2011 NFL Mock Draft: Glancing at The Top 10 With One Week Left in 2010 Season
The 2010 NFL regular season is coming to a close and that means the 2011 NFL mock drafts will begin to flood the internet like a dam that is broken wide open.
Even though there is one more week left in the 2010 season, the top 10 draft slots are starting to line up and are as follows right now:
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Buffalo Bills
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. San Francisco 49ers
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Houston Texans
9. Detroit Lions
10. Cleveland Browns
Please note that the strength of schedule was used as the deciding factor as to how these teams lined up, which is how the draft does line up in real life. This is not reflecting any future roster moves and takes the rosters as they are right now. Once roster moves happen, then this top 10 will change too.
10. Cleveland Browns: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
1 of 10
The Browns need better weapons on the outside for rookie quarterback Colt McCoy to find success in the NFL.
He already has a good foundation with a young center in Alex Mack, left tackle in Joe Thomas, running backs in Peyton Hillis and possibly Montario Hardesty—if he can recover from a knee injury that has caused him to miss his rookie season—and a veteran tight end in Ben Watson surrounding him. But without a premier receiver, he will struggle as he did several times in 2010.
If Green comes out early, and he most likely will, the Browns will be lucky to land Green at No. 10, since most of the teams above them do not need a No. 1 receiver or have other pressing needs over picking Green.
Either way you look at it, Green could possibly be there for Cleveland in April.
Other pressing needs: DE, LB, RT
9. Detroit Lions: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
2 of 10
On offense, the Lions have the building blocks for a deadly unit in the coming years as long as quarterback Matthew Stafford can keep his shoulder from dislocating.
On defense, the Lions could use some help in their secondary and with the top two cornerbacks still on the board in Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukamara, the Lions go with Peterson who is slightly bigger out of the two.
Peterson should fit in nicely on a defense that already has young talent in Louis Delmas and Ndamukong Suh.
Other pressing needs: OL, DE, LB
8. Houston Texans: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
3 of 10
The Texans have plenty of firepower on offense, but their defense needs help in the coming offseason.
Whether it is in their secondary or their defensive line, the Texans could look to fill one of those two areas this high in the first round.
Defensive end Mario Williams needs help on the line and passing up a talent like Quinn could be a tough pill to swallow. Quinn will help a pass rush that needs more support after Williams.
Other pressing needs: S, DT
.png?w=256)
7. Dallas Cowboys: Nate Solder, OL, Colorado
4 of 10
The Cowboys have pressing needs in several areas, but if they cannot keep quarterback Tony Romo off the ground and healthy, then he will continue to get hurt as he was in 2010.
A big 300-pound offensive lineman is needed and Solder could be a great fit in Dallas.
The big question is: Can owner Jerry Jones pick a non-skill position player at this point in the first round?
Stay tuned in April to find out.
Other pressing needs: CB, LB
6. San Francisco 49ers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
5 of 10
Bottom line is that neither Alex Smith or Troy Smith look to be the future of the Niners and they need a new future quarterback.
Also, since the Niners will be bringing on a brand new head coach, you can bet he will want to have some kind of say in who he thinks should be the Niners' savior and that man could be reigning Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.
Newton is a rare breed of size and speed, but will he be able to transition into the NFL successfully?
Only time will tell.
Other pressing needs: DE, RB
5. Arizona Cardinals: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
6 of 10
The Cardinals faced a quarterback carousel the likes of which has plagued the Cleveland Browns in 2008 and 2009.
If Mallett comes out early as a junior, then look for Ken Whisenhunt to draft a leader who could easily step in as the starter on Day 1 since it is highly questionable if Derek Anderson, John Skelton, or Max Hall could even compete with the talented Mallett.
Other pressing needs: LB, OL
4. Buffalo Bills: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
7 of 10
With the emergence of Ryan Fitzpatrick this season, the Bills may not see the need to pick a high-profile quarterback in the first round of the draft this year, but they do need to help protect Fitzpatrick in 2011 and taking a top-flight offensive tackle in the top five picks is never a bad decision (see Joe Thomas and Jake Long in recent drafts).
Both Carimi and Colorado's Nate Solder are the two highest-rated offensive tackles at this moment and the Bills will chose Carimi since he is 18 pounds heavier and that will come in handy during the colder months in Buffalo.
Other pressing needs: LB, WR, QB
3. Cincinnati Bengals: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
8 of 10
The Bengals could pick a top quarterback at this spot, like Ryan Mallett, but it is unknown what their plans are with current starting quarterback Carson Palmer.
He is due a big salary in 2011 and that could be the last straw in his stay in Cincy. But until the team moves on from him, they have a pressing need for a pass-rushing specialist on their defensive line and Bowers is a great fit to help the Bengals put more pressure on AFC North quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Colt McCoy.
Other pressing needs: QB, RB
2. Denver Broncos: Nick Fairley, DL, Auburn
9 of 10
Without a need to draft a quarterback, the Broncos need help in multiple areas on their roster and one need is on the defensive line.
It remains to be seen if the Broncos will carry over their 3-4 defense when a new coach comes on board, but with a pick this high in the draft, a defensive lineman is usually a good bet.
Fairley is in the mold of a defensive lineman who could possibly play either a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme or a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
Other pressing needs: CB
1. Carolina Panthers: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
10 of 10
Many will argue that there is no reason to pick a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft since the Panthers already have young quarterbacks like Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike on their roster.
A talent like Luck is hard to find and, as the Rams showed in the 2010 draft, a franchise quarterback can turn a franchise around quickly.
Some fans will say that the Panthers need to take wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia, but since 1984 only two receivers have been taken with the top pick, when the New England Patriots picked Irving Fryar in 1984 and when the New York Jets took Keyshawn Johnson in 1996.
The odds are not there to take a receiver No. 1 overall, but crazier things have happened in the NFL.
Other pressing needs: D-Line, WR
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Commanders Football")
.png?w=600 "Who Will Panthers Take at No. 9 ? 🤔")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
