NFL draft 2014 Big Board 2.0

Chris Burke

Tuesday October 22nd, 2013

Marcus Mariota has put up impressive stats this season (2,051 yards passing, 493 yards rushing, 28 total touchdowns).

Rod Mar for Sports Illustrated

Chris Burke's NFL Draft Big Board

Jadeveon Clowney

South Carolina, junior

6-6, 274

The 2013 season has been a complete roller coaster for Clowney thus far. That his stats are down and that he was passively criticized by Steve Spurrier for sitting out a game surely caught the attention of his detractors. Here is the reality, though: Clowney remains the most dominant player in this draft class. His performance this year has flown well beyond the stat sheet, especially for those paying close attention. And believe me, the NFL is paying close attention.

Teddy Bridgewater

Louisville, junior

6-3, 198

Rough couple of weeks for Bridgewater, who struggled on national TV against Rutgers and then lost to Central Florida in another ESPN game. He still threw for a combined 651 yards, four TDs and just one INT in those games. Bridgewater continues to be highly impressive, showing an NFL-ready ability to feel out the pocket and find receivers.

Marcus Mariota

Oregon, Sophomore (RS)

6-4, 211

Peter King wrote on The MMQB that "at least two teams love Mariota to the point that I believe if he comes out those teams would have him higher on their board than Bridgewater." That number may grow. The redshirt sophomore can do no wrong right now, with a dual-threat skillset that should translate very well to the next level.

C.J. Mosley

Alabama, senior

6-2, 232

MLB

This is where Mosley was in Big Board 1.0, and he has done nothing to hurt his stock (even if it's highly unlikely he actually would be a top-five pick, given his position). Want him to play downhill? He has 59 tackles this season. Need someone to cover sideline-to-sideline? He spied Johnny Manziel in Alabama's game with A&M. Mosley can do it all.

Jake Matthews

Texas A&M , senior

6-5, 305

His former teammate, Luke Joeckel was the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft (and maybe should have been No. 1 given what we've seen from Eric Fisher thus far). Matthews has convinced some people that he is even better. That Matthews has excelled at both left and right tackle only helps his NFL stock.

Anthony Barr

UCLA, Senior

6-4, 248

OLB

Stanford coach David Shaw recently compared Barr to Jevon Kearse, the 1999 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and owner of 74 career sacks. Barr is only in his second year playing defense after a move from running back. He's extremely good now; he's going to be great.

Taylor Lewan

Michigan, senior

6-8, 308

Been a trying year for Lewan, both due to injuries (he missed most of a loss to Penn State) and some unusual offensive strategies by Michigan's staff -- on at least a few plays a game in recent weeks, Lewan has been shifted as an extra tackle on an unbalanced line. He's still an extremely solid prospect, one who has proven himself capable of meshing well with mobile QBs.

Sammy Watkins

Clemson, junior

6-1, 205

Forget about the numbers (44 catches, 650 yards, five touchdowns in seven games). Watkins is the type of receiver defenses must account for on every play, and he has refined his game since an 82-catch freshman season.

Khalil Mack

Buffalo, senior

6-3, 248

Go ahead, find an NFL defense in which Mack would not fit. In one of the latest "Ask 5" features posted by draft guru Daniel Jeremiah on NFL.com, five of five NFL executives named Mack as the best non-BCS conference draft prospect. There may not even be a close second.

Mike Evans

Texas A&M , sophomore (RS)

6-5, 225

Probably (continue to be) higher on Evans than most -- he was No. 14 on Big Board 1.0 -- but he continues to excel against formidable defenses. Evans reminds me some of emerging Bears star Alshon Jeffery. Like Jeffery, Evans is a complete nightmare in the red zone and on jump balls.

Marqise Lee

USC, junior

6-0, 195

How much should Lee be punished for an injury-plagued, QB-hindered season? Not much. Lee still has everything NFL teams would want in a receiver, including the ability to take any pass to the house.

Louis Nix III

Notre Dame , senior

6-3, 357

Nix has seen a downturn in production this season, quite possibly because the talent around him is less imposing than it was in 2012. Still, he's the best interior defensive lineman available, by a wide margin, and he has the size-speed quickness to be a Dontari Poe-like player up front.

