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The final week of the 2013 NFL season is in the books, which means a lengthy journey to the 2014 NFL draft has just begun for 20 groups of fans.

Fans surely have a pretty good idea of how their teams will act given their current draft positions. However, prospects are also just beginning a lengthy journey after their bowl games, which is littered with interviews, workouts and more.

Here is a look at how the 2014 draft will shake out based on team needs and current prospect rankings.

1. Houston Texans: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

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General manager Rick Smith has a plethora of tough decisions to make this offseason, including who to select at No. 1 overall and who his new head coach will be.

A new coach usually wants to start his era off with his own franchise quarterback. There is an argument to be made about doing something special, such as pairing J.J. Watt with an Anthony Barr or Jadeveon Clowney, but quarterback is the only right answer.

2. St. Louis Rams (via Washington): Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

Again, Anthony Barr or Jadeveon Clowney deserves the pick here, but that simply does not make sense for a team with Robert Quinn and Chris Long.

Better yet, a team whose quarterback is out for the year behind a weak line after the franchise's top moves the past calendar year have been upgrading skill positions.

Now add the fact Jake Long tore his ACL, per the team's Twitter account, and it makes all too much sense to take the top player at the position:

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State

Derek Carr is still one of the top players set to enter the 2014 draft, and as CBS Sports' Dane Brugler illustrates, fans should not knock his stock down a peg for a bad performance:

Carr has looked shaky as of late, but the intangibles of a franchise quarterback are there. Jacksonville has no choice here other than to address the most important position of all.

4. Cleveland Browns: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M



Those tough sells start with Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, the polarizing figure who quietly put together a better year in 2013 than he did in his Heisman campaign.

With Cleveland's defense already elite under coordinator Ray Horton and running back now a late-round wasteland, not to mention the fact that this is the first of two picks in the round, the Cleveland Browns will be more than happy to pull the trigger on Manziel.

The upside and potential of Manziel are hard to match, despite his flaws.

5. Oakland Raiders: Anthony Barr, OLB/DE, UCLA

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The hype for Anthony Barr continues to grow, which is captured best by a series of tweets from NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah:

With questions about Clowney (more on that later), Barr is easily the best player on the board. Oakland is not in a position to argue.

Quarterback is a legitimate option here as well, but the staff has to be entirely sold to pull the trigger. The rest of the quarterbacks are very tough sells for one reason or another.

6. Atlanta Falcons: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

Manziel is polarizing, but Jadeveon Clowney is slowly working his way to the same level.

Clowney has now been cited for speeding twice in the last month, and there are questions about his motivation, per NFL.com's Gil Brandt:

The bottom line on Clowney is this -- I believe he will be a top 7 or 8 pick, conceivably higher, if he comes out for this year's draft, but his ceiling is as high as he desires it to be. He can be an All-Pro, or he can be just another starter that teams will not be really pleased with. If he consistently plays up to his potential, then I think he will be a Pro Bowler. If he doesn't, he'll be just another guy on a football team who was drafted too high.

Off-field problems and motivation questions are serious issues for any prospect. But the upside, fit and more are simply too much for an iffy Atlanta defense to pass on here.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo

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While he's certainly not the biggest name or from the biggest school, Khalil Mack is a surefire first-round pick along with the other big-name rushers on the board.

Thanks to quarterback Mike Glennon earning an extended look, Mack comes off the board here. Greg Schiano's team needs help getting to opposing quarterbacks, and the Da'Quan Bowers experiment is all but over.

8. Minnesota Vikings: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF



Sorry, Minnesota fans, but Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel simply will not suffice much longer if the Vikings want to be competitive for the remainder of Adrian Peterson's prime.

Blake Bortles is shooting up draft boards—and rightfully so, given his precision and ability to stand tall in the pocket.

Those are things Minnesota has not seen in quite some time. Cordarrelle Patterson is the next big thing at receiver, but somebody has to get him the ball consistently down the field.

9. Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

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Buffalo is a tough team to peg in 2014 mocks because there are so many avenues the Bills could go.

In that sort of situation, the best player available is usually the safe bet. Here, that would be Clemson's Sammy Watkins, who is easily the most explosive draft-eligible player this year.

Sure, Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods are around, but Watkins completes a triple-headed monster not many can line up with on every down.

10. Detroit Lions: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State

Other than the fact that he played collegiate ball locally, here is what Detroit fans need to know about Darqueze Dennard, via Charles Davis of NFL.com: "I've heard chatter that some think he's as good a corner as they've seen since Deion Sanders. I'm not co-signing on to the Primetime comparison, but I think he's very good and has the potential to be terrific at the next level."

