Second-round mock draft

Posted By on April 13, 2014

This is my second-round mock draft. To see my first-round mock draft, click here.

33. Texans: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M.
34. Redskins: Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, UCLA.
35. Browns: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St.
36. Raiders: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville.
37. Rams: LaMarcus Joyner, CB, Florida St.
38. Buccaneers: Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio St.
39. Jaguars: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois.
40. Vikings: Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona St.
41. Bills: Cyrus Kouandijio, OT, Alabama.
42. Titans: Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech.
43. Giants: Scott Chricton, DE, Oregon St.
44. Rams: Cody Lattimer, WR, Indiana.
45. Lions: Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice.
46. Steelers: Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss.
47. Cowboys: Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU.
48. Ravens: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU.
49. Jets:  Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson.
50. Dolphins: Billy Turner, OG, North Dakota St.
51. Bears: Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood.
52. Cardinals: Dominique Easley, DT, Florida.
53. Packers: Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame.
54. Eagles: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.
55. Bengals: Jaylen Watkins, CB, Florida.
56. Titans (from 49ers): Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St.
57. Chargers: Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St.
58. Saints: Davante Adams, WR, Fresno St.
59. Colts: Terrence Brooks, S, Florida St.
60. Panthers – Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee.
61. 49ers: Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt.
62. Patriots: Marcus Smith, OLB, Louisville.
63. Broncos: Dakota Dozier, OG, Furman.
64. Seahawks: Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia

This article has 64 Comments

  1. Our team can’t seem to stay out of trouble with the law. This is amazing! How dumb is Aldon Smith? The man is fighting a gun charge and a DUI . Now he’s in the airport being arrested for talking about having a bomb? How stupid can you be. We are going to have to send a message by trading or cutting one of these guys. This is getting ridiculous! The front office needs to contact all the players agents and send them a warning about these brushes with the law. This has to stop!

  3. Wow. Kudos for going the extra mile and adding a second round.

    I’m curious, why do you have Benjamin sliding? At one point you were saying he was a first round lock. I think if Kelvin Benjamin is there at #46, no way the Steelers take Moncrief ahead of him.

    The interesting omissions for me are:
    – Stephon Tuitt
    – Kareem Martin
    – Austin Sefarian-Jenkins
    – JaWuan James
    – Trent Murphy

    Also, quite the rise for Cody Latimer. Was his pro day that impressive that he’ll go before Benjamin, Matthews, Adams or Moncrief?

    Billy Turner is another interesting inclusion. I think Joel Bitonio is a more likely surprise 2nd round OL.

    1. Lattimer seems to have all the buzz right now. He has good tape, he’s big, long, and he ran a 4.38. I understand the buzz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_1V0C1FfmU

      The Steelers seem to value speed very much in their wide receivers. I think they’d take Moncrief over Benjamin.

      Benjamin has been getting a lot of negative buzz recently. But Chip Kelly loves big, long receivers who are fast enough.

      1. I understand the buzz on Latimer too. What I don’t understand is why he was so under the radar to begin with. Still, I’d be pretty surprised if he rose all the way to the 2nd round.

        Steelers definitely value speed and shiftiness in their receivers. But they also have looked to bring in that big physical receiver element a few times to replace Hines Ward (Limas Sweed, Plax Burress last year). They have Brown and Wheaton to add the speed element. Moncrief isn’t really known for his physical style of play, and if they want another speedster/ shifty guy I think they’ll go for a guy like Herron or Ellington later on.

        1. I feel like Les Snead would reach on Lattimer due to his potential.

          Good points about the Steelers. I was thinking Brown would be the possession receiver in the slot, and Moncrief and Wheaton would be the downfield threats outside. Moncrief’s size would make him a good complement to Wheaton.

  4. The Rams may be a bit nervous about going down that road again given how long Brian Quick is taking to develop. No need to reach for a WR this year.

    Moncrief doesn’t play like a big WR, so I don’t think the Steelers would go that way if they are after a big WR complement to what they already have.

    1. WR is a top need for the Rams. They will draft one with one of their top four picks. Lattimer fits the profile of the WRs Snead acquires.

      The Steelers would be interested in Moncrief’s big-play ability first and foremost.

      1. Moncrief would fit that mold too, as would Adams. This is a team that shouldn’t be looking to take another developmental WR early.

        The Steelers love WRs that can either run around like idiots trying to get open in the intermediate and deep areas in scramble drills (as Big Ben likes to turn even the most routine play into a scramble drill) or a WR that will go up and get it if Big Ben still can’t find an open option after scrambling around. I don’t think Moncrief fits either of those descriptions.

        1. Neither did Mike Wallace.

          One could argue Lattimer is a better prospect than Moncrief or Adams. Adams played against poor defenses and is shorter and slower than Lattimer. Moncrief has smaller hands and is less of a threat after the catch than Lattimer.

          1. Lattimer = Crabtree. He’s a possesion receiver. He might have run a 4.38 in his chonies but he doesn’t play that fast.

