New York Sports Guy: What the First Round of the 2014 NFL Draft might l...

New York Sports Guy: What the First Round of the 2014 NFL Draft might l...: This years draft is deep one with tons of talent all over the board. What stands out about this class is the offensive weapons that are pres...

What the First Round of the 2014 NFL Draft might look like

This years draft is deep one with tons of talent all over the board. What stands out about this class is the offensive weapons that are presented in not just Round 1 but Round 2-3 as well.. Here is what your 2014 NFL Draft will look like at the completion of Round 1 tomorrow.

#1. Houston Texans
Selection: Jadeveon Clowney, DE South Carolina

#2. Oakland Raiders (acquired from STL)
Selection: Sammy Watkins, WR Clemson
- Oakland resigned Darren McFadden and brought in Maurice Jones-Drew in the off-season. They helped their front-7 with Justin Tuck and Lamar Woodley. Looks like Oakland wants to win now and Watkins will help an offense that lacks a big time play-maker.

#3 Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection: Khalil Mack, OLB Buffalo
- Perfect fit for Gus Bradley's defense.

#4. Cleveland Browns
Selection: Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M
-The Browns need a face to their franchise and Manziel would accomplish that quickly.

#5. St. Louis Rams
Selection: Jake Matthews, OT Texas A&M
-Rams trade back and still have their selection of the first tackle off the board. Mathews will be an All-Pro and I like his blood-lines in the NFL.

#6 Atlanta Falcons
Selection: Taylor Lewan, OT Michigan
-Robinson isn't a great pass protector and the Falcons need to protect Matt Ryan. Lewan is nasty and physical and is exactly what Atlanta lacks on their offensive line to play against physical defensive fronts.

#7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selection: Mike Evans, WR Texas A&M
- His size and speed is perfect for Josh McCown who had two big receivers in Marshall and Jeffery in Chicago. Evans will compliment Vincent Jackson very nicely.

#8 Minnesota Vikings
Selection: Blake Bortles, QB UCF
- The Vikings despertaely need a QB and can opt to trade out. If their stuck, I think Bortles has the potential to be a very solid QB.

#9 Buffalo Bills
Selection: Greg Robinson, OT Auburn
- Bills get a gift here at #9 stealing one of the top tackles. Robinson will fall because hes not fully developed like the other two. Miami will be calling up to get a tackle so don't be surprised if the Dolphins trade with Minnesota.

#10 Miami Dolphins (acquired from the Lions)
Selection: Zach Martin, OT-G-C Notre Dame
-With the loss of Johnathan Martin and Richie Icognito, the Dolphins desperately need help on the offensive line. Martin can come in and play all three positions on the line. He is a perfect fit for a Miami team trying to win now.

#11 Tennessee Titans
Selection: Darqueze Dennard, CB Michigan State

#12 New York Giants
Selection: Aaron Donald, DT Pittsburgh
-The Giants lost Lindval Joseph to free agency and must fill a major need at defensive tackle. Donald has the potential to be a dominant player in the NFL.

#13 Baltimore Ravens (Acquired from STL)
Selection: Odell Beckham Jr., WR LSU
-The Ravens see Beckham falling and jump ahead of Pittsburgh to grab the dynamic play maker from LSU. He would be a nice weapon for Joe Flacco and help an offense that lacked big play potential last season.

#14 Chicago Bears
Selection: Calvin Pryor, S Louisville
-Pryor fits perfect in the Bears secondary giving them a player who can play near the line of scrimmage and against the run.

#15 Pittsburgh Steelers
Selection: Kyle Fuller, CB Virginia Tech
- Steelers desperately need help at cornerback and Fuller is physical and plays the run. Virginia Tech has put out some good defensive backs in the NFL and Fuller will continue upon that trend.

#16 Dallas Cowboys
Selection: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S Alabama
- Clinton-Dix is a very good safety and will help an awful Dallas secondary right away.

