2014 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Complete 2014 NFL Draft Results

After an extra two weeks of waiting beyond the usual date, the 2014 NFL draft finally arrived. We kept tabs on all 256 of this week’s selections in this post, and now that the draft has come to an end, you can find the full results below.

Here are the results of the 2014 NFL draft:

Round 1

  1. Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
  2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington): Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
  4. Buffalo Bills (from Cleveland): Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
  5. Oakland Raiders: Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
  6. Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
  8. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota): Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
  9. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo, via Cleveland): Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
  10. Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
  11. Tennessee Titans: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
  12. New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU
  13. St. Louis Rams: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
  14. Chicago Bears: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
  16. Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame
  17. Baltimore Ravens: C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
  18. New York Jets: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
  19. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Wuan James, OT, Tennessee
  20. New Orleans Saints (from Arizona): Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
  21. Green Bay Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
  22. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia): Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
  23. Kansas City Chiefs: Dee Ford, DE, Auburn
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
  25. San Diego Chargers: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
  26. Philadelphia Eagles (from Indianapolis, via Cleveland): Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville
  27. Arizona Cardinals (from New Orleans): Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
  28. Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
  29. New England Patriots: Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
  30. San Francisco 49ers: Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois
  31. Denver Broncos: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
  32. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle): Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

Read more

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Hart

As if conditional picks based on a player’s performance weren’t convoluted enough, the 2015 draft pick included in the swap the Eagles and Bills pulled off today hinges on the performance of two players, Steve Johnson and Bryce Brown. Eagles GM Howie Roseman told reporters today, including Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link), that he doesn’t think he’s been involved in such a complicated deal before. Roseman also called the trade a win for both sides: “We weren’t looking to dump [Brown], but … there was opportunity for value” (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Eagles and one of their NFC East rivals:

  • The Eagles were hoping to land at least one offensive lineman in the draft, but according to Roseman (Twitter link), the run in the third round was like nothing he’d ever seen. The Eagles GM referred to missing out on offensive linemen as a “dagger in the heart,” per Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).
  • Speaking of that third-round run on linemen, it sounds like it affected the Cowboys too. Executive VP Stephen Jones said the club was close to trading back up into the third round to draft a lineman, but Dallas’ target came off the board a few picks earlier than expected. Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has the details and quotes from Jones, who said the trade would’ve seen the Cowboys give up a 2015 pick.
  • Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart, who the Eagles snagged in the fifth round, had a third-round grade according to the team. Roseman said that he felt as if Philadelphia could wait on Hart since not many teams needed 3-4 ends (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

2014 NFL Draft Pick Signings By Team

Over the last three days, Pro Football Rumors has been updating the draft pick by pick, publishing the complete 2014 NFL draft results. That list contains all 256 players selected over the course of the draft, in chronological order. To make it easier to find your favorite team’s complete list of picks, we’ve also compiled a separate list, which shows this year’s team-by-team selections and makes note of whether or not they’ve signed yet. Here’s the entire 2014 NFL draft, sorted by team, with round and pick number noted in parentheses:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (1.27): Signed
  • Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (2.52): Signed
  • Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina (3.84): Signed
  • John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State (3.91): Signed
  • Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (4.120): Signed
  • Ed Stinson, DE, Alabama (5.160): Signed
  • Walter Powell, WR, Murray State (6.196): Signed

Atlanta Falcons

  • Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M (1.6): Signed
  • Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota (2.37): Signed
  • Dezmen Southward, S, Wisconsin (3.68): Signed
  • Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State (4.103): Signed
  • Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame (4.139): Signed
  • Ricardo Allen, CB, Purdue (5.147): Signed
  • Marquis Spruill, LB, Syracuse (5.168): Signed
  • Yawin Smallwood, LB, Connecticut (7.253): Signed
  • Tyler Starr, LB, South Dakota (7.255): Signed

Read more

Browns Notes: Manziel, Draft, Gordon, Brooks

Following the first night of the draft, Browns GM Ray Farmer dismissed the notion that owner Jimmy Haslam tried to influence any of the team’s selections, including the trade up for Johnny Manziel. Farmer reiterated that point today, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

“I can tell you with 100% certainty that Jimmy Haslam at no point demanded, requested, tried to influence the process in any way,” Farmer said.

Here’s more on the Browns:

  • Farmer confirmed that, before trading up to No. 22 for Manziel, the Browns attempted to move up to the Titans’ pick at No. 11, tweets Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter), the Browns GM said the club had “a bundle” of potential targets in mind as it tried to trade up.
  • Farmer on the Cowboys not taking Manziel at No. 16: “I don’t think I was surprised as much as I was happy” (Twitter link via Ridenour).
  • Although there are published reports suggesting Josh Gordon is facing a season-long suspension, Farmer said he still can’t comment on the situation, adding that he understands fans’ frustration and disappointment (Twitter link via Cabot).
  • Agent Scott Bergman tells PFR (via Twitter) that his client, running back Jourdan Brooks, has been invited to try out at Cleveland’s minicamp. Brooks, who played his college ball at Morgan State, previously spent time in camp with the Bengals.

