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2014 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Top 10 Draft-Eligible Quarterbacks

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:38:28 -0400

For the first time since 2001, there was only one quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

After a down year for quarterbacks in 2013, the class of draft-eligible quarterbacks in 2014 brings much more excitement to the position with some franchise-changing signal-callers at the top.

Here are my top-10 draft-eligible quarterbacks for the 2014 NFL Draft:

1. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville Cardinals

With the prototypical size (6'3" and 220 pounds) for the position, Bridgewater has all of the tools to be successful at the next level: a strong arm, intelligence, toughness and mobility.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

The sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts last year and finished with a 27-to-8 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

2. Tajh Boyd, Clemson Tigers

Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 (from 141.2).

3. David Fales, San Jose State Spartans

Fales began his collegiate career at Nevada behind now-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he transferred to a JUCO before ending up at San Jose State. In his first season with the Spartans, Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns and led college football with a 72.5 completion percentage.

4. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies

With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014. Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing — both yards and touchdowns (21) — in the SEC.

5. Brett Hundley, UCLA Bruins

Setting the school's single-season freshman records for passing yards (3,740) and passing touchdowns (29), Hundley became the first quarterback in school history to pass for 300-plus yards in three consecutive games. He has good size (6-foot-3, 227 pounds), a strong arm and good athleticism. He rushed for 355 yards and nine touchdowns as well.

6. A.J. McCarron, Alabama Crimson Tide

A natural starting point when discussing McCarron as a prospect is his leadership skills. As a two-year starter, McCarron has helped lead the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national championships and a cumulative record of 25-2 during that span.

As one of only 15 quarterbacks to throw 30 touchdown passes in 2012, McCarron threw only three interceptions. In his collegiate career, he has posted a 49-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

7. Derek Carr, Fresno State Bulldogs

Brother of former No. 1 overall pick David, Carr threw for 4,104 yards, 37 touchdowns and only seven interceptions last year. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah recently compared Carr to Jay Cutler saying that Carr "has live arm, can make wow throws. Too much confidence at times."

8. Aaron Murray, Georgia Bulldogs

The top-ranked senior quarterback by NFL.com's Gil Brandt, Murray has thrown a school-record 95 touchdowns to 32 interceptions in his three seasons at Georgia. Murray completed a career-high 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,893 yards last season.

9. Braxton Miller, Ohio State Buckeyes

With exceptional athleticism for a quarterback, Miller, who finished fifth in Heisman voting for the 12-0 Buckeyes, rushed for a team-high 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. In addition, he completed 58.3 percent of his pass attempts for 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. If he continues to make strides as a passer, he could move up this list.

10. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech Hokies

With Cam Newton-like size (6-foot-5 and nearly 260 pounds), Thomas has a strong arm and excellent athleticism for his size. Unfortunately for Thomas, he was terribly inconsistent last season as he saw his production drop across the board. His completion percentage dropped to 51.3 percent (from 59.8 percent) and he posted an 18-to-16 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year. In an attempt to turn things around for himself and the Hokies, who failed to win 10 games for the first time since 2003, he begins the year with a tough challenge against Alabama on August 31st.

Throughout the summer, we will release our initial 2014 NFL Draft prospect rankings per position.

Earlier this spring, we have released our 2014 NFL Draft Big Board of top 25 prospects regardless of position in addition to our 2014 NFL Mock Draft.

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

2014 NFL Mock Draft Update (6/2/13): Jadeveon Clowney still No. 1 Pick

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 07:31:09 -0400

It's been a few weeks since I've last updated my 2014 NFL Mock Draft so it was time for an update. For now, the mock is still one round, but I will add Round 2 later this week.

Here is how I see the first round playing out:

1. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

The nation's top high school recruit as a senior, Clowney would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he were eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. Provided the Raiders don't select a potential franchise quarterback here, which is a distinct possibility to the importance of the position, Clowney should be a lock to go first overall in 2014.

Casual fans became aware of Clowney's talents on New Year's Day after his bone-crushing, fumble-forcing hit on Michigan's Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl, but Clowney has lived up to the hype ever since he stepped on campus at South Carolina.