Tajh Boyd

Clemson, senior

6-1, 225

Clemson's QB might be one of the most highly-debated prospects come next April and May. He has a quick release and terrific athleticism, but his size (6-foot-1) will play against him despite the success of the Russell Wilsons of the world. His miserable outing against Florida State won't help.

Jason Verrett

TCU, senior

5-10, 176

Like Boyd, Verrett's size (5-10) is not ideal for his position. You can't help but notice him on the field, though. Or rather, you often cannot help but notice how teams are refusing to throw in his direction, as Texas Tech did in September with star receiver Eric Ward.

Ha'Sean "Ha Ha" Clinton-Dix

Alabama, junior

6-1, 208

Clinton-Dix is back from a two-game suspension handed down internally because he reportedly borrowed (and later repaid) a couple hundred bucks from an Alabama strength coach. Don't expect that to hurt his NFL stock much if he stays on the straight and narrow from here on out. Clinton-Dix is the top prospect at a coveted position.

Ryan Shazier

Ohio State, junior

6-2, 222

OLB

Give Shazier a couple months before the combine to add a few pounds -- he's currently around 225, very light for an OLB -- and he'll be a star at that event. He has been stellar against Ohio State's toughest foes, totaling 40 tackles in wins over Cal, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Iowa.

Brett Hundley

UCLA, sophomore (RS)

6-3, 222

The two-interception showing Hundley had against Stanford was everything his critics warned about: poor decisions, awful throws, etc. He has such a remarkable set of skills that the NFL will be calling, but could Hundley benefit from another season at UCLA?

Eric Ebron

UNC, junior

6-4, 245

I very much underrated Ebron in the preseason, off an up-and-down 40-catch 2012. He's flipped the switch this season to become a consistent all-around player. His latest exploits: eight grabs for 199 yards and a TD against Miami.

Bradley Roby

Ohio State, junior

5-11, 192

From an opening-week suspension to a Saturday ejection for targeting, Roby's junior year has been a letdown. The physical gifts are still too great to ignore here, and Roby may benefit from leaving college behind.

Cyrus Kouandjio

Alabama, junior

6-6, 310

Another player who has not quite matched the hype in 2013. Teams that overlook Kouandjio do so at their own risk, though. He brings a ton to the table as a 6-6, 310-pound anchor, who could really take off if he polishes up his technique.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Washington, junior

6-6, 276

Down five spots from Big Board 1.0, and you could make the argument that ASJ should be far lower. After an offseason DUI arrest, Seferian-Jenkins has not generated any positive momentum. He does have four TDs, but 17 grabs is unacceptable for a player of his ability in a solid offense.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

Oregon, junior

5-10, 190

As Mariota threatens to shake up the QB board, his teammate Ekpre-Olomu may be doing the same thing at corner. The Ducks' junior always seems to rise to the occasion when tested by talented No. 1 wideouts.

Kyle Van Noy

BYU, senior

6-3, 245

OLB

Van Noy's sack total is down this season -- three total, thanks to a two-sack showing versus Georgia Tech -- but he looks sharper as a total defender. He should be able to provide help in a variety of defensive sets at the NFL level, and I'd bet on him rediscovering his ability to find the QB sooner rather than later.

Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M, sophomore (RS)

6-1, 210

The biggest concern with Johnny Football as it pertains to the NFL is not his personality or behavior off the field. It's going to be his ability to stay healthy playing the way he does. There are basic fundamentals Manziel still struggles with, and yet he has enough to warrant a first-round pick provided a team trusts him to stay upright.

Will Sutton

Arizona State, senior

6-1, 288

Sutton has fallen under the Clowney umbrella, meaning that his statistical production does not match the impact he has on the field. In adding weight this offseason, Sutton became more of a space-eater than he was during a 13-sack, 23.5-tackle for loss 2012. NFL teams could keep him around 300 pounds and let him play his current game, or drop him down to 280 or so to try to revive that disruption.

Zach Mettenberger

LSU, senior

6-5, 230

Go ahead and assume that Mettenberger's three-INT showing in a loss to Ole Miss was more hiccup than regression. He had been almost flawless this season prior to that game, upping his decision-making to match his arm strength.

DaQuan Jones

Penn State, senior

6-3, 318

More and more impressive each time out, Jones draws a tough test this Saturday against Ohio State. He carries his weight (318) well, with enough push off the ball to be effective. With Dominique Easley out for the year because of a knee injury, Jones should get a boost.