#17 St. Louis Rams
Selection: Eric Ebron, TE North Carolina
-Ebron will fall because of his lack of ability to block. However, at 17 he is the best player avaliable and the Rams can grab a play maker and put him alongside tight end Jared Cook. Two good tight ends worked in New England and it can definelty help St. Louis. Speed on the outside with Austin, Bailey, and Givens and athletes in Ebron and Cook down the seam should lead to a lot of points.

#18 New York Jets
Selection: Brandin Cooks, WR Oregon State
- Had better combine numbers than Tavon Austin did last season. Cooks is a very good value pick here and fills a need for the Jets.

#19 Detroit Lions
Selection: Justin Gilbert, CB Oklahoma State
- The Lions were stuck in no wheres land at 10 and will be better off with extra picks and trading back. The Lions need a cornerback and 10 was too high for one. Trade back and still get a top corner in the draft in Gilbert is the right move for Detroit.

#20 Arizona Cardinals
Selection: C.J. Mosley, ILB Alabama
- Most people think the Cardinals will draft a QB here but I think for a team who was on the brink of the playoffs, addressing a need is more important. Mosley would help an already solid defense and could be the leader for years to come. At #20 this is a very good pick.

#21 Green Bay Packers
Selection: Ryan Shazier, OLB Ohio State

#22 Philadelphia Eagles
Selection: Marqise Lee, WR USC
-Fits Chip Kelly's offense perfect and his drop off last season was due to an awful football team with a bad quarterback. Plus the injury didn't help Lee either. However, I'm sure Kelly remembers Lee's stats against him in his last season at Oregon. 12 receptions for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns and in his freshmen season 8 grabs for 187 and a touchdown.

#23 Tennessee Titans (acquired from KC)
Selection: Derek Carr, QB Fresno State
-Titans trade back up for their quarterback to make sure the teams who passed early in the first don't grab Carr in the early second. Locker is too injury-prone to rely on.

#24 Cinncinati Bengals
Selection: Jason Verrett, CB TCU

#25 San Diego Chargers
Selection: Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA

#26 Cleveland Browns
Selection: Davante Adams, WR Fresno State

#27 New Orleans Saints
Selection: Bruce Ellington, WR South Carolina
- Super athletic and is developing into a very solid wide receiver. Will be an explosive player in Sean Payton's offense.

#28 Carolina Panthers
Selection: Morgan Moses, OT Virginia
-Panthers need help at wide receiver desperately but with the depth at the position, offensive line will be addressed first.

#29 St. Louis Rams
Selection: Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville
- The Rams traded back twice acquiring numerous picks. They can make a jump here and make sure they get the QB they want. Mathews, Ebron and Bridgewater would be a hell of a night for STL with more picks on day 2 and 3.

#30 San Francisco 49ers
Selection: Cody Latimer, WR Indiana
-The 49ers can go in many different directions but helping an offense that struggled in the passing game could be the best choice if they don't look to move up.

#31 Denver Broncos
Selection: Kony Early, DE Missouri

#32 Seattle Seahawks
Selection: Stephon Tuitt, DE Notre Dame

Notes on the 2014 NFL Draft:

Stay away from Nick Saban's players. Alabama may be the best program in college football but the programs players have not worked out at the next level. Trent Richardson had a disappointing year last year as well as Mark Barron. Dre Kirkpatrick has been average at best for the Bengals and Kareem Jackson is a below average corner. Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower have done nothing since being drafted, as well as Mark Ingram. Rolando McClain is out of the NFL because of off the field issues and Marcel Dareus just got arrested this week. Dee Milliner struggled early last year and Chance Warmack was a non-impact player for Tennessee and is overweight coming into this off-season. Besides Julio Jones, Alabama products have been...well overrated.

Kyle Fuller is the best cornerback in the class. Virginia Tech has put good corners in the league such as DeAngelo Hall, Brandon Flowers, and Kam Chancellor. Fuller is physical and plays the run.