              1. I disagree, yes he ran fast at the combine but he doesn’t burn people on tape. He has nearly the same build as Anquan Boldin which means he can use his frame to create separation on slants. He’s a classic west coast possession receiver.

              3. Evans will play Z in the NFL, just like he played Z in college.

                Robinson is an X. So is Adams, Lattimer, Moncrief and Bryant.

              4. Since we all have different definitions of what a “true” X receiver is here’s mine;

                The X receiver position is where you’ll find guys like Moss, Fitzgerald, and the Johnsons. These guys are the filet mignon of receivers, the true stars of the position. They are tall-usually at least 6’3″ are strong, fast and have great leaping ability. Bill Cowher once joked that it doesn’t matter whether Fitzgerald is double teamed or not because he’s always open four feet above his head.

              6. April 14, 2014 at 11:11 am
                Fitzgerald and the Johnsons have been Zs for years.
                —————
                Those 3 players are the very definition of X receivers.

                The Z receiver is usually a little shorter but often is a more physical guy who is going to line up on the same side as the tight end. He needs to be a good blocker because running plays come to his side, the strong side more often then they’ll go in the direction of the X receiver and he’ll often be asked to take on the strong safety that’s line up on his side. Does that really sound like what Fitz and Johnsons do?

              7. The Z lines up on the right side of the formation off the line of scrimmage, where Fitzgerald and the Johnsons have primarily lined up for years.

              8. We’re not going to agree on this but I think most would say that Fitz and CJ and Moss were/are X’s. Here’s a couple snippets I found to back that up:

                “So for the first time in years, Fitzgerald is studying at night in the off-season, although with Arians, Fitzgerald is never sure what’s going to be on the test the next day. Fitzgerald might study his usual position, the “X,”

                This one is in reference to CJ “With Johnson returning, he slides back into his familiar role as Detroit’s “X” receiver and allows Patrick Edwards to play the “Z” on the opposite side.”

                I bet I could keep finding more if I wanted to.

              9. Burleson was the X for years in Detroit. Now it’s Golden Tate. Michael Floyd was Arizona’s X last year. Just watch some clips. You’ll see it.

              10. The CJ reference was just made last September. Those that follow the Lions see CJ as an X.

              14. In today’s NFL the lines between Split End and Flanker can be a bit blurred at times. I am sure you will see formations this season where the X is on the same side of the TE or in the slot. With the advent of more complex passing games (and 3,4, and 5 WR sets) teams will move WRs around looking for favorable match ups and ways to exploit different coverage schemes. But while different players will fill out the role of Split End and Flanker, their roles will still remain the same regardless of the offense.

              15. The Z still lines up on the right side of the formation and a step behind the line of scrimmage most of the time, and that’s what Johnson and Fitzgerald mostly do.

              16. The Z is always off the line, often on the TE side depending on the type of offense. Left or right doesn’t matter.

              17. Back to something CfC said earlier in the thread – Latimer doesn’t play like a 4.38s player. He’s right. I think the entire scouting world was shocked when they saw those times (for the record I believe his “official” time for the pro day was 4.44s). He looks more like a 4.5s – 4.6s WR on the field, and more of a possession type WR than big-play WR.

                As to the X vs Z debate, I think a few of the guy’s you are arguing about have played more the Z role in recent years simply because the QB is right handed, so playing on the right hand side of the field is more likely to get them the ball. It was the same with Evans at Texas. The guys you are talking about would also make excellent X’s.

              19. I think you missed my point there Grant. He doesn’t play up to that speed on the football field.

                Evans will be tough to get a solid jam on simply because of his size, and he has enough speed to hurt you deep if you don’t get a good jam on him.

              20. Yes he does, and that is why so many teams are interested in him.

                NFL CBs won’t have a tough time tying up Evans at X because he’s not strong or quick, and he’s so big. You can’t miss him.

              21. Well, that’s not what I’ve seen. He has decent football speed, but won’t blow you away with his speed. He is getting a lot of interest at the moment because he’s a junior that has been productive and has the attributes to be a solid starting WR in the NFL.

                I’m not as fussed on Evans as most are, but I think more than a few NFL CBs will have some trouble jamming Evans consistently. What will be interesting to see is how long Evans can keep his temper after being jammed solidly a few times…

              22. I agree with Scooter. I was kind of shocked to see the time Lattimer put up in the 40 because he doesn’t look that fast on the field. His game speed is not the same as his 40 time imo.

          2. Wallace fit the mold of a WR that simply outran the coverage given enough time. He benefited from Big Ben scrambling around.

            Moncrief is pretty decent after the catch. Sure, you can argue that Latimer is a better prospect than those guys, but I think this is a DJ Hayden moment. The other guys have been dissected to death, so now this new shiny toy has come along that looks a lot better than was first believed and is generating a lot of hype.

            Unfortunately for Latimer it has come too soon (still a month out from the draft) – if it had happened in two weeks time I would agree he might sneak into the 2nd round. As it is he is already at the crest of the hype wave. There will be enough time for the buzz to die down again before the draft unless he starts wowing people at private workouts (and the media get wind of it).