A physical freak, Clowney was one of six players tied for third in the nation with 13.0 sacks as a sophomore in 2012. In addition, only Georgia's Jarvis Jones (24.5) had more tackles for loss than Clowney (23.5), who was tied for second with Arizona State's Will Sutton.

The only team with fewer sacks than the Raiders (25) last season was the Jaguars (20).

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

As much as I was surprised that the Jaguars did not draft a quarterback in 2013, I was just as surprised that Arizona quarterback Matt Scott went undrafted. The Jags signed Scott as an undrafted free agent and it wouldn't surprise me if he ends the year as the team's starting quarterback.

Either way, I don't expect them to pass on a potential franchise signal-caller in this year's draft.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. At 6-3 and 218 pounds, the sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts and finished with a 27-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Johnny Football might get more hype in college football, but Bridgewater should be the first quarterback drafted assuming he declares early for the 2014 draft.

3. New York Jets (draft history) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC

It seemed possible that the Jets would draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks in 2013, but they used both on defense. Even though West Virginia's Geno Smith fell to them in the second round, the Jets lack weapons for Smith (or Mark Sanchez).

Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, had a monster season as he led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

Current Stanford head coach David Shaw had high praise for Lee saying that he is "the best receiver he's seen since scouting Randy Moss."

4. Arizona Cardinals (draft history) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Lewan surprised many when he decided to return to school for his senior season. Had he declared early for a draft that featured three offensive tackles selected with a top-four pick, Lewan might have been a top-five pick himself.

As a junior in 2012, he was a first-team AP All-American with Luke Joeckel, the No. 2 overall pick last year. Lewan has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

5. Tennessee Titans (draft history) - Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

The team's current mobile (but inconsistent) quarterback Jake Locker will be entering a walk year in 2014. With the team upgrading their interior offensive line in both free agency and the draft as well as adding an additional playmaker in Justin Hunter, Locker will need to step up in his third year to keep the team from possibly going in a different direction.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah recently tweeted that "Tajh Boyd reminds me of Russell Wilson for these 3 reasons: easy thrower, escapability and toughness."

- See the rest of this mock draft | Our 2014 NFL Draft Big Board

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2014 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 25 Draft-Eligible Prospects

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:04:09 -0400

The 2013 NFL Draft class lacked the kind of excitement at the top that we saw back in 2012 with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

The 2014 class of draft-eligible prospects will certainly generate more buzz than this year's group.

Here are my top 25 draft-eligible prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft:

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

If Clowney were eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, he would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, there was some debate in the media whether Clowney should sit out the 2013 college football season in order to not allow the potential for injury to risk his draft stock for 2014.

As the top recruit out of high school, Clowney has lived up to the hype since stepping on the field for the Gamecocks. During the span of his two years as a student-athlete, Clowney has 21 sacks. The only three players with more sacks during that stretch have either graduated or left early for the NFL.

Last season, he was tied for third in the nation in sacks (13.0) and second in tackles for loss (23.5).

2. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

With the prototypical size (6'3" and 220 pounds) for the position, Bridgewater has all of the tools to be successful at the next level: a strong arm, intelligence, toughness and mobility.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

The sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts last year and finished with a 27-to-8 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

3. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Lewan was a first-team AP All-American last year with Luke Joeckel, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

4. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

As half of college football's best pair of bookend tackles last season, Matthews will move to the left side this year to protect Johnny Football's blind side. Some believe Matthews has the potential to be even better than Joeckel. Matthews' father Bruce was a 14-time Pro Bowler and a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

5. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation with 13.5 sacks in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0). With continued development, Barr has the potential to be a top-five pick in next year's draft.

6. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

Tied for third in the country in passes broken up (17) and seventh in passes defended (19), Roby was a second-team AP All-American as a sophomore and has the chance to be the top cornerback selected in the 2014 draft.

7. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

Lee, who is also a sprinter and high jumper on USC's track team, had a monster season as a sophomore as he posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

8. Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

Playing left tackle for the most talented offensive line in the country, Kouandjio was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Although he tore his ACL in the middle of his freshman season, Kouandjio made big strides ("leaps and bounds" as ex-teammate Chance Warmack called them) in his sophomore campaign.

9. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

10. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

If he declared early and entered the 2013 draft, Mosley would have likely been a first-round pick last year. Along with Jarvis Jones and Manti Te'o, Mosley was a first-team AP All-American selection at linebacker in 2012.

