Original pick: OLB Jadeveon Clowney

New pick: QB Derek Carr

While, in 2014, there was absolutely no chance the Texans would’ve spent another first-overall pick on a quarterback from the Carr family, a redraft hints that it might not have been the worst idea.

Carr emerged as the best quarterback from the very shaky class at the position, but he would have provided stability that the Texans franchise desperately needed at that time. Sure, they had Ryan Fitzpatrick, but Carr would have at least been a multi-year solution that could’ve helped Houston push past nine wins and perhaps better capitalize on the talent the roster had at the time.

Clowney entered the 2014 NFL Draft as one of the most buzzed-about defensive players of his generation, but he wasn’t quite ever able to live up to that hype. However, he remains a starting-caliber pass-rusher that will go later in this draft.

Original pick: T Greg Robinson

New pick: DT Aaron Donald

The Rams nailed one of their first-round picks by taking Donald at No. 13, but we’ll go ahead and have the team take him here, given what a transformational talent he was for the franchise. Robinson didn’t ultimately pan out for the team, but Donald sure did.

Original pick: QB Blake Bortles

New pick: OLB Khalil Mack

The Jaguars tried to solve the quarterback problem on the roster by taking Bortles, but he’s another player in the top few picks of this draft that never quite lived up to the potential. While Bortles had his moments, it’d better help the Jaguars to get a franchise defender like Mack to bolster the defensive front and perhaps wait to 2015 to figure out the quarterback spot with Chad Henne on the roster. Henne wouldn’t have been the solution, but he would have been alright for another year over taking Bortles with the third pick.

Original pick: WR Sammy Watkins

New pick: WR Mike Evans

As the Bills tried to help 2013 first-round quarterback E.J. Manuel, the team drafted Watkins over Evans. In hindsight, that was a flub, as Evans has emerged as a likely Hall of Fame talent that is still playing at his best with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Watkins, meanwhile, was a solid rotational receiver who isn’t in the league any longer. Picking Evans would still perhaps be helping the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen today.

Original pick: OLB Khalil Mack

New pick: DE DeMarcus Lawrence

The Raiders draw one of the short sticks in this redraft by losing out on Mack, but they land Lawrence in this scenario, who is still an impact pass rusher for the Dallas Cowboys and played like one of the truly elite talents at the positions in his prime. It evens out for the Raiders here.

Original pick: T Jake Matthews

New pick: T Jake Matthews

The Falcons hit on Matthews with the sixth-overall pick, as he’s one of the best players in the franchise’s history and still the team’s left tackle. We’ll leave this one as is.

Original pick: WR Mike Evans

New pick: WR Davante Adams

The Bucs did a great job getting Evans here at No. 7 back in 2014, but they lose out on him in this redraft. However, another elite wide receiver right for the taking in Adams. It’s possible that Adams would still be in Tampa Bay at this point as one of the game’s best wide receivers.

Original pick: CB Justin Gilbert

New pick: T Joel Bitonio

The Browns whiffed on Gilbert with the eighth-overall pick, but the team nailed drafting Bitonio in the second round. He’s been such an excellent player for the franchise that picking him this early would still reward the initiative to draft him in the first place.

Original pick: OLB Anthony Barr

New pick: OLB Anthony Barr

Barr was a slam-dunk pick for the Vikings at the time, as he made the Pro Bowl from 2015-18 for his role in helping anchor the Minnesota defense. He’s one of the better linebackers to ever play for the Vikings, so we’ll keep him where he was drafted since it worked out as well as it did.

Original pick: TE Eric Ebron

New pick: OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Here’s Clowney’s landing spot, not too, too far off from the first-overall pick. The Lions had a stellar 2014 season, and having Clowney on the defensive line could have helped tremendously, especially come playoff time. Playing next to Ndamukong Suh would been a great spot for him to develop.

Original pick: T Taylor Lewan

New pick: T Taylor Lewan

Like Matthews, Lewan started plenty of games for the Titans as their left tackle, and Tennessee probably makes this pick again in a redraft situation.

Original pick: WR Odell Beckham Jr.

New pick: WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Once hauling in perhaps the greatest catch in NFL history, Beckham was an electric talent that made the Giants an incredibly fun watch for a stretch there. We don’t think New York would veer off of this pick in a different direction.

Original pick: DT Aaron Donald

New pick: G Zack Martin

The Rams solve their left guard spot with their second first-round pick, landing another future Hall of Famer in Martin that would’ve given then-St. Louis a much better situation to keep quarterback Sam Bradford up and healthy. Perhaps that could have elevated the team’s ceiling. Either way, it would not be a shock to see Martin still playing for the Rams now in this scenario.

Original pick: CB Kyle Fuller

New pick: CB Kyle Fuller

Fuller played at a high level for the Bears for a number of years at cornerback, and it’d be surprising for Chicago to make any other pick than this in a class where Fuller stands tall.

