2011 NFL Draft: 50 Bold Predictions
There are only about 150 days left until 2011 NFL Draft weekend.
Get excited.
Every year, self-proclaimed experts attempt to predict what team will pick which player. Every year, no one is right.
Hours upon hours are put into mock drafts.
But the end result of almost every one is just the mocking of fans saying, "Wow, you weren't even close."
For every Sam Bradford, obvious pick, there is a Tyson Alualu that no one in the world called right.
Despite being against the odds, that is exactly what will be attempted today.
Here are 50 bold predictions about the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft:
50. It Will Be a Light Draft for Offensive Tackles
1 of 50
There were four offensive tackles taken in the first round of the last two drafts and seven taken in the year before.
As of now, there are only three that have a chance to be selected in the first round: LSU's Joseph Barksdale, Boston College's Anthony Costanzo and Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod.
49. A Safety Won't Be Picked in the 1st Round
2 of 50
2011 brings one of the weakest safety classes in recent memory.
Not even one will be selected in the first round.
48. 4 Receivers Will Be Taken in the 1st Round
3 of 50
Georgia's A.J. Green, Alabama's Julio Jones, Notre Dame's Michael Floyd and Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin are all first-round locks and future studs.
Four lucky quarterbacks will be ecstatic after the first round.
47. 4 More Receivers Will Be Taken in the 2nd
4 of 50
Miami's Leonard Hankerson, Ohio State's DeVier Posey, Boise State's Austin Pettis and Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles are all second-round locks, at least.
With good workouts, any of them could slip into the first.
This is a great year to need a wide receiver.
46. 3 Cornerbacks Will Be Taken Inside the Top 10
5 of 50
LSU's Patrick Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukarama are two of the best cornerback prospects in the last decade.
They've been top-10 locks for some time, but Miami's Brandon Harris has developed into a legitimate shutdown corner this season and his stock has sky-rocketed.
45. 5 UNC Players Will Get Drafted in the First Two Rounds
6 of 50
Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Marvin Austin, outside linebacker Bruce Carter, inside linebacker Quan Sturdivant and safety Deunta Williams will all get selected in Round 1 or 2.
44. Noel Devine Will Be a Late 1st-Early 2nd Round Pick
7 of 50
Fast running backs get drafted higher than slow running backs: true story.
Noel Devine will most likely run the fastest 40 time at the combine. He's not an every-down back, but his game-breaking speed will make quite a luxury pick for a team at the end of the first.
43. Andrew Luck Will Be Selected 1st Overall
8 of 50
There are some pretty ugly teams in the NFL this year.
Whoever receives the No. 1 pick won't be able to pass up on a franchise quarterback.
42. Jake Locker Will Fall
9 of 50
It happens almost every year.
A projected top-10 quarterback drops into the 20's, or even the second round.
After his poor play in 2010, Locker will be the next victim of the fall.
41. Jacquizz and James Rodgers Will Get Drafted by the Same Team
10 of 50
They're two explosive players that will fall in the draft because of size and will instantly add excitement to an offense.
It just wouldn't be the same if they weren't together.
40. No Quarterbacks Will Be Drafted with the Wildcat in Mind
11 of 50
No Pat White or Armanti Edwards this year.
The Wildcat, though still being used, has died down this season.
Sorry, Tyrod Taylor.
39. Roger Goodell Will Mispronounce Someone's Name
12 of 50
My money is on him having trouble with Prince Amukamara.
A-mook-a-rama...?
38. The Patriots Will Trade Down from the 1st Round
13 of 50
The New England Patriots are always the most busy team come draft weekend.
They frequently trade down for future draft picks. That's exactly why they have so many selections going into every draft.
37. The Browns Will Surround Colt McCoy with Talent
14 of 50
The Browns hit big last year, drafting Colt McCoy.
Mike Holmgren has been in the league long enough to know that you must surround a young quarterback with weapons for him to be successful.
Look for a number of receivers and offensive linemen to be selected that can make an immediate impact.
36. The Eagles Will Go Cornerback in the 1st Round
15 of 50
Dimitri Patterson played well against Washington, intercepting two passes.
But his position could be upgraded.
A secondary with Asante Samuel, Nate Allen, Quintin Mikell and a first-round corner would be lethal.
35. The Cowboys Will Pick the Best Available Player
16 of 50
The Cowboys' biggest weakness this season was the head coaching position.