Not only did Mosley lead the national champions in tackles (99) last season, but he has the versatility to play multiple spots within the linebacking corps and excels in coverage.

11. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

Seferian-Jenkins is a matchup nightmare and the top tight end prospect in this year's draft class. In addition to tight end, Seferian-Jenkins has lined up at defensive end on pass-rushing situations and has also played basketball for the Huskies. He won't be playing basketball for them this season, though.

Although he was arrested for DUI back in March and is currently suspended from the team, he is expected to play this season and he has 11 months to stay out of trouble and put all of this behind him.

12. Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame

The top 3-4 defensive end in this year's draft class, Tuitt led the Irish in both sacks (12.0) and tackles for loss (13.0) last season.

13. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame

Strong at the point of attack, Nix was a huge reason (no pun intended) why the Irish ranked third in the nation in rushing defense. Despite his size (6-3, 340), Nix has excellent movement skills.

14. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

As a freshman, Watkins had 82 receptions for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. His sophomore campaign was slowed by suspension and some minor injuries as he was overshadowed by teammate DeAndre Hopkins, but he has the talent to be the second receiver off the board and potentially a top-10 pick next April.

15. Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

A third-team AP All-American last year, Verrett led the Big 12 in interceptions (six) and passes defended (20). At only 5'10", Verrett does not have the ideal size and length most teams covet in cornerbacks. That said, he is an extremely smooth and fluid athlete with the ability to close and make a play on the ball.

16. David Fales, QB, San Jose State

Fales began his collegiate career at Nevada behind now-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he transferred to a JUCO before ending up at San Jose State. In his first season with the Spartans, Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns and completed 72.5 percent of his pass attempts.

17. Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida

A former five-star recruit, Lynch led Notre Dame in sacks (5.5) as a true freshman in 2011. After transferring to South Florida to be closer to home, he sat the 2012 season out, but he has the potential to be a top-10 pick in 2014.

18. David Yankey, OT, Stanford

Yankey was a second-team AP All-American and winner of the Morris Trophy, best offensive lineman in the Pac 12, last season as a left tackle. He will move back inside to guard for Stanford this season and has played four of the five offensive line positions.

Stanford offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren has called Yankey the "best pulling offensive lineman in the country."

19. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas

Jeffcoat, the son of former Cowboys defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, saw his 2013 season end prematurely after he tore his pectoral muscle. Over his past 13 games (final seven games of 2012 and first six games last year), Jeffcoat has a total of 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

20. Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU

Especially after closing out the season with a dominant performance that included two defensive touchdowns in the Poinsettia Bowl, it was a bit of surprise that Van Noy returned to school for his senior season. Last year, Van Noy finished fourth in the nation in tackles for loss (22.0), tied for third in sacks (13.0) and tied for second in forced fumbles (six).

21. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

Ekpre-Olomu was a third-team All-American that ranked sixth in the country in passes defended (20) to go with his four interceptions including one returned for a score. In addition, he was tied for the lead in the Pac 12 with six forced fumbles last year.

22. Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida

With good size (6-1 and 189 pounds), Purifoy is an athletic corner that will be used as a two-way player in 2013. Gators coach Will Muschamp recently said, "Loucheiz is going to be a corner for us, but, at the end of the day, we've got to create a role for him because he is an explosive guy. He makes plays with the ball in his hands. He has tremendous ball skills."

23. Trent Murphy, DE/OLB, Stanford

A first-team All-Pac 12 choice at linebacker in 2012, Murphy had 10.0 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss, both of which led the Cardinal defense.

24. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014. Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing — both yards and touchdowns (21) — in the SEC.

25. Adrian Hubbard, OLB, Alabama

As a sophomore in 2012, Hubbard led the Crimson Tide in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (11.0). With excellent length and athleticism, Hubbard has the potential to take a big step forward in 2013.

Check out our early 2014 NFL Mock Draft. For more mocks, check out our 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database.

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

2014 NFL Mock Draft Updated: Jadeveon Clowney still the No. 1 pick

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:55:58 -0400

Although the 2014 NFL Draft is nearly a year away, we have updated our 2014 NFL mock draft. With our next update, we will add a second round to our mock.

