Yet ANOTHER 2014 NFL Mock Draft, Complete 1st Round, V 2.0

Feb 22, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney walks through the stadium concourse during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 NFL combine workouts are complete. Know what that means? Even more 2014 NFL mock drafts, all of which will change dozens of times before the 2014 NFL Draft from May 8-10. Goodie!

The combine didn’t have a significant impact on draft positioning from the first edition of my mock draft (HERE). It does make me feel even more confident that the St. Louis Rams will trade out of the No. 2 spot. The question is whether they trade that pick to a quarterback-needy team or someone who can’t resist Jadeveon Clowney‘s potential.

How could a potential trade out of the No. 2 spot shape up? Clowney has expressed his interest in wanting the Atlanta Falcons to trade up from No. 6 to No. 2. Management has proven that they’re willing to pay steep prices to trade up for desired talent (e.g. Julio Jones). Rams general manager Les Snead insists that he’ll always pursue opportunities to acquire multiple first-round picks, a quantity approach.

Here’s a projected trade that we’ll use for this mock draft. Point values are established from the NFL trade value chart:

Rams trade: Pick No. 2 (2,600 points)
Falcons trade: Pick No. 6 (1,600 points), No. 68 (250 points), 2015 first-round pick (TBD)

This would mean that for equal value (2,600 = 2,600), the Rams need that 2015 first-round pick to end up no lower than 23. It’s very realistic for the Falcons to have a bounce-back season and finish with a draft pick in that range. If the Falcons were desperate, they could give up No. 37 (530 points) instead of No. 68. Such desperation appears unlikely when one considers that Khalil Mack, Jake Matthews, or Greg Robinson are realistic options at No. 6.

Don’t forget that, in 2012, the Rams traded the No. 2 pick to the Washington Redskins for three first-round picks and a second-rounder. Is there a desperate team who’s willing to pay such a premium to move up? Even if there isn’t, the Rams are well-advised to move down a bit if they’re taking an offensive tackle.

Let’s move on to the mock draft. This slideshow predicts every pick leading to the Tennessee Titans. It finishes up with projected picks from No. 12-32. For reference to Titans fans, the Titans’ pick is on page 12.