Welcome to TC’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft v2.0. If you haven’t had a chance yet, and have a few minutes that you won’t regret never getting back, you can check out TC’s 2014 NFL Mock Draft v1.0 here.

To me, this is when mock drafts start to hold some validity. The combine has come and gone, and now we have a much stronger sense as to who may be released from their teams due to cap casualties. Of course the week of March 11th will shake things up again with free agency upon us, and glaring needs for teams will become even more apparent.

We’ll worry about that in a few weeks. For now, the combine is over and that’s what we have to go off of. As always, there were some winners at the combine (Khalil Mack, Brandin Cooks, Aaron Donald) and there were some losers (Kony Ealy, Cyrus Kouandjio, Marcus Roberson). Without further ado, here’s how I think things will shake out in May (as of now). Please leave your feedback!

1. Blake Bortles QB | UCF	The more that the process goes on, the more I hop on the bandwagon that the Texans need to take a QB with this pick. Bill O’Brien has a track record of being able to develop QBs, and skill wise, Bortles holds the most potential. Add in the fact that Bortles beat O’Brien’s Penn State team this past year with UCF and it starts to make more and more sense.
2. Greg Robinson OT | Auburn (from Washington)	How smart does that trade with Washington in 2012 for RGIII look now? The Rams have primary needs with the offensive line and wide receiver, and both positions are deep in this draft with two first round picks. What it comes down to is do you prefer the combination of Watkins and Lewan/Martin or Robinson and Evans/Lee? That being said, I think there’s A LOT to say about the assumptions that the Falcons trade up to here to grab Clowney.
3. Jadeveon Clowney DE | South Carolina	If Clowney falls to No. 3 in the 2014 NFL draft, there’s no way that Gus Bradley doesn’t scoop him up to start building up Jacksonville’s defense just as he did in Seattle with front four pressure. For an ailing Jacksonville franchise, bringing in (arguably) the star of the SEC isn’t a bad thing, either.
4. Teddy Bridgewater QB | Louisville	Sorry Teddy, it’s not you, it’s me. Another major overhaul in Cleveland and if the new brass feels they obligated to draft a QB they will probably go with the most NFL ready QB available rather than the boom or bust options.
5. Johnny Manziel QB | Texas A&M	Raiders owner Mark Davis just announced that there are “no more excuses” for GM Reggie McKenzie and Head Coach Dennis Allen. The Raiders need to make a splash in this draft, and they need to fill their biggest void on the roster which is QB.
6. Khalil Mack OLB | Buffalo	Assuming that the Falcons don’t move up to get the “hometown” guy in Clowney, they will be happy to take the 2nd best natural pass rusher in the draft. Mack had a very impressive combine, and it’s hard to argue someone’s ability when Mike Mayock is drooling over them.
7. Sammy Watkins WR | Clemson	Trouble in paradise with Bucs and their No. 2 WR Mike Williams. I still don’t think the Bucs reach for a QB here, but they will in the later rounds to push Glennon. They will be ecstatic if they are able to land the premier play maker in the 2014 NFL draft at pick seven.
8. Anthony Barr OLB | UCLA	There’s a decent chance that one of the major three QBs fall to this point, which the Vikings would gladly take either of the three, but not here. Vikings will need to work on filling the anticipated void left by Jared Allen leaving via free agency. Barr’s combine was decent, and he’s still considered one of the best pass rushers in the 2014 NFL draft.
9. Eric Ebron TE | UNC	I’m sticking with Ebron and the Bills here. Ebron had a very good showing at this past week’s combine drawing comparisons to Vernon Davis. This makes sense to help develop EJ Manuel and the Bills weak link – their offense.
10. Justin Gilbert CB | Oklahoma St.	Again sticking with my original pick here. Gilbert turned heads at the NFL combine this past week, and if anything, increased his rookie payday.
11. Jake Matthews OT | Texas A&M	It’s amazing to think that Matthews could fall this far since his skillset may exceed both Joeckel’s and Fisher’s from last year, but the 2014 NFL draft is extremely deep in talent. There is a 0% chance of the Titans passing up on Matthews if he’s there at No. 11….and oh yea, his dad was pretty good for the Titans franchise.
12. Taylor Lewan OT | Michigan	Giants need to get this offensive line in check to keep Eli upright. They could definitely go after someone like Darqueze Dennard or CJ Mosley here as well, but offensive line should be top priority.
13. Mike Evans WR | Texas A&M	As explained in their first pick of the first round, the Rams could fill two immediate needs with offensive line and wide receiver, it’s a matter of which way they want to go. Evans did what he needed to do at the NFL combine, and with the top tackles having gone just before this pick, the Rams will be elated to have Robinson and Evans here.
14. Timmy Jernigan DT | Florida St.	It’s so weird saying this, but the Bears defense has so many holes in it. I’m a huge believer in building from the inside out, and with the loss of Henry Melton too, the Bears need to shore up that interior defensive line.
