2014 NFL Draft: Who Might Pursue Houston Texans #1 Pick?
By Erik Lambert
Sep 7, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) rushes the passer against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated South Carolina 41-30. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Andre Johnson hasn’t been afraid to voice his opinion of late and he chimed in again when he said the Houston Texans should deal the #1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Based on that idea which teams might have interest in such a trade?
Cleveland Browns
Of all the teams within reasonable reach of the top pick, the Cleveland Browns seem like the most ready and able to make the move up. They have two first, two third and two fourth round picks at their disposal. Everybody knows they are in the market for a quarterback. Moving up to #1 would not leave anything to chance, allowing them to take any of the top names on the board be it Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Browns of late it’s just not possible to pinpoint what they plan to do.
Atlanta Falcons
Thomas Dimitroff showed in the past that he has no fear of going after a player he deems special. The Atlanta Falcons did just that when they vaulted into the top 10 from #21 to grab wide receiver Julio Jones. So going from #6 to #1 won’t seem like a huge leap, though it might cost more. At present Atlanta has all of their assigned picks. However, according to estimate they may also be due an extra four compensatory selections, bringing their total up to eleven. So it’s not crazy to think that they could jump to #1 and pursue that long lost pass rusher they’ve been searching for like Jadeveon Clowney or perhaps a legitimate blindside tackle for Matt Ryan like Greg Robinson or Jake Matthews.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Two realities have come out of the Jacksonville Jaguars camp. Ownership revealed there is a definite plan to take a quarterback, maybe two in the 2014 NFL draft. Obviously that leaves it open to interpretation about when. The other was the flat statement by head coach Gus Bradley that he deems Jadeveon Clowney to be a “special” talent. Indeed quarterback and pass rusher are the top two needs for Jacksonville. They hold the #3 pick in the draft so Houston wouldn’t have to jump back too far and the Jags currently possess ten picks including an extra fourth and two extra fifth round selections. If they want Clowney or a quarterback badly enough, they have what it takes to move.
San Francisco 49ers
What a surprise this would be. From a logical standpoint it’s highly unlikely that the San Francisco 49ers would jump from #30 all the way to #1 for a player. Yet it can’t be dismissed that they have the ammunition to do so. Among eleven overall picks with an additional compensatory fourth expected, San Francisco holds extra second and third round picks in their inventory. The Houston Texans might find it hard to pass up such a wealth of selections even if it meant moving back to #30. At the same time such a move would clearly signal the 49ers are going all in to dethrone Seattle, and a talent like Clowney together with Aldon Smith and Justin Smith would be downright unfair.