So yes, Dennard is the first corner off the board, and not a moment too soon—Detroit has a great defense, but the team hardly blows anyone out, because the secondary is so horrific.

11. Tennessee Titans: C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

There may be no draft-eligible player currently flying more under the radar than Alabama's C.J. Mosley, which is wildly strange for a player hailing from the mighty Crimson Tide.

Mosley is one of the best linebacker prospects to come out in years and will immediately upgrade any unit.

The unit in Tennessee is slowly wilting, especially thanks to the career of Colin McCarthy, which is in a straight nosedive. Mosley provides a drastic boost in more ways than one as the new leader of a unit that is already elite against the pass.

12. New York Giants: Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State



Then again, Ryan Shazier can compete with Mosley for the under-the-radar award.

Shazier is wicked fast and can fill in at any position, which is great news for the New York Giants, a team with a defense that received a massive boost after trading for veteran Jon Beason.

New York has plenty of work to do on both sides of the football, but inserting a little speed and heart via a guaranteed contributor is a start.

13. St. Louis Rams: Louis Nix III, NT, Notre Dame



St. Louis did much to upgrade skill positions in the past year, but the team has paid the price in the form of an injured quarterback and an up-and-down defense.

Louis Nix changes things in a big way for the Rams defense. The combo of Chris Long and Robert Quinn is scary enough, but with the 340-pound Nix clogging multiple blockers?

Downright unfair.

14. Chicago Bears: Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State

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Chicago has major issues on the defensive side of things as it is, so the last thing it needs to do is open up another hole at cornerback with the potential departure of Charles Tillman, who is a free agent after the season.

Luckily, Justin Gilbert is still on the board and is also physical against the run and strong in coverage. That is an easy sell for a woeful defense in the middle of a mini-rebuild.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

Pittsburgh once again finds itself in a precarious position that is all too familiar.

Ben Roethlisberger remains one of the NFL's most-sacked quarterbacks, the line is a putrid mixture of mediocre and injured, and the Steelers are not in a position to draft a surefire stud.

Yikes. Cyrus Kouandjio dominated the SEC and is Pittsburgh's best bet to keep Big Ben upright at this point.

16. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M

Joe Flacco has not earned his $120 million this season, in large part because of the departure of Anquan Boldin.

A horrific offensive line and the disappearance of running back Ray Rice have not helped either, but Flacco is getting paid like a quarterback who can overcome such issues.

He can do that with help from Mike Evans. Evans' size is similar to Boldin's, and he can bail Flacco out down the field or when looking to move the chains.

17. New York Jets: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina

The New York Jets hail from the conference that helped to create the two-tight end trend currently sweeping the league in various capacities.

While Eric Ebron is easily a major upgrade over Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Winslow, he can also be on the field at the same time should the Jets choose to get creative and line him up at wide receiver.

Josh Fendrick of the ACC Digital Network has a look at why Ebron is such a highly coveted prospect:

18. Miami Dolphins: Cameron Erving, OT, Florida State

Ryan Tannehill remains the most-abused quarterback in the NFL at 58 sacks, so it only makes sense for the Miami Dolphins to go out and upgrade the line in front of him.



Cameron Erving has seen his stock fluctuate, but his body of work in the ACC speaks for itself.

Erving is a starter right away, but the Dolphins are far from done upgrading the line in this draft.

19. Dallas Cowboys: Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson

When a defense is as bad as Jerry Jones' defense is once again in 2013, the only option is to take the best defender on the board.

This is especially the case with Vic Beasley still hanging around. While he's not a perfect fit in Dallas, the coaching staff better find a way to use him. The unit needs as much help as it can get from talented players.

20. Arizona Cardinals: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Kudos to Bruce Arians for masking the inadequate offensive line in Arizona, but now is the time for the team to add some more talent to the scrappy bunch.

Taylor Lewan has been an epic disappointment in 2013, but with the right coaching, he can turn his impressive frame into production as he protects Carson Palmer's blind side.

21. Green Bay Packers: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

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Like fans everywhere have always known, the Green Bay Packers rely on the health of Aaron Rodgers more than anything.

Take Rodgers away, and it does not really matter who is on offense, which is why it makes sense for the Packers to shy away from the popular choice of a tight end here.