15. CJ Mosley MLB | Alabama	If Mike Evans were to fall here in the 2014 NFL draft, I think he’s still the value pick, but GM Kevin Colbert just publicly stated that they really like Markus Wheaton this upcoming year. That said, the Steelers could use help in their linebacker core and take the best MLB available in this year’s draft.
16. Aaron Donald DT | Pittsburgh	I mean, it’s got to be either Donald here or one of the safeties in Pryor or Clinton-Dix. PLEASE throw us a curveball Jerry, PLEASE.
17. Zack Martin OT | Notre Dame	Resigning Eugene Monroe is going to cripple the Ravens’ salary cap, but GM Ozzie Newsome had made miracles before. That being said, both offensive tackles are free agents this off season, and using the franchise tag on Monroe may be the only alternative for the Ravens. They take the best OL available for stability.
18. HaHa Clinton-Dix S | Alabama	The Jets desperately need a playmaker on offense to help out Geno Smith, but I can’t see Rex Ryan passing on the best safeties being available here. The depth for WRs in the 2014 NFL draft is deep, and I think the Jets hope to land their playmaker in round two.
19. Darqueze Dennard CB | Michigan St.	There’s no team hoping more than the Dolphins that the Ravens don’t have to go with offensive tackle in this draft. Offensive tackle is a HUGE need for the Dolphins here, but I can’t seem them reaching on Morgan Moses or Cyrus Kouandjio after learning a lot of teams failed him on his physical. There’s a very good chance Brent Grimes is gone this offseason, so take the second best CB available in the 2014 NFL draft.
20. Kyle Fuller CB | Virginia Tech	I still think the Cardinals stick to getting Patrick Peterson a partner in crime here to shore up the outside. Cardinals need to focus on the interior line with the next couple of picks though to help the aging front seven.
21. Louis Nix III DT | Notre Dame	BJ Raji is probably going to be asking for too big a pay day for the Packers to give him, so this pick makes sense. It’s a toss up between Nix and Hageman. Nix, who dominated at ND before sustaining a knee injury and Hageman who has all the size and tools but looked lackadaisical against lesser competition.
22. Calvin Pryor S | Louisville	The Eagles defensive secondary needs a lot of help, and their front office would need all of five seconds to get their card into the commissioner to announce Pryor’s name if he were to fall here.
23. Brandin Cooks WR | Oregon St.	Brandin Cooks is the best WR in the 2014 NFL draft that you may have never heard of. In his junior year at Oregon St. all he did was catch 128 passes for 1,730 yards and 16 TDs; good enough to be named the Biletnikoff winner for 2013. His eye-opening combine performance gets him into the first round.
24. Dee Ford DE | Auburn	Going strictly off of the evaluation period leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, Dee Ford has outshined Kony Ealy and I think that plays into the Bengals selection here. Regardless who it is, I strongly believe the Bengals go to a pass rusher.
25. Bradley Roby CB | Ohio St.	Marcus Roberson did not do himself any favors at the NFL combine and almost certainly pushed himself out of any first round contention (which seemed minimal anyhow). Roby is extremely gifted athletically, but he is inconsistent during games. Chargers need secondary help either way.
26. Kelvin Benjamin WR | Florida St. (from Indianapolis)	The Browns got their QB earlier in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, and here they get their redzone target to compliment the speedy Josh Gordon. I could see Carlos Hyde going here as well, but with recent trends in NFL drafts, you can get an above average RB in the later rounds.
27. Stephon Tuitt DE | Notre Dame	The Saints were just forced to part ways with DE Will Smith as a cap casualty, so I would have to imagine that with the Saints already high octane offense they will choose to get Rob Ryan a new toy on defense. Tuitt will be another big body DE for the Saints 3-4 base to replace Smith right away.
28. Marqise Lee WR | USC	I don’t see a higher priority for the Panthers in the 2014 NFL draft than the WR position. Ginn is probably leaving via free agency, and now there are numerous talks about Steve Smith possibly getting cut as well. It’s a matter of which WR the Panthers have rated higher at this point.
29. Ra’Shede Hageman DT | Minnesota	Still sticking with defense here for the Patriots, but Aaron Donald has worked his way into the middle of the first round rather than the later part. Hageman is a work in progress but if the Patriots can get his full potential out of him (like they seem to get from everyone) he could be a dominant player.
30. Jason Verrett CB | TCU	There’s still questions in regards to Verrett’s size, but on tape and at the NFL combine he flashed. The 49ers need help in the secondary and would be happy to see Verrett fall this far in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
31. Kony Ealy DE | Mizzou	Ealy had a rather unimpressive NFL combine last week which will probably have him fall a little later in the first round. This of course is bad for him, but it’s a gift for the Broncos. Ealy received most of the attention from teams this past year at Mizzou and still put up numbers (and opened the door for Michael Sam too).
32. Odell Beckham, Jr. WR | LSU	The Seahawks would be more than happy to see Beckham fall to them in the 2014 NFL draft. Percy Harvin looked like himself again in the Super Bowl, but he cannot carry the load himself. Look for Seattle to add a weapon for Russell Wilson with this pick.