2011 NFL Mock Draft: Cam Newton Wins BCS Championship; Is He a First Round Pick?
2011 NFL Mock Draft
The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway, headlined by New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, Rex Ryan and their mouths going up against Tom Brady, his hair and the New England Patriots.
But while the eight remaining teams (Jets, Pats, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons) are all focused on the postseason, the other 24 teams are busy thinking about the offseason and most notably the 2011 NFL Draft.
And the Carolina Panthers—led by new head coach Ron Rivera—are on the clock.
So with the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select...
1. Carolina Panthers
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2. Denver Broncos
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3. Buffalo Bills
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4. Cincinnati Bengals
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5. Arizona Cardinals
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6. Cleveland Browns
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The Browns need a wide receiver and he's the best in the draft, by far.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
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Miller is an exceptional pass-rusher and a guy Jim Harbaugh will love to have.
8. Tennessee Titans: Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB, Purdue
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Kerrigan dominated the Big Ten and doesn't get the attention he deserves. The Titans will likely target a quarterback in free agency or through a trade.
9. Dallas Cowboys: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
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A pure shutdown corner that would shore up the Cowboys' shaky pass-defense.
10. Washington Redskins: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
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The Redskins desperately need a reliable target at wide receiver, and Jones is just that.
11. Houston Texans: Akeem Ayers, OLB
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He'd form an excellent combination with Brian Cushing. A great athlete and pass-rusher.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
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The Vikings desperately need safety help and Moore is the best out there.
13. Detroit Lions: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
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The best blocker on the most dominant running team in the nation.
14. St. Louis Rams: Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami (FL)
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The Rams desperately need a receiver, and with Michael Floyd, Justin Blackmon and Ryan Broyles staying in school, Hankerson's stock will soar.
15. Miami Dolphins: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
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A complete freak of an athlete.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
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The cornerback class took a hit with Janoris Jenkins returning, but Harris's stock will rise.
17. New England Patriots (From Oakland Raiders): Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
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Clayborn dominated last year, and was still pretty good this year. He's the type of underrated player the Pats would love to scoop up.
Character issues could be a concern, though.
18. San Diego Chargers: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
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The best remaining offensive lineman on the board.
19. New York Giants: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
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The Giants need an NFL-ready tackle like Sherrod.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
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Heyward showed why he deserves to be in the first-round after abusing Arkansas' offensive line in the Sugar Bowl.
21. Kansas City Chiefs: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
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People will write him off because of his size, but watch out for Jernigan in the Senior Bowl.
He'd add yet another explosive element to the Chiefs' offense.
22. Indianapolis Colts: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
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The perfect fit to shore up Indy's run-defense.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas
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The next-best offensive tackle in a deep group. There aren't any elite guys, but a whole lot of potential first-rounders.
24. New Orleans Saints: Cameron Jordan, DE, California
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The Saints have a Super Bowl-ready team, they don't need to get too creative here. Jordan is a solid pick.
25. Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
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Pete Carroll can call up his old buddy Steve Sarkisian and ask him about Locker, who will also dominate the combine.
26. Green Bay Packers: Ben Ijalana, T/G, Villanova
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A versatile guy who dominated for arguably the best FCS team over the last two years. Ijalana is a new addition to Mel Kiper's Big Board, and I must say; it's about time.
27. New York Jets: J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
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The Jets need a productive pass-rusher who can step in right away and contribute. Watt is that guy.
28. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Pouncey, G, Florida
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A carbon-copy of his brother, Maurkice.
29. Chicago Bears: Tyron Smith, OT, USC
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The Bears need a tackle desperately, and Smith has great potential, anchoring one of the top offensive lines in the country at USC.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
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The Steelers need to do a better job at protecting Ben Roethlisberger.
31. Atlanta Falcons: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
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He'd help fix Atlanta's most pressing need: help in the secondary.
32. New England Patriots: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
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If Dowling develops into who he's capable of becoming, the Pats will have an incredible, young group headlined by him and Devin McCourty.
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