For now, here is how we see the first round shaking out:

1. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

The nation's top high school recruit as a senior, Clowney would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he were eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. Provided the Raiders don't select a potential franchise quarterback here, Clowney should be a lock to go first overall in 2014.

The only team with fewer sacks than the Raiders (25) last season was the Jaguars (20).

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

Either way, I don't expect them to pass on a potential franchise signal-caller in this year's draft.

Johnny Football might get more hype in college football, but Bridgewater should be the first quarterback drafted assuming he declares early for the 2014 draft.

3. New York Jets (draft history) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC

Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, had a monster season. He led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

Current Stanford head coach David Shaw had high praise for Lee saying that he is the best receiver he's seen since scouting Randy Moss.

4. Arizona Cardinals (draft history) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

As a junior in 2012, he was a first-team AP All-American with Luke Joeckel. Lewan has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

5. San Diego Chargers (draft history) - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

The Chargers drafted their right tackle of the future in Alabama's D.J. Fluker in the first round and now they can address the blind side here.

Paired with Luke Joeckel as the bookend tackles protecting Johnny Football last year, Matthews will make the transition to the left side in 2013. The son of Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews, Matthews has a legitimate shot of being the first tackle off the board, but he should be a very high first-round pick either way.

- View the rest of this mock draft here

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2014 NFL Mock Draft: Jadeveon Clowney to the Raiders

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:12:58 -0400

Since 1998 when Peyton Manning was selected with the first overall pick, 12 of the past 16 top overall draft picks have been quarterbacks.

If the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft is someone other than a quarterback, it will mark the first time since Peyton entered the league that consecutive top picks were not quarterbacks.

While plenty will change over the next 51 weeks, here is how I see the first round next April:

1. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

The nation's top high school recruit as a senior, Clowney would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he were eligible for the 2013 NFL draft. Clowney became an instant national sensation on New Year's Day with his bone-crushing, fumble-forcing hit on Michigan's Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl.

A physical freak, Clowney was one of six players tied for third in the nation with 13.0 sacks in 2012. In addition, only Georgia's Jarvis Jones (24.5) had more tackles for loss than Clowney (23.5), who was tied for second with Arizona State's Will Sutton.

The only team with fewer sacks than the Raiders (25) last season was the Jaguars (20).

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

As much as I was surprised that the Jaguars did not draft a quarterback in 2013, I was as surprised that Arizona quarterback Matt Scott went undrafted. The Jags signed Scott as an undrafted free agent and it wouldn't surprise me if Scott ends the year as the team's starting quarterback.

If not, however, I don't expect them to pass on a potential franchise signal-caller in this year's draft.

Johnny Football might get more hype, but Bridgewater has as much, if not more, of a chance to be the first quarterback drafted assuming he declares early for the 2014 draft.

3. New York Jets (draft history) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC

It seemed possible that the Jets would draft a quarterback with one of their two first-round picks in 2013, but they used both on defense. Although Geno Smith fell to them in the second round, the Jets lack weapons for Smith.

Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, had a monster season. He led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

4. Arizona Cardinals (draft history) - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

5. San Diego Chargers (draft history) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

The Chargers drafted their right tackle of the future in Alabama's D.J. Fluker in the first round and now they address the blind side.

Along with Matthews, Lewan surprised many when he decided to return to school for his senior season. As a junior in 2012, he was a first-team AP All-American with Joeckel. Lewan has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

6. Tennessee Titans (draft history) - Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

The biggest knock on Manziel, from a draft perspective, is he's not, well, the biggest quarterback. With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014.

Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing -- both yards and touchdowns (21) -- in the SEC.

7. Buffalo Bills (draft history) - Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation in sacks (13.5) in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0).

8. Cleveland Browns (draft history) - Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

With a new front office and coaching staff, the Browns may go in a different direction from Brandon Weeden, who was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the previous regime.

- View the rest of our early 2014 NFL Mock Draft

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Tharold Simon arrested on eve of "Tharold Simon Day"

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:59:26 -0400

One of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft class is ex-LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.

Although he finished fifth in the Heisman voting in 2011, he was kicked off the team in 2012 for failing multiple drug tests and was arrested just six months ago on drug-related charges.

