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Best & Worst Picks of the 2014 NFL Draft

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is pressured by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) during a NFL game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Which were the best picks in the 2014 NFL Draft?

By no means is this list one that assesses the “best value” or “best overall.” It lays somewhere in-between: value matters as does sheer quality. Here’s a breakdown of some of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Aaron Donald, DL St Louis. Far and away, Aaron Donald is the best pick from this draft. This author once mocked him going to the Rams with the #2 overall pick. And even with hindsight, that wouldn’t have been a reach for him. Donald has been one of the top 10 defensive linemen in the league since being picked so the Rams can be happy that they at least got this part of the draft right.

Odell Beckham Jr, WR New York Giants. This is a no-brainer. For all his drama and whining, Beckham is one of the most devastating wideouts in the game today. In fact, there’s a logical case that he’s the best in the game today. It’s truly amazing(and Watkins/Evans are fine players) that he was the third wideout taken in this draft.

Zach Martin, OL Dallas. In this stage of the Jerry Jones’ era in Dallas, his franchise still gets a lot of guff regarding their draft picks. However Martin appears to be the latest in stone cold hits for the Boys. Martin is a mean, nasty technician of a guard and immediately made their line credible. The boys got a lot of bad grades for this pick, but they have had the last laugh.

Sep 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) is chased out of the pocket by Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr (55) and defensive end Brian Robison (96) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Barr, LB Minnesota. Under the tutelage of Mike Zimmer and his staff, Barr has become arguably the best coverage/run stopping outside linebacker in the NFL. His size and strength make him a formidable opponent for any offense. This author didn’t have him rated quite as high as the Vikings took him, but is happily wrong about it. It’s a pleasure to watch Barr play.

John Brown, WR Arizona. It’s hard to stand out on the Cardinals’ wide receiver corps but Brown somehow does. The secret to his stardom is that with Floyd and Fitzgerald already there, he wasn’t asked to be anything more than a 3rd option. And he’s thrived in this to the point where he’ll probably be still in Arizona after Fitz retires & Floyd walks this offseason.

Derek Carr, QB Oakland. He exploded in his second year and is still lighting up defenses in his 3rd season in 2016. So why was he taken 14 picks after Johnny Manziel? Because he got slapped with two draft cliches: 1-that he had small hands and 2-that he was a spread offense gunslinger without a gunslinger’s arm. This was a matter of a team altering their offense to their quarterback’s skill set not trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.

Justin Britt, OL Seattle. Quietly a very effective offensive lineman who 99% of fans will never hear the name of. The Seahawks love him and have been depending on his versatility to carry them through a revamping of their line. Britt is a good example of hype over pro readiness. He didn’t have the hype that a lot of guys who went ahead of him did, but he was pro ready.

Sep 25, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) runs the ball for a touch down against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Hill, RB Cincinnati. Hill went to a great situation in Cincinnati. He isn’t asked to carry all the load with Gio Bernard on the team. The Bengals have had a good offensive line in front of him and a quality passing game so he wouldn’t face 8 in the box. He’s been productive and relatively consistent. There’s not much more a team can ask for from a mid 2nd round pick.
Teddy Bridgewater, Qb Minnesota. This author is higher on Bridgewater than most, he could still be a Troy Aikman like passer and any NFL team would take someone like that. That said, Bradford’s success despite missing Peterson, Kalil, etc knocks Bridgewater down this list. He still represents good value for the 31st pick in this draft. And he’s going to be successful either when he returns in Minnesota or somewhere else if the Vikings decide to stick with Bradford.

Weston Richberg, OL New York Giants. He’s one of the best centers in the league and the Giants stole him on Day 2. He’s missed 2 starts since they drafted him and probably won’t miss much time unless injured or old age sets in. Just a great pick and great value for Big Blue here.

Dec 6, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) passes as tackle Greg Robinson (73) defends against Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Alex Okafor (57) during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Robinson, OL St Louis. While the Rams got the Aaron Donald pick right, they completely and totally botched this final pick from the Robert Griffin III trade. This author was against this pick and had Robinson barely as first round talent. The reasoning was sound enough and Robinson could have become a good starter. They ruined a raw prospect in need of work on his technique by playing him at left guard as a rookie because they wanted to keep Jake Long at left tackle.

Justin Gilbert, DB Cleveland. People forget how good Gilbert was at Oklahoma State. He was seen as a potential all star on sheer talent. And in a parallel universe where a well coached team like the Ravens or Patriots trade up to draft him, he’s probably on his way to a career which features many appearances at the Pro Bowl. But he had to get drafted onto a team with Johnny Manziel. And this party culture sucked the drive and ambition right out of Gilbert(and Josh Gordon).

Dri Archer, WR Pittsburgh. The Steelers passed on prospects like Devonta Freeman, Cassius Marsh and Crockett Gillmore to take a returner/burner who could be used in a number of ways. Essentially what Markus Wheaton and Eli Rodgers are doing for them now. He never could contribute much and by year 3 he was gone. Steelers fans don’t remember this pick too much because they took Martavis Bryant 21 picks later.

Aug 30, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Keith Mumphery (12) against New Orleans Saints cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste (23) in the second quarter of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Louis Nix, DL Houston. Why he was a bust is pretty simple: he blew out his knee late in his final year at Notre Dame. Up until they, he probably would have been a top 12 pick and his sheer talent/performance in college still gets him tryouts in the NFL. But it looks like this injury destroyed his power and he’ll never pan out.

Stanley Jean-Baptiste, DB New Orleans. He got overdrafted in the hype surrounded Seattle’s Super bowl win over the Broncos. He was a big, physical press corner and the NFL is still a copycat league. Ironically, he’s now on the Seahawks’ roster but hasn’t played since 2014.

In a perfect world, he would have been a late day 3 pick that wasn’t expected to play early but he got lost in the hype machine. Not his fault.

Cody Latimer, WR Denver. Taken as a luxury pick, the Broncos saw him as a potential replacement if they decided to tell Thomas or Sanders walk in free agency. Since they haven’t and Kubiak uses much more 212 and 221 sets, his opportunities have been limited. And he’s not seeing the ball even when he’s on the field. He could end up a decent starter, but it’s doubtful that it happens in Denver.

Dec 27, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) looks to pass against tKansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford (55) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 17-13. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Niklas, TE Arizona. The appeal of Niklas was that he was a physical specimen. And he also came from a program that was producing a lot of good tight ends. In his 2.5 seasons in the NFL, he done little more than improve somewhat as a blocker. The Cards passed on a lot of good prospects for him to take a 3rd tight end essentially.

Marcus Smith, DE/OLB Louisville. The Eagles dealt down to the Browns so that they could take Johnny Manziel with this pick. Smith was an interesting prospect coming out of Louisville, but was rated as a late 3rd/early 4th round talent. In his brief time in the NFL, he’s only made that grade look generous.

Johnny Manziel, QB Cleveland. Do we even need to go into much detail here? Manziel was clearly a horrible pick by a team desperate to gin up excitement and interest in a moribund franchise. He was never going to succeed for any NFL team, but he obviously prefers to be “Johnny Football” than an NFL player.

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