Revisiting the First Round from the 2014 NFL Draft
Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) breaks the tackle of Chicago Bears Jeremiah Ratliff (90) on a run in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Picks 29-32
29. New England Patriots – Dominique Easley, DL
Easley came in with tampered expectations as he was coming off a late season ACL injury in his final season at Florida. He was eased into playing time, accumulating 270 snaps in eleven games. His knee was still giving him problems later in the season and he was placed on injured reserve in Week Fifteen.
When healthy, he looks like a stable defender in Bill Belichick’s defense. Hopefully Easley’s knee problems don’t become chronic and derail his career.
30. San Francisco 49ers – Jimmie Ward, S/CB
Jimmie Ward missed the final six games of the season with a foot injury. He wasn’t playing well before the injury regardless. He struggled in pass coverage in his limited playing time, especially getting exposed against the Chicago Bears early in the season. The hope is that Ward will get healthy and become the player the 49ers wanted him to be after choosing him in the first round.
31. Denver Broncos – Bradley Roby, CB
Bradley Roby was a nice asset to the Broncos defense that was number one in yards per attempt for the 2014 regular season. Roby, Aqib Talib, and All-Pro Chris Harris Jr. proved to be a formidable cornerback trio throughout the season. If Roby can gain a little more consistency, he could wind up being one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
Roby’s rookie season showed that he definitely has the skills to be successful on the NFL level.
32. Minnesota Vikings – Teddy Bridgewater, QB
After being ridiculed in the draft process, in spite of a great final season Lousiville, Teddy Bridgewater found his stock falling. He was projected to be in the number one pick in the draft, but fell to the final pick in the first round where the Vikings traded up to grab him.
Bridgewater was arguably the best rookie quarterback this season alongside Derek Carr. He played very well to close out the season, especially in Week Fifteen when he threw for 315 yards and a touchdown versus the Detroit Lions’ vaunted defense.