Early look at Bruins in the 2014 NFL draft

The 2014 NFL draft is less than a year away! Depending on who does or doesn’t declare, the Bruins could have two first-round picks for the first time since 1981.

Here’s a roundup of some too-early mock drafts/prospect rankings.

Sports Illustrated:
Brett Hundley — No. 8
Anthony Barr — No. 20

Chris Burke is higher on Hundley than anyone else listed here, and is also lower on Barr — whom he calls a potential “Von Miller-type” should he be drafted by a 4-3 team. The analyst does hedge a bit on the No. 20: “Odds are, in the long run, that Barr might be off the board well before this next April.”

NFL.com:
Anthony Barr — No. 7

Although Barr was already a first-round pick in 2013, Bucky Brooks approves of the linebacker’s decision to return to school: “Given another season to master the tricks of the trade, Barr could make a case for consideration as the top defender in college football — and as a legitimate top-10 pick.”

CBS Sports:
Anthony Barr — No. 9

Dane Brugler has Barr as the fifth defender to go, behind such names as South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley.

National Football Post:
Anthony Barr — No. 13
Brett Hundley — No. 19

Quarterbacks rarely declare after their sophomore campaigns, and I still don’t expect Hundley to buck that trend. NFP’s Dave Miller: “I wonder if Rick Neuheisel would still be coaching the Bruins had Hundley not been redshirted in 2011. The dual-threat signal-caller threw for 3,745 yards and recorded 38 total touchdowns last year and is primed to possibly improve on those numbers.”

Athlon Sports:
Anthony Barr — No. 10
Brett Hundley — No. 43
Xavier Su’a-Filo — No. 65
Cassius Marsh — No. 68

This projection currently has Su’a-Filo, who projects as a guard at the next level, as the first pick of the third round. He should be firmly entrenched in the second by the end of next season, and could even stick around to finish his eligibility.