2014 NFL mock draft: SB Nation bloggers make their picks

An outstanding defense and an opportunistic, run-heavy offense with a playmaking quarterback won the Seattle Seahawks a Super Bowl last season. They can get even better on offense as Russell Wilson enters his third pro season, and that could start up front with better offensive line play, according to Kenneth Arthur of Field Gulls.

”I narrowed Seattle’s choices down to an initial list of 15 players, including offensive linemen, defensive linemen, wide receivers and anyone who jumped off the page as an outstanding prospect of any position. It didn’t take long really to whittle that list down to a couple of names, one of which being Richardson and the other being a wide receiver. The Seahawks have needs at right tackle, guard and wide receiver, but no need for the defending champions is too great to ignore simply taking the best player they can get at 64.

Von Miller is coming off of January ACL surgery, and 2013 was a bit of a lost season for him due to that injury as well as an early-season suspension. Denver lost veteran pass rusher Shaun Phillips in free agency, but upgraded by replacing him with DeMarcus Ware, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Dallas castoff. On paper, Miller and Ware form a fearsome pass-rushing duo, but Kyle Montgomery of Mile High Report is planning ahead at the position.

”Denver Broncos GM John Elway believes a team can never have too many pass rushers. He’s said as much, but his actions in both the draft and free agency support this. Whether it’s drafting Von Miller with the second overall pick despite having a proven pass rusher in Elvis Dumervil, or signing DeMarcus Ware this offseason, a team’s pass rush is an element a GM cannot ignore. Player for player, it’s a talent that cannot easily be taught -- you can either rush the passer, or you can’t.

Stevan Ridley has had issues staying out of the proverbial doghouse in New England thanks to fumbling issues. Shane Vereen has struggled to stay healthy, and LeGarrette Blount left as a free agent for greener pastures in Pittsburgh. The Patriots need to settle their offensive backfield, and Greg Knopping of Pats Pulpit is doing exactly that with his final mock draft pick of the year.

“Late in the second, after having selected a pass rush specialist in Dee Ford in the first round, the Patriots could go a variety of directions. While I was initially hoping that safety Deone Bucannon or one of the tight ends (Austin Seferian-Jenkins or Jace Amaro) would be on the board, Carlos Hyde is not a bad consolation prize. With no running backs under contract beyond 2014 and bruiser LeGarrette Blount having departed to the Steelers, the Patriots will need to address this position in this draft. Hyde is arguably the best runner in this draft class, and he is a big, physical type who could help replace Blount and complements Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen well. Bishop Sankey was a consideration here as well; however, I felt his skill set mimicked Vereen’s more than Hyde’s mimicked Ridley’s. I also believe the Patriots will retain Vereen past 2014, while Ridley will likely depart.”

The biggest part of the legal adventure that has been the San Francisco 49ers’ offseason centers around star pass rusher Aldon Smith, whose future with the team is in doubt beyond the 2014 season. David Fucillo of Niners Nation is more up to date on Smith’s situation than most, and he’s picking a potential replacement pass rusher with his third and final pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft.

“The 49ers head into the 2014 NFL Draft with some question marks surrounding Aldon Smith. The all-world pass rusher faces three felony gun charges and a DUI charge. While he is likely to plea down, there are still concerns about his future with the team. Additionally, Ahmad Brooks turns 31 this year, and his cap hits are only increasing. He is signed through 2017, but if the 49ers are looking for a way to save money, they could go younger at the OLB position. Smith played defensive end this past year, but he has the perfect size for what the 49ers like to use at OLB.”

For 11 seasons, Jordan Gross more than capably held down the starting left tackle job for the Carolina Panthers, helping a young, up-and-coming team return to the postseason in 2013. He retired in February, and a team that has the look of establishing itself as a perennial NFC contender is suddenly in dire straits at the most important position on the offensive line. Jaxon from Cat Scratch Reader is here to address that concern in the second round of the mock draft.

”After getting a potential No. 1 wideout in Marqise Lee in the first round, I turn my attention to the Panthers’ other glaring weakness and that is offensive line. Unlike the first-round pick where I didn’t see any tackles available worthy of that pick, I think Billy Turner is a value pick at No. 60. Turner put in a nice performance at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine, alleviating some of the concern about coming from a small school like North Dakota State. Turner is a versatile player who can most likely play multiple positions, but I see the Panthers giving him extended time at tackle given the lack of depth there.