Johnny Manziel will be the only remaining starting quarterback from this class in four years. I think this class is overrated and has a lot of bust potential. Blake Bortles can develop but I think he will be an average starter in the league.

Zach Martin, Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III will all be solid players in the NFL. Notre Dame players have been solid NFL players and all three of their top prospects this year have potential to be pro-bowl players at the next level.

Clowney will have a similar type career to Julius Peppers. Peppers was a freak coming out of North Carolina but people questioned his work ethic and if he played with the same intensity every play. The same is asked about Clowney. I think Clowney will be good early based on pure athletic ability but as he ages he will be just like every other defensive end. I think him standing up at outside linebacker in a 3-4 is not a good situation for him.

Player Profile: West Virginia Wide Receiver Kevin White

By: Daniel Ingham

MORGANTOWN, W. Va.,- Bent over with his hands on his knees, the sweat dripping down his face, Kevin White stood at the center of Milan Puskar Stadium, hungry for the football season to begin for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

White threw down his duffle bag and dragged his body into his room. He collapsed on his bed and laid their face down, exhausted. After five minutes, White sat up with his face in his hands, realizing his night was far from over.

As the 2013 season approached for the Mountaineers, White realized what it was like to be a college athlete at a big university.

Coming into the season, White expected to start and have an immediate impact for the Mountaineers. White stayed in Morgantown for the entire summer, working his tail off to be a starter at wide receiver for opening day. “I worked out at least six hours a day over the summer, preparing for the start of the season,” White said.

 “We put in our special teams work on Sundays, and by Tuesday we put in the game plan for our opponent that week,” White said.

Being a college athlete is grueling. Managing enough time for both school and football is a challenge every college athlete faces. “It’s tough you have to manage your time well. If you have a test you have to find time to study for your test and study for your opponent,” White said.

A rising issue in collegiate athletics is whether or not college athletes should be paid or not. Athletes are required to perform on the field and do all the necessary preparation prior to game day, but also have to consistently perform in the classroom. A college athlete’s schedule is exhausting, demanding and time consuming, making football seem as close to a job as it could possibly be.

With his hair still wet from the shower, White sat down at the table and began stuffing his face with food. White had just finished his morning workout and had 20 minutes until class started. White kicked out his seat and jumped up. He flung his backpack over his shoulder, grabbed what was left on his plate and began hustling to class.

“On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I lift at 6:30 a.m. and then go to three straight classes. After that I eat, go to practice and then watch film. There’s only about two hours for me to do my school work at night. I go to sleep around 10:30 p.m. and wake up and do it all again,” White said.

Two hours a day is not a lot of time for a college student to get the proper amount of studying they need to excel in the classroom. Athletes are asked to do extra-circular activities for the university as well.

“We have to talk to the media every Tuesday. We also have like a fan day. We have to sign like a thousand balls, t-shirts and other stuff for the fans,” White said. College athletes are signing autographs for fans, and not making a single dollar from it. All the revenue that they help produce for the athletic program is being pocketed by the university and spent on other necessities.

Despite the challenges that college athletes face, White has responded to each and every one. From almost quitting football in his freshmen year at Lackawanna Junior College, to now dealing with the day-to-day grueling lifestyle of a division one athlete, Kevin White has never lost sight of his dream.

“Getting to the point in life that I am at right now wasn’t easy, but all the obstacles I had to overcome taught me life lessons that I will cherish forever,” White said.

In White’s first career game as a Mountaineer, he had seven receptions for 80 yards against Oklahoma. Since then White has emerged as the go-to-guy for West Virginia. He is second in the team in receiving yards with 244 and leads the team in touchdown receptions with three.

“I want to help this team win football games. Winning is the only thing that matters and I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to help our team accomplish our goals,” White said.

The road to West Virginia University was not easy for White. White had to overcome many obstacles on his way to becoming a Mountaineer.

