2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The Indianapolis Colts ran away with the 2013 AFC South title, but the free fall of the Houston Texans from two time division champ to 14 game losing streak was painful to watch. The Texans got the prize of the 1st Overall Selection of the 2014 draft, and they grabbed the biggest prize on the board. Houston Texans: A Best Pick: Jadeveon Clowney Late Round Sleeper: Tom Savage Clowney is a supreme talent, and with everyone questioning his motivation I see him playing with a huge chip on his shoulder. At least until he signs his second contract. But the Texans hit all the high notes with their picks at the Top of the draft. Xavier Su'a-Filo will be an anchor on the interior of the offensive line. C.J. Fiedorowicz is a big target but he excels as a run blocker. One of the biggest steals of the draft was Louis Nix falling into the middle of the third round. Many thought the Texans would select a quarterback early, but getting Tom Savage on Day 3 could be their long term solution to a shaky quarterback problem. Indianapolis Colts: C Best Pick: Donte Moncrief Late Round Sleeper: Ulrick John The Colts did not have a first round pick, as theirs was traded to Cleveland for Trent Richardson. The success of this draft class will be tied in to how well Richardson performs for the Clots. They can only hope it will be better than last year. Jack Mewhort is a tough-minded offensive lineman who could move inside for the Colts. Donte Moncrief could be a long term replacement to Reggie Wayne. Late round sleeper Ulrick John could also find some playing time on the offensive line. Jacksonville Jaguars: A+ Best Pick: Blake Bortles Late Round Sleeper: Storm Johnson The Jaguars hit the jackpot in the 2014 NFL Draft. They got their franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles. They got two excellent receivers to replace Justin Blackmon when they selected Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in Round 2. They beefed up the offensive line with the picks of Brandon Linder and Luke Bowanko. The secondary got two talented prospects in Aaron Colvin and Telvin Smith, and the defense got a pass rusher in Chris Smith. The Jaguars final pick in the draft was Bortles teammate at Central Florida, Storm Johnson. Johnson could get a lot of reps in the backfield with the departure of Maurice Jones-Drew. Tennessee Titans: B Best Pick: Bishop Sankey Late Round Sleeper: Zach Mettenberger The Titans stuck to their Best Player Available philosophy and selected Taylor Lewan in Round 1. The Titans offensive line is deep but Lewan is too talented to have sit on the sidelines, and pairing him up with last years first rounder Chance Warmack will go a long way to aiding the development of Jake Locker. Second round pick Sankey looks to replace Chris Johnson in the starting backfield. DaQuan Jones will add depth to the defensive line. Getting Mettenberger late in the draft could be a top sleeper pick if Locker continues to struggle.

