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Team needs | Sleepers | Biggest 'freaks'
When I originally put a "sleepers" list in the print versions of my NFL draft guide many years ago, the term meant something different. For me, these were kids you'd have a tough time seeing on TV. And that sentiment holds true many years later. While it's not hard to get the film nowadays, for the average fan, these are guys they've never seen.
I wanted to maintain that concept with this list, even though "sleepers" seems to apply to many things.
A couple of notes on this list:
1. To qualify for this, you must not have played at an FBS (Division I) school in 2013.
2. I've broken it down into two categories, based on likelihood to be drafted.
With that, here are the 2014 NFL draft sleepers.
First tier
These are guys likely to get drafted, some as high as Round 2.
Offense
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois
Jeff Mathews, QB, Cornell
It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Garoppolo go early in Round 2, and if you can go early in Round 2, that certainly opens up the possibility that you could go late in Round 1. Once Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater are drafted, Garoppolo could be the next name called. Mathews has good size and pretty good arm strength, and will get picked as a late-round project to develop.
Terrance West, RB, Towson
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Georgia Southern
Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Coastal Carolina
West has really good lateral agility for a player who packs nearly 225 pounds, and McKinnon is as good as any athlete in the entire draft if you consider his combination of speed and power. I think McKinnon comes off the board first, as early as the third round. All three of these guys have the potential to start.
John Brown, WR, Pittsburg St. (Kansas)
Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley St.
Matt Hazel, WR, Coastal Carolina
Brown is one of the fastest players in the draft and adds extra value as a return man. I could see him coming off the board in Round 3. Janis is fast and an explosive leaper, and only gets knocked on having small hands. Both he and Hazel will be drafted on Day 3.
A.C. Leonard, TE, Tennessee St.
Joe Don Duncan, TE, Dixie St. (Utah)
Leonard isn't your typical small-college type, as he was a top recruit to Florida and made some catches there. He's an early Day 3 option, and has a lot of speed. Duncan will be drafted on Day 3 as well.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OT, McGill (Canada)
Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota St.
Both of these guys have the potential to go as high as Round 3.
Kadeem Edwards, OG, Tennessee St.
Dakota Dozier, OG, Furman
Edwards was a college tackle who will move inside, but he has the wingspan of a tackle. He's powerful and can really move people in the run game. Dozier could become a starter at guard.
Matt Armstrong, C, Grand Valley St.
Defense
Larry Webster, DE, Bloomsburg
Zach Moore, DE, Concordia (Minnesota)
Ethan Westbrooks, DE, West Texas A&M
Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond
Colton Underwood, DE, Illinois St.
At 6-foot-6 and more than 250 pounds, Webster can run sub-4.6, and has played football for only two seasons after starting out on the basketball court. I think he could also get a look at tight end, given the background and his dimensions and speed.
Caraun Reid, DT, Princeton
Zach Kerr, DT, Delaware
Last year, Princeton defensive end Matt Catapano was a seventh-round pick by the Chiefs; former teammate Reid should go even higher. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him off the board as early as Round 3.
Jordan Tripp, OLB, Montana
Howard Jones, OLB, Shepherd (West Virginia)
Tyler Starr, OLB, South Dakota
All three of these guys will get drafted. Tripp has Day 2 potential as an explosive downhill tackler who makes great reads. Jones is an impressive athlete, and Starr is a sleeper who moves well and plays faster than his 40 time.
Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood
Walt Aikens, CB, Liberty
Kendall James, CB, Maine
Brandon Dixon, CB, NW Missouri St.
This isn't that quiet a group, as each of the top three names have the potential to come off the board before the end of Round 3, with Desir a likely bet for Round 2.
Second tier
Offense
These are players who grade out as likelier priority free agents. That said, it wouldn't surprise me to see a few of them drafted. I've provided notes on some of them.
Dustin Vaughan, QB, West Texas A&M
Brock Jensen, QB, North Dakota St.
Either of these guys could land on a practice squad and eventually stick.
Isaiah Crowell, RB, Alabama St.
