2014 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers Select Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert
By Matt Shetler
29. New England Patriots
Player Name: Ra’shede Hageman
Position, School: DT, Minnesota
I have had Texas Tech Jace Amaro here every mock for New England, but am leaning more to the defensive line now.
Defensive tackle is a need area for the Patriots, with a pair of veteran players in Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly coming off serious injuries.
Sep 28, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby (1) before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Buckeyes beat the Badgers 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Hageman has a chance to be elite as he has a solid combination of height, weight and athleticism. He is a project, but the Pats have time to groom him.
30. San Francisco 49ers
Player Name: Bradley Roby
Position, School: CB, Ohio State
San Francisco’s group of cornerbacks isn’t very strong, as Carlos Rogers has declined at age 32.
Roby was recently arrested and has some other character issues, but the 49ers are one of the teams that apparently don’t care about stuff like that.
31. Denver Broncos
Player Name: Kony Ealy
Position, School: DE, Missouri
The Tigers have produced several stellar defensive linemen in recent years (Aldon Smith, Sheldon Richardson), and Ealy could be the next of the bunch. One of the Broncos biggest problems is their pass rush. Ealy has the length, power and speed and could wreak havoc on the AFC West for years to come.
32. Seattle Seahawks
Player Name: Stephon Tuitt
Position, School: DE, Notre Dame
The Super Bowl champs look like a team with very few needs, but with free agency coming up, there could be some holes created on the defensive line.
They have a tendency to select the best available player on the board and fortunately Tuitt also fills a need. He brings both size and quickness and Seattle doesn’t have the same depth on the defensive line that it did in the midst of the Super Bowl run.
Tuitt can be both an effective run-stopper and a disruptive power pass-rusher and should fit in rather nicely on an already dominant Seattle defense.