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True NFL Draft Grades: 2014 Draft, Four Years Later
LOS ANGELES (THEN ST. LOUIS) RAMS
Round 1 (2 overall). Greg Robinson, T, Auburn
1 (13). Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
2 (41). Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State
3 (75). Tre Mason, RB, Auburn
4 (110). Maurice Alexander, SS, Utah State
6 (188). E.J. Gaines, DB, Missouri
6 (214). Garrett Gilbert, QB, Southern Methodist
7 (226). Mitchell Van Dyk, T, Portland State
7 (241). Christian Bryant, DB, Ohio State
7 (249). Michael Sam, DE, Missouri
7 (250). Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State
Greg Robinson’s career was like one big heavy plop onto a whoopy cushion. He struggled at multiple positions, for multiple coaches and in multiple schemes. At 25, he’s currently an unsigned free agent.
Aaron Donald, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is whatever you’d call the opposite of Greg Robinson.
Tre Mason had off-field problems that his family attributed to head injuries, ending his career.
File this Lamarcus Joyner pick in the back of your mind. Joyner began his career as a nickel slot, but in 2017 he moved to free safety, where he played well enough to warrant a 2018 franchise tag. His 5' 8", 184-pound frame wouldn’t suggest it, but Joyner is a ferocious hitter. He’s also very rangy.
Joyner starts ahead of Maurice Alexander, who has been an adequate backup but is too limited in coverage to start. Also in that secondary was E.J. Gaines, who turned out to be a steal and went to Buffalo in 2017 as part of the Sammy Watkins trade.
The players who were selected after Gaines combined to play 13 NFL games, mainly on special teams. If not for that, and much, much more so for the Robinson pick, this draft would have been a solid A, maybe even an A+ if Joyner keeps ascending. But a giant whiff on the No. 2 overall selection and a disappointing third-round running back can’t be ignored.
Grade: B
True NFL Draft Grades: 2014 Draft, Four Years Later
- Every spring there’s a rush to (prematurely) grade every team’s draft, even though we all know you can’t truly grade a draft until years later, when the players have (or haven’t) developed. With that in mind, a look back at the true grades of the 2014 NFL draft
By ANDY BENOIT
LOS ANGELES (THEN ST. LOUIS) RAMS
Round 1 (2 overall). Greg Robinson, T, Auburn
1 (13). Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
2 (41). Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State
3 (75). Tre Mason, RB, Auburn
4 (110). Maurice Alexander, SS, Utah State
6 (188). E.J. Gaines, DB, Missouri
6 (214). Garrett Gilbert, QB, Southern Methodist
7 (226). Mitchell Van Dyk, T, Portland State
7 (241). Christian Bryant, DB, Ohio State
7 (249). Michael Sam, DE, Missouri
7 (250). Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State
Greg Robinson’s career was like one big heavy plop onto a whoopy cushion. He struggled at multiple positions, for multiple coaches and in multiple schemes. At 25, he’s currently an unsigned free agent.
Aaron Donald, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is whatever you’d call the opposite of Greg Robinson.
Tre Mason had off-field problems that his family attributed to head injuries, ending his career.
File this Lamarcus Joyner pick in the back of your mind. Joyner began his career as a nickel slot, but in 2017 he moved to free safety, where he played well enough to warrant a 2018 franchise tag. His 5' 8", 184-pound frame wouldn’t suggest it, but Joyner is a ferocious hitter. He’s also very rangy.
Joyner starts ahead of Maurice Alexander, who has been an adequate backup but is too limited in coverage to start. Also in that secondary was E.J. Gaines, who turned out to be a steal and went to Buffalo in 2017 as part of the Sammy Watkins trade.
The players who were selected after Gaines combined to play 13 NFL games, mainly on special teams. If not for that, and much, much more so for the Robinson pick, this draft would have been a solid A, maybe even an A+ if Joyner keeps ascending. But a giant whiff on the No. 2 overall selection and a disappointing third-round running back can’t be ignored.
Grade: B