Kevin White grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey but his mother was dissatisfied with the bad neighborhood and decided to leave. White and his family moved to Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania where White attended Emmaus High School. White played cornerback on the junior varsity team all the way up to his senior year. Finally in his senior year White was moved up to varsity and played wide receiver.

“He worked hard to prepare for our senior season,” Brent Gearhart, White’s high school teammate said. “He had never played wide receiver before, but he did what coach asked of him and really improved our football team.”

White was elected to the All-Lehigh Valley Athletic Conference team as a receiver and defensive back. He had 46 catches for 747 yards, and 10 touchdowns.

“I remember playing Emmaus our senior year. White had a big game making plays all over the field. He scored a touchdown on us, but we ended up beating them in overtime,” said Dom Posocco, the Parkland quarterback that played against White in high school. “It’s no surprise to me that he’s had so much success and is now playing at West Virginia.”

As White emerged as a star for Emmaus, he began receiving offers from colleges to play football. “Pittsburgh, Youngstown State and a couple of Division 1 AA offered me scholarships, but my grades were too bad,” White said. Due to White’s grades in high school, he decided to attend Lackawanna Junior College.

Coach Charles Grande recruited Kevin White to come to Lackawanna. “One of our former players who runs a sports performance recommended him to us. When I saw his film I knew he had the ability. He has size, speed and athletic ability,” Grande said.

Before attending Lackawanna, White played in a high school all-star game where he injured his shoulder. At his first year at Lackawanna he battled through an irritating shoulder injury that led to him being redshirted.

“Kevin worked hard to come back. He did what we asked of him but the injury was a nagging one so we decided it was in his best interest to redshirt him,” said Mark Duda, head coach of Lackawanna.
White was very discouraged by the injury and left Lackawanna and took the spring semester off. He was deciding whether or not to quit football and give up his dream. After talking with his family members, White decided to rejoin the team in the fall.

“Kevin is a very polite and courteous individual. He has always been very respectful to me as his coach and all his teachers when at Lackawanna. As a football player he is hard working, serious and dedicated. It was a pleasure to have coached him,” Duda said.

In his second season at Lackawanna, White started at receiver, grabbing 36 balls for 535 yards and six touchdowns. He received offers from Texas Tech and West Virginia before finally deciding to attend West Virginia University last spring.

What We Learned in the NFL this week

1. Everyone was drooling over the Eagles high powered offense after their win opening night against Washington. Reality has set in over these past two weeks however. The Eagles are a mediocre team and beat a terrible Redskins team. The Chargers traveled across the country and beat the Eagles last week, now the Chiefs travel half way across the country and beat the Eagles on a short week. The Eagles have a lot to look forward to, but it won't be anything more than a 8-8 record this season.

2. The Houston Texans weren't very good down the stretch last year, and they've carried over their poor performances to the start of this season as well. Matt Schuab has been awful to start the year and the Texans should be 0-3.

3. The New York Giants stink. The offensive line is the worst its been in a decade. The Giants can't run the football and can't protect Eli Manning. The defense has no pass rush and the Giants three starting linebackers, wouldn't start on any other team in the league. The Giants have gotten away with being bad and then stringing together some heroic run that won them two Super Bowls, but it is time for a change in New York. That method won't cut it anymore. The Giants have either tuned out Tom Coughlin or the personnel lacks talent. Either way at the end of the year, expect many big name Giants (Justin Tuck, Antrel Rolle, David Baas, Hakeem Nicks, David Diehl) to be on the brink of having to find a spot on a new team for next year.

4. The Indianapolis Colts went to San Francisco and beat the 49ers this weekend. Talk about impressive! The Colts also acquired Trent Richardson last week. If the defense continues to play well, the Colts might be the biggest threat to the Broncos in the AFC. Andrew Luck vs. Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship game?  Who wouldn't pay to see that.

