The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft is over, but there is a ton of big-time talent still on the board. Countless general managers and league officials have called this the deepest draft in years, possibly ever.
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So where will some of the most notable names end up? Here are some of the best fits we see remaining:
Carlos Hyde, running back
Most likely: Tennessee Titans
Tennessee has to hope that Hyde, the best "every-down" back candidate left, gets past a bunch of running back-needy teams that are drafting ahead of them in the second round like Houston and Cleveland. The Titans want to run the ball, but they don't have a true starter that can handle the role.
Dark horse: Oakland Raiders
Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are short-term solutions. General manager Reggie McKenzie needs to find core pieces to build around long term. (Khalil Mack was a nice start Thursday.)
Marqise Lee, wide receiver
Most likely: Cleveland Browns
Johnny Manziel is already set up for success with Josh Gordon, Joe Thomas and Jordan Cameron on his side. Cleveland's passing game could be immediately difficult to deal with, especially in the red zone, if they snag Lee with the No. 35 overall pick.
Dark horse: New York Jets
The Jets might have to trade up to snag Lee, but they certainly have the need. Even though he's a second-round pick, he has more of the traditional "No. 1 receiver" skill set than free-agent pickup Eric Decker.
Derek Carr, quarterback
Most likely: Oakland Raiders
Carr might have to wait for the third round to hear his name called at this point. If we are to believe Lovie Smith, Mike Glennon is the Bucs' "quarterback of the future" again. That leaves Oakland as the team with the biggest need at the position. They might not be able to pass up the value of Carr if he slips another round. Â NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that there is no chance the Houston Texans will take another Carr at quarterback.Â
Dark horses: Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers
Rapoport mentioned the Packers and Ravens as two teams looking for backups. The Jets, Chiefs, and Bengals could all pull a surprise by adding legitimate competition to their quarterback rooms. Carr might get left out of the game of musical quarterback chairs this year, especially if the Buccaneers truly don't draft a quarterback.
Other good fits
AJ McCarron, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins to Patriots: With Ryan Mallett possibly headed out the door, Bill Belichick could snap up the team's next backup in the middle rounds if McCarron is still available. Sefarian-Jenkins or Jace Amaro would both make sense for New England to add weapons to the offense.
Bishop Sankey to Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have a lot of running backs, but none of them particularly scare defenses. Sankey has been knocked for his size but plenty of 209-pound backs can carry a heavy load. Sankey is great on passing downs and could be used in a variety of ways for an offense that desperately needs more variety.
Louis Nix to San Diego Chargers: One of the most talented players still available would add some needed defensive toughness up front for the Bolts.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" provides instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
