The 2014 NFL Draft has finally come and gone. Fans and NFL experts, waited three very long months between the Super Bowl and Draft Day. Now, all the results are in and teams are finally starting to shape their rosters for the 2014 NFL season. Each team made sure to address needs as well as picking up some insurance at other positions along the way.
Day one of the Draft proved to have more pomp and circumstance than a Hollywood red carpet event. The stars were all out and looking like the millions of dollars each would soon be making for their new team. Just like many had predicted, Jadeveon Clowney was chosen as the number one overall pick by the Houston Texans. Even with the apparent need for a quarterback, the Texans decided that the phrase “Defense wins championships” rang true for them, thus the reason for drafting Clowney. The Texans would later draft quarterback Tom Savage, from the University of Pittsburgh in the fourth round to help address the need for a new quarterback. Whether or not Savage is the long-term answer for the Texans at QB remains to be seen. What can be certain though, is that Houston will have an incredible pass rush next year with J.J. Watt and Clowney.
The entire first round of the draft was flooded with talented players. Several teams did make moves that not only shocked, but surprised players and fans alike. Perhaps two of the biggest and most shocking happenings of the first round were Blake Bortles getting drafted third overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Johnny Manziel falling all the way to the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd pick. Each player is a fantastic quarterback and will certainly bring success to their respective teams. What is surprising though, is that Jacksonville has many other holes that needed to be filled, yet the team chose to pick Bortles. Having a talented quarterback is certainly a step in the right direction, but both the offense and defense need serious repairs if the team wants to have any hope of a successful 2014 season.
For Cleveland, choosing Manziel was a smart decision especially considering that the team used their early first round pick on defensive back Justin Gilbert from Oklahoma State. The Browns defense was certainly in need of some fixing and adding Gilbert certainly proved a much needed upgrade. With the addition of Manziel to the team, the organization is hoping and praying that he will finally be the quarterback the team has been waiting for. For those who do not know, the Browns have not had a consistent starting quarterback since they returned to the NFL in 1999. The hope for Manziel is that not only will he bring success to the team, but he will also be a consistent threat each and every week. If anyone can turn around Cleveland it is Johnny Football.
One final story that was incredibly over publicized did not happen until the final round. In fact, the media had all but died away until the St. Louis Rams selected Michael Sam from the University of Missouri in the seventh and final round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Sam, who came out as being gay in February, faces an uphill battle now that he has finally made it to the NFL. Regardless of his more than impressive college stats, Sam will have to prove that he is worth the Rams time and money heading into the 2014 season. Of all the NFL teams that could have drafted Sam, St. Louis was probably one of the better places he could have landed. The media market is big enough to give the story proper coverage, but Sam will not have to worry about being over publicized.
The 2014 NFL Draft was a complete success in the eyes of both fans and critics. Each team had needs and did everything possible to fill such needs. While the NFL season is still several months away, each team has already started signing players and organizing practices to make sure their players are in top physical condition come opening day.