Updated – Top 40 NFL Draft Prospects

With less than a month until the 2014 NFL Draft and with most of the pro days gone it’s time to reevaluate the top prospects. There have been some surprising player developments with the most notable being Teddy Bridgewater’s saga. Bridgewater who was once projected to be a possible top overall selection has seen his stock plummet after a poor pro day performance and subsequent individual workouts. He has dropped so much that there is a decent buzz around the NFL that he could slip out of the first round.

Jadeveon Clowney, the clear top prospect in the draft turned in an outstanding pro day showing he could physically handle the switch to a 3-4 outside linebacker position if needed. That didn’t stop one anonymous NFC executive from questioning Clowney’s work ethic, however, calling him spoiled, lazy and even saying he has not worked a hard day in his life. That’s just the type of rhetoric you can expect to hear as draft day looms near. Players will be torn down and others built up as NFL general managers and coaches try to play coy as to what their true intentions are in selecting a player.

Some of your late risers include LSU wide-out Odell Beckham, Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, Indiana wide-out Cody Latimer and Boise State defensive-end/outside linebacker Demarcus Lawrence. Prospects sliding as draft day approaches include the aforementioned Bridgewater, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard and Florida State defensive tackle Tim Jernigan.

With all that said here’s my second look at the Top 40 draft prospects for the upcoming May 8^th NFL Draft.

The Fantastic Four!

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

2. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

3. Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn

4. Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo

Rounding out the Top 10 prospects.

5. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

6. Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M

7. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

8. Anthony Barr, DE/OLB, UCLA

9. Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State

10. Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh

Best of the rest…

11. Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina

12. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

13. Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida

14. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

15. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

16. Darqueze Dennard, DB, Michigan State

17. Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville

18. Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State

19. Zach Martin, OT, Notre Dame

20. Odell Beckham, WR, Louisiana State

Just outside the Top 20.

21. Tim Jernigan, DT, Florida State

22. Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State

23. Bradley Roby, DB, Ohio State

24. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

25. Kyle Fuller, DB, Virginia Tech

26. Marqise Lee, WR, Southern California

27. Louis Nix III, DT, Notre Dame

28. Dee Ford, DE/OLB, Auburn

29. Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota

30. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State

31. Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri

32. Jason Verrett, DB, TCU

33. Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia

34. Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State

35. Stephon Truitt, DT, Notre Dame

36. Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, UCLA

37. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Boise State

38. Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech

39. Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU

40. Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State