5. The Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins improved to 3-0 this weekend. Dolphins beat a good Atlanta Falcons team and the progress Ryan Tannehill is making in his second season now has him in the same category as Luck, RG3 and Wilson. The Bears defense takes the ball away from you and then scores better then anyone in the league. With the weapons Cutler has now, Bears look to be the hot story in the NFC.

6. The San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers are a combined 3-9 this season. That's 4 out of the 6 playoff teams in the NFC from a year ago. Will we see a whole new field of teams in the NFC make the playoffs this year? Or will these teams turn it around this week?

What We Learned in Football this Weekend

What we learned this week in the NFL:

-The Chicago Bears have weapons on offense. Martellus Bennett, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte give the Bears a solid tandem of explosive play makers for Jay Cutler. Impressive win by the Bears in a tough divisional game against Minnesota. There defense always creates turnovers and with the improvement of the offensive line, the Bears seem like a threat in the NFC.

-Washington will take a step back this year. Robert Griffin III just isn’t what he was last year. The threat of his running the football is no longer there and his terrible mechanics throwing the ball will have to be something he overcomes.

-The Dolphins can contend in the AFC East. Going into Indianapolis and pulling out a win was big for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. With all the new pieces the Dolphins brought in this offseason the Dolphins roster is talented enough to win the AFC East. If the Patriots continue to struggle, Miami will be nipping at its heels all season.

-Having a solid back up running back in the NFL are much more important than people may think. Ben Tate, Bernard Pierce, James Starks and Knowshon Moreno all had breakout games this week. Each of these running backs were the difference makers and helped there team win on Sunday.

-The New York Giants do nothing but turn the football over. The lack of running game for the Giants, which is pathetic to say the least, has led to Eli Manning throwing over 40 passes the last two games. This just isn’t the identity of the New York Giants. If the Giants can’t run the ball effectively, it will be a long year for the Eli Manning and the Giants.

- The Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers game Sunday night was nothing but sloppy. Penalties and turnovers were the story of the game. Colin Kaepernick looked tentative to run the football and the wide receivers failed to win one-on-one with the Seattle defensive backs. Seattle got the better of the Niners at home, I expect the Niners to return the favor later in the year when Seattle travels to San Francisco.

What We Learned in College Football:

-Texas A&M defense is still a Big 12 type defense. Johnny Manziel needed maybe 3 or 4 stops on Saturday from his defense in order to beat the Tide. Manziel was sensational as well as Mike Evans, answering anything Saban and the Alabama defense threw at him. With a win in College Station, Alabama only has LSU to beat before it plays for another SEC Championship.

- UCLA is a threat this year. After being down 18, UCLA scored 31 unanswered points to defeat Nebraska in Lincoln. Brett Hundley is only a sophomore but is developing into a prime time player for Jim Mora.  We will see how serious UCLA’s Rose Bowl chances can be after they have back to back road games at Stanford and at Oregon later in the season.

- Mack Brown won’t make it through the season. The program has fallen off since their title match with Alabama a couple of years ago. They are horrific on defense, making tackling look near impossible for their defense. Inconsistent play at quarterback since Colt McCoy left and not many explosive players on offense leaves Texas with no choice but to move in a new direction, with a new head coach at the end of the season.

Sunday's NFL Week 1 Recap

NFC:

1. The 49ers are going to be a force all season. San Francisco looked great on offense.Colin Kaepernick was on fire throwing the ball all day and looked to be on the same page with his receivers. Anquan Boldin had a career day and Vernon Davis and Kaepernick seem to have found their groove together. The defense looked good even though the Packers scored 28 points. I think the Niners are going to beat the Seahawks easily next Sunday night.

2. New Orleans looked good defensively against Atlanta. They held Atlanta’s explosive offense to just 17 points and 367 yards offense. The Saints D had 3 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. The Falcons defense on the other hand was just OK. Drew Brees and the Saints scored 23 points and had over 400 yards offense. If the Saints defense continues to play well, New Orleans will be the class of the South once again.

