2011 NFL Mock Draft: Do Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker Get Picked in Round 1?

There are four quarterbacks in this year's draft class that received first-round grades for the 2011 NFL Draft in April.

Those four players are Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett.

The overall consensus seems to be that Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert will be the first quarterback selected and he will likely go somewhere in the top 10.

Like Gabbert, it seems that many analysts are sold on the idea of Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton also being selected somewhere in the earlier parts of the first round.

That leaves Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett. At this point, it appears that at least one of the two will go in the first round with Newton and Gabbert. However, it's still questionable if it will happen for both.

There is a large list of teams that could select a quarterback in the first round of the draft.

Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona, San Francisco, Tennessee, Washington, Minnesota and Seattle could all use new quarterbacks for the 2011 season.

Buffalo and Cincinnati won't likely take one, since their picks are so early, so that leaves six teams.

Jim Harbaugh seems to like Alex Smith and will likely give him another shot in San Francisco next year.

That leaves five teams.

Four guys and five teams. The odds seem pretty good when you look at it that way.

However, his all depends if a collective bargaining agreement is reached. If one isn't, chances are all four guys will be taken in the first round. However, if this is the case, there won't be football next year anyway, so we'll have to assume a deal will be reached.

If there is an agreement reached, it will open up the opportunity for teams to trade players. There are teams that currently have quarterbacks that could hit the market.

The Bengals could be moving Carson Palmer. The Eagles will likely find a new home for Kevin Kolb. The Broncos may move Kyle Orton and hand the reins to Tebow. That's three guys right there.

We'll assume that only one of them finds a new home. That leaves four teams.

Now you need to take into consideration that there are already players on the market. Vince Young and Donovan McNabb could be guys to step in and make an instant difference. If they both get picked up, that leaves two teams.

Two teams and four guys.

It just isn't something that is likely to happen. The NFL is a tough business, and although all four quarterbacks are quality players, the numbers just aren't in favor of all four being selected in the first round.

There is the possibility that one is still taken. A team like Seattle may sign a veteran quarterback and then look to draft Locker or Mallett to sit for a year or two.

As of right now, it appears that four quarterbacks in the first round won't happen. It's a possibility, but a rather slim one.

However, there is still a long time between now and the draft. All it takes is one unexpected move by a team to change the whole first-round projection.