They are one of the most talented teams in the NFL despite their record, and will have the luxury of simply selecting the best player available.
34. The Bengals Will Select At Least 1 Player with Character Concerns
17 of 50
Andre Smith, Rey Maualuga, Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap—those are just some of Cincy's early picks in the last two years.
One of those suspended UNC players is pretty much a Bengal already.
33. The Colts Will Put Off Drafting a Defensive Tackle Early
18 of 50
Defensive tackle has been a rather large need for the Colts for years, but they've continued to ignore it.
Their defense has been shaky at times, but they seem to be content with putting the best available players nobody wants between Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.
32. Sam Bradford and Jimmie Clausen Will Each Get a Receiver in the 1st Round
19 of 50
It's a must for the Rams and Panthers to get their franchise quarterback a future stud wide receiver to throw to.
Both teams need help at the position badly.
31. The Texans Will Go Defense in the 1st Round
20 of 50
Four out of the past five years, the Texans have gone defense in the first round.
Add in the fact that they have the worst secondary in the league, and it looks as though that trend will continue.
30. The Raiders Will Make Us Laugh At Least Once
21 of 50
Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree, then Michael Mitchell the next round.
Enough said.
29. Ozzie Newsome Will Look Like a Genius Again
22 of 50
Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody both fell in the draft, right into the Ravens' lap.
They both happen to play a position of need. Plus, they drafted two top tight ends in the following rounds, the team's biggest need at that point.
Oh yeah, they didn't even have a first-round pick.
28. The Jaguars Will Pick the Same Position with Their First 2 Selections
23 of 50
First, the Jaguars draft defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves.
Then tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, and finally defensive tackles Tyson Aluala and D'Anthony Smith.
That has to be the worst draft strategy ever invented, bar none.
27. The Titans Will Select at least 1 Player from a D1-AA School
24 of 50
From Cortland Finnegan to Jacob Ford to William Hayes, it will happen again.
The Titans like players with chips on their shoulders.
26. The Bears Will Use At Least Their First 2 Picks on Offensive Linemen
25 of 50
The Bears spent two first-round picks on Jay Cutler.
They obviously value him highly.
He's been sacked and hit more than any other passer in the league this season. The Bears' front office must, and will, fix that offensive line.
25. The Chargers Will Draft a Receiver Early
26 of 50
There is no way Vincent Jackson will re-sign in San Diego.
A core of Malcom Floyd, Patrick Crayton and Legedu Naanee can be easily upgraded.
Look for them to select a big receiver like Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin.
24. The Draft's "Theme Song" Will Be About New York City
27 of 50
Last year, we heard "Empire State of Mind" 1,000 times during the draft.
The song we'll here this year may come out soon. Nas is working on a new album.
23. ESPN Will Ruin the Suspense
28 of 50
ESPN will continue to show the players talking on the phone before the picks are announced.
It ruins the suspense, it ruins the fun and it ruins the draft.
22. The Green Room Won't Be Emptied
29 of 50
Someone always falls farther than projected in the green room.
Players have been accepting green room invitations less and less. This year, the NFL will desperately invite a player who has no chance to get picked in the first round.
21. There Will Be a Huge Story on Mark Herzlich
30 of 50
Last year, the headline feel-good strories were about Stafon Johnson and Myron Rolle.
This year, Mark Herzlich's heroic recovery from cancer will be a major part of draft day.
20. The Cardinals Will Draft a Quarterback in the 1st Round
31 of 50
Derek Anderson and Max Hall are obviously not the answer for Kurt Warner's replacement.
The Cardinals must find a legit franchise quarterback if they want to bring back the high-powered offense that carried them to the Super Bowl.
19. Mike Pouncey Will Be Reunited with His Brother
32 of 50
Maurkice Pouncey was drafted 18th overall last year by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers have a huge hole at offensive guard. Mike Pouncey is an offensive guard.
The Steelers' draft selection will most likely be near the end of the first round. Mike Pouncey is projected to be selected at the end of the first round.
Wishful thinking? Not at all.
18. The 49ers Will Refuse to Draft a Quarterback
33 of 50
They've had chances to make moves for a quarterback in the past, but have failed to pull the trigger.
For some unknown reason, the 49ers seem content with Alex Smith under center.
