NFL Mock Draft: How Steelers vs. Ravens, Playoff Games Affect Picks
NFL games today include Steelers vs. Ravens and Packers vs. Falcons, meaning two of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Green Bay and Atlanta will go home knowing where they will pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
This is a perfect time for a 2011 NFL Mock Draft, predicting where Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton, defensive tackle Nick Fairley and the rest of the stars of college football will be picked.
I'll project the entire first round, starting with the Carolina Panthers, who now have a new head coach in Ron Rivera.
So with the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select...
1. Carolina Panthers: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
1 of 32
The best defensive player in the draft and an upper-middle class man's Ndamukong Suh.
2. Denver Broncos: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
2 of 32
A physically dominant, shut-down corner.
3. Buffalo Bills: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
3 of 32
How can Chan Gailey pass on a guy with his upside?
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4. Cincinnati Bengals: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
4 of 32
A dominant pass-rusher who could be a force alongside the improving Carlos Dunlap.
5. Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
5 of 32
Will he be a reincarnation of Matt Leinart?
The Cardinals might hesitate with this pick, but Gabbert could be something special.
6. Cleveland Browns: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
6 of 32
Can the Browns go in any other direction with this pick? It's the perfect scenario for them.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
7 of 32
Jim Harbaugh would love to have a fierce pass-rusher like Miller on his first NFL team.
8. Tennessee Titans: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
8 of 32
Kerrigan is the most underrated player in the draft right now, but a team like the Titans will wisen up and pick him early.
9. Dallas Cowboys: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
9 of 32
The Cowboys would be thrilled for a shut-down corner like Amukamara to fall to them.
10. Washington Redskins: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
10 of 32
Mike Shanahan will fall in love with Mallett's cannon arm just like he did with Jay Cutler.
11. Houston Texans: Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
11 of 32
Ayers is a great pass rusher and would help improve the Texans pass defense by taking some of the pressure off their secondary.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
12 of 32
The Vikings No. 1 need? Safety.
The best safety in the draft? Moore.
He's not an Eric Berry/Earl Thomas kind of talent but still a great prospect.
13. Detriot Lions: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
13 of 32
6'9", 315 pounds. Now that's a big offensive tackle, and with his raw talent, he'll develop into a stalwart on the Lions offensive line.
14. St. Louis Rams: Jon Baldwin, WR, Pitt
14 of 32
With Justin Blackmon staying in school, Baldwin gets a big bump.
Sam Bradford will be smiling after this one.
15. Miami Dolphins: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
15 of 32
A perfect fit for the Dolphins physical, run-dominant offense (well, at least that's what they'd like their offense to look like).
16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
16 of 32
Janoris Jenkins would have gone here, but he's returning to Florida. Harris moves up.
17. New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders): Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
17 of 32
The Patriots are too smart to let a player of Clayborn's quality slip past them.
18. San Diego Chargers: DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas
18 of 32
The Chargers need to address their offensive line to take the next step in becoming an elite team.
19. New York Giants: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
19 of 32
He was considered the top offensive lineman by many coming into the season, but his stock has dropped a little bit.
But not enough to keep him out of the first round.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
20 of 32
Watt was a dominant force in the Big Ten.
21. Kansas City Chiefs: Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri
21 of 32
Very unproven, but a ton of upside, a la Jason Pierre-Paul last year. KC would be smart to take a flier on him.
22. Indianapolis Colts: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
22 of 32
The Colts are extremely weak (talent-wise) in the middle of the defensive line. Paea might be the strongest player in the draft (in terms of pure strength).
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
23 of 32
Insurance for Michael Vick. The smart pick.
24. New Orleans Saints: Allen Bailey, DE, Miami
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Bailey's stock has dropped considerably, but he still has a good shot at staying in the first round. The Saints could use his pass rushing skills.
25. Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
25 of 32
Locker stays at home, gets to develop under Pete Carroll and play on a playoff team! Win, win, win.
26. Green Bay Packers: Ben Ijalana, OT/OG, Villanova
26 of 32
Don't overlook Ijalana just because he didn't play for an FBS school. He helped one of the best teams in FCS the past two seasons.
27. New York Jets: Cameron Jordan, DE, California
27 of 32
The cure to the Jets' pass rushing woes.
28. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida
28 of 32
Almost the same player as his brother Maurkice, perhaps a bit worse. But still a first-round prospect.
29. Chicago Bears: Tyron Smith, OT, USC
29 of 32
A bit undersized and underrated, but he'll rise on draft boards come April. The Bears desperately need offensive line help.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
30 of 32
Ben Roethlisberger can't shake off three defenders every play for another few years, right?
31. Atlanta Falcons: Ras-I-Dowling, Virginia
31 of 32
The Falcons are possibly the most balanced team on offense and defense in the NFL, but their only semblance of a weakness is their secondary.
Dowling is the best cornerback left on the board.
32. New England Patriots: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
32 of 32
The Patriots secondary has improved, but it's still a weakness. Putting Smith alongside Devin McCourty would improve things in a hurry.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud
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