2011 NFL Mock Draft: Will Jake Locker Replace Brett Favre in Minnesota?
The 2011 NFL Draft is only five months away. The college football regular season is about to wrap up and we have a good idea of who the best prospects are and whose stock has dropped this season. The order is based on standings after week 12 with ties separated by conference record and then head-to-head matchups. Here is how the first round will shake out if it were held today.
1. Carolina Panthers Select QB Andrew Luck
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I know that Carolina just drafted Jimmy Clausen last year, but that was under the John Fox regime.
It's practically a given that there will be a new coaching staff in Carolina next season. Andrew Luck is the most talented and NFL ready QB in this year's draft.
2. Cincinnati Bengals Select DE Da'Quan Bowers
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The Bengals defensive line is a wreck and they need to find someone who can provide them with a pass rush. Bowers would be a perfect fit for them here. He is 6'4", and 280 pounds coming off the end. He has tremendous speed and athleticism and would make an immediate impact for a Bengals defense that took a major step back this year.
3. Buffalo Bills Select DT Marcell Dareus
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This pick could go a few different ways. The Bills need a lot of help everywhere. They may decide to go QB or WR, but right now their run defense is awful and Dareus can be plugged right in the middle of that D-line and immediately improve their front seven.
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4. Detroit Lions Select DB Patrick Peterson
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The Lions are making strides to getting back to respectability. They have found a franchise WR in Calvin Johnson. Matthew Stafford has shown that he has the skills to be a successful QB in the NFL; it's just a matter of staying healthy. Ndamukong Suh is living up to his reputation from Nebraska.
Now they need to find a cornerstone in the secondary and Peterson is a great shutdown corner at a time when there aren't too many of those left.
5. Dallas Cowboys Select DE Robert Quinn
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Usually the Cowboys like to make the big splash by going after the sexy name at the skill position. However, Dallas needs to do a lot of work if it wants to achieve what it thought it was going to do this year.
Robert Quinn did not play this year amid investigations that he received benefits from an agent. He has the ability and skill to rush the passer, so he has the talent and the baggage that Dallas usually is quick to embrace.
6. Arizona Cardinals Select QB Ryan Mallett
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The Cardinals QB situation is in dire straits right now. It doesn't help that Derek Anderson has the nerve to laugh on the sidelines when the team is getting blown out on Monday night. I don't know if Mallett is necessarily good enough to be taken this high, but Arizona needs a QB and unless it can find a partner to trade down, Mallett or Locker is the choice here.
7. Denver Broncos Select DT Nick Fairley
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Denver will likely be looking for a defensive lineman or a running back. They could go after Mark Ingram here, but since running backs are more plentiful then D-linemen, the edge goes to Nick Fairley who will help improve Denver's pass rush and tepid run defense.
8. San Francisco 49ers Select DB Prince Amukamara
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The 49ers need to do something at the QB position this offseason, but Locker here is too high. San Francisco needs help in the secondary and Amukamara could line up opposite Nate Clements and give San Francisco a really good cornerback tandem.
9. Cleveland Browns Select WR AJ Green
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The Browns need playmakers. They found one in the steal of the year when they acquired Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn. Now they need a receiver and AJ Green is the most talented wideout in the draft this year, and probably the best draft receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson.
10. Minnesota Vikings Select QB Jake Locker
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Jake Locker suffered Matt Leinart syndrome this year. Had Locker come out last year there was a chance he could have been the number one pick. Instead he came back to hone his passing skills and ended up hurting his stock.
He has a tremendous arm but his accuracy and decision making leave something to be desired. That said the Vikings are in a very precarious position where they have the talent to win now but this year everything that could go wrong did so. They need a QB and Locker is the best available.
11. Tennessee Titans Select DB Janoris Jenkins
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The Titans secondary has been killing them lately and Jenkins is a good cover guy who knows when to go after the ball as well. He would be a great fit for the Titans and Jeff Fisher to fit into their secondary in 2011.
12. New England Patriots Select* RB Mark Ingram
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Bill Belichick loves to draft defensive players in the first round and fill the skill positions later in the draft. This year, with two first round picks, he could change his gameplan a bit. The Patriots haven't had an elite runner since Corey Dillon in 2004 and Mark Ingram is the best RB in this year's draft. He could be another weapon for Tom Brady to play with.
* Pick traded from the Raiders for Richard Seymour.
13. Houston Texans Select DT Stephen Paea
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The Texans need secondary help but at this position there isn't a defensive back that should be taken in this spot. Thus, the Texans will opt to put another big body on that defensive line to go along with Mario Williams. Paea is a big, fast DT who can help to improve the Texans pass rush and make their secondary look a little better by forcing QB's into bad decisions.
14. Washington Redskins Select LB Akeem Ayers
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The Redskins defense is bad, allowing the most yards per game. They need to rebuild and the best place to rebuild that defense is at the linebacking position. Ayers is a good pass rusher who can fit into Mike Shanahan's 3-4 defensive scheme.
