Who were the 12 players drafted before Aaron Donald in 2014?

Barry Werner

January 3, 2022 at 9:25 PM·4 min read

Ram tough

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The St. Louis Rams were actually one of the teams that passed on choosing Aaron Donald in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. The Pittsburgh star defensive lineman was the Rams’ second choice in the first round. How did the players chosen before the best defensive player in the league turn out for their teams?

1. Houston Texans, Jadeveon Clowney

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The defensive end from South Carolina was thought of as a generational player, certainly a franchise guy. He didn’t turn out that way and wound up bouncing from team to team. He went to Pro Bowls from 2016-18 but is now on his fourth team, third in the last three seasons.

2. St. Louis Rams, Greg Robinson

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Why draft Aaron Donald with the second pick in the draft when you can choose Auburn OT Greg Robinson? This pick did not pan out well for the Rams, so they can be thankful they used their second first-rounder to choose Donald. For Robinson, three teams and out of the NFL after 2018.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars, Blake Bortles

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The Jaguars stayed in-state and took Blake Bortles from UCF. Pretty much a bust.

4. Buffalo Bills, Sammy Watkins

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The Bills took Sammy Watkins from Clemson. He has been injury-riddled during his career and has played for multiple teams, never seeming to settle anywhere for more than a few seasons. He is with the Baltimore Ravens currently and has 348 career receptions, 34 for touchdowns.

5. Oakland Raiders, Khalil Mack

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Linebacker Khalil Mack was a brilliant choice by the Raiders. A dumb decision was deciding to trade him to the Chicago Bears for a bunch of draft picks that did not pan out. He has 76.5 sacks but has not reached double figures since 2018.

6. Atlanta Falcons, Jake Matthews

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He comes from a royal football family but didn’t play up to the standard others set for him. He is durable, having played in every game with the exception of 2014 when he appeared in 15. He has made 127 starts.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Evans

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The Buccaneers plucked Mike Evans out of Texas A&M, one of three Aggie first-rounders in 2014 who became a star. If you are wondering who else was chosen out of College Station with Matthews and Evans — how about Johnny Manziel? Evans has 600 receptions for better than 9,200 yards and 73 touchdowns.

8. Cleveland Browns, Justin Gilbert

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The Browns went into the Big 12 and took Oklahoma State DB Justin Gilbert. At least they didn’t reach here for Manziel. (He was the 22nd overall pick in the first round.) Gilbert was out of the NFL after 2016.

9. Minnesota Vikings, Anthony Barr

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Anthony Barr is the Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate for the Vikings this season. He has done a solid job on the Minnesota defense, though he has seen his share of dings and dents.

10. Detroit Lions, Eric Ebron

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What a surprise that someone the Lions expected to be a franchise player at tight end did not turn out well for Detroit. He remains in the league, playing for the Steelers. He had 186 catches during his four years with Detroit.

11. TennesseeTitans, Taylor Lewan

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The Titans dipped into the Big Ten and got a big offensive tackle in Taylor Lewan. He has been an inspirational leader and top player for Tennessee.

12. New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr.

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The Giants got a talented wide receiver out of LSU in Odell Beckham Jr. With his incredible ability, he also brought tons of attitude. Beckham wore out his welcome with Big Blue and the Cleveland Browns. He is currently doing well for the Los Angeles Rams.

13. St. Louis Rams, Aaron Donald

Michael Chow-Arizona Republic

The Rams struck platinum when they drafted Donald out of Pittsburgh. His brilliance and strength are unmatched. Double-teams, triple-teams, no problem. Donald has 98 career sacks and has reached double-digits five years in a row.

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