We're back for the tenth pick of the 2014 Niners Nation Community Mock Draft. You can see previous picks below in the draft table. You can also follow the mock draft board through this story stream.
With the tenth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, germinator and the Detroit Lions select Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA. Some of the alternates he considered included Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert, Pitt DT Aaron Donald, and Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks (via trade back). Here are his thoughts on the pick:
Reviewing the Lions disastrous 2013 season is painful for any Lions fan. With a team supposedly on the rise, and division rivals crippled by injured star QBs (Rodgers, Cutler) the Lions were a lock for the division title. It seemed all but written in stone. But oh no, these are the Lions we are talking about! All they did was finish the season losing four straight to lose the division and then watch the playoffs at home. This, understandably, cost Jim Schwartz his job.
Contrary to belief, the team did play relatively well last year. Stafford had some crucial errors in key situations that cost them games but the team benefited very much from the addition of Reggie Bush. And Suh continues to be a force to be reckoned with in this league along with Megatron still being the beast he is. They finished ranked 13th in total offense and 15th in total defense. A far cry from a dumpster fire and an indicator that they have the talent on the current roster that could, with better coaching, turn the corner and make a deep run in the playoffs. Now the question is can Jim "Peyton Manning was the real coach" Caldwell be that guy? Well that's a question.
As far as the draft goes, the first thing that most people think and mock to the Lions is CB. Well, that's not exactly what they need. They are very similar to our 49ers in that they have young guys on their roster who have not got their full shot yet but seem poised to carry the load. And with the addition of Golden Tate to go with Megatron, WR seems like it's not a need but in actuality those are really the only two NFL ready guys at WR they have. A solid 3rd and 4th option is a needed addition to their team, likely to be addressed in later rounds though. And preferably one that is mentally stable (I'm looking at you Titus Young!).
The last need is one that falls dear to the heart of one of our own members, and this is the "Pass Rusher!!!". Jim Caldwell has discussed openly the need of a pass rushing OLB. They have great inside pressure from Suh but not a lot of help from the outside. And with that being a premium position in this league, I see the Lions spending the 10th pick in the draft to try and address it. Anthony Barr of UCLA falls to them nicely given the run on QB and WR's that occurred with the first 9 picks and he's the guy they will try and pair with Suh to make life on earth a living hell for Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Cutler. Yeah Minnesota, no one cares who you have at QB. Who was that kid you played at QB in the playoffs two years ago? Spud Webb??
In reality, they could also look to trade back with this pick given the depth of the draft. Outside of the top 4-6 picks there is little delineation between the 10th pick and 20th pick. Unfortunately they aren't the only team who knows this so don't expect a lot of premiums to be paid to move up to 10 (wink, wink Mr. Trent. Baalke).
Trevor Woods: For as scary as the Lions defense is perceived to be, they don't get to the quarterback all that well. Last season they invested their first round pick in pass rusher Ziggy Ansah, and he led the Lions with eight sacks, and besides him there wasn't a big pass-rush threat. I'm not entirely sold on Barr, but he is the most likely option at pass-rusher here. The Lions secondary isn't all that good either, so Gilbert and Clinton-Dix could definitely be in play here as well.
Nick Chiamardas: At first glance I was very suspect about this pick. Detroit has needs in the secondary at both safety and corner so it seemed a bit surprising to see them go DL in the first round for the fourth time in five years (N. Suh in 2010, N. Fairly in 2011, and Z. Ansah in 2013). In my most recent mocks I have the Lions slated to address those needs in the secondary. Then I remembered Lions GM Martin Mayhew was on hand for Anthony Barr's pro day...on March 11...the first day of free agency. Then I thoguth with all that pass rushing talent on the roster, they probably finished near the top in sacks or at least in the middle of the pack, right? The Lions actually finished 28th in sacks in 2013. With the depth at CB and S the Lions can address those needs early in the second and third rounds the Lions could actually pull this off. After taking a second to think about the pick, I really like how Barr could fit in Detroit. He's capable of lining up at DE or OLB and is one of the more disruptive pass rushers in the draft.
Round 1
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1. |
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wiseguy545 |
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina [Full Story] |
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2. |
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El Shorts | Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn [Full Story] |
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3. |
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9er4life22 | Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville [Full Story] |
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Boss Clifford | Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson [Full Story] |
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Mark Balliet | Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M [Full Story] |
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CheekeeMunkee | Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo [Full Story] |
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TopFlightSecurity | Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M [Full Story] |
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Hoopers Judge | Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida [Full Story] |
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jmart7 | Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina [Full Story] |
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10. |
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germinator | Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA [Full Story] |
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49feelinfine | |
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superk0725 | |
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El Shorts | |
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BryKno | |
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SigepPT49er | |
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Mira Loma Maulers | |
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JMichael39 | |
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Desert Dog Runner | |
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albert.55 | |
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MidnightSpecial | |
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Rowingdave | |
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MisterEclectic | |
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Rowingdave | |
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BearAKA | |
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CraigRED&GOLD | |
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Boss Clifford | |
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Roy_from_Israel | |
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dave.bocchino | |
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49ersCusefan | |
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Tre9er | |
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ak4niner | |
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timmyg24 |