15. Seattle Seahawks Select DE Ryan Kerrigan
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Pete Carroll's complete overhaul of the Seahawks roster coming into this year seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, the Seahawks are tied for first in the (awful) NFC West despite a 5-6 record. Kerrigan would provide a very good, smart pass rusher for the Seahawks.
16. St Louis Rams Select DE Adrian Clayborn
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The Rams would likely try to add a receiver for Sam Bradford to throw to, but since AJ Green is off the board, there really isn't another one worth taking at this spot. The Rams will work on building that defense which has taken some strides this year.
17. Indianapolis Colts Select DT Drake Nevis
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Nevis is a bit undersized for a DT at just under 6'1", 289 pounds. That won't bother the Colts though; they prefer smaller defensive lineman who have a quick first step and ability to rush the passer.
18. Miami Dolphins Select LB Von Miller
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Miami would like to see Mark Ingram fall to them here, so they can replace Ricky Williams and get rid of the underachieving Ronnie Brown.
But with him gone Von Miller would be a nice consolation prize. He has tremendous size, speed, athleticism and all kinds of physical gifts that could make him a star in the NFL.
19. San Diego Chargers Select DE Allen Bailey
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The Chargers got rid of Shawne Merriman this year. Bailey may not quite be Merriman, but he can give the Chargers some of the production off the end that the Chargers have been missing.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars Select QB Cam Newton
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This is going to be the biggest reach of the first round. The Jaguars should look to upgrade at QB, because no matter how good David Garrard's QB rating is, he won't lead a team to a Super Bowl.
Plus, the Jaguars struggle to fill the seats and Newton, coming off a likely Heisman win, would at least get people in Florida talking about the Jaguars and bring some interest to Jacksonville.
21. Green Bay Packers Select RB Ryan Williams
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Green Bay desperately needs a RB and Williams is the best available at this point. If the Packers feel that Ryan Grant will be healthy enough to carry the load they could go with Cameron Heyward, DE from Ohio State.
22. New York Giants Select OT Nate Solder
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Tom Coughlin loves a big, physical team and Nate Solder is a huge, mammoth offensive lineman that would lineup and protect Eli Manning for the next 10 years.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Select DE Cameron Heyward
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Tampa needs some help on the defensive line and Heyward has the physical tools to be a solid defensive end at 6'5", 278 pounds. There are some questions about what scheme would fit him best so that will affect where he is taken in the draft.
24. Kansas City Chiefs Select LB Jeremy Beal
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The consensus is that Kansas City needs a big-time pass rusher to come off of the edge and Beal has the versatility to line up either at linebacker or on the defensive end to give KC the pass rush that they need.
25. Philadelphia Eagles Select OT Gabe Carimi
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The Eagles will look to upgrade a shaky offensive line to give Michael Vick more time to be able to throw from the pocket. Carimi is a bear on the line at 6'6" and 318 pounds and he will make sure that Vick has time to use his newfound touch and accuracy as a passer.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers Select DB Brandon Harris
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I could see the Steelers going for either a corner or an offensive lineman. I will give the nod to the cornerback Harris at this spot. The Steelers have one of the toughest teams in the league and their corners are a bit of a weakness on the team. Harris can be a solid provider for Mike Tomlin and that Steelers D.
27. New Orleans Saints Select DE Cameron Jordan
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The Saints could go with an interior lineman like Corey Liuget at this spot, but I think that they will go with the best available defensive player and that's Jordan. He can provide help versus the run which is the Saints biggest defensive weakness.
28. Chicago Bears Select OT Anthony Castonzo
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Jay Cutler is looking for any protection that he can get, and Castonzo can give Cutler that protection. The Bears need an offensive lineman, and Castonzo is the best available in this spot and worthy of a first-round pick.
29. Baltimore Ravens Select S Rahim Moore
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Moore is the best pure safety in the draft and the Ravens love safeties who have great ball skills and good coverage instincts. Plus, Ed Reed hints at retirement so often that it wouldn't hurt for the Ravens to have a backup plan in place.
30. New England Patriots Select DB Ras-I Dowling
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The Patriots secondary has been pretty bad this year; fortunately that deficiency has been masked by having the highest scoring offense in the league. With their second pick of the first round, New England will look to the secondary to add another young player to an already young secondary.
31. Atlanta Falcons Select DB Curtis Brown
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The weak link in the Falcons armor for the last few years has been in the secondary. Curtis Brown is a solid talent who needs to improve route recognition but he can learn that and be a good value pick at the end of round one for the Falcons.
32: New York Jets Select WR Julio Jones
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I saw that the Jets main receiving corps of Holmes, Edwards and Brad Smith are all free agents at the end of the year. I doubt they will lose all of them, but it would be nice to have Jones as a replacement for one of those receivers should they leave New York.
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