The 2013 NFL Draft class lacked the kind of excitement at the top that we saw back in 2012 with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
The 2014 class of draft-eligible prospects will certainly generate more buzz than th...
The 2013 NFL Draft class lacked the kind of excitement at the top that we saw back in 2012 with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
The 2014 class of draft-eligible prospects will certainly generate more buzz than this year's group.
Here are my top 25 draft-eligible prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft:
1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
If Clowney were eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, he would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, there was some debate in the media whether Clowney should sit out the 2013 college football season in order to not allow the potential for injury to risk his draft stock for 2014.
As the top recruit out of high school, Clowney has lived up to the hype since stepping on the field for the Gamecocks. During the span of his two years as a student-athlete, Clowney has 21 sacks. The only three players with more sacks during that stretch have either graduated or left early for the NFL.
Last season, he was tied for third in the nation in sacks (13.0) and second in tackles for loss (23.5).
2. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
With the prototypical size (6'3" and 220 pounds) for the position, Bridgewater has all of the tools to be successful at the next level: a strong arm, intelligence, toughness and mobility.
Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.
The sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts last year and finished with a 27-to-8 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.
3. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
Lewan was a first-team AP All-American last year with Luke Joeckel, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.
4. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
As half of college football's best pair of bookend tackles last season, Matthews will move to the left side this year to protect Johnny Football's blind side. Some believe Matthews has the potential to be even better than Joeckel. Matthews' father Bruce was a 14-time Pro Bowler and a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.
5. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation with 13.5 sacks in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0). With continued development, Barr has the potential to be a top-five pick in next year's draft.
6. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
Tied for third in the country in passes broken up (17) and seventh in passes defended (19), Roby was a second-team AP All-American as a sophomore and has the chance to be the top cornerback selected in the 2014 draft.
7. Marqise Lee, WR, USC
Lee, who is also a sprinter and high jumper on USC's track team, had a monster season as a sophomore as he posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.
8. Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama
Playing left tackle for the most talented offensive line in the country, Kouandjio was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Although he tore his ACL in the middle of his freshman season, Kouandjio made big strides ("leaps and bounds" as ex-teammate Chance Warmack called them) in his sophomore campaign.
9. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 (from 141.2).
10. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
If he declared early and entered the 2013 draft, Mosley would have likely been a first-round pick last year. Along with Jarvis Jones and Manti Te'o, Mosley was a first-team AP All-American selection