2011 NFL Mock Draft: Where Will the Heisman Finalists Go?
2011 NFL mock drafts are always in flux, but we'll take a stab at a pre-bowl season one anyway.
All four of the Heisman Trophy finalists could be chosen when the draft comes around next spring, but it's a safe bet to assume that both LaMichael James and Kellen Moore will return to their respective schools for the 2011 college football season.
The same could be true about quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Cam Newton, but that doesn't seem likely.
Both are expected to be first round picks, but what about the other 30 spots on that prime time night in late April?
Check out this mock draft.
32. New England Patriots: J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
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The Patriots look pretty unstoppable these days, and there is a good chance Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the rest will be hoisting up another Super Bowl tropy in early February.
Even if they don't, they have two first round picks this April, a result of their dealing Richard Seymour to the Raiders.
And despite the fact that Brady is really the only super star on offense (maybe Wes Welker counts too), the offense really needs very little upgrading. The defense is young and will continue to improve but look for them to several more pieces.
Watt might not enter this year's draft, but his work ethic is well known and going from one great program at Wisconsin to another in New England will be a smooth transition.
31. Atlanta Falcons: Cameron Jordan, DE, California
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The Falcons have few flaws, but if there is one concern with the team, it might be the future of their defensive line.
Kroy Bierman and Chauncey Davis are young, but Jamaal Anderson (their first round choice in 2007) hasn't exactly been a world beater.
John Abraham is finishing up his 11th season, and is again nursing a few injuries.
Jordan can add some real depth and because the line is pretty deep, he wouldn't have to step in right away.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers, Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
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The Steelers offensive line woes are well documented. And even if it's hard to justify taking an offensive lineman with their first pick in consecutive drafts (Maurkice Pouncey last year), this is a major necessity.
Flozell Adams was a short term solution as a replacement for Willie Colon, and since Max Starks is going to have to come back from a neck injury as well, neither of those positions can be considered solid for 2011.
Carimi might not be the top offensive tackle in the draft, but the Wisconsin background will make him attractive to the Steelers. The Badgers rushing attack has been outstanding this season, and Carimi is a huge reason why.
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29. Philadelphia Eagles, Marin Austin, DT, North Carolina
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The Eagles won't be scared off by Austin's problems at UNC.
Because of his quickness, he can bring a little more inside with his pass rushing skills to the Eagles defensive line. And since he spent several years under Butch Davis, he does have some NFL seasoning.
He did benefit a bit from playing alongside several NFL ready talents (Bruce Carter, Deunta Wlliams, Robert Quinn) but he is still a tremendous talent.
28. Chicago Bears: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
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The Bears offensive line has done a terrible job as a unit in 2010: the 47 sacks allowed are by far the worst in the NFL.
Clearly fixing the offensive line will be a major part of the team's offseason strategy, and they can start by adding a player like Sherrod in next year's draft.
His height is great (6'6") and he is lean enough to be a dual threat in both the running and passing game. The Bulldogs did well with both Chris Relf and Sherrod, who were significant factors in the team's resurgence.
27. New Orleans Saints: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
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Dowling is enormous (6'2") for a cornerback and is very strong.
That will intrigue the Saints a great deal.
For one, having a corner like Dowling will allow Gregg Williams to continue to be blitz happy; he can leave Dowling in man-to-man converge more often than someone like Jabari Greer.
Since Dowling is very physical and knows how to jam receivers at the line, he can be a great matchup against Roddy White in Atlanta.
26. New York Jets: Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
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Athough the Jets already have a pair of great corners in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, they could use some more help at the safety position.
Jim Leonhard did a good job for the Jets in 2009 and 2010, and his absence has been conspicuous the last two weeks.
But imagine how incredible their secondary could be if they added Moore, a great ball hawk, having led the nation in interceptions in 2009.
Rex Ryan might blitz all the members of his front seven on every play.
25. Baltimore Ravens, Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
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The Ravens front seven is still as good as any unit in the NFL. And Ed Reed is.....Ed Reed.
But the corners have only been so-so in 2010, and is the only reason why the Ravens defense is ranked a surprising 12th in the NFL in passing yards allowed.
They can greatly improve upon that figure by adding Jenkins.
Having played a handful of games against great, NFL-ready receivers in the SEC (Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Alshon Jeffrey) will help Jenkins develop faster than some other rookies.
24. New York Giants: Allen Bailey, DE, Miami (FL)
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Bailey has tremendous size (6'4", 285 pounds) and should transition to the pro game with some ease.
He led the Hurricanes in sacks and tackles-for-loss in 2009 and was even better during his senior season.
The Giants are going to have to have a backup plan in case Mathias Kiwanuka (neck injury) isn't able to be back in 2011 and Bailey would be a good fit.
Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora might be the starters, but having a young player like Bailey to rotate in would make them even better.
23. Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina
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Mike Vrabel has been a great player in the NFL for more than a decade, and he's been a tremendous addition to the Chiefs.
But he'll be 36 during next season's training camp and they don't have a great backup plan for that spot.