      2. They are in a similar situation as regards to WR that we are. Sure they need help but until you address the QB situation will it really matter?

        2. The Rams are strange. In the past four drafts they’ve taken Pettis, Quick, Givens, Austin and Bailey, most of which are decent players, but yet WR still sits amongst the top of their needs list. Its not Detroit Lions under Matt Millen kind of bad WR drafting, but at some point you’d like to think one of these WR picks would develop into something more than just decent.

          I think you are right CfC, at some point they need to figure out whether the problem is really the WRs, or the QB…

          1. I think you are right CfC, at some point they need to figure out whether the problem is really the WRs, or the QB…
            ——————
            We need to figure this out as well.

            1. At least Crabtree and Boldin looked fine with Kaep. No WR has really looked that good with Bradford.

              1. Hmmm well the difference would most likely be that Kaepernick only looked for Boldin until Crabtree returned and then he only looked for him. Wanna see something, disturbing?

                Rams
                Name Times Targeted by QB
                Cook 83
                Givens 83
                Austin 69
                Pettis 63
                Kendricks 46
                Quick 36

                49ers

                Boldin 130
                Davis 84
                Crabtree 33 shortened season obviously
                B. MIller 35
                Williams 27
                Gore 26
                Williams 27

              3. It was just happenstance that after going through his reads and progressions Boldin was almost always the only one open. True story.

              5. CFC,

                I think it has as much to do with scheme and playcalling as Kap. The Niners throw the ball less than practically every team in the league and when they do they usually target the top WR or TE. That’s one of the complaints I have with the system, and why I’m encouraged that it appears Harbaugh is going to experiment more with 3 WR sets. I think Harbaugh realizes that they have become too predictable now with having been in the league for 3 years. Teams have figured out tendencies and now they have to adapt.

          2. They also signed Kenny Britt, I expect that they’ll take a QB with their first 4 picks before they grab anther WR.

  5. Funny, you leave Stephen Tuitt completely off the first 2 rounds where as most others have him going in the first, or early 2nd.

      2. Where have you read that? I’ve not seen anything.

        Tuitt would be a steal at the back-end of round 2 if he fell that far.

        1. With the Aldon issues, would you think Tuitt with one of the two 2nd round picks, if he’s there, would be a good get? Guys 6’7 and 300+, yet has some decent pass rushing skills, physically has size similarities to Julius Peppers (maybe NFL training will get him down in weight but not lose strength).

          I’d do it.

        2. Rotoworld has a less then stellar right up on him at the moment. Depending on who’s list you check he’s either the #1 or #2 rated 3-4 DE and I can’t think of a draft in recent memory where the top 2 ranked defensive ends made it out of the first two rounds.

  6. Grant: What I dont understand is that if u have the 49ers move up in the first rd, then they would loose one or both 2 rd picks.. So where did they magically get those picks back?

    1. A clip of that started autoplaying on nfl.com and I saw that and thought, Jesus man you used to be a general manager of an NFL team and now you’re acting like a damn clown. Course some would say he was a damn clown as a GM too.

  8. If the Niners come out of the first two rounds with Gilbert and Matthews, I’ll be very pleased. That deals with the biggest need areas right out of the gate and allows them to focus on getting BPA in the 3rd.

  9. This is what happens when you work for the government, have too much time on your hands and the draft being pushed back: I was looking for a good way to compare all the times and measurables of the receivers in the draft. So I created a (not so)advanced metrics data sheet that compares the receivers. I used all data from NFL.com and weighed their times and scores depending on importance, i.e. I said 40 time was more important, followed by 3 cone and 20 yd shuttle and so on. By crunching the numbers this is what my data spits out as the best WRs based on athleticism alone (obviously their film will be different) but I found this to be interesting:

    1. Odell Beckham
    2. Jeff Janis
    3. Brandin Cooks
    4. Bruce Ellington
    5. Donte Moncrief
    6. Martavis Bryant
    7. Jordan Matthews
    8. Marqise Lee
    9. Paul richardson
    10. Davante Adams
    11. Allen Robinson
    12. Sammy Watkins
    13. Robert Herron
    14. Mike Evans
    15. Jared Abbrederis
    16. Brandon Coleman
    17. Kelvin Benjamin

    1. Thin of note:

      Beckham scored high on my data because he was top 5 in 40, verticle, 3 cone and 20 yd shuttle; which were the highest weighed events. He also had long arms and huge hands which helped a little. Janis was a suprise. He was a combine hero. His worst event was the verticle but still did top half, he has tiny hands though. Watkins did well in the 40, bench, and broad jump. The bench and broad are weighed very low compared to the other events. Benjamin had the worst 40 and was worst three in the verticle, broad, 3 cone and 20 yd shuttle. He doesnt seem very athletic to me. Let me know what you guys think and even more important how you would weigh the events and measurable according to importance.

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