2014 NFL Draft: 5 Winners From the First Round

The first round of the 2014 NFL draft is now in the books. There were some tremendous surprises from the top down. And when the night was over, certain teams seemed to pull rabbits out of their hats, while other teams struggled navigating the big board. Here are five winners, teams or players, from the first round of the NFL draft. 

1. Minnesota Vikings

While I am not a huge fan of the Anthony Barr selection simply because he doesn’t fit the Vikings 4-3 scheme, Minnesota was able to pick up a fifth-round selection by trading down just one spot. In addition to that, Barr has ridiculous athletic ability and could be a dynamic play-making pass-rush threat for years to come. Minnesota needed to address this need after losing veteran Jared Allen to the Chicago Bears in free agency.

However, the primary reason that Minnesota sits atop this article is due to the fact that it was able to move up from the second round to the last pick in the first round and select my No. 2 overall player in the draft, Teddy Bridgewater. A lot has been made about this Louisville product in recent weeks, but he is clearly the top quarterback in the draft. To be able to get him so late on the first night represents a steal of epic proportions for this quarterback-needy franchise.

2. Cleveland Browns

We are actually serious here. The Cleveland Browns absolutely destroyed Day 1 of the 2014 NFL draft. Not only were they able to pick up a 2015 first-round pick in a trade down with the Buffalo Bills, the Browns potentially acquired a Pro Bowl cornerback and franchise quarterback while maintaining the vast amount of picks they have remaining in the draft.

Let’s start with Justin Gilbert for a second here. The Oklahoma State product sat atop most experts’ big boards at the cornerback position. He has tremendous technique and ball skills and should be a stellar complement to Joe Haden in the Browns’ defensive secondary. While No. 8 might have been a tad high for Gilbert, he’s going to be a stud at the next level.

On to Johnny “freaking” Manziel. I had indicated during the day on Thursday that this former Heisman Trophy Award winner would fall quite a bit in the first round. And he did…right on to the laps of a needy Browns franchise. Not only is Manziel going to excite the fan base, he’s a dynamic signal caller who should have himself a stellar career. It only cost Cleveland a third-round pick to move up and acquire Manziel at No. 22 overall. Oh, do you need to be reminded that Cleveland now possesses the Bills first-round pick in 2015? Amazing.

3. Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings

Teddy isn’t a winner because he dropped all the way to the final pick of the draft. He’s a winner because he goes to a team with a future Hall of Fame running back in Adrian Peterson, a franchise left tackle in Matt Kalil and a ton of young receiving options.

Bridgewater is also going to be able to sit for a season and learn from the quarterback guru himself, Norv Turner. Outside of the Patriots, this was likely Bridgewater’s best landing spot. That surely makes up for him losing millions in his drop down the board last night. Okay, maybe not.

4. Oakland Raiders

It wasn’t sexy. Oakland didn’t move up to select a quarterback. It didn’t reach for Mike Evans at No. 5 overall. It didn’t pull off a trade back to acquire more picks. Instead, Reggie McKenzie and Co. got the second-most talented defensive player in a draft that likely boasts 30 players on that side of the ball with a first-round grade.

Mack can come in and learn from the likes of Justin Tuck, acting the part of a pass-rush specialist early. Once he becomes an every-down player, Mack should be consistently putting up 12-plus sacks on a yearly basis. Just a solid pick for a team that needs a star. And Mack is a true star.

5. Jerry Jones, Owner, Dallas Cowboys

Yes, you read that right. Jones resisted the temptation of selecting Johnny Manziel with the 16th pick last night. And I know for sure that the temptation was real. Instead, Jones and the Cowboys picked up a player in Zack Martin who had been climbing the draft boards recently.

The Notre Dame product figures to be a bookend on the opposite side of the line as Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith or potentially move inside and become a Pro Bowl guard. A long with 2013 first-round pick Travis Frederick, the Cowboys now have a really good offensive line in front of Tony Romo. Sometimes the less-sexy pick is the best one. Kudos to Jones and Co. for making the right decision in a situation that most wouldn’t have blamed them for taking Manziel.

Photo: Brad Penner, USA Today