2014 NFL mock draft: Jaguars select Jadeveon Clowney

With the third pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2014 NFL mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Big.AL is serving as the Jaguars' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.

The decision to take defensive end Jadeveon Clowney out of South Carolina was a no-brainer. Clowney is the best player in this draft and he may be the most talented prospect the NFL Draft has seen in years.

Although quarterback is the team's biggest need, this class' talent level is not ideal. The Jaguars simply have too many holes to fill to warrant another miss at QB. The Blaine Gabbert experiment is over, as the former first-rounder was traded to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick, and presumed starter Chad Henne was re-signed on a two-year deal, setting the QB position for at least the immediate future.

Even with the offseason acquisitions of Red Bryant, Chris Clemons and Ziggy Hood, the Jags are in dire need of production from the DE position. With only 31 team sacks and 131.8 yards/game given up on the ground last year, a renovated D-line was a must. Jason Babin is a penalty machine, and Tyson Alualu, another former first-rounder, graded out at -18.3 in the pass rush last season, according to PFF, second-worst in the league. Clowney can be the crowning piece of the D-line rebuild.

In case you haven't noticed, the Jaguars have been famously bad in the draft, and taking the most surefire prospect in the draft at a position of need is just too easy.

--

Check out the 2014 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.