2011 NFL Draft: Ranking the Top 25 Potential Game Breakers in the Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft is gradually inching closer. As it arrives and college players wrap up their final bowl games, mock drafts will become more alike as we see where each team's needs are at.
If there's one thing that each team needs, it's a gamebreaker.
How many gamebreakers are in the draft? In every draft, there are a lot near the top and this one is no exception. There are many not just at the top, but there are many hidden gems in rounds beyond the first that have shown the potential to open up a game.
The following 25 players are looked at not just for their playmaking, but in part due to their positions, as some will naturally have more gamebreaking ability.
25. Adrian Clayborn
1 of 25
If Iowa needs a play on defense, they have a guy in the secondary and a guy on the line.
The one on the line, Clayborn, a first team All-American, has been a consistently disruptive force for offenses and can make plays when needed.
He struggled a bit in the bowl game though, and as a result nearly falls off the chart here.
24. Daniel Thomas
2 of 25
As we saw yesterday against Syracuse with his three touchdown performance, Thomas can break open a game and help turn it into a very exciting one, even if it's a game where he doesn't pass the 100 yard rushing mark.
23. Robert Quinn
3 of 25
Possibly the best defensive lineman in the draft, Quinn isn't as big a playmaker as others, but he knows how to play the game well.
Much like Clayborn, he ends up low due to a forgettable bowl performance, though at least he got a win.
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22. Mikel Leshoure
4 of 25
When put on the national stage in a matchup against Northwestern at Wrigley Field, what did he do? Rush for 330 yards.
He's not going to be a high draft pick, but he could easily be a steal with his gamebreaking ability.
21. Deunta Williams
5 of 25
Certainly the best gamebreaking safety in the draft, Williams and Quinn have been key pieces in getting North Carolina to a bowl game.
Unfortunately for Williams, gamebreaker ended up being literal, as he was carted off the field in the bowl game last night, so we didn't get to see much of what he can do.
20. Brandon Harris
6 of 25
Janoris Jenkins will likely go before Harris in the draft, but Harris is the bigger gamebreaker of the two.
He gravitates to the football and is a dangerous presence who can easily grab a few interceptions. Not ranked higher since he's leaning towards returning to Miami.
19. Michael Floyd
7 of 25
It's a toss-up who to put higher, Floyd or Leonard Hankerson. Floyd is the more NFL-ready of the two, having flourished both with and without Jimmy Clausen at quarterback.
He's a solid presence that fits well on any team and does have the ability to make a major play.
18. Leonard Hankerson
8 of 25
Hankerson may not be quite as NFL-ready, but he's certainly the bigger gamebreaker of the two.
His 147 yard, three touchdown performance against Clemson tells you all you need to know; he's certainly capable of the big game, even with a questionable quarterback situation where he plays.
17. Kendall Hunter
9 of 25
Oklahoma State has two great playmakers on their team. The first is Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter. Shockingly, he was a non-factor against Arizona, the first time that's really happened this year.
Anyone who can rush for 200 against a ranked Big 12 team is certainly a gamebreaker though.
16. Marcell Dareus
10 of 25
The key piece of Alabama's defense has been more of a playmaker than perhaps he's given credit for, due to the big names that load up Alabama's offense.
He's a big guy who can disrupt pretty much any offensive line and make things happen for himself and others.
15. DeMarco Murray
11 of 25
His struggles against the Big 12 this season notwithstanding, Murray is still a great playmaker who seemed to convert into a workhorse this year.
Against UConn, he's only playing in his second bowl game and we can expect him, along with Jordan Todman, to both be gamebreakers for both sides.
14. Jonathan Baldwin
12 of 25
Jonathan Baldwin has been able to make a lot out of a little the past two seasons. His reception numbers are low compared to others in the draft pool, yet he gets a lot of yards out of those grabs.
Last year, he averaged nearly 20 yards a catch and this year he had over 800 yards on around 50 receptions.
