NFL Draft 2011: Who Should the Carolina Panthers Take No. 1 Overall?
With the combine completed and pro days well underway, the Carolina Panthers are officially on the clock with the first overall selection.
A lot of early mock drafts have Cam Newton falling to Washington at the 10th selection or further to Minnesota.
However, Cam Newton with his media day performance, and solid combine and pro day outings has gained momentum for the first overall pick.
Nick Fairley, had a lot of early momentum after the BCS Championship game, but his momentum has drifted off.
Without further ado, here are the top five players most likely to be selected by Carolina on draft day.
5. Nick Fairley DT/DE, Auburn
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Nick Fairley was nearly the consensus number one overall selection immediately following Andrew Luck's decision to stay at Stanford.
However, questions have risen about Fairley taking plays off and being lazy. It almost seems like you can compare him to Albert Haynesworth, just a little more in shape.
Fairley had an average combine, but he did perform much better at his pro day. However, don't expect the Panthers to take Fairley with the top pick, he has too much bust potential and not enough upside for the risk.
The chances of Carolina selecting Fairley over his Auburn teammate are very slim at this point.
On a side note though, doesn't it look like he is singing in that picture? Maybe he should try American Idol instead, just saying.
4. A.J. Green WR, Georgia
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A.J. Green was another player that reached the top of mock drafts after Andrew Luck withdrew his name from consideration. However, since then, gravity has pulled him back down to earth.
Green is still a top five pick, but after being shown up by Julio Jones at the combine, there isn't much of a chance of him being the number one pick.
Unlike Fairley, Green doesn't appear to have as much bust potential. Green was dominant this past season at Georgia after returning from a four-game suspension. He had 200 more yards receiving than any other receiving on the roster.
The most telling stat on how dominant Green was this past season was the fact that he had more receiving yards than the Georgia Bulldogs leading rusher, and Georgia doesn't run a pass happy offense.
Unfortunately for Green, he only has a small chance of being the top selection in the draft, even though he will hit the top spot on a few scouts big board.
3. Marcell Dareus DT/DE, Alabama
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Marcell Dareus has really impressed scouts over the past few weeks and has moved ahead of Nick Fairley on most big boards.
Dareus is both big, strong, and has an excellent burst. Dareus weighed in almost 30 pounds heavier than Nick Fairley, but was able to beat him in the first 10 yards of the 40-yard dash.
The first 10 yards of the 40 is the most important part for a defensive lineman who relies on quickness and acceleration to get to the QB.
Dareus showed during his time at Alabama that he has the ability to both rush the passer and shut down opponents running game. Dareus will be dominant for whichever NFL team selects him; as he is versatile enough to play DT in the 4-3 or DE in the 3-4.
He will likely end up as the number two or three pick in the draft though, but Carolina will surely be watching him closely in the upcoming weeks.
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2. Patrick Peterson CB, LSU
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Patrick Peterson reached the top spot on a lot of analysts' boards after his combine performance. Patrick Peterson is the best player available in this draft.
He has speed, size, and cover skills. At the combine, he ran a 4.32 40-time, very impressive considering he weighed in at 219 pounds.
He was a lockdown corner at LSU, constantly matching up against elite receivers including Julio Jones and A.J. Green.
If there is a sure thing in this draft, it is that Patrick Peterson is going to be a star in the NFL and will likely become a top three cornerback during his career.
1. Cam Newton QB, Auburn
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When Ron Rivera showed up at Auburn's pro day, be assured he wasn't there to watch Nick Fairley.
While Fairley might have caught his attention, Rivera's eyes were glued to Cam Newton.
The evidence is there to suggest that Cam Newton will end up as the top selection. Many times before the phrase "new regimes mean new quarterbacks" is brought up, that's because it's true.
The Panthers have arguably admitted that they don't like Jimmy Clausen and that he won't be the quarterback next season. They need a face of the franchise and Cam Newton could be that face.
None of the other players on this list are going to sell tickets or jerseys, like Cam Newton will. Carolina needs someone to build around, they need a player that fans are going to get excited about, they need to bring football back to Carolina.
After last season, the Panthers don't have much of an option. Cam Newton might have boom or bust potential, but the boom potential is there for him to be a star in the NFL.
Forget the Vince Young comparisons, forget the JaMarcus Russell comparison, forget the Mike Vick comparisons, Cam Newton is in his own mold and is ready to become a star in the NFL.
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