With Round 1 of the 2013 NFL Draft in the books, it's another former LSU cornerback that is making news for all of the wrong reasons.

Per KATC (Lafayette, LA), ex-LSU cornerback Tharold Simon was arrested in Eunice (LA) and charged with public intimidation, resisting an officer, and unnecessary noise violation.

When an officer asked him to move his car, which was blocking the street, Simon said "I own Eunice" and "I'm gonna buy these projects and you are gonna be mine."

He then reportedly "backed the vehicle in an aggressive manner" when he moved it. According to the report, he said the mayor would fire the officer if he wrote him a ticket.

The mayor, Rusty Moody, said that the ceremony to proclaim today "Tharold Simon Day" will continue as scheduled.

Initially, I had Simon projected as a fourth-round pick, but it would seem inevitable that he slips beyond that point after getting arrested on the weekend of (potentially) being picked (getting hired) by a team.

2013 NFL Mock Draft (Re-draft): Projecting Day 2 Picks

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:11:28 -0400

While the talent at the top of this year's draft class may not be as elite as in year's past, there is a lot of depth in this year's talent pool.

With several surprises in the first round, it has pushed plenty of talented players into Round 2.

From 2002 to 2012, there were two or more quarterbacks selected in the first round every draft. In many cases, the value of the position pushed up prospects like Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, etc. into the first round although they might not have been viewed as Day 1 talents.

Ending the streak this year, there was only quarterback selected in the first round and it was a surprise to many: Florida State's E.J. Manuel, who was selected by the Bills with the 16th overall pick.

As much as that was a surprise, it could lead to an even bigger tumble for quarterback Ryan Nassib, who was coached by Doug Marrone last year at Syracuse.

In my mock draft, I had projected that the Patriots would trade out of their pick (with the Jaguars, who would select Geno Smith). Unless the Jaguars trade down, I still expect that although they could certainly prefer Nassib or USC's Matt Barkley over Smith.

Here is my updated projection of how the two rounds of the draft will play out tonight:

33. Jacksonville Jaguars: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
34. San Francisco 49ers: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
35. Philadelphia Eagles: Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
36. Detroit Lions: Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State
37. Cincinnati Bengals: Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
38. Arizona Cardinals: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
39. New York Jets: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
40. Tennessee Titans: Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State
41. Buffalo Bills: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
42. Oakland Raiders (via MIA): Matt Barkley, QB, USC
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
44. Carolina Panthers: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
45. San Diego Chargers: Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
46. Buffalo Bills (via STL): Keenan Allen, WR, Cal
47. Dallas Cowboys: Larry Warford, G, Kentucky
48. Pittsburgh Steelers: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
49. New York Giants: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
50. Chicago Bears: Kevin Minter, LB, LSU
51. Washington Redskins: Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
52. New England Patriots: Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
53. Cincinnati Bengals: Giovanni Bernard, RB, North Carolina
54. * Miami Dolphins: Robert Alford, CB, SE Louisiana
55. Green Bay Packers: Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
56. Seattle Seahawks: Robert Woods, WR, USC
57. Houston Texans: D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina
58. Denver Broncos: Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
59. New England Patriots: Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
60. Atlanta Falcons: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
61. San Francisco 49ers: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
62. Baltimore Ravens: Quinton Patton, WR, Louisiana Tech

* There is still a good chance that the Dolphins trade this pick to the Chiefs for Branden Albert.

Carolina Panthers select Utah DT Star Lotulelei with 14th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:00:53 -0400

The Carolina Panthers have selected Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with the 14th overall pick.

Drawing some comparisons to Ravens stud defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, Lotulelei has had a strong season this year although double and triple teams prevented him from putting up eye-popping stats.

Although a heart condition was discovered at the NFL scouting combine, he was cleared medically before the medical re-checks and he did not have to go back to the combine to get checked out medically.

As a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection in both 2011 and 2012, Lotulelei gives the Panthers a great value at this spot.

The Saints are on the clock with the 15th-overall pick ...

New York Jets select Missouri DT Sheldon Richardson with 13th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:51:31 -0400

The New York Jets have selected Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson with the 13th overall pick.

Richardson led SEC defensive tackles in tackles (75) and had 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles.

Although the position is deep, Richardson is the first defensive tackle off the board ahead of both Florida's Sharrif Floyd and Utah's Star Lotulelei.