Carter would fill that hole and in a Romeo Crennel defense, his physical tools would be put to great use.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars: Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
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The Jaguars have other needs that are more pressing, especially at the wide receiver position, But there isn't a great wide out remaining at this spot so the Jags will have to make good elsewhere.
Barksdale is a fine offensive lineman and is used to playing on a team with limited offensive magic.
David Garrard is a capable quarterback and Maurice Jones-Drew is a great runner, but Jacksonville needs to be better upfront.
They have Eugene Monroe, so Jordan Black could be the man they look to replace.
21. St. Louis Rams: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt
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Considering how bad the Pitt quarterback play was in 2010, Baldwin's 52 catches for 810 yards and five touchdowns were pretty remarkable.
The Rams really need to pair Sam Bradford with a young wide receiver and since the top three receivers in the draft (A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Justin Blackmon) will be gone by this spot, they'll have to "settle."
But Bradford will certainly benefit from Baldwin's size (6'5") and should help things open up more for the running game. If Baldwin develops anywhere near the rate that Bradford did, then the Rams could have one of the more explosive offenses in the NFC next year.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
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The Bucs have found a promising runner for the future in LeGarrette Blount. Adding another big back like Thomas would give them a really powerful duo.
He took a pounding in the Big XII and could have some wear and tear, but Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham are certainly more damaged goods.
One of the later defensive lineman might be more appealing to head coach Raheem Morris, but Thomas would really solidify the Tampa Bay backfield.
19. Green Bay Packers: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
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The Packers will be delighted to add their sixth Heisman Trophy Winner (Paul Hornung, Ty Detmer, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Eric Crouch).
Ryan Grant should come back solid in 2011, and if he does, Ingram can add a different dimension: more between the tackles.
It's not a guarantee, but Ingram's running style certainly looks like it should translate well to the NFL, and as an SEC back, he has shown an ability to dominate against the best competition.
18. San Diego Chargers: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
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Blackmon might return to the Cowboys in 2011, but he doesn't a lot to prove; he just won the Biletnikoff award.
Although Blackmon did run into some trouble this year with the DUI in October (and the Chargers don't exactly need more controversy at the wide receiver position), he would give them the clear-cut number one wide receiver they still don't have.
Considering how good Phillip Rivers has been with Antonio Gates and not much else, with Blackmon, the Chargers could have the best offense in football in 2011.
17. Indianapolis Colts: Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama
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Dareus would definitely help the Colts front four get more pressure; shockingly, they are in the bottom half of sacks in the NFL.
But Dareus would be much more of a factor in the running game. Indianapolis is allowing 141 rushing yards per game, fourth worst in the NFL.
In a division that has Arian Foster, Chris Johnson, and Maurice Jones-Drew, they have to get much better, and Dareus can provide the spark that does it.
16. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
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The Dolphins are creating plenty of pressure on their own, as they have 35 sacks thus far.
But a closer look reveals that most of those sacks have come from the linebacking corps like Cameron Wake.
Kerrigan's presence on the field would improve that defensive line and add a few sacks here and there, but more importantly, Kerrigan has shown an ability to force fumbles.
The Dolphins haven't been great at creating turnovers. They can get a little better at that with Kerrigan.
15. Seattle Seahawks: UCLA, OLB, Akeem Ayers
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Ayers is easily one of the best athletes available in the draft, and since Pete Carrol is familiar with the UCLA Bruin, he has to take a look.
Seattle's defense has two outstanding linebackers already in Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry. Still, they are far down in the rankings in rushing yards and passing yards allowed.
Ayers should be able to bring those totals down, and because he can cover in the passing game, he should add a few turnovers to a team that hasn't produced that many interceptions; just 10.
14. New England Patriots (from Oakland): Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
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Even though it's a few years later, the Patriots will replace their fine defensive lineman Richard Seymour with a fine young linebacker.
Miller just won the Bukus Award and might be the best pure linebacker in the NFL draft.
The Patriots already have two great young inside linebackers in Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo, so Miller can shore up one of the outside linebacker spots.
13. Minnesota Vikings: Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
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Nevis is a stout defensive lineman and has proven his mettle playing in the SEC against great rushing teams like Tim Tebow's Florida Gators, Cam Newton's Tigers, and Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson's Crimson Tide.
The Vikings have two good defensive tackles.
But this could be the last year for Pat Williams, who is 38 years old.
There are going to be many new faces in Minnesota next year: having one of them belong to a great, huge athlete like Nevis would be a fine start to the rebuilding.
12. Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
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Amukamara might be the best cover corner in this year's draft. With Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas, and Texas Tech in the Big XII, he certainly grew up a lot in four years at Nebraska.
That type of experience would be immensely valuable to the Houston Texans.
Despite having a great pass rusher like Mario Williams, they are dead last in the NFL in passing yards. Amukamara could reduce they're terrible 287 yards per game average.
11. Washington Redskins: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
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Mallet might be the top quarterback in this year's draft and he'll have a great opportunity to showcase his talents in the Sugar Bowl.
