Unfortunately, the Rams had to use No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson at offensive tackle instead of guard for over half the season, where he wilted. 

2. Oakland Raiders

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Raiders 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	5	Khalil Mack	LB	Buffalo
2	36	Derek Carr	QB	Fresno St.
3	81	Gabe Jackson	OL	Mississippi St.
4	107	Justin Ellis	DT	Louisiana Tech
4	116	Keith McGill	DB	Utah
7	219	Travis Carrie	DB	Ohio
7	235	Shelby Harris	DE	Illinois St.
7	247	Jonathan Dowling	DB	West. Kentucky

 

Success has been scarce in Oakland over the past decade, but things might be looking up for the Raiders if last year's draft is any indication.

Despite what must have been some serious temptation, general manager Reggie McKenzie just let the draft come to him. That included drafting outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who was only the top-rated outside linebacker in the entire league over at PFF.

Then he resisted the urge to move up for quarterbacks Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater—though the latter would have proved to be a worthwhile gambit—and selected another target, Derek Carr.

Mack was one of the more underrated rookies because he didn't rack up volume statistics, but he looked every bit the part of a top-five draft pick.

Carr wasn't very good as a rookie—he was the second-worst, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had the third-worst passer rating in the league. He also averaged an abysmal 5.84 yards per attempt.

The Raiders asked a lot of their second-round pick, however—he had the second-most pass attempts by a rookie in NFL history, and he had a tough schedule to boot.

Offensive guard Gabe Jackson was a pleasant surprise out of the third round, a quality guard who bolstered an offensive line that needed help. So was Travis Carrie, who held his own after being pressed into action at cornerback.

1. Minnesota Vikings

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings 2014 Draft

Round	Pick No.	Player	Pos.	School
1	9	Anthony Barr	LB	UCLA
1	32	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Louisville
3	72	Scott Crichton	DE	Oregon St.
3	96	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Georgia Southern
5	145	David Yankey	OL	Stanford
6	184	Kendall James	DB	Maine
6	182	Antone Exum	DB	Virginia Tech
7	220	Shamar Stephen	DT	Connecticut
7	223	Brandon Watts	LB	Georgia Tech
7	225	Jabari Price	DB	North Carolina

 

Boy, did the Minnesota Vikings get lucky.

Somehow, Teddy Bridgewater's draft stock sank low enough for them to strike, moving back into the first round to snag him before the Houston Texans or Oakland Raiders could at the top of the second round.

Bridgewater summarily dismissed his critics with a good rookie season, particularly in the second half of the year when he was the third-best quarterback in the entire league, according to Pro Football Focus.

In Bridgewater, Minnesota managed to escape the clutches of Christian Ponder, who was holding the team captive in quarterback purgatory.

Outside linebacker Anthony Barr had a pretty good season too, rating out at PFF as the second-best 4-3 rookie at his position behind Oakland's Khalil Mack.

He had one of the more iconic plays of the season among his peers when he single-handedly won a game by ripping the ball out of fellow rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins' arms and returning the fumble for a touchdown in overtime.

 

All NFL draft information and traditional statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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