Thanks to the now-infamous trade for running back Trent Richardson, the Indianapolis Colts won’t be making a 2014 NFL Draft pick until the late portion of the second round. As such, we welcome wizened blogging veteran Brad Wells of Stampede Blue to the SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, where he’ll be continuing a late trend of taking bigger defensive backs in our projection.

”The Colts have spent over $72 million in guaranteed money in free agency on defensive players the last two years, including $20 million on recently re-signed corner Vontae Davis. However, outside of Davis, the Colts are extremely thin at corner. Greg Toler is the very definition of “injury prone,” missing nine games last year with a groin injury. After him, the Colts have Josh Gordy -- who is often the punchline for jokes told by Rams fans -- and the undrafted Sheldon Price out of UCLA. Darius Butler is a good slot corner, but has limited effectiveness on the outside.

The Seattle Seahawks are changing the way people think about defense in the NFL. That’s especially true in the defensive backfield, where quick, gigantic cornerbacks are now en vogue. Travis Dauro of Canal Street Chronicles has chosen exactly that type of cornerback with his second-round mock draft pick for the New Orleans Saints.

“This pick is a no-brainer for the Saints’ need at corner. Jean-Baptiste is the prototypical cornerback that teams like the Saints and Seahawks are looking for: long (6’3) yet quick (he timed a 4.45 at his pro day). His 41.5-inch vertical and elite ball skills just add to his trunk of intangibles. While the Cornhusker may have to adjust to the physicality of the NFL, he will flourish in Rob Ryan’s press-man schemes. In my opinion, he’s one of the more underrated players in the entire draft and would be a steal at this point. I actually had to check myself multiple times just to make sure he hadn’t already been taken.”

The San Diego Chargers took Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker with the No. 11 overall pick last year, and immediately reaped the rewards, as Fluker was at times the most dominant rookie in football. He occasionally had to flip over to the left side due to injury, however, and that limited his effectiveness. John Gennaro of Bolts from the Blue is looking to prevent that situation from happening again.

”After getting a cornerback in the first round, I looked at other positions on the Chargers roster that could use an immediate upgrade and tried to find them in the second round. Nose tackle? Louis Nix was taken 51st and I didn’t like my other remaining options. Wide receiver? I had my eye on Cody Latimer before the 49ers took him at 56, but that’s just how the draft works. Center? Weston Richburg would’ve been a great fit if he wasn’t selected at 55. The drop-off in talent at these positions left me with taking BPA or reaching for someone to fit a need.

The San Francisco 49ers have been Super Bowl contenders for three straight years now, and will likely retain that title heading into the 2014 season. They’d like to stay in that territory as long as possible, so they’re also likely to take the long view at certain positions -- including at wide receiver, where young targets can grow into roles with Colin Kaepernick. That’s what David Fucillo of Niners Nation is thinking with this mock draft pick, anyway.

“The 49ers have their starting wide receivers, but with Crabtree entering his walk year, and Anquan Boldin signed to a two-year deal, they need to find long-term options. Quinton Patton will get his opportunities, but other than that, there are a lot of question marks. The choice was between Latimer and Jarvis Landry. Latimer brings better size, speed and overall athleticism. Although his foot injury is troubling, all indications are that he is back and will be fine for the coming season.”

The Cincinnati Bengals, who have now made the playoffs in three straight seasons and four out of their last five, are not a team that has many holes. One such exception is at center, where veteran Kyle Cook was released and replacement options are slightly less than inspiring. Josh Kirkendall at Cincy Jungle is picking a replacement to Cook with his second-round pick in our mock draft.

“The Bengals released longtime center Kyle Cook this offseason and have a couple options to replace him. However, with Weston Richburg falling to the bottom of the second round, the Bengals would jump on the opportunity to draft a guy who many think is the best center in the draft. One of the best attributes for Richburg is his durability in his college career. He started every game over the past four years at Colorado State. He played well against Alabama and also shined in the Senior Bowl against some of the premier rushers coming out of college.”

In the wake of the sudden offseason departure of DeSean Jackson, many mock drafters expect the Philadelphia Eagles to target a replacement as early as the first round. Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation, however, went with cornerback Kyle Fuller in the first round of our mock draft, instead choosing to address the receiver position with this second-rounder right here.

”The Philadelphia Eagles have shown a ton of interest in drafting a wide receiver this year, which obviously makes sense since they released DeSean Jackson. At least six pass-catching prospects have been brought to the team facility for an official visit. But the player the Eagles take at No. 54 in this mock is not one of those receivers. Instead, it’s Davante Adams of Fresno State.