Instead, Green Bay should look to improve a defense that clearly needs help—especially at safety. Both Morgan Burnett and M.D. Jennings are horrific and rank at No. 62 and 72, respectively, at the position this year, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is an obvious upgrade.

22. San Diego Chargers: Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

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San Diego is one of the easiest teams to diagnose this year: The Chargers are taking a cornerback.

The Chargers are woeful defending the pass, which should be obvious considering the starters are Shareece Wright and Richard Marshall.

Jason Verrett is an instant starter and a potentially very good one at that.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

It is no secret that Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby has had his fair share of issues this season. The same goes for the Philadelphia defense.

Davis puts it best once again, this time about Roby:

NFL teams are going to want his services, and possibly very early. Keep an eye on him. I still lean toward him being drafted in the second round, but before it's said and done -- if he tests really well -- he could put himself in the first-round mix. NFL teams can never have enough good corners, and Roby has the tools to be a very good one.

Philadelphia cannot wait around to upgrade the secondary. Roby is an easy choice.

24. Kansas City Chiefs: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith needs more intermediate targets to better execute Andy Reid's offense.

An upgrade was needed at tight end anyway, so the Chiefs might as well kill two birds with one stone and grab Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Seferian-Jenkins is a perfect fit and will help to move the chains consistently in the confines of the offense.

25. Cincinnati Bengals: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon



It has become apparent in recent weeks that Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is simply not ready to be a starter.

With both Adam Jones and Terence Newman getting up there in age, not to mention yet another injury to Leon Hall, corner is the way to go here.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is every bit as talented as the names taken before him. He hails from a school that is known for offense but has a very impressive body of work so far.



26. Cleveland Browns (via IND): Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State



Cleveland nabbed a franchise quarterback earlier in the round and now needs to go out and get a receiver to complement Josh Gordon.

The man for the job is Kelvin Benjamin, who has shot up draft boards as of late thanks to his big-play ability. For all the positive press Heisman winner Jameis Winston gets, most fail to realize Benjamin bailed him out more than a few times.

Benjamin is the type of receiver a rookie quarterback needs, and he will thrive with Gordon soaking up most of the attention.

27. New Orleans Saints: Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame

Rob Ryan has done a magnificent job of using a few players of his choice in unison with scraps left over from a 4-3 scheme to craft one of the NFL's top defenses.

Imagine what he can do with another year of draft prospects added to the mix.

Stephon Tuitt is the obvious choice here as a versatile piece sure to fit well in Ryan's amoeba defense.

28. San Francisco 49ers: Marqise Lee, WR, USC

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The passing game in San Francisco has been a problem more often than not this year, so grabbing an upgrade to what should already be a top unit is a smart move.

Marqise Lee has seen his stock derailed thanks to injury and the train wreck that was USC for portions of this past season, but he remains an elite option for a team in need.

29. New England Patriots: Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford

As far as versatile pieces suited for the New England defense go, Trent Murphy is hard to beat.

The Stanford product is a complete package, offering much in the way of run support and pass-rush help.

While defensive end is far from the biggest need, Murphy fits the Patriots mold both on the field and off.

30. Carolina Panthers: Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee



Carolina is another tough team to figure out, as there are so many options. Cam Newton has received some more help from Ted Ginn and Brandon LaFell this year, so receiver may not be the priority it once was.

Protecting Newton should be the top priority at this point, especially with the defense mostly set.

This can be done by grabbing Antonio Richardson, who can plug in at different spots when needed.

31. Denver Broncos: Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota

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Denver could use help in a variety of areas on defense, but Ra'Shede Hageman is a prospect teams should not pass on at this point.

Hageman is a rare physical specimen, as NFL.com's Bucky Brooks details:



Hageman will be one of the hottest prospects in the 2014 class in the spring. He will tantalize evaluators with his freakish athleticism and superior physical dimensions, but his game tape doesn't match his natural talent at this time. Although Hageman's production has been solid over the past two years, he hasn't dominated elite competition consistently. Additionally, he has shown an unrefined game that needs some touch-up work by a quality NFL defensive line coach.

At this point in the first, Denver would be silly to pass on that upside.

32. Seattle Seahawks: Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor

Seattle has a battered offensive line that was in need of an upgrade anyway, so a luxury pick here in the form of the top guard available is an absolute steal.

Cyril Richardson would be taken higher were it not for the strange stigma attached to his position, so this truly functions as a top-15 pick. Richardson is an unstoppable force who will terrorize those trying to run through him to get to running back Marshawn Lynch.