With the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft behind us, we look forward to the next six, hoping that they can be just as wild. But before we move forward, we’ve gotta look back. Some players went higher than expected, others went lower. But I have five names in mind who were steals relative to where they were drafted.
1. CJ Mosley, Linebacker, Alabama (Chosen at 17 by the Baltimore Ravens)
Ozzie Newsome loves to pick Alabama players, and when CJ Mosley AND Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix fell into his lap at 17, you can bet he found a coin to flip. With the recent retirement of Ray Lewis, Baltimore has been searching for an Inside Backer who could maybe, just maybe live up to being the heir apparent to the best Middle Linebacker of all time. Well, in my opinion, they got the best Middle Linebacker of not only this draft, but the last few. And they got him at 17. CJ Mosley mainly played Will at Alabama, but could play Mike or Will in Baltimore’s scheme. With the recent success of rookie Linebackers such as Kiko Alonso and Luke Kuechly, you can bet that the Ravens are happy about landing a top 10 player at 17.
2. HaHa Clinton-Dix, Safety, Alabama (Chosen at 21 by the Green Bay Packers)
Yes, the first two names on this list played defense for Nick Saban at Alabama. Call it bias, but in my opinion the Packers got away with theft. HaHa was probably the top Safety in the draft, and he fell to 21. Green Bay was in desperate need of a Safety, and Clinton-Dix was the best fit. They filled a need at 21 with the best player available.
3. Darqueze Dennard, Cornerback, Michigan State (Chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals at 24)
Justin Gilbert (Browns) and Kyle Fuller (Bears) both went before Dennard. To me, that’s just silly. Dennard is a physical corner who will press hard at the line of scrimmage and stick to receivers. I had him as the best Corner in the draft by a solid margin, and he fell all the way to 24. The Bengals were looking for a Corner, and they probably couldn’t believe that Dennard slid all the way down to them. This could be the steal of the draft if Dennard pans out. Only time will tell, but for now, it looks like the Bengals are riding off into the sunset with a shutdown Corner.
4. Johnny Manziel, Quarterback, Texas A&M (Chosen by the Cleveland Browns at 22)
So, the Browns move all over the place on Day 1, get a talented corner, and then STILL get Johnny Football? At 22 no less? Looks like Cleveland finally did it right. Johnny was arguably the top QB in this draft, and quite frankly should have been gone in the top 7. Cleveland has their franchise QB, now it’s up to them to put pieces around him.
5. Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville (Chosen by the Minnesota Vikings at 32)
To end the first round the Vikings traded back into the first to secure their QB. They get Bridgewater at 32, after an average pre draft process caused the Louisville product to almost slide all the way out of the first round. With Houston lurking at 33, the Vikings had to make a move if they wanted Bridgewater, and they did. I thought Teddy had fallen a bit too, but certainly not enough to drop out of the first. Getting him at 32 was a steal.
Don’t forget to join the conversation on the HoundzTooth forums as we discuss the rest of the 2014 NFL Draft. And follow us on Twitter @TheHoundzTooth for live updates on where SEC players land in the second and third rounds.