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley is not only a free agent, but is coming off of a career-threatening spinal injury that led to fusion surgery in October. Assuming his departure even if his NFL career continues, Evan “Tex” Western of Acme Packing Company addressed the Packers’ tight end position with his second-round pick in our mock draft.

”We were holding out hope that Louis Nix or Deone Bucannon would fall to the Packers in round two, but with them off the board, our focus had to turn elsewhere. With this pick, the Packers find a big 6’6 target for Aaron Rodgers who can attack the seam, be a red-zone weapon, and block effectively in the running game.

There are many mock drafters out there who believe the Arizona Cardinals will look hard at the safety position in Round 1. Jess Root of Revenge of the Birds went a different direction with his first-round pick, but now with his second-rounder, he’s landing the safety he wanted all along.

”This round could not have gone any better for Arizona. After picking a versatile pass rusher in Kony Ealy in the first round, the hope was that Bucannon would be available at 52. He has been projected in some mock drafts to be Arizona’s pick in the first round.

The Chicago Bears might have been a shoo-in for the postseason last year, given their successes on offense, were it not for the shortcomings of one of the league’s worst defenses. Kev H of Windy City Gridiron is addressing that unit again in the second round of our mock draft.

”With the level of hot trash that the Bears defense was last year, there’s no reason for the Bears not to go defense heavy in the first two rounds. With Calvin Pryor shoring up things at safety in the first round, it would be best for the Bears to attack the defensive line, and with what’s on the board, Nix is likely the best fit.

The Miami Dolphins were once again busy in the offseason, adding big-name players left and right in free agency. Their sorest spot, the offensive line, was addressed with the signing of left tackle Branden Albert, but Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider believes the team has more work to do up front -- even if they’re forced to pass on better prospects to do so.

”At this point, I had to make a very difficult choice, and one I may regret later. Either stick to the plan that was established with the pick of C.J. Mosley in the first round, or blow it all up because inexplicably, Louis Nix is still on the board at pick 50. I so badly wanted to make that selection, knowing Jared Odrick’s contract runs out after this season and Randy Starks’ new deal was just for two years, meaning he will be a free agent again after the 2015 season. Adding Nix at 50 would be a steal and make sure the Dolphins have a man in the middle for years to come.

“It’s a testament to how little talent the Jets had on offense that they still could use more weapons even after adding Eric Decker and Chris Johnson in free agency and Eric Ebron in the first round. Drafting the physically gifted Moncrief means the writing is on the wall for Stephen Hill, the disappointing second-round wide receiver the Jets took two years ago.”

The Baltimore Ravens have made moves to upgrade their offensive skill positions this offseason, signing veteran free agent receiver Steve Smith and tight end Owen Daniels to contracts. Jason Butt of Baltimore Beatdown has taken the same approach with each of his two picks in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft.

“The Ravens have a chance to further upgrade their offense with a playmaking tight end. Jace Amaro fits in that regard. Mostly asked to be a receiver with the Red Raiders, Amaro is a strong tight end who can adequately block in the running game. He simply seems like the kind of player who projects well into Gary Kubiak’s offensive system, too. In 2013, Amaro caught 106 passes for 1,352 yards and seven touchdowns. Projected to go as high as the late first round, he’d be a steal at this point of the draft. With the possibility that Owen Daniels is on a one-year rental, the upside for Amaro is too high to pass on, especially with the No. 48 overall pick.”

The Dallas Cowboys are in the process of rebuilding a defense -- and a defensive line, in particular -- that was ravaged by injury and struggled mightily throughout the 2013 season playing under Monte Kiffin. The team released DeMarcus Ware in a cost-cutting move, but also signed end Jeremy Mincey and tackle Henry Melton in free agency. Now, Dave Halprin of Blogging the Boys is further addressing his team’s biggest sore spot in our mock draft.

“Simply put, Easley is an ideal interior lineman for Rod Marinelli’s defensive scheme. Undersized but blessed with an explosive first step and the ability to shoot gaps to disrupt the backfield, he is tailor-made for the Cowboys’ scheme. A defensive end is also a consideration here, but if the Cowboys can push quarterbacks from the middle of the line consistently, their current defensive ends can clean up the mess when quarterbacks roll out. If it wasn’t for the injury issues, Easley would be a top of the first round pick. It’s a risk because of his knees, but if it pans out, Dallas gets a blue-chip player in the middle of the second round.”

After adding Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald with a first-round pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain has a major hole to fill for the Pittsburgh Steelers with his second-round pick: cornerback.

