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2014 NFL Mock Draft, Third-Round Edition

Josh Collacchi mocked the second round of the 2014 NFL draft earlier this morning. In an attempt to provide our readers with some fun reading material before Day 2 of the draft tonight, we decided to go ahead and mock the third round. Keep in mind that this is all fun and game, as we have no idea what’s going to happen moving forward.

65. Houston Texans

Bishop Sankey, Running Back, Washington

Houston addressed its need for a franchise quarterback in our second-round mock. Now it gets my No. 1 running back in the draft class in Sankey, who reminds me very much of an instant producer that we saw from Giovani Bernard last season and Doug Martin in 2012.

66. Washington Redskins

Lamarcus Joyner, Defensive Back, Florida State

This would be an absolute coup for the Redskins. Joyner can play both free safety and in the slot. He’s a poor man’s Tyrann Mathieu. Not bad at a position of utmost need.

67. Oakland Raiders

Jimmy Garoppolo, Quarterback, Eastern Illinois

The Raiders passed up on a quarterback twice, but Garoppolo represents tremendous value here. He’s a long-term project behind Matt Schaub.

68. Atlanta Falcons

Troy Niklas, Tight End, Notre Dame

Niklas should be considered a tremendous asset for tight end-needy teams heading into Day 2. He fits the mold of the big-bodied tight end that the Falcons had in Tony Gonzalez.

69. Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Trent Murphy, Defensive End, Stanford

It goes without saying that the Buccaneers need an edge rusher. After addressing wide receiver and the offensive line, it goes with the best remaining edge player on the board in Murphy.

70. Jacksonville Jaguars

Tre Mason, Running Back, Auburn

Many draftniks have Mason as their top running back in the draft. He fits the mold of a dynamic, game-changing running back to team up with Blake Bortles in the offensive backfield.

71. Cleveland Browns

Carlos Hyde, Running Back, Ohio State

With Manziel now in the fold, Cleveland finds itself a featured running back in the third round. Hyde is a down-hill runner, who should be able to pick up short yardage first downs out of the gate.

72. Minnesota Vikings

Dion Bailey, Safety, Southern California

Minnesota needs another safety to team up with the stellar Harrison Smith in the defensive backfield. Bailey should be a tremendous fit at this point in the draft. Value at a position of need.

73. Buffalo Bills

Ed Reynolds, Safety, Stanford

Buffalo addresses the hole that was made with the loss of Jairus Byrd to the Saints in free agency. A true free safety in every sense of the word, Reynolds could start from Day 1.

74. New York Giants

Phillip Gaines, Cornerback, Rice

New York must address the defensive secondary at some point on Day 2. Gaines is the best remaining cover corner in the draft. This would be a no brainer.

75. St. Louis Rams

L’Damian Washington, Wide Receiver, Missouri

A huge receiving threat at 6’4″, Washington fits the Rams need for a big-bodied receiving threat opposite Tavon Austin in the passing game.

76. Detroit Lions

Brandon Coleman, Wide Receiver, Rutgers

Speaking of big-bodied receivers, Coleman would be a massive target for Matthew Stafford opposite Calvin Johnson on the outside. He would have gone much higher if it wasn’t for a poor 2013 campaign.

77. San Francisco 49ers

Da’Quan Jones, Defensive Tackle, Penn State

San Francisco continues to stockpile talent all over the field here. Jones is a massive defensive tackle prospect that is absolutely dominating against the run. He’s a long-term option to team up with Ian Williams and Quinton Dial.

78. Dallas Cowboys

A.J. McCarron, Quarterback, Alabama

Dallas targets a quarterback with a winning pedigree that it can groom behind Tony Romo for the next couple seasons. This would be a tremendous fit for the Alabama product.

79. Baltimore Ravens

Ka’Deem Carey, Running Back, Arizona

With the Ray Rice legal situation up in the air, Baltimore may be forced to look running back. Carey is one of the most underrated offensive players in the entire 2014 draft.

80. New York Jets

David Yankey, Guard, Stanford

I have a top-20 grade on Yankey, meaning that this would be tremendous value for the Jets midway through the third round. Down-hill blocker from the interior of the line. That’s what Rex Ryan and Co. need.

81. Miami Dolphins

Jeremy Hill, Running Back, LSU

Any time you can get a featured running back in the third round, you do it. Hill might be the No. 2 running back in this class behind Sankey. He would have a chance to beat out Lamar Miller as the No. 2 running back behind Knowshon Moreno in 2014.