3. The New York Giants turned the ball over 6 times Sunday night against Dallas and still had a chance to win. The Giants offense was disgusting and they will be looking for a running back after David Wilson cracked under pressure. Dallas will need to find a way to run the football better and get Dez Bryant more involved in the offense if they want to win games. Both teams looked terrible to say the least.

4. The Detroit Lions are going to be hard to stop with Reggie Bush at their disposal. Bush had 191 yards offense and a touchdown. With him and Calvin Johnson the Lions can score at any time when on offense. The Lions are explosive and even though it was against the Vikings they had 469 yards of total offense and Megatron only had 37 yards receiving.

5.  The Chicago Bears beat a good AFC team in the Bengals on Sunday. Best news for the Bears, Jay Cutler was sacked 0 times. Cutler threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns and the new look Bears defense without Brian Urlacher, still recorded 3 turnovers. The Bears were the biggest surprise this week for me in the NFC. I expected the Bengals to be the more physical team and get to Jay Cutler. If the Bears can protect Cutler like they did on Sunday, the Bears will be very tough to beat.

AFC:

1. The top teams in the AFC struggled on Sunday. The Patriots had a hard time shaking off the Bills, the defending Super Bowl Champs got embarrassed Thursday night and the Cincinnati Bengals got beat by the Chicago Bears. I expect at three of these teams have better performances next week especially the Patriots who seemed out of sync on Sunday especially between Brady and his new wide receivers.

2. The Denver Broncos put on a show Thursday night. Peyton Manning’s seven touchdown passes tied an NFL record. With Thomas, Welker, and Decker at his disposal, Manning might have his best year passing…EVER!

3. The AFC North was 0-4 on opening week. The Ravens got beat down and embarrassed on defense Thursday. The Steelers look like they might have a terrible year on offense barely being able to score against the Titans defense. The Browns turned the ball over but had chances to win the game all day Sunday against Miami, but couldn't execute. The Bengals defense was not as dominate a expected. Next week hopes to be a better showing for the North.

 4. Terrelle Pryor was more than impressive Sunday. With very little to work with, Pryor did enough through the air and with his legs to keep the Raiders in the game with a chance to win. I though Pryor would look much like Tim Tebow but his decision making and accuracy was outstanding. Maybe the Raiders won’t be as bad as well thought?

5. The rookie quarterbacks in the AFC made their debuts. Both looked sloppy at times but both ended up having a chance to win in the fourth quarter. For Geno Smith, he led the Jets to a comeback win and threw a touchdown as well as racking up 267 yards through the air. Smith led the Jets on a game winning drive under a minute that led to a Nick Folk game winning field goal. E.J. Manuel had Tom Brady and the Pats on the ropes. Manuel had two touchdowns and zero turnovers but Brady came out victorious. Geno Smith will get his chance Thursday night to beat the King of the AFC East.

2013-14 NFL Preview

NFC East: The east is probably the hardest division in the NFC to predict. The Eagles and new coach Chip Kelly will run a very diverse offense that will put up points. But the Eagles defense is where there is concern. Practicing against that finesse type offense everyday makes it tough for a defense to get physical against a team that will run it down their throats. The Redskins depend on Robert Griffin III health. I think the Redskins regress because Shanahan knows he has to have RG3 run less because another injury to the franchise QB and Shanahan’s ass will be on the way out. The Giants have questions all over the roster but are always a tough out. A lot of high profile Giant players are on contract years so the pressure is on in New York. If the Giants can get their pass rush back and sustain a decent running game they can win enough games to make the playoffs. If they do, watch out. The Dallas Cowboys always fall down the stretch. If the Cowboys can stay healthy and Romo minimizes turnovers, they have more than enough talent to win a lot of games.