Martin Mayhew On Lions’ Draft

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew spoke to the media after the NFL Draft to talk about the team’s draft strategy. He explained that his reason for not drafting a safety, thought to be a position of need, was a combination of being comfortable with the players they have already and the way the board fell, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN (via Twitter). Mayhew noted that the pick would have had to be an “impactful guy.”

Here are some other notes from the Lions’ draft class:

  • Mayhew said fourth-round pick Nevin Lawson’s “play speed” is better than he timed at the combine, according to Rothstein (via Twitter).
  • The team’s other fourth-round pick Larry Webster will line up at defensive end, writes Rothstein (via Twitter). Mayhew called him a raw player.
  • The Lions’ fifth-round pick, T.J. Jones, will most likely project as a slot receiver, meaning he will be competing with Ryan Broyles for playing time, reports Rothstein (via Twitter). Mayhew called the Notre Dame pass catcher a “clutch” guy.
  • Mayhew noted that the team considered drafting the kicker, Nate Freese, in the sixth round, and was happy to be able to get him in the seventh, according to Rothstein (via Twitter). In Mayhew’s view, after spending his college career kicking outside in the elements at Boston College, Freese will be great in the NFC North, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).

Ravens Acquire No. 218 From Browns

The Ravens have traded back into the draft, acquiring the No. 218 pick from the Browns, reports Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter). The Ravens will send the Browns a 2015 sixth-rounder (via Twitter). The Ravens used this pick to select Wake Forest receiver Michael Campanaro, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Cardinals Notes: Thomas, Arians, UDFAs

Cardinals’ head coach Bruce Arians stated that Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas will be playing quarterback for the team, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Thomas has experience as a tight end, but Arians noted that his struggles with accuracy can be easily fixed.

Here are some other notes from Urban about the Cardinals draft day three:

  • Yesterday Arians said that he liked the three quarterbacks on the team’s roster, writes Urban (via Twitter). This turned out to be a smokescreen, with Arians saying today “I lie pretty good.”
  • Arians held his intentions to draft a quarterback close to his chest, because he was afraid a team would try to jump in front of the Cardinals to target Thomas in the fourth round, writes Urban (via Twitter).
  • Cardinals’ general manager Steve Keim noted that he wants to add two running backs and between three and five offensive linemen as undrafted rookie free agents, reports Urban (via Twitter).

Titans Acquire No. 178 From Redskins

The Titans have moved up in the sixth round of the draft, acquiring the 178th overall pick from the Redskins, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Tennessee, who had previously been set to pick 186th, sent that pick and No. 228 to Washington in the swap, per Jones (via Twitter).

The Titans used the pick to take Zach Mettenberger of LSU. Mettenberger is a big, strong armed quarterback, in the mold of what Ken Whisenhunt has failed to develop since working with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. The LSU signal caller is coming off a torn ACL, but had been impressive in pre-draft workouts as he began to move up draft boards.

Of course, as much as his stock was improving, it was leaked that he was one of ten players who had a flagged drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mettenberger’s camp held that his test was flag due to a diluted urine sample, not a banned substance.

AFC Notes: Quarterbacks, Jaguars

Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team was considering quarterbacks in the fourth round, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter). They are one of the many teams that seem interest in the secon and third tier signal callers in this draft.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Although they have Alex Smith, the Chiefs considered taking a quarterback in round one, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has been unable to get Smith signed to an extension, but ultimately went in another direction early. They instead took Aaron Murray out of Georgia in the fifth round.
  • The Bengals are in a similar situation to the Chiefs, and also considered a quarterback in the first round, according to Rapoport. They selected A.J. McCarron of Alabama, one pick after Murray in round five. McCarron will likely be Andy Dalton‘s backup in 2014, before they make a decision about Dalton’s future with the team next offseason.
  • Jaguars’ general manager Dave Caldwell said there was not much talk of trading down today on day three, according to Ryan Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The Jaguars only had discussion that included 2015 selections.

Falcons Acquire No. 168 Pick From Vikings

The Falcons have moved back into the fifth round, trading for the No. 168 pick previously held by the Vikings, reports Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Vikings had originally received that pick from the Panthers in a separate trade.

Goessling writes that the Vikings will receive two picks, No. 182 and No. 220, in the trade (via Twitter). The Falcons selected inside linebacker Marquis Spruill out of Syracuse with the pick, according to Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (via Twitter).