The 2014 NFL draft is coming and that means mock drafts and ESPN expert Mel Kiper has put together another one that goes over his first round picks and projections for the top 10 and what teams will do and heading into the event in May, Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater are the names coming up the most for the Texans, Rams, Jaguars, Browns and Raiders in the top five.
The Texans come into the offseason with a new head coach and whole new outlook and with Matt Schaub likely done in Houston, the team has been looking at the quarterbacks in the draft very closely. There is always a chance that Bill O'Brien goes another way and signs a veteran or makes a trade and picks Clowney or Sammy Watkins at number one, but right now all signs point to the pick being a QB. O'Brien worked with Tom Brady for years so everyone thinks it will be Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles because they fit the QB mold better, but don't count out Johnny Manziel, as the Texans may not be able to pass up on the marketing ability of that player and the fact that he is from the state where their team is.
Mel Kiper thought the Texans would pick Manziel and that was from his early mock drafts and while he has changed things up, the consensus still sees Manziel as a very solid option at the first pick. The Texans are coming off of a 2-14 season that saw the team win two and then lose the rest of the games on the schedule and that means they are starting over and adding a QB will be the first step to that. Bortles has the physical tools and is in the mold of a Ben Roethlisberger, but he is raw, while Teddy Bridgewater is considered to be the most "pro ready" of the three names at the top.
Check here for mock draft picks from Mel Kiper on ESPN and for more on the NFL draft and mock drafts leading through the offseason.
Clowney is the biggest mystery, as he could go anywhere from one to seven depending on how teams view his work ethic from last season. Clowney has all the physical tools and if this were last season he would be number one without question, but after a so-so combine apart from his 40 and a down season, teams have questions. The Rams look like a solid option for Clowney if the Texans go QB, while the Jaguars and the Browns also could make the pick if he slips. Hard to see him getting past the Raiders at number five.
Down the line there are some other great options as well and many see Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews as the top two linemen in the draft. Robinson opened up eyes with his 40 time and that could keep him in the top five to the Rams or even the Texans, while Matthews is looked at as more of a top 10 pick. Sammy Watkins put up some great numbers in the combine and on the field last season and he likely to be the first wideout off the board and he could be a top five pick. The Raiders look like a prime spot for him to land and if he gets past that, expect that Buccaneers to look at him or for someone to trade up.