Kyle Harbridge, RB, St. Francis (Pennsylvania)
D.J. Adams, RB, Portland St. (Oregon)
Tim Flanders, RB, Sam Houston St.
Franklyn Quiteh, RB, Bloomsburg
Sam Ojuri, RB, North Dakota St.
Shakir Bell, RB, Indiana St.
Terrance Cobb, RB, Cumberlands (Kentucky)
Crowell is the one-time Georgia star and was one of the top recruits in the country, so someone is going to place a bet on his talent. Shakir Bell is one of my favorites to watch, a mighty mite (5-8, 185 pounds) who has elite short-area explosiveness and great vision to make plays when it looks like nothing is there.
Albert Wilson, WR, Georgia St.
Lee Doss, WR, Southern
Walt Powell, WR, Murray St.
Corey Washington, WR, Newberry (South Carolina)
Tony Washington, WR, Appalachian St.
Erik Lora, WR, Eastern Illinois
Jeremy Butler, WR, UT-Martin
Gianni Carter, WR, Duquesne
Jordan Harris, WR, Bryant
Ryan Smith, WR, North Dakota St.
Willie Gibson, WR, Cumberlands (Kentucky)
Taylor Gabriel, WR, Abilene Christian
Seantavious Jones, WR, Valdosta St.
Jones can run sub-4.5 and offers good length at 6-3. Lora was a favorite target of Garoppolo and looks like the Eastern Illinois version of Wes Welker. He can really run and has a chance to stick.
Reggie Jordan, TE, Missouri Western St.
Nic Jacobs, TE, McNeese St.
Mike Flacco, TE, New Haven
Yes, Flacco is the brother of the Ravens' QB, and will give the NFL a shot after playing four years of minor league baseball. He's a pretty good athlete at 6-5 and nearly 250 pounds.
Matt Feiler, OT, Bloomsburg
Matt Hall, OT, Belhaven (Mississippi)
Josh Wells, OT, James Madison
Danny Kistler, OT, Montana
Feiler could end up moving inside, but he's a powerfully built guy.
Karim Barton, OG, Morgan St.
David Born, OG, Old Dominion
Defense
Terrence Fede, DE, Marist
Anthony Larry, DE, Eastern Washington
Daniel Riley, DE, Harding
Jake Metz, DE, Shippensburg
Larry is an impressive player at his level, and could stick as a pass-rusher in a 3-4 system. He doesn't have the size to play 4-3 defensive end.
Mike Pennel, DT, Colorado St. (Pueblo)
Lawrence Virgil, DT/DE, Valdosta St.
Jamie Meder, DT, Ashland (Ohio)
Virgil is an impressive athlete in a 6-4, 280-plus frame, and could work as a 3-4 defensive end.
Brock Coyle, ILB, Montana
Anthony Morales, ILB, Weber St.
Coyle was overshadowed by Jordan Tripp at Montana, but he is a good player in his own right.
Brad Daly, OLB, Montana St.
Ryan Jones, OLB, San Jose State
Keaton Stigger, OLB, Henderson St. (Arkansas)
Dorian Bell, OLB, Duquesne
Johnny Millard, OLB, Cal Poly
Carlos Fields, OLB, Winston-Salem St.
Many NFL fans will recognize the bloodlines on Millard. His dad, Keith, was a star for the Vikings for a number of years.
Todd Washington, CB, SE Louisiana
Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern
Qua Cox, CB, Jackson St.
Kevin Fogg, CB, Liberty
T.J. Lee, CB, Eastern Washington
Dashaun Phillips, CB, Tarleton St. (Texas)
Marcus Williams, CB, North Dakota St.
Devin Wallace, CB, Virginia Union
Keith Lewis, CB, Virginia Lynchburg
Westbrooks should get drafted late and could be a conversion type, as he can also play safety.
L.J. McCray, S, Catawba
Pierre Warren, S, Jacksonville St.
Kamaron Riley, S, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kansas)
David Van Dyke, S, Tennessee St.
Dewey McDonald, S, California (Pennsylvania)
McDonald is a big-time hitter over the middle, but does a good job of making plays to the edges.