National Football League

NFL re-draft: How would the first round play out today?

Published Dec. 1, 2014 10:00 a.m. ET

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If only NFL teams knew in May what they know today. The draft would look a lot different. So because we can put on our 20/20 hindsight glasses, we're going to go back in time and re-draft the NFL's first round. Our resident draftniks, Peter Schrager (even number picks) and Ross Jones (odd number picks), went back and showed us what the first round would look like today.

Don't get me wrong, this WR class might be the deepest ever, but Watkins is a 10-year playmaker. While rib and groin tweaks have affected Watkins a bit on the field, he has been one of the league's biggest game-changers when he's on. Clowney could still turn out to be a dominant player, but the lack of consistency on the field has raised some concerns.

We're giving up on Clowney, already?! He was my No. 1 player on the board in May, and I still think the potential he showed in the preseason far outweighs any doubts or injury issues he's had surrounding him this year. The Rams need a lot of help on offense, but adding Clowney would give them one of the top -- if not the top -- defenses in the NFL.

No quarterback for St. Louis? They might be a serious contender if they had steady play at the position. Moving on to Jacksonville, the stats might not show it, but Mack is the best edge defender in the game. While some question the way he's used in Oakland, he's much more than a traditional third-down pass rusher. He's an incredible, long-limbed defensive cornerstone and Gus Bradley's defense needs players of that caliber. Oh yeah, can you say "Pro Bowl" for the rookie?

Mack's a keeper and would have fit well in the Dawg Pound, but with him off the board, Cleveland goes with the best rookie wide receiver this league has seen since Randy Moss: Mike Evans. Pair the 6-foot-5 do-everything skyscraper with Josh Gordon, and you've got one of the better 1-2 punches in the league.

Matthews got hurt too early into the season to give a fair assessment, but the Atlanta run defense continues to lag. Donald's been a beast. Stick him in the middle -- even with Paul Soliai and Tyson Jackson signed in March -- and you've got a guy to build around.

And you got my guy. The card was nearly turned in on Donald as he has shown flashes thus far reminiscent of Warren Sapp. After a brief discussion in the war room regarding ... gasp... Anthony Barr, Tampa Bay understands to contend in the NFC South, putting up points on the board is a premium. Kelvin Benjamin converts red-zone trips into touchdowns. The former Florida State third-year sophomore has the size and ball skills to be a No. 1 target for a long time in this league.

We've already seen four wide receivers selected in the first eight picks. The Bills traded two first-round picks to acquire Sammy Watkins back in May. You've got Sammy going first overall in this re-draft. But looking at things now, I'm not sure the Bills would have been better off hanging tight and snagging Beckham here.

It's still one of the great wonders today: What would Barr look like if he had played defense his entire collegiate career? This guy oozes athleticism and has evolved as a pass rusher after just six months in the league. Under defensive mastermind Mike Zimmer's tutelage he's only going to get better. Barr's forced fumble and return for a TD against the Bucs last month was the difference between a win and a loss. It certainly won't be the last time he has that type of game-deciding impact.

The Lions offensive line has played well, but you can't pass on a physical specimen like Robinson if he falls to 10. He can play tackle, guard, and can do it on both sides of the ball. He's a big boy who will only get better.

Forget pro days and gloves on hands and pink Cadillacs. The drama surrounding Bridgewater last spring was laughable. If you get the best QB prospect in the draft and Ken Whisenhunt in a room together, special things could happen.

Eli Manning's getting clobbered behind a bad offensive line. The Giants are happy with what they got in Beckham, and I can't imagine them doing things any other way after the performances he's had the past three weeks, but if he's off the board, they'd gladly have Matthews alongside Justin Pugh at the tackle spots for the foreseeable future.

Seriously, I'm salivating over the thought of putting Clowney and C.J. Mosley on the same side of the ball, but I can't do it. This team needs some offensive firepower, and knowing Sam Bradford will sustain his second torn ACL, the Rams select Carr here. The Fresno State product's ceiling might not be sky high, but he reads the defense, makes the signals, stands tall in the pocket and fires fastballs. Rams finally get their QB.

Fuller's been good. Really good. But the Bears' defense can't tackle or stop the run. Mosley fits the fine tradition of dominant middle linebackers in Chicago, from Dick Butkus to Mike Singletary to Brian Urlacher. I almost wish we could have seen this in real life.

Shazier is a special player. There's no denying that. But the Steelers' offense has been rejuvenated since the emergence of Martavis Bryant. The more polished of the two players at the position, Matthews is a dynamic outside threat that turns short catches into long gains.

How could I question the Martin selection? The Cowboys struck gold.

With Mosley off the board, the Ravens select the best player on the board. Fuller forced six turnovers (3 INTs, 3 FFs) before breaking his hand and injuring his hip. Fuller's instincts give Baltimore some much-needed help in the secondary.

I know, I know ... at the time, the Jets thought they had a QB of the future in Geno Smith and a trusted backup in Michael Vick. And I know, Marcus Mariota could be awaiting them this April. I think Bortles -- still working out accuracy issues -- will still be the best QB of this rookie class. With his build and arm strength, New York would be a good fit.

Bucannon's been great, filling in at safety and almost serving as a fifth linebacker in certain packages. Tremendous addition to a great defense. Shazier's my pick, though, if he's still on the board. Todd Bowles' defense is all about dialing up the blitz and bringing pressure from all angles. Shazier's a freak and would have been a tremendous fit for that unit.

The Packers addressed a position of need and hit it out of the park with the Alabama product. Clinton-Dix has done well to round out a secondary alongside Micah Hyde.

The Eagles went and got Marcus Smith, who hasn't been able to make much of an impact in Year 1, a few picks later. Bitonio's been the shining star of Cleveland's rookie class. The big guard out of Nevada can play across the line, and would have been an awfully nice piece for an Eagles unit that's been dealing with injuries across the board.

Pryor hasn't had a big rookie year in New York, but he has shown flashes of becoming a game-changing safety. Cincinnati's defensive backfield got a good one in Dennard. If Pryor was still on the board, that's a good fit, too.

Cornerback is clearly a need here, but San Diego rolls with Cooks. The most versatile playmaker in the draft, Cooks gives quarterback Philip Rivers another game-changing weapon. In today's NFL, the game is played on the outside more than ever. Cooks -- in space -- is a big play waiting to happen.

The Browns' second first-rounder ended up being Johnny Manziel, and who knows, maybe that will work out in the long run. But with a 7-5 record coming out of Week 13, Brian Hoyer looks like the guy to me. Borland's been magnificent in his first year with the 49ers. The two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year would have been a nice addition to the Cleveland D.

The safety position has been an issue in New Orleans. With season-ending injuries to Jairus Byrd and Rafael Bush, Bucannon would be a strong fit in the back end of Rob Ryan's defense. Bucannon has had a very solid rookie season in Arizona.

Benjamin was the right pick here and you could argue Allen Robinson would be a nice pickup if he's on the board. Though he hasn't been the Jimmy Graham clone some envisioned in Joe Lombardi's Lions offense, Ebron has shown plenty of flashes. Nice pickup for a young offense if he's available.

Who am I to question a Belichick pick? And the way they're playing in New England, I wouldn't touch any move -- free agency or draft -- they made this offseason. That said, Gilbert wasn't just the Browns' top cornerback on their draft board. A lot of teams loved him coming out of Oklahoma State. If he had slipped to 29, I'd have to think the Patriots would have grabbed him.

Ward ended up on injured reserve, and Brown has been a tackling machine in Buffalo. With Borland off the board, Vic Fangio gets a versatile linebacker with some pop.