2014 NFL mock draft: Teddy Bridgewater to Houston Texans at No. 1

A year ago, if someone had told us that the Houston Texans would be picking No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, we'd have laughed hard right in that someone's face. Yet here we are, with the Texans holding the top selection, looking to start in a new direction under first-year NFL head coach Bill O'Brien.

Who better to try to guess what the Texans and O'Brien might do with their selection than Brett Kollmann, our first selector in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft as an ambassador from our Texans community, Battle Red Blog? His pick is in, and he's at the podium already, prepared to explain his decision. Without further ado, Mr. Kollmann:

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"Despite virtually the entire country thinking the contrary, we here at Battle Red Blog do not subscribe to the notion that Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel are worth the first overall pick. While the 'George O’Leary connection', the UCF win over Penn State, and the 'local kid' narratives are nice anecdotes, those are hardly reasons for the Texans to slot an inferior quarterback prospect over Bridgewater, who by all accounts is the best signal caller in this class. When it comes to making actual football sense, this pick really comes down to three players - Bridgewater, Jadeveon Clowney, and Khalil Mack.

"While either Clowney or Mack would be phenomenal additions to the Bulls on Parade, Houston needs a quarterback far more than they need a partner in crime for J.J. Watt. Bridgewater, the former Louisville Cardinal, is clearly the only quarterback of 'the big three' that fits the Bill O’Brien mold, which O’Brien himself detailed last summer at the Nike Coach of the Year clinic. Seeing those quotes and watching those clips, it is hard not to picture one name over and over - Teddy Bridgewater."

Dan Kadar, our beloved NFL Draft analyst, has some thoughts and opinions to share on the Texans' mock draft pick of Bridgewater:

When doing a mock draft, there's a vast difference between should and could. It's the film versus movie theory. The known with the Texans is that they need a quarterback. When teams with the top pick obviously need a quarterback, they take one. So push Clowney and Mack to the side for this discussion. Bridgewater grades out as a higher-rated player than Bortles or Manziel because of his pro-readiness and smarts. But there has been little indication that the Texans will choose him. Because of that, this pick grades out as smart because it's the top quarterback. It's questionable only if you prefer mock drafts that have believability.

With that, the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft is officially underway. Pick Nos. 2-4 will come your way tomorrow at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. ET, respectively. Until then, be sure to let Mr. Kollmann and the fine folks at BRB know exactly what you think of their selection of Bridgewater.

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