Knowing what they know now, the Houston Texans could not feel as good about making Jadeveon Clowney the first pick in the 2014 NFL draft. The St. Louis Rams might have gotten the order reversed when they took Greg Robinson second and Aaron Donald at lucky No. 13. And what to make of Odell Beckham Jr. after he lit up opposing defenses as the third receiver selected?
While NFL teams do not get second chances in the draft, the benefit of hindsight and a few assists from veteran talent evaluators set the foundation for re-ranking of the leading 2014 draft prospects. This retrospective Top 25 features seven receivers overall, including two in the top four slots. Three quarterbacks made the list based partly on positional value, while a fourth QB -- Jimmy Garoppolo -- trailed nearby despite not playing (or perhaps because of it).
This list amounts to a look at how teams might now see the 2014 draft prospects they selected near the top of the round. There's no sense in completely discarding predraft evaluations after just one season, but first impressions are too important to ignore. That helps explain why the first three overall selections -- Clowney, Robinson and Blake Bortles -- fell long distances.
Here is our top 25 re-ranking of the 2014 NFL draft class, created with the input of NFL evaluators:
1. Khalil Mack, OLB, Oakland Raiders: Mack validated his top-five status with a promising rookie season. The Raiders expect him to spend less time in coverage and more time rushing the passer this season.