The 2014 NFL draft is coming and Mel Kiper released his latest mock draft with two rounds of picks for the 4.0 mock draft on ESPN and ESPN.com and now Jadeveon Clowney is projected as the number one pick in the top 10 and predictions from other experts have Blake Bortles, Greg Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater going in the top 15 picks.
Kiper has moved around his first overall pick as he has gotten closer to the draft and now he has put Clowney in the top spot once again and that comes after he had Johnny Manziel there to start and he also threw Khalil Mack into the mix. The Texans have the most interesting option at number one and it mirrors what they had back in the day when they had to choose between Reggie Bush and Mario Williams, opting for the defensive end over the star offensive player and that worked out well the first time around.
The Texans have the option of taking one of the quarterbacks with the top overall pick after trading away Matt Schaub, as this year Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater are all considered to top 10 prospects. Bill O'Brien is coming in as head coach for the Texans and he has to decide what is best for the team as they move into a new stage after a rough 2013 season that saw the team go 2-14. Manziel is a Texas boy and he would be a huge draw for the franchise, but many have questions whether his talent will translate into the pros.
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Blake Bortles is considered to have the highest upside of the quarterbacks, as he has the size and mobility to be a player like Ben Roethlisberger and he has been compared to Big Ben coming into the draft. Bortles broke out with 25 touchdowns last season and over 3,000 yards as he led UCF to a win in the Fiesta Bowl and that propelled him to first round status and now he could be an option for the Texans as well. Bridgewater has been called the most pro-ready of the three names, but also the one with the lowest ceiling.
O'Brien also has the option of going for someone like Clowney, who would have been the number one overall pick hands down if it was two years ago. Now, he could go after Clowney or even Greg Robinson and take a QB later in the draft, as this class is deep with talent. Names like AJ McCarron, David Fales, Derek Carr and Aaron Murray will all be available and the team could mix and match that way rather than go for a QB at number one.
Check here for the latest mock draft from Mel on ESPN.
Kiper picks Clowney to the Texans and Greg Robinson to the Rams and after that the Jaguars and Cleveland Browns have tough choices, as Sammy Watkins will be a prime option for teams as the top wideout in the draft. Watkins was wildly productive in college and he had over 100 catches last season and could be a top three pick in the draft.