“This is one of the deeper drafts in recent memory as far as the cornerback position goes, and with big names coming from big schools, it’s easy to see why Gaines might be overlooked. At the same time, few, if any, corners in this draft have the level of anticipatory skills as he does. He has great vision and length (6-foot-0, 31 ⅞ inch arms), two things we find highly adaptable in Pittsburgh’s zone scheme. He needs to spend some time getting stronger, but he’s a willing tackler. Any weakness he has is trumped by excellent athleticism and playmaking skills (we watched him allow three catches on 14 targets over a three game period).”

The Detroit Lions, in transition defensively moving from the Jim Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham regime to the Jim Caldwell and Teryl Austin regime, are in the market for some pass rushing help for one of the league’s least-productive teams in terms of sacks. Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit is addressing that issue with his second-round pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft.

”After having Jake Matthews slip to me in the first round, I was hoping to land a player like Kyle Van Noy or Jimmie Ward in the second round. Neither player made it to 45, though, leading me to instead go with Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, who had a career-high 12.5 sacks as a 4-3 defensive end last season.

For more than a year now, the St. Louis Rams have been in the process of retooling their offensive line. That process continued this spring when they capitalized on a failed Oakland physical to re-sign starting guard Rodger Saffold -- but he needs a starting counterpart inside, and Ryan Van Bibber of Turf Show Times has a candidate in mind.

“The Rams made a smart move in free agency to hang onto Rodger Saffold, who exceeded expectations once the team moved him to guard last season. That’s one starting guard, but they desperately need another one, especially since they’re leaning on a weak trio of centers led by the oft-injured Scott Wells. Jackson’s exactly the type of blocker they need in the middle, tenacious and capable of plying his trade on the second level.”

The New York Giants could use some help at wide receiver. True, Victor Cruz is still in the fold, Rueben Randle remains an intriguing project and Mario Manningham is back with the team, so it’s not as if there is a dearth of talent at the position. But in order to keep Cruz among the most explosive and productive slot receivers in the business, they need more talent outside. Ed Valentine of Big Blue View had that in mind when making his second-round pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft.

“The Giants grabbed Taylor Lewan in the first round to help protect Eli Manning. Now, they need to get him some playmakers. They do that here with the selection of Robinson. He is a big target for Manning at 6’3, 220 pounds and he is a physical player who can make plays on contested balls -- something Manning needs. The Giants enter the draft with work to do on offense, and the selections of Lewan and Robinson go a long way toward helping to restore the productivity on that side of the ball.”

You may or may not have heard that the Tennessee Titans parted ways with running back Chris Johnson this offseason. (Okay, yeah, you’d probably heard.) Shonn Greene is currently atop the team’s depth chart, and free agent addition Dexter McCluster adds some versatility to the backfield, but the Titans are still expected to address the position in the 2014 NFL Draft, potentially as early as the second round. Jimmy Morris of Music City Miracles is leaning that direction with his second mock draft pick of the spring.

“The Titans will most likely have their pick of the running backs here. Tre Mason is the perfect fit for what they need. He is a patient runner with good vision. He isn’t built to be a short-yardage back, but that is not what the Titans are going to ask Mason to do. They are going to ask him to make some explosive plays, which he will be able to do with his good vision and patient running, and to contribute in the passing game. The other plus to Mason is that he doesn’t have any of the character red flags that some of the other top backs in this draft have.”

Jairus Byrd is gone, leaving a considerable hole in the Buffalo Bills’ deep pass coverage. Da’Norris Searcy, Duke Williams or Jonathan Meeks may not be the best players to fill that hole. Brian Galliford’s choice at No. 41 on behalf of Buffalo Rumblings could be.

”There is little doubt that the Bills have bigger need priorities than safety. Problem is, worthwhile prospects at those positions (Antonio Richardson at tackle, Scott Crichton at defensive end, Jace Amaro and Troy Niklas at tight end) are not of the caliber of Ward, who but for his smaller stature might be widely considered a first-round lock.

After taking care of a need at quarterback with the selection of Derek Carr in the first round of the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman turned his attention to a Minnesota Vikings defense that he considered a “complete disaster” last season. His Round 2 choice? An underrated athlete from one of the nation’s most reputable independent football programs. (No, it isn’t Louis Nix III.)

”The Vikings’ defense was a complete disaster in 2013. While the team has addressed the defensive line and the secondary in free agency, it has mostly neglected the linebacker corps. That changes with the selection of Van Noy, who has the sort of versatility that new head coach Mike Zimmer wants in his defenders. He’s a bit rough around the edges when it comes to coverage, but he shows good pursuit ability and a knack for making plays. Over the past two seasons, he has 39.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.