2011 NFL Draft: Ryan Mallett and the Biggest Stock Drops Since January
Since the NFL draft is the only positive thing going for professional football right now, we continue to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the draft.
Who's up and who is down? Which guys really need to have the best pro day ever? Since the beginning of the year (when did March get here, for real?), there have been a few players who have fallen by the wayside. Some have dropped more than others, and more recently than others. Some have dropped only a little, but because they're high profile guys, it will likely cost them millions of dollars.
Money is a big issue for the NFL right now, especially for rookies. The higher you're picked, the more money you're going to get. And since the new CBA will probably put a cap on the new guys in the league, having your draft stock slip is much worse than in years past.
Here's hoping these guys have good agents. Here are 10 players whose stock have dropped since January.
10. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
1 of 10
Smith is likely to be the third cornerback taken in the draft, but he hasn't helped himself recently. Declaring that you're better than Nnamdi Asomugha raises some red flags.
Maturity and attitude now become an issue when debating to draft him or not. Smith has talent, but surely screwed himself a little bit by answering questions at the combine so poorly. Coming across as arrogant is not a good idea when so many eyes are on him.
9. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
2 of 10
Clayborn has steadily fallen on everyone's draft boards. There are some great defensive linemen in the 2011 draft class, and Clayborn is being outshined.
The 2011 NFL draft is expected to set a record for defensive linemen taken in the first round, and it is likely that Clayborn will be one of them. However, over time he has fallen from mid-first round to now late-first round. Time to step it up Clayborn, and earn those extra dollars.
8. Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
3 of 10
Many people believe Dowling would be a lock for the first round, but injuries have caused his stock to fall. NFL teams consider everything before selecting a player, including health concerns.
His health has been a great worry, and the injuries he suffered during the season kept teams from considering him. He didn't help his case when he pulled up with a hamstring injury after running the 40-yard dash.
That injury kept him from competing in other drills, and left teams wondering if Dowling will be a liability in the NFL.
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7. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
4 of 10
A while ago, it was believed that Baldwin would be a late first rounder. Now, it's clear he still needs work running routes, and is likely he will be selected mid-to-late second round. A few other receivers have surpassed him on the draft boards.
Baldwin's stock has continuously fallen and this big wideout must have a strong pro day to help his case. The 6'4", 224-pound wideout will get great looks from his size, but scouts now know he still needs a good deal of work.
6. Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa
5 of 10
Stanzi was viewed as a quarterback you could draft in the mid-rounds, and in with a few years, develop him into an eventual starter. However, over these past couple months, Stanzi has not helped himself.
He is now considered a late-round quarterback. His performance at the Senior Bowl and the combine greatly hurt his stock. With a good pro day, perhaps he can jump up around, but Stanzi still has a lot of work to do and some teams aren't willing to to do it.
5. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
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You might be wondering why Fairley is on this list. His stock hasn't greatly fallen over these past couple of months, but it has dropped recently. And for a guy considered to be drafted first overall, having your stock fall will cost you millions upon millions of dollars.
Fairley checked in at the combine shorter and slimmer than expected. People thought he was 6'5" and over 300 pounds. In reality, he is actually 6'3", 297 pounds, which isn't quite the monster people want.
The questions surrounding Fairley have caused his stock to drop a bit. His inconsistency of focus off the field raises concern, as well as the fact that he was only relevant for one season at Auburn. Can he still produce that way at the next level when the game gets even harder?
4. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
7 of 10
Newton will definitely be a top 10 pick in the NFL draft. His size, strength and athleticism will make it very difficult for many teams to pass him up.
Newton's stock has been up and down over these last few months. His combine workout and interviews did not go very well. He also had a previous interview with Peter King, and Newton said he wanted to be an entertainer and an icon.
When he opens his mouth, it hurts his stock. But, when he gets on the field and shows his skills, some people forget his character questions. The issues surrounding Newton will prevent him from being selected very early, which will cost him a lot of money.
It's still possible he won't even be the first quarterback taken.
3. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
8 of 10
Ayers is a perfect fit for this list, as he was considered a high first-round pick a few months ago, and now he doesn't even make the cut for Mel Kiper's Big Board.
He was believed as one of the top 15 to 20 players, but now he has fallen out of the top 25 in the eyes of several people. Ayers will still probably be a first-round pick because he has great upside.
There are many teams that can use an upgrade at linebacker. However, Ayers has lost out on a lot of money by hurting his draft stock.
2. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
9 of 10
When you think fallen draft stock, Jake Locker certainly comes to mind. A while ago, he was viewed as the No. 1 QB prospect for the 2011 draft class. After a poor 2010 season, his stock fell. It continued to fall with the rise of other QB prospects.
Locker had a good pro day, but it wasn't enough to leap frog the other quarterbacks in his draft class. He now finds himself as the No. 4 QB, and there isn't much he can do to improve that.
1. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
10 of 10
Character issues, drug problems and poor accuracy are just a few of the things that have caused Ryan Mallett's draft stock to fall. He threw well at the combine, but he had some really bad interviews.
Ross Tucker recently tweeted that an NFL scout said, "Ryan Mallett thinks he is Eminem." NFL teams are not going to want to take a problem child. They know they have to deal with his on the field game, they don't want to worry about his off the field game as well.
Mallett hasn't helped his case, and if he doesn't come out and fix these character issues, he may not be drafted in the first round.
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