The Panthers are on the clock with the 14th-overall pick ...

Oakland Raiders select Houston CB D.J. Hayden with 12th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:44:15 -0400

The Oakland Raiders have selected Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden with the 12th overall pick.

Earlier in the day, there was speculation that the Raiders would select Hayden if they couldn't trade down from the third overall pick. Despite trading down nine spots, they were still able to land their target.

Hayden is one of the top cornerbacks in this year's draft class, although he had a scary injury last season (tore the inferior vena cava) after a collision with a teammate in November. The team's physician described the procedure to repair it as being "much like a heart transplant."

In 22 career games, Hayden had six interceptions, three of which he returned for scores. In 2011, he led the team in passes broken up (11) and forced fumbles (five).

The Raiders defense allowed a 66.0 percent completion rate, fourth-worst in the league, 28 passing touchdowns, only seven teams allowed more, and intercepted 11 passes. The Raiders have added free-agent cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter, but both signed just one-year contracts with the club.

The Jets are on the clock with the 13th-overall pick ...

San Diego Chargers select Alabama OT D.J. Fluker with 11th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:38:09 -0400

The San Diego Chargers have selected Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker with the 11th overall pick.

Fluker makes it six offensive linemen selected within the first 11 picks and he's the third consecutive Alabama Crimson Tide player selected.

Although he is a right tackle, Fluker can also play inside at guard. The only quarterback to be sacked more over the past three seasons than Philip Rivers is Aaron Rodgers. Not only does the addition of Fluker help improve the protection of Rivers, but he helps Ryan Mathews in the running game.

The Raiders are on the clock with the 12th-overall pick ...

Tennessee Titans select Alabama guard Chance Warmack with 10th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:31:45 -0400

The Tennessee Titans have selected Alabama guard Chance Warmack with the 10th overall pick.

As noted earlier, a guard had not been selected within the first 10 picks since 1997. Along with Jonathan Cooper, who was selected seventh overall, Warmack makes it two guard inside the top 10 this year.

One of the team's biggest weaknesses last year was its interior offensive line. Since then, however, they have significantly upgraded their group by adding Andy Levitre in free agency and drafting Warmack here.

The Chargers are on the clock with the 11th-overall pick ...

New York Jets select Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner with 9th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:25:33 -0400

With two first-round picks, the Jets used their first (ninth overall) to select Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner.

Milliner led the country in passes broken up (20) and was tied for first in passes defended (22) for the national champions. As a team, the Crimson Tide allowed only seven passing touchdowns while intercepting 19 passes last season. He ran a 4.37 forty at the combine and answered concerns about his straight-line speed.

Recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, Milliner is expected to start training camp on the PUP list.

Technically this pick wasn't the one received in exchange for trading Darrelle Revis to the Bucs, but Milliner will always be linked to Revis. Coincidentally, the Jets and Bucs will meet in Week 1 this season.

The Titans are on the clock with the tenth-overall pick ...

Rams move up to select West Virginia's Tavon Austin with 8th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:13:09 -0400

Trading up to acquire the eighth overall pick from the Buffalo Bills, the St. Louis Rams selected West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin.

Not only is Austin explosive (4.34 forty), he is strong (14 reps of 225 pounds) for his size (174 pounds) and durable (never missed a practice at West Virginia). Austin has the ability to make huge plays any time he touches the ball whether he is lined up in the slot or backfield and in the return game.

Not only does Austin fill the void out of the slot created by the free-agent loss of Danny Amendola, but he does things that Amendola can't do.

Last year, Austin had six 100-yard receiving games including 215 yards against Baylor. In addition, he had a 344-yard rushing game (on 21 carries) against Oklahoma on 11/17.

The Jets are on the clock with the ninth-overall pick ...

Cardinals select North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper with 7th overall pick

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:06:00 -0400

The Arizona Cardinals selected North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

No team allowed more sacks last season than the Cardinals (58).

Cooper is an extremely athletic guard that has the versatility to also play center. He is the first guard selected in the top 10 since Northwestern's Chris Naeole was selected 10th overall by the Saints back in 1997.

The Bills were on the clock with the eighth-overall pick, but they have traded their pick to the Rams.