TMG DraftZone Final 2014 Mock Draft

It's Draft Day. Finally. Now it is time to get the last mock drafts out there for all to see and for draftniks like myself to put out money where our keyboards are. I have Jadeveon Clowney going #1 Overall to Houston, and I have to laugh when I hear the big reason why the Texans will not pick him. He doesn't fit their 3-4 defensive scheme. Give me a break. When you have a player with that much talent, you change your scheme to fit Clowney. It's as simple as that, and I cannot believe that a Defensive Coordinator like Romeo Crennel can't change his ways find the best fit for Clowney on his defense. Can you imagine a Texans 4-3 defense, with Clowney on the right side and J.J. Watt on the left. Teams might be able to get away with double teaming just one, but I don't see that happening for long. So you have to put two blockers on the star pass rushers. A tight end on one, and a running back to get a chip block on the other. Do the math. How many receivers does that leave? Three. That's it. Houston would be able to bring a blitzer on every play and still have double coverage in the secondary. If I were a Texans fan, I'd take those odds every play. But I think back to two examples in the 80's that tell me the shortsighted would pass on Clowney now, and those with vision would take him and change their scheme to fit his abilities. In 1983, when the Miami Dolphins selected Dan marino, Paul Zimmerman was famously caught on the draft coverage making the comment 'Who is going to coach him?' Then Chris Berman came back with the correct response-Don Shula is a pretty good coach. Shula admitted later in making a mistake with Marino. The mistake was that he did not start him right away. Up until then, the Dolphins under Don Shula were what we now call a Ground and Pound team. Run the ball, then run it some more. In Marino's second season, the Dolphins threw the ball on 76% of their plays, and Marino set records for passing yards and touchdowns while leading Miami to the Super Bowl. Shula had the vision to change his scheme to fit his quarterback, and Miami enjoyed success for the next decade with a hall of Fame Quarterback leading the way. The next year, an example of shortsightedness came into play in the NBA. Everyone knows the story of Portland passing on Michael Jordan and selecting Sam Bowie. But before the draft, a conversation between Bob Knight and a member of the Blazers front office was recounted in John Feinstein's book A Season on the Brink. Knight was coaching the US Olympic Team, and Jordan was the star of the team. He was asked by a friend who worked for Portland about Jordan. Knight told him to take Jordan. The reply was 'we already have Clyde Drexler, and we need a center.' Knight told him 'Play Jordan at center. No one can stop him.' The rest of the story is what can happen when you draft to fit your scheme and pass on the once in a generation talent like Jadeveon Clowney. So here is the Final TMG DraftZone Mock Draft for 2014. I have these picked posted on NFL.com under the entry sycamore88. I'd like to see just how I am going to do against everyone else, but with this draft year you just never know. 1) Houston Jadeveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Jake Matthews 3) Jacksonville Khalil Mack 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Greg Robinson 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Aaron Donald 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Tim Jernigan 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Ryan Shazier 21) Green Bay Justin Gilbert 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Jason Verrett 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Kony Ealy 28) Carolina Morgan Moses 29) New England Ra'Shade Hageman 30) San Francisco Bradley Roby 31) Denver Xavier Su'a-Filo 32) Seattle David Yankey I have St. Louis taking Jake Matthews at #2, but I could have very well put Greg Robinson there. And even though reports earlier in the week said the Raiders would not take Blake Bortles of Johnny Manziel at #5, I can still see them taking the big signal caller from Central Florida who can give them their version of Ben Roethlisberger. I see Minnesota taking Manziel at #8 because new head coach Mike Zimmer has seen first hand what an average, vanilla quarterback can do after watching Andy Dalton the last three seasons in Cincinnati. Don't forget that the Vikings are moving into a new stadium in a couple of seasons. Just think what a quarterback like Manziel can do to energize the fan base in Minnesota. It's four hours until the start of Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft. Let's get it's going. It has been a long draft season.

Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft

Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft And all around Radio City Music Hall The prospects began to gather Including Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Football What many teams are looking for Is an offensive tackle to take There are plenty to choose from Including Cyrus, Greg, Taylor and Jake. Playmakers found on offense Must be more than looks The receivers are talented With Beckham, Benjamin, Lee and Cooks Teams are looking for hitters That can make the quarterback sack Attention will be paid To Anthony Barr, Ryan Shazier and Khalil Mack The big stoppers up front Have always been premium picks This year you have Aaron Donald Along with Tim Jernigan and Louis Nix. But at the top of the draft Fans will be on needles and pins To see if their team will select Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins. As always fans will want A quarterback who is ready Is it going to be Bortles, Carr, or a QB named Teddy. As the league passes it around The field more and more Corners like Gilbert, Dennard, Fuller and Verrett Will be picked to lower the score. Safeties are becoming stars Because teams are not taking a flier When they can find players as good As Ward, Clinton-Dix and Pryor. The big tight ends will be picked Throughout the draft we know With talents such as Eric Ebron And a pass catcher named Amaro. Tomorrow night the Commish Will start the show off right I wish the players all the best And to all a good night.

