Draft Day 2014

The lights are on, the stage is set, and grown men dressed in outrageously expensive clothing fill the room, packed by loved ones and mentors. Though they all come in different shapes and sizes, and they all possess varying talents and abilities, these men are all there in the same tension-filled room for the same reason. Just before the most important man in the game takes center stage with the news of a career for some mystery man, the entire room falls silent to the point at which a pin drop could be heard from a mile away. For some, the day will end in glorious celebration; for others, the sun shall set in sorrowful dismay. It’s the most important day of the NFL offseason: Draft Day.

May 8, 2014 marked the 79^th annual NFL Draft which began in 1936 in a time where full time scouts weren’t even thought of as a part of a football organization.

This year, like the many others that have come before it, offered a brilliant cast of stars available for drafting, possessing every skill set necessary to earn a highly coveted spot on an NFL roster.

This year, the top prospects according to many large sports media websites and channels such as ESPN and the NFL Network included the defensive monsters 6’6” 249 pound Jadaveon Clowney of  South Carolina and a lesser known 6’3”, 247 pound Khalil Mack of Buffalo, who both exhibited shear strength on the playing field. On the offensive side, speedster Sammy Watkins of Clemson had been favored to go within the top five picks of the first round as well as 6’4” Quarterback Blake Bortles from Central Florida, a program that typically isn’t recognized as a top draft prospect factory. However, even with all of the incredible talent surrounding him, who could forget about the hot topic that is Johnny Manziel. Doubted by many analysts because of size questions, yet praised by ESPN’s John Gruden, the 5’11” quarterback of Texas A&M tempted the thoughts of every NFL fan as the draft approached.

Not to be forgotten, the positions of wide receiver, cornerback, and offensive tackle each tied for the most first round draft picks with five each. Standouts from these groups include familiar names such as Wide Receiver Mike Evans of Texas A&M, Offensive Lineman Greg Robinson of Auburn, and Corner Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State.

All questions leading to the draft would be laid to rest as the nation watched to see who would make the smartest selections and trades and who would weep in regret.

The first 10 draft picks were selected as follows:

Pick by pick, as the first round continued, various surprise picks took place, surprising in the sense that almost all “expert analysts” failed to predict such picks such as the Cleveland Browns passing up on Manziel early in the first round and selecting Corner Justin Gilbert instead. However, Manziel would eventually be drafted 22^nd overall by the same team that had passed him up earlier. As the draft continued with the 2^nd-7^th rounds, each team hoped to select the perfect man to fill any and every hole in their team with the dreams that this could be the draft to turn everything around.

Although some teams focused on offense such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys had a much wanted and much needed defensive heavy draft in 2014. Many rumors had circulated that the Cowboys had taken an interest in drafting  Manziel with the 16^th overall pick if he was still available, due to the slight uncertainty of Quarterback Tony Romo’s ability to perform at the level that he has in the past few years due to his recovery from a season ending back surgery. However, rumors proved once again to simply be foolish as the Cowboys, like the fifteen other teams before them, passed up the opportunity to draft Johnny Football. However, the Cowboys did surprise many viewers, fans, and analysts alike by selecting 6’4” 309 pound Notre Dame OT Zack Martin with their first pick while many strong defensive players were left on the board. Although the Cowboys definitely needed to draft an offensive lineman, many believed that this would come as their second or third pick in the draft. In fact, players such as Haha Clinton Dix of Alabama, Aaron Donald of Pittsburgh, and Ryan Shazier of Ohio State, were predicted to go to the Cowboys in the first round (had they not been picked earlier).

After this unpredicted move however, the Cowboys hoped to address all holes in their defense which finished 30^th overall in the 2013 regular season. In fact, after taking Martin in the first round, the Cowboys selected only one other offensive player, Devin Street, a wide receiver from Pittsburgh.

The Entire Cowboys draft goes as follows

Although the draft marks a huge event during the year for the NFL, all prospects and draftees, hoping to make their respective teams, have yet to prove themselves in rookie camps following the draft. Until the final roster for the NFL season is submitted, only time will tell who will earn their keep in the league.

For the Cowboys, rookie camp activites began on May 16th and came to a conclusion on May 20th. For the most part, things are optimistic in Valley Ranch as the 2014 draft class hopes to make an impact next season.

For the entire draft picks, reference the link below.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round