We're back for the 14th 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 14th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, BryKno and the Chicago Bears select Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh. Some of the alternates he considered included safety Calvin Pryor, defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman, and defensive tackle Louis Nix III. Here are his thoughts on the pick:
Seeing Ha-Ha go one slot before they pick would not be pleasant for Bears fans. There might not be a better fit of player to need anywhere in the entire draft.
That being said, the Bears strategy in the first few rounds of this draft is easy--find the best defensive player and take them. Football Outsiders gave the Bears the second-lowest weighted defensive DVOA last season; the Monsters of the Midway simply fell apart as the season ended.
Clinton-Dix would have been a perfect fit, as Major Wright left town and Chris Conte was horrible last season. I did consider Calvin Pryor with this pick; a pairing of Pryor and free-agent pickup Ryan Mundy would be an upgrade over last season.
However, with Clinton-Dix off the board, we can turn to replacing Henry Melton, who went down to Dallas. While Hageman and Nix were worthy of consideration, it had to be Donald. He's explosive, he's fast enough to split double teams, and he's got great speed to close for the kill. Combined with the free-agent signings of Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen, you have the makings of a great line.
The one issue I had with Donald is his size; he's only 6'0" and 285 pounds. Both Hageman and Nix are larger, so they were worth some consideration. At the end of the day, though, Donald was a monster this last season in college, and will disrupt the passing game in the pros. He's the selection.
Trevor Woods: Donald may not have ideal size, but he's a force to be reckoned with. Donald had 11 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in 2013, and showed he is powerful while also being quick footed for a man of his stature. This fills a big need in the middle of the Bears defensive line, as they were ran all over last season. There are other holes on the Bears defense, at Safety and at linebacker. C.J. Mosley and Calvin Pryor could be options here.
Nick Chiamardas: The key along the defensive line (especially in a 4-3) is disruption. There is perhaps no more disruptive DT in this year's class than AaronDonald. His unique combination of speed and power from the interior line has his stock at an all time high. Donald's draft ceiling could be as high as eighth at Minnesota and his likely draft floor is 16th to Dallas. Donald to Chicago makes a ton of sense and gives the Bears a young prospect to build around.
Round 1
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wiseguy545 |
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina [Full Story] |
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El Shorts | Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn [Full Story] |
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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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germinator | Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA [Full Story] |
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49feelinfine | Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State [Full Story] |
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superk0725 | Taylor Lewan, OL, Michigan [Full Story] |
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El Shorts | Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama [Full Story] |
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BryKno | Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh [Full Story] |
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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 |