Stephon Tuitt

Notre Dame, junior

6-7, 322

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly admitted earlier this month that Tuitt's offseason hernia surgery "affected a lot of things" in the defensive lineman's game. Recently, we've seen more of the old Tuitt -- he had a two-sack showing against USC on Oct. 19. Tuitt did say that he would return to Notre Dame for the 2014 season, but he backtracked almost immediately.

Vic Beasley

Clemson, junior

6-3, 225

Slightly bigger than Shazier at 6-3, 235-ish, Beasley plays an aggressive game that often wreaks havoc in opposing backfields. Beasley has taken advantage of the opportunity to start with nine sacks already, topping the eight he had last season as a part-time player.

Antonio Richardson

Tennessee, junior

6-6, 327

I was far less sold on Richardson before watching him play against Clowney and South Carolina this past week. Clowney won a battle or two, as a player of his caliber will, but Richardson more than held his own. The worry here is that Richardson's occasionally shaky technique/balance will burn him against NFL pass-rushers.

Loucheiz Purifoy

Florida, junior

6-1, 185

Purifoy is still sitting on just one interception for the season, which is disappointing to say the least. Teams will overlook that drop because of Purifoy's raw talent. His speed will allow him to make up for mistakes, even covering NFL receivers.

David Yankey

Stanford, senior

6-5, 311

There was a ton of talent on the field when UCLA and Stanford met last Saturday. Yankey may have had the best game of anyone. He adjusted well to UCLA's pressure, and RB Tyler Gaffney powered for a bunch of his 176 yards behind him. That Yankey has experience at multiple spots on the line will play in his favor.

Melvin Gordon

Wisconsin, sophomore (RS)

6-1, 203

Get on the bandwagon. He just keeps slashing through opponents with a mixture of vision and speed. Will Montee Ball's currently-backfiring decision to stay in school influence Gordon as he decides whether to stay or go? The iron will be plenty hot come May.

Cameron Erving

Florida State, junior

6-6, 320

In the "credit where it's due file," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Erving as a top-10 2014 prospect back in early September. Not prepared to take it that far, but Erving's outstanding work protecting Jameis Winston clearly has put him in the Round 1 discussion.

Ka'Deem Carey

Arizona, junior

5-10, 196

Another running back. Blasphemy! Carey will need to land with a team that uses him properly -- he's not a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust guy. If that happens, the potential is through the roof, both as a running back and as a receiver if he can get into space.

Aaron Lynch

South Florida, sophomore (RS)

6-6, 244

Cut from the mold of that hybrid DE/OLB combo that's all the rage in the NFL these days, Lynch could wind up in Round 1. UConn certainly had no answers for him on Saturday, despite committing multiple blockers to him in a show of complete respect for Lynch's abilities.

Cyril Richardson

Baylor, senior

6-5, 335

Baylor's high-powered offense is total eye candy for college football viewers. Contrarily, it is a nightmare for scouts trying to project offensive linemen. Richardson appears to have a bright future ahead of him (and he's played both tackle and guard). How rough will the adjustment to more traditional NFL schemes be for him?

Jordan Matthews

Vanderbilt, senior

6-3, 206

Interesting development for rookie WRs so far this year. The high-upside picks like Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson have mostly disappointed; the steady, safe choices like Keenan Allen and Robert Woods are shining. Matthews, a polished route-runner who keeps torching SEC defenses, has the look of another Round 2 steal.

Aaron Donald

Pittsburgh, senior

6-0, 285

Donald probably will slip in the draft because he lacks size for an interior NFL lineman at 6-0, 285. Consider the team that rolls the dice here very lucky. Donald has eight sacks this season, has been a complete menace up front and earned a First-Team nod of SI's Midseason All-America Team.

Cedric Ogbuehi

Texas A&M, junior

6-5, 300

The other A&M tackle -- i.e. what Jake Matthews was to Luke Joeckel last season. Ogbuehi recently said he plans to stay in school for the 2014 season, likely meaning he's ticketed for Matthews' spot at left tackle. He's NFL-ready right now, however, should he change his mind.

MORE:
BURKE: Biggest highs and lows from NFL Week 7
FARRAR: Examining fallout from rash of Week 7 injuries
BURKE: Mock Draft 2.0: Bridgewater goes No. 1 to Jags

NFL draft 2014 Big Board 2.0

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