2014 NFL Mock Draft Picks 6-10 by John
6 Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
The Falcons get a top tier offensive tackle with this pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA
The Buc’s are in a tough spot here as they will likely have a new coaching staff this coming offseason, and as I said earlier that often means a new quarterback, but there are not any quarterbacks that I could really see the Buccaneers falling in love with, unless the next coaching staff was just really enamored with Zach Mettenberger or Derek Carr. So the Buccaneers opt to get another piece to help their defense, their pass rush is really not that great, as the defensive ends that they have taken early in past drafts have not lived up to their potential. Barr would give them a nice chess piece to move around the field much like the Broncos have used Von Miller.
8 Minnesota Vikings: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
I had a hard time deciding whether to give Minnesota Derek Carr or Manziel, but I believe that the hype will likely push Manziel over Carr should Manziel declare for the draft. Manziel would be able to throw the ball to Minnesota’s weapons more effective than the current combination of quarterbacks the Vikings have thrown out there so far, and the threat of him as a running quarterback would free up some running lanes for Adrian Peterson.
9 Buffalo Bills: Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo
This just works out too perfectly for Buffalo. Not only do they fill a need at a rush linebacker opposite of Mario Williams, but they get a hometown product as well. Khalil Mack has been one of my favorite players to watch this season as he has been a dominant force for Buffalo. You could argue that he has been dominating lesser competition, but in the game against Ohio State this year he played just as good if not better than he had against all the other teams he had faced.
10 Detroit Lions: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
The Lions have an incredible need at cornerback, and even though they drafted Darius Slay early last year, they still need to spend another early pick on a defensive secondary player because their pass coverage has been awful this season. Roby was the number one cornerback on many people’s boards this past preseason but has fell due to a couple of bad performances. Roby would be a nice fit in the aggressive scheme that Detroit runs, as he is one of the more physical cornerbacks in this year’s draft.