17. Josh McDaniels and the Broncos Will Make Headlines with Their First Pick
34 of 50
Josh McDaniels is all about doing his own thing.
He pretty much swapped Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall for Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas.
Whoever the Broncos select in Round 1 will be a major story for the first day.
16. The Vikings Will Select a Quarterback in the 1st Round
35 of 50
With Brad Childress' firing, the unbreakable allegiance to Brett Favre will be destroyed.
Whoever takes over in Minnesota will want a fresh start. The new coach will draft "their guy" in the first round.
15. Detroit Will Yet Again Put Off Drafting an Offensive Lineman Early
36 of 50
The Lions' offensive line has been horrible forever.
They continue to put off upgrading it every April.
It remains to be seen if multiple injuries to their young franchise quarterback will get the front office to realize they need a left tackle.
14. Pete Carroll Will "Betray" More USC Players
37 of 50
First, Taylor Mays felt betrayed, and then Damian Williams.
It's going to happen again.
Pete Carroll cares more about winning than keeping friendships, but that's a good thing for the Seahawks.
13. Jets Fans Will Boo Their 1st-Round Pick
38 of 50
If the Jets don't win the Super Bowl, they will be very picky this upcoming draft after the spending spree they went on last offseason.
Drunk, angry fans tend to boo excessively.
12. The Next Brandon Banks: Philip Livas
39 of 50
Brandon Banks is an undersized rookie return ace for the Washington Redskins who has made a name for himself in his first year in the league.
Phillip Livas out of Louisiana Tech will follow in his footsteps.
11. The Next LeGarrette Blount: Graig Cooper
40 of 50
LeGarrette Blount fell in the draft because of concerns about his character.
He was signed as an undrafted free agent, cut, and now is receiving major reps for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Graig Cooper will fall in the draft because he tore his ACL late last season and hasn't gotten back to where he was before the injury.
When he does get back to 100 percent, he has the talent to be the next undrafted back to make a significant impact on Sundays.
10. Steal of the 1st Round: Travis Lewis
41 of 50
Lewis will fall because 4-3 outside linebackers aren't a position of great value.
First-round linebackers have a very low bust rate and often make a huge impact their first years.
9. Steal of the 2nd Round: Kyle Rudolph
42 of 50
Rudolph is the best tight end by far in the 2011 draft class.
He's very balanced, excelling in catching passes and run-blocking. With his 6'6" frame, he has the potential to be a top-five tight end in the league for years to come.
8. Steal of the 3rd Round: Pat Devlin
43 of 50
Devlin is a strong-arm, pro-style quarterback with a 6'4" frame.
He would be drafted much higher if he didn't play for Delaware.
7. Top 3 Busts: No. 3, Von Miller
44 of 50
For a rush-outside linebacker, Miller is undersized at 240 pounds.
You can say he's the next Elvis Dumervil, but how many Dumervil clones are really out there?
6. Top 3 Busts: No. 2, Ryan Kerrigan
45 of 50
Kerrigan's explosiveness is questionable.
He has the motor, but he may not be athletic enough to be an effective 4-3 end in the NFL.
5. Top 3 Busts: No. 1, Ryan Mallett
46 of 50
Mallett plays in a gimmicky offense at Arkansas.
He has a cannon for an arm, but the plays he executed in college don't translate to the NFL.
4. Kiper and McShay Will Be on the Verge of a Fist Fight
47 of 50
It almost happened last year over Jimmy Clausen.
If Todd McShay can't think of anything to say as a comeback in an argument with Mel Kiper Jr. (likely to happen), he may pull out a hair joke.
If he pulls out a hair joke, it's going down.
3. Someone Will Trade Up for Mark Ingram
48 of 50
In the 2011 running back class, there's Mark Ingram.
And then there is everyone else far below him.
He's the surest thing to a feature back there is in this draft, and many teams will have him on their radars come draft day.
2. Kevin Kolb Will Be Traded
49 of 50
Michael Vick is making his case for MVP right now.
The quarterback controversy is over in Philadelphia.
The Eagles will try to get value for Kolb while they still can.
1. Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden Will Enjoy Being Back in New York
50 of 50
The very talented Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings both are looking for new head coaches.
These two very desired coaches are pondering coming back to the NFL.
Perfect match.
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist and Writing Intern at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him at One Yard Short.com or on Twitter
.jpg?w=600 "Vrabel Seeking Counseling")