TMG DraftZone Final DSA Player Rankings 2014

The 2014 NFL Draft is tomorrow. Finally. The extra two weeks this year has made it feel like an extra two months. But the time has come for Commissioner Roger Goddell to step up to the podium at Radio City Music Hall and make the announcement that the Houston Texans are on the clock. Mock Drafters have had their say, and the final DSA Player Rankings show that there is not much change in who looks to go where. But one thing it is showing is that what may be termed 'The Safe Pick' is coming back in vogue for 2014. Last year, offensive lineman went with three of the first four picks, and six of the top 11. Now this year, Taylor Lewan looks to be the safest pick garnering the most interest at the top of the draft. Lewan moved up 6 spots in the DSA Rankings, going from 14 to 8 in the Final Rankings. Eric Ebron could be considered the safest pick of the skill players at the top of the draft, and he moved up four positions to #9. The quarterbacks at the top, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles, fell 2 and 4 positions respectively as it is beginning to look like teams may take their top position prospects first, then trade back into the end of Round 1 to get the quarterback they want. But for the most part, there was very little movement in the Final DSA Player Rankings. The biggest riser was Kony Ealy, who moved up 8 positions to #20. But two rankings ago he was #21, so Ealy got back the positions he lost previously. Bradley Roby did the same thing, only in reverse. Roby fell seven spots to #28, which is where he was two rankings ago. Louis Nix fell seven spots to #30, which is far and away his lowest position in this years rankings. But the biggest overall fall was completed by Teddy Bridgewater. A horrendous pro day workout has led the one-time top quarterback prospect to fall from #2 in the first rankings, with a score of 3.00, to #3/3.40, then #11/11.40, and the fall was completed in the last two rankings at #17/17.70 and finally #22/24.40. Bridgewater is the leading candidate for the Stone Drop Award for 2014, but it could easily go to Manziel or Bortles, depending on which quarterback falls the furthest in the 2014 NFL Draft. But with the end of the 2014 Mock Draft Season now upon us, it is time to reveal the final TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings for 2014, with average score and position up or down from the previous rankings: 1) Jadeveon Clowney 1.20 0 2) Sammy Watkins 3.20 0 3) Greg Robinson 3.90 0 4) Khalil Mack 5.00 1 5) Jake Matthews 5.50 3 6) Johnny Manziel 6.80 -2 7) Mike Evans 7.40 0 8) Taylor Lewan 11.20 6 9) Eric Ebron 12.10 4 10) Blake Bortles 12.60 -4 11) Anthony Barr 12.90 0 12) Justin Gilbert 12.90 -3 13) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.10 -3 14) Aaron Donald 13.40 -2 15) Darqueze Dennard 16.40 0 16) Calvin Pryor 16.70 0 17) Zack Martin 17.00 1 18) Odell Beckham 18.40 2 19) C. J. Mosley 19.40 0 20) Kony Ealy 22.30 8 21) Brandin Cooks 22.80 1 22) Teddy Bridgewater 24.40 -5 23) Marqise Lee 24.80 2 24) Kyle Fuller 25.10 0 25) Ryan Shazier 25.90 1 26) Derek Carr 28.50 5 27) Tim Jernigan 28.60 0 28) Bradley Roby 28.70 -7 29) Ra'Shade Hageman 29.60 0 30) Louis Nix 29.90 -7 31) Dee Ford 30.10 2 32) Xavier Su'a-Filo 30.50 0 33) Jason Verrett 30.60 -3 34) Morgan Moses 32.00 1 35) Jimmie Ward 33.20 3 If you look at the previous DSA Player Rankings and the Final Rankings, you are going to see a lot of familiar names. 34 in fact. The only player to fall out of the DSA Rankings this time was Cyrus Kouandjio, who could easily go #28 to Carolina, a team in need of offensive line help. But draftniks see the top players being the ones that are most likely going in Round 1, and we will find out tomorrow night. I will be posting my Final Mock Draft right before the Round 1, and tonight I will have my annual Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft. It's been a long draft season, and like everyone else I am anxious to see The Commissh walk up the the podium. Let The 2014 NFL Draft Begin.