Even if he does slip to the middle of the first round and is the third quarterback selected, he could find himself in a great situation.
Donovan McNabb will probably start the 2011 season as the team's quarterback, so there won't be an overwhelming push to have him play at the start.
Mallett might remind head coach Mike Shanahan a little of John Elway and he'll have a great plan for easing him into the pro game.
10. Cleveland Browns: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
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If Jones played on a team that didn't have two fantastic running backs, there's a good chance that Jones would become the first wide receiver chosen overall since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.
He is that much of a talent.
The Browns already have one promising former SEC East wide receiver in Mohamed Massaquoi, but Peyton Hillis is their leading receiver. There second leading receiver is tight end Ben Watson.
They need more of a deep threat at the wide receiver spot. Jones would certainly fit the bill.
9. San Francisco 49ers: Adrian Clayborne, DE, Iowa
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Clayborn isn't the best defensive end in this year's draft, but he does have a tremendous knack for creating big plays.
The 49ers have a great linebacker in Patrick Willis and their secondary isn't bad, but they need to get more pressure on the passer; most of which has come from the linebacking corps.
Clayborn is talented enough to play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense, so his talents should translate well whether or not Mike Singletary is back in 2011.
8. Tennessee Titans: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
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Like his fellow SEC East counterpart, Julio Jones, Green's overall stats in 2010 weren't great: mainly because he missed first four games because of an NCAA infraction.
But when he was on the field, he was very good, especially against Auburn with a young quarterback.
Green's hands are outstanding and he is a great route-runner. The Titans wide receiving corps needs a major addition and Randy Moss didn't provide it.
Regardless of the fate of Vince Young, Green can be a major factor in his rookie season.
7. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
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Even though it's a slight waste of talent (both Peterson and Dez Bryant can't return punts at the same time), the Cowboys would love to add Peterson as a defensive back.
Dallas has been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks but they still have one of the worse pass defenses in the NFL (27th overall).
The Cowboys have two talented corners in Terrance Newman and Mike Jenkins, but it's hard to say if they are getting the job done.
6. Arizona Cardinals: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
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Newton's status in the 2011 draft continues to rise; not because he won the Heisman; or because the Tigers will be playing for a national championship; or because he seems to be in the clear regarding his eligibility.
His athleticism and running skills will easily transfer to whatever team takes him. But it's the increasingly sharp passing skills that Newton has shown in recent weeks that make him more appealing to NFL teams.
The Cardinals and Ken Wisenhunt like Max Hall, but when a talent like Newton is available it's hard to pass up.
They are desperately in need of a new quarterback and if Ryan Mallett and Andrew Luck are gone, they will turn to Newton.
5. Denver Broncos: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
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There will be an urge for the Broncos to take Cam Newton at this spot, but because of Tim Tebow's choice last year, it's just too risky for the new Broncos regime.
Quinn is an unbelievable athlete in that Julius Peppers mold and should be a great pro, despite missing the 2010 season.
Denver's defense is one of the worst in the NFL: 31st against the run, 19th against the pass, dead last in sacks and interceptions.
Quinn's addition would make a huge difference.
4. Detroit Lions: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
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The Lions are in desperate need of some help up front. Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill both took countless hits this year.
Jeff Backus has been a great player for the team for a decade, but he turns 34 next year. It might be time to start grooming a replacement.
With great pass rushers in the NFC North (Julius Peppers, Jared Allen, Clay Matthews) the Lions had better upgrade.
Solder is big and very agile and with the right coaching, he could become a perennial all-pro.
3. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
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Luck would be a great fit in Buffalo. He is supremely gifted as a passer and has great mobility, so he should be able to overcome some of the Bills deficiencies up front.
The offensive tools are in place for the Bills to become more competitive in 2011 (maybe winning a handful of the type of narrow losses they suffered in 2010), and if Luck should see some extended playing time as a rookie, he will have some help.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has done a pretty good job this year for the Bills, but the team still needs a new face to the franchise. An offensive tackle or defensive end won't quite thrill the fan base that is so distraught.
2. Cincinnati Bengals: Nick Fairly, DT, Auburn
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Fairley's stock has risen nearly as fast as Cam Newton's.
He should be able to fit into an NFL 4-3 defense in fairly short time.
Fairley won the Lombardi Award earlier this month so that helps get his name on more NFL radar screens. The National Championship Game will do the same.
And he seems to be the type of physical specimen (6'5", 300 pounds) that will wow scouts at the combine.
The Bengals have problems all over, but sticking Fairley in the middle of that defense will make the team much improved.
1. Carolina Panthers: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
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Bowers is going to benefit from no one wanting to deal with the Panthers.
Carolina might be able to get Bowers several spots lower, but they aren't going to find many buyers for the pick.
Although they will entertain the idea of drafting Andrew Luck, they aren't quite ready to give up on Jimmy Clausen, even if John Fox is let go at the end of the season.
Bowers is fast and strong enough to play right away and will make an already decent defense that much better.
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