Division Winner: Dallas Cowboys

NFC North: The Green Bay Packers return a lot of talent and are the team to beat in the North. Injuries all over the offensive line seem to be the major question for the Packers. The Chicago Bears have improved the offensive line and have added some weapons for Jay Cutler. Detroit adds what they were missing on offense, a running game. Reggie Bush will be a threat in the passing game as well. Expect better play from the Lions defense especially the front 7. The Vikings season comes down to Christian Ponder making the next step in his progression of being a franchise quarterback.

Division Winner: Green Bay Packers

NFC South: The Falcons injuries on the offensive line definitely call for concern as well as an average defense. The Falcons can score with anyone but will need better play from the defense if they are going to make it to Super Bowl. The Saints will be better this year than last year with the return of Sean Payton. The defense still stinks though even with Rob Ryan. Carolina’s season depends on the progression of Cam Newton. He has limited offensive weapons at his disposal so it will be tough for the Panthers to win more games than they did last season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will improve if Josh Freeman can player better than last season. With a great secondary and some explosive weapons on offense the Bucs are set to improve on a 7 win season.

Division Winner: Atlanta Falcons

NFC West: The NFC West has the two monsters at the top of the division. Seattle and San Francisco are the class of the NFC and are mirror images of each other. The Cardinals will rely on Carson Palmer and the deep ball to revive them on offense. The Rams are stacked with young talent but how much will their youth progress this season?

Division Winner: Seattle Seahawks

AFC East: The New England Patriots remain the class of this division. Tom Brady will have new targets to pass to, but it’s hard to pick against Belichick and Brady. The Dolphins added a swarm of talent but I think they need a year to mesh with each other before they fight for the division. The Jets and Bills both have young quarterbacks that will struggle in their first season.

Division Winner: New England Patriots

AFC North: The defending Super Bowl champs have new players all over the field, but still have Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. The Steelers have no running back and don’t have many weapons for Big Ben to get the ball to. Their defense is still very old and Troy Polamalu isn't the same player he used to be. The Bengals have the most complete team in the North. Andy Dalton has a great defense to support him, along with some new weapons on offense that they acquired in the draft. The Browns improved and will be very tough every Sunday, but aren't ready for a playoff push just yet.

Division Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

AFC South: The Texans return much of the same team and have acquired a nice big target to go alongside Andre Johnson, in DeAndre Hopkins. They also brought over Ed Reed from the defending champs, and have the best defensive player in football. The Colts will have to improve on defense this year in order to have a chance to win the division. The Jaguars and Titans will have new quarterbacks next season.

Division Winner: Houston Texans

AFC West: Besides the Denver Broncos this division might be the worst in football. I expect Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense to carry them until Von Miller returns. The Broncos defense needs to play late in the year for Denver to reach the Super Bowl. The Raiders will be drafting in the top 3 next year, San Diego in the top 10. I think the Chiefs will scare some people under Andy Reid and will fight for an 8 win season.

Division Winner: Denver Broncos

Super Bowl Match Up: Houston Texans vs. Seattle Seahawks

I think Matt Schuab will play better this year having two big targets on the outside in Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins will help him become a more efficient passer. Arian Foster and Ben Tate provide a great 1, 2 punch as well. The Texans defense last year was fantastic with Brian Cushing in lineup and he is fully healthy after his knee injury from last season. With J.J. Watt, Brian Cushing and Ed Reed the Texans have maybe the best defense in the AFC. If the Texans can stay healthy I think its Houston’s year. The San Francisco 49ers have been right there the last two seasons and have the best defense in football. The NFC is going to be a gauntlet. Each week will be tough and I can see 5 to 6 different teams making a run in the NFC. However I think San Fran is surpassed this year by Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. The defense is the best in league and the Seattle secondary is downright scary to play against. With Percy Harvin giving them a boost late in the year, I think Seattle is the scariest team in the NFC.

Super Bowl Champion: Seattle Seahawks