13. Ryan Williams
13 of 25
We haven't seen much of Williams this year, but nonetheless we know he can definitely make plays.
He will hopefully play in the bowl game against Stanford, but that's up in the air. Basically, to see his gamebreaking ability, look at his stats from last season.
12. Julio Jones
14 of 25
Having good hands is a key of being a good playmaker, but seeing as how that's Jones' weakness, that hurts him a bit.
Nonetheless, no one doubts his ability to break a game open along with Alabama's running back core.
Can the Spartans stop him? It will certainly be a challenge.
11. Nick Fairley
15 of 25
We all know about the gamebreaker on the offensive end and the defensive one for Auburn has been making a name for himself as well.
Fairley has been a machine for the Tigers on defense, helping keep the other team at bay while Cam Newton does his thing, and he can be a gamebreaker in his own right.
10. Andrew Luck
16 of 25
Is Andrew Luck the best player in the draft and the one who will likely do the best? Yes.
Is he a gamebreaker? Not necessarily.
He takes a team and makes it good, not through lighting up the scoreboard, but simply by playing good football. That's why he's as low as he is.
9. Mark Ingram
17 of 25
We haven't seen as much of Ingram's playmaking ability this year due to the emergence of Trent Richardson in the backfield, but nonetheless we have seen enough to know he could have a huge game against Michigan State.
8. Ryan Kerrigan
18 of 25
Easily the top gamebreaker who we didn't get to see in a bowl game since Purdue hasn't been all that good, Kerrigan has been a monster at defensive end.
He had 12.5 sacks on the year, one of the highest totals in the country, and if any Purdue player can break a game open for the team, it's him.
7. Prince Amukamara
19 of 25
Amukamara has been a name that's all over draft boards, but how much of a gamebreaker is he?
Jake Locker went 5 for 16 in last night's bowl game against Amukamara and the Nebraska secondary, and he has the ability to easily break a quarterback's game, even if his interception total is not all that impressive.
6. Justin Blackmon
20 of 25
The football always seems to find its way to Blackmon.
He had a 100 yard performance and a touchdown every game, including 117 and two in the bowl game. If that's not a gamebreaking wideout I don't know what is.
5. Ryan Mallett
21 of 25
One of the best quarterbacks in the draft, Mallett has been the reason Arkansas is as good a team as they are.
Mallett has lit up the SEC and put up big quarterbacking numbers in the process, and is third in quarterback efficiency.
4. Da'Quan Bowers
22 of 25
Easily the best gamebreaking defensive lineman, Bowers will likely be the lineman to go first in the draft, though Fairley could end up being a surprise.
Bowers leads the nation in sacks with 15.5, and is a danger to opposing quarterbacks with his play. Beyond that, he could very well be the reason the 6-6 Clemson Tigers made it into a bowl game.
3. A.J. Green
23 of 25
There's no question that the best wide receiver, both in terms of performance and gamebreaking ability, is Georgia's A.J. Green.
He missed the first four games of the season, so his stats aren't there, but we all saw what he did with the first catch of the year. He can make one handed plays on the ball when needed and can make difficult plays look easy.
2. Cam Newton
24 of 25
I'm taking a risk on getting backlash and not putting Newton first.
There's no question that Cam Newton can almost singlehandedly break open a game for Auburn. He won the Heisman for a reason, he's the nation's top player, and a great scrambling quarterback.
Who could possibly top that?
1. Patrick Peterson
25 of 25
While Newton is the top offensive playmaker, LSU's Patrick Peterson is the top defensive one.
While 36 tackles and four picks may not seem impressive, he is a shutdown cornerback that was able to keep Julio Jones under 100 yards and was able to shut down many other elites.
Why is he above Newton?
Aside from being a top defender, he is also one of the nation's top kick and punt returners. He's also scored touchdowns not only those ways, but by taking fumbles and blocked field goals in for the score.
A playmaker on two of three sides of the ball? That's the nation's top gamebreaker no matter how you look at it, and no matter how good Newton is at quarterback.
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