Original pick: LB Ryan Shazier

New pick: LB Ryan Shazier

Shazier played well for the Steelers during his time with the team, making two Pro Bowls. A tragic injury cut his career short, but he did a very commendable job for Pittsburgh and sticks here.

Original pick: G Zack Martin

New pick: OLB Shaquil Barrett

Missing out on Martin and Lawrence is a brutal draw here for the Cowboys, but we’ll soften the blow by drafting them the best undrafted player in this class, pass rusher in Barrett. Ahead of his 19-sack season in 2019, he was a steady rotational talent that could’ve perhaps reached his prime a bit quicker in Dallas with more opportunity for snaps.

Original pick: LB C.J. Mosley

New pick: LB C.J. Mosley

Mosley earned his star power while playing for the Ravens in the middle of their defense, and we’re betting Baltimore would be very happy with keeping this selection as it was.

Original pick: S Calvin Pryor

New pick: WR Allen Robinson

While Pryor sadly didn’t work out for the Jets, the team manages to improve on its pick here with Robinson, an emerging top receiver at the time who could have helped quarterback Geno Smith find success as he was getting his career going in New York.

Original pick: T Ja’Wuan James

New pick: WR Jarvis Landry

The Dolphins landed a right tackle with the team’s 19th pick, one we’re guessing they’d probably land in the second round in our redraft. Instead, we’ll move up the team’s second-round pick up to the first, as Landry found plenty of success with the Dolphins after joining the team.

Original pick: WR Brandin Cooks

New pick: WR Sammy Watkins

The Saints traded Cooks after three seasons, and we wonder how Watkins would’ve done with having someone like Drew Brees as his quarterback. Call this a fascinating “What if?” that we’ll include in this redraft scenario.

Original pick: S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

New pick: S Jimmie Ward

Clinton-Dix had a stellar 2016 season for the Packers, but Ward would’ve provided more longevity at the position. Here, we’ll go for the guy who stayed with his team longer than the one who flashed and then went elsewhere in 2018.

Original pick: QB Johnny Manziel

New pick: DT Shelby Harris

As history will remind you, the Manziel pick did not work out for Cleveland as the franchise is still looking for a complete answer at quarterback. Harris plays there now after spending a number of years playing well elsewhere, and we’ll just go ahead and put him here so he can get his career started where he’d eventually end up. The Browns roll with Brian Hoyer for the season here.

Original pick: DE Dee Ford

New pick: DE Dee Ford

Ford made the Pro Bowl in 2018 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, and we don’t think Kansas City would’ve changed its mind on this pick given who was coming down the pike in 2017.

Original pick: CB Darqueze Dennard

New pick: CB Darqueze Dennard

Dennard had a solid, six-season career with the Bengals as a starting cornerback, meaning that Cincinnati got exactly who it needed in this draft. While it doesn’t do much for the excitement of our redraft, we’ll keep Dennard right where he was drafted.

Original pick: CB Jason Verrett

New pick: CB Bradley Roby

Verrett started out his career on an incredibly promising note, but injuries sadly derailed his potential. Roby has been one of the more consistent slot corners in the NFL since being drafted in 2014, and we’ll put him here for a Chargers team that clearly had interest in the secondary.

Original pick: LB Marcus Smith

New pick: LB Kyle Van Noy

Smith never cemented himself as a long-term starter for the Eagles, but Van Noy could’ve etched himself a more permanent place in the Philadelphia lineup after working as a reliable jack-of-all-trades throughout his 10-year career so far.

Original pick: S Deone Bucannon

New pick: S Lamarcus Joyner

Joyner had a bit more success and longevity in the NFL than Bucannon did, so we’ll go ahead and slot him in here as the Cardinals’ first-round selection in a draft class that wasn’t great for the position.

Original pick: WR Kelvin Benjamin

New pick: WR Brandin Cooks

Cooks goes to another NFC South team in Carolina as an upgrade over the Benjamin pick, as we wonder if he would’ve been a key part in later helping that elite 2015 Panthers team actually win a Super Bowl with his speed as a deep threat.

Original pick: DT Dominique Easley

New pick: DT DaQuan Jones

While Easley didn’t ultimately pan out for the Patriots, they get perhaps one of the most underrated defensive players of the last decade in Jones, who continues to play at a steady pace a decade into the league. He would’ve been a really nice fit in a Bill Belichick defense.

Original pick: S Jimmie Ward

New pick: C Corey Linsley

With Ward already off the board, the 49ers snag Linsley here as their center of the future. He would’ve helped make San Francisco’s 2014 offensive line even better than it already was.

Original pick: CB Bradley Roby

New pick: WR John Brown

Passing on Roby, the Broncos add some serious speed to the receiving core instead with Brown. He would’ve been incredibly fun to watch play with Peyton Manning.

Original pick: QB Teddy Bridgewater

New pick: QB Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater is a beloved member of Vikings history and worked for a decade as a solid starter and excellent backup quarterback, so we’ll keep him in Minnesota lore with the last pick in the first round.