82. Chicago Bears

Ahmad Dixon, Safety, Baylor

Chicago addresses another glaring hole in the secondary, this time with one of the hardest hitters in the entire draft. Dixon is an in-the-box safety that will dominate against the run.

83. Philadelphia Eagles

Keith McGill, Cornerback, Utah

Brandon Boykin may be one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL, but he’s small in stature. At 6’3″, McGill would be a great complement on the outside.

84. Arizona Cardinals

Zach Mettenberger, Quarterback, LSU

The talent is most definitely here, and Arizona could sit Mett behind Carson Palmer for a year or two. If he gets certain mechanical issues fixed, Mettenberger could be a real steal here.

85. Green Pay Packers

Trevor Reilly, Linebacker, Utah

Some draftniks had the Packers going pass rush in the first round. With the selection of Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, Green Bay picked up tremendous value at a need position. They do the same here in the third.

86. Philadelphia Eagles

Gabe Jackson, Guard, Mississippi State

My colleague Josh Collacchi might have very well missed Jackson when going through his big board for the second-round mock. If not, shame on him. Jackson is a talented interior lineman who could start right away.

87. Kansas City Chiefs

Paul Richardson, Wide Receiver, Colorado

Kansas City probably should have looked wide receiver in Round 1, but it picks up a great down-field threat and complement to Dwayne Bowe in the passing game.

88. Cincinnati Bengals

Cyril Richardson, Guard, Baylor

Cincinnati normally finds a way to go best player available. It does the same here with a player that would have likely been an early Day 2 pick if it wasn’t for a disastrous Senior Bowl week.

89. San Diego Chargers

Carl Bradford, Linebacker, Arizona State

You can never have too many pass-rush threats in a 3-4 scheme. After picking up Jason Verrett in the first round, San Diego looks to add another solid component on the defensive side of the ball.

90. Indianapolis Colts

Charles Sims, Running Back, West Virginia

Unfortunately for the Colts, they are likely going to have to draft a running back after trading for Trent Richardson last season. If so, Sims is the logical pick here.

91. Arizona Cardinals

Scott Crichton, Defensive End, Oregon State

Tremendous fit in the Cardinals hybrid 4-3 front, Crichton is one of the most underrated defensive linemen in the entire draft. Solid value at a need position.

92. Carolina Panthers

Rashaad Reynolds, Cornerback, Oregon State

Carolina reached for Kelvin Benjamin in the first round, meaning that it’s likely going to have to reach at other positions later in the draft. This is one of those reaches.

93. New England Patriots

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Tight End, Iowa

“Country strong.” Remind you of anyone? Fiedorowicz is a great insurance policy should Rob Gronkowski not return to full health. Even if he does, this would be one heck of a tight end duo.

94. San Francisco 49ers

Jackson Jeffcoat, Linebacker, Texas

San Francisco might have picked up Aldon Smith’s option for the 2015 season, but it will not pass up on the tremendous upside that Jeffcoat brings to the table here.

95. Denver Broncos

Ed Stinson, Defensive End, Alabama

Denver needs to add more depth to the defensive line. It probably would have preferred Jeffcoat here, but Stinson isn’t a bad back-up plan.

96. Minnesota Vikings

Chris Borland, Linebacker, Wisconsin

If Borland was about two inches taller, he would have been a first-round pick. The Vikings get a great sideline-to-sideline linebacker that can start immediately at a position of need.

97.Pittsburgh Steelers

Shayne Skov, Linebacker, Stanford

Yet another inside linebacker that fell to the third round, Skov represents tremendous value on a Steelers’ defense that simply needs to find some youth. Value at a position of need.

98. Green Bay Packers

Jeff Janis, Wide Receiver, Saginaw Valley State

Is wide receiver a need? Nope. That doesn’t really mean much for Ted Thompson and Co. Janis fits the Jordy Nelson role to a T, and could be a tremendous complement to the receivers Green Bay already has on the roster.

99. Baltimore Ravens

Daniel McCullers, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee

Big and tough to move. An ideal fit in the Ravens 3-4 scheme.

100. San Francisco 49ers

David Fales, Quarterback, San Jose State

Jim Harbaugh has Fales as one of the top-five quarterbacks in the draft. Enough said.

Photo: Ed Szczepanski, USA Today

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