2011 NFL Predictions: 5 Rookies Who Will Start at Quarterback in 2011

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The year of 2011 has been an odd time in NFL history due to the lockout—due to the lack of a traditional free-agency period, teams in need of a quarterback were unable to secure a veteran passer from the market, so they entered the draft with question marks at the most important position.

Rather than waiting until the end of the lockout and gambling on whether or not they'd be able to sign a quarterback, teams took the safe route by drafting one of the top quarterback prospects in the first or second round of the draft.

Not all of the quarterbacks drafted in the first two rounds deserved to be picked that high, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

But which of those young quarterbacks will do more than hold a clipboard this season? Which rookie quarterbacks will be trusted to lead their team's offense? 

Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers)

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Cam Newton has started the last two preseason games, while Jimmy Clausen was the starter for the first game.

So far in the preseason, Clausen has completed 17-of-19 pass attempts for an 58.6 percent completion percentage, which is surprisingly accurate compared to Newton so far, who has gone 21-for-52, which equals out to a 40.4 percent completion percentage.     

Clausen has one touchdown and one interception so far, while Newton has yet to throw a touchdown, but has also avoided throwing a pick. 

Newton also has 67 rushing yards, including 49 against the Cincinnati Bengals, so Newton's ability to make plays with his legs is another factor for the Carolina coaching staff to consider when deciding who will start on opening day.

But whether or not the Panthers decide to start Clausen while Newton works on his accuracy doesn't matter, because Newton is a No.1 overall pick, which means he will be starting at some point in 2011, if not on opening day.

Clausen is not good enough to avoid screwing up at least once, and that's all it will take for Newton to get his shot.  

Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)

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The Cincinnati Bengals second-round draft pick Andy Dalton really came alive during his third preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. 

Dalton went 11-for-17 with 130 yards and a touchdown. 

Dalton was erratic during the team's second preseason game against the New York Jets, completing just 42.1 percent of his passes with two interceptions, but if you exclude that one game he has been an accurate passer, which is a great sign for any rookie quarterback. 

If you remove the Jets game from his record, he has gone 22-for-32 (68.7 percent) for 199 yards and a touchdown. 

And since Bruce Gradkowski, the veteran competition, has only 28 combined pass attempts this preseason, it should be safe to say the Dalton will be under center during their September 11th opening game against the Cleveland Browns.  

Jake Locker (Tennessee Titans)

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True, the Tennessee Titans just signed veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a three-year deal that is worth $21 million, which could indicate that they want first-round draft pick Jake Locker to ride the bench for a year while learning the finer points of being an NFL passer.

However, Hasselbeck is 35 years old and will turn 36 early on in the season. But even if he wasn't aged past his prime, he has still been flat out unimpressive the past three seasons.

For someone who supposedly still has a lot left in the tank, it sure doesn't seem that way with passer ratings of 57.8, 75.1 and 73.2 between the 2008 and 2010 seasons.

You can blame the lack of talent he had to work with in Seattle during those years, but does anyone really know for sure that it's not just a flat out decline in his play?

With Hasselbeck's age putting him at a greater risk for injury, along with his less than stellar performances in recent years, it's probably safe to bet on Locker starting some games at some point in 2011.

Locker has been off and on during the preseason.

He went only 8-for-18 with an interception in his second preseason game against the St. Louis Rams, but during his preseason debut against the Minnesota Vikings he went 7-for-10 with 89 yards and a touchdown.

It's widely known that Locker's accuracy is a work in progress, but he's also a top 10 draft pick, which means the fans will want to see him on the field, especially if the Titans start to lose games under Hasselbeck.  

Blaine Gabbert (Jacksonville Jaguars)

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Blaine Gabbert has still been getting acquainted with his passing scheme this preseason.

He has not looked bad by any means, but his 50.0 percent completion percentage so far suggests that he still has a massive amount of work to put in before he's ready to be a top NFL passer.

The Jacksonville Jaguars already have a slightly above average quarterback in David Garrard, so they are not in any hurry to get Gabbert ready for leading the team through a 16-game season. 

However, the franchise is perfectly familiar with what they have in Garrard. They know he can win some games and play above his head at times, but he's not good enough to dominate a game. 

If the Jaguars begin to look like a team with no playoff hopes midway through the season, then the team will be tempted to start Gabbert, even if he's not quite ready.

After all, game day experience on the field is the best way to learn.

Since the Jaguars play in a division with the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans, it's very plausible that they'll be in a position to play Gabbert with nothing to lose in 2011. But since Garrard finished 2010 with a 90.8 passer rating, they'll be in no hurry.  

Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers)

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For whatever reason, first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh thought it would be wise to retain Alex Smith as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. 

We've heard the sob story about how Smith had three different offensive coordinators in three years to begin his career, and we've all heard how each of the last few years would be his breakout year, but it's just not going to happen.

He's a bust. He's a shining example of what teams are capable of on draft day when they are desperate for a quarterback.  

So Smith will start the 2011 season as the team's quarterback, and since he's not a starting caliber NFL quarterback, he won't do too hot. 

After the coaching staff has enough of Smith, they will then be forced to put their 2011 second-round pick Colin Kaepernick on the field as the starter.

It's unclear if Kaepernick is ready for NFL action. Most likely, he needs some time to ride the bench and learn the game.

He went 6-for-8 in the team's second preseason game against Oakland, but he went just 9-for-19 in his preseason debut against New Orleans, as well as 6-for-16 in the most recent preseason game against Houston.

He also has three interceptions and zero touchdowns.

It's a shame that the coaching staff put so much faith into Smith, because now they will have no other option other than starting Kaepernick at some point this season, which he may or may not be ready for.