2011 NFL Draft: The Biggest Deficiencies All 32 Teams Need To Address
The NFL draft is the best place teams can plug holes. Free agency has its uses, but any team that tries to build using free agency as the primary driver ends up broke and at the top of the draft the following year.
The draft is where a team looks at its biggest deficiency and attempts to draft the right person to eliminate it as a problem.
The good teams can find that help no matter where they draft, or have the leverage to move up to get who they want and make it work. The bad teams are in a constant cycle of waiting for next year.
We'll look at each team's biggest problem area going in draft order.
1. Carolina Panthers: Quarterback
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Notre Dame fans do not want to hear this, but Jimmy Clausen is not the quarterback of the future in Carolina.
I will grant Clausen had no help and no real chance in 2010, but when you look at his mechanics, footwork, ability to read defenses and overall attitude, he would not have succeeded in New England or Green Bay.
Clausen is a project quarterback at best and a complete bust at worst. Either way, the Panthers need a starting quarterback now, not three years from now.
2. Denver Broncos: Defensive Tackle
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The Broncos need a new defensive line, as injuries and bad decisions on Josh McDaniels' part have decimated the Broncos line.
Marcell Dareus will be a great way to rectify that problem.
3. Buffalo Bills: Left Tackle
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The easy pick here would be quarterback because no one believes Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback of the future for the Bills.
But that ignores the fact the Bills need a left tackle. Demetrius Bell has not played up to the level you expect out of the position, and if you do not replace him this year, your potential future franchise quarterback may find himself on the injured reserve list frequently.
If the Bills are going to draft a quarterback of the future and let him learn on the sidelines this year, they need to take a left tackle to learn the ropes this year and let Fitzpatrick continue to take the punishment.
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4. Cincinnati Bengals: Take Your Pick
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The Bengals are in a lot of trouble this year and it is truly difficult to find a "biggest deficiency" on the team this year.
Will Carson Palmer stay or go? Can the Bengals afford to gamble in the draft if the answer is "no?"
Absent the answer to that question, the next glaring hole is defensive end. The Bengals pass rush was invisible last year. In an attempt to be sneaky, no one saw it at all it seems.
So the Bengals can draft Da'Quan Bowers, Robert Quinn or a quarterback.
Given the Bengals luck with first-round quarterbacks not named Carson Palmer, my money would be on defensive end.
5. Arizona Cardinals: Linebackers
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The Cardinals need a quarterback, but all indications they will trade or sign a veteran and then develop John Skelton and Max Hall, so the biggest need in the draft becomes a linebacker.
There has been a lot of interest in Von Miller, who went from a low first-round prospect to a potential top-five pick since the end of the college football season.
The Cardinals have a lot of holes to fill, but the lack of any quality linebackers has to be addressed first.
6. Cleveland Browns: Defensive Tackle
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The Browns are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense, so they have to start the rebuilding there. While the Browns need a wide receiver and a whole new right side of the offensive line, the biggest hole now is the defensive line.
Nick Fairley is a beast and could still be on the board with the sixth pick. If he is not, the Browns could hope Marcell Dareus still is available.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Cornerback
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If the 2011 season is shortened, the 49ers' biggest need will not be quarterback, because you can expect Alex Smith to hang around. With the changes in the coaching staff and front office, he is dealing with a whole new organization anyway.
Smith will be more developed than any prospect the 49ers draft and they will give Smith one more year.
So the biggest need becomes cornerback, as Nate Clements is expensive and his production has been in decline. On the other side, Shawntae Spencer has not exactly been giving the 49ers Pro Bowl-quality play.
8. Tennessee Titans: Quarterback
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The Tennessee Titans need a quarterback. Vince Young is a bust between the ears and now will be a bust for the Titans.
The team is moving on after Young's 137th temper tantrum last year. At least this one did not require the involvement of the police and a mental health counselor.
But now there is a need for a starting quarterback. The Titans will have to decide if they will wait and see who fall to them, or if they are going to be aggressive and move up.
9. Dallas Cowboys: Cornerback
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Mike Jenkins put about as much effort into his job last year as a janitor who just put in his two-week notice. Opposite Jenkins is Terence Newman, who will be 33 years old.
Yes, the Cowboys need a new cornerback.
10. Washington Redskins: Quarterback
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See this guy, he's not the quarterback of the Redskins anymore. Not that it really matters. I know criticizing Donovan McNabb never really has been allowed, but he is inconsistent and now he's old.
He regressed last year and that is one of the main reasons head coach Mike Shanahan pulled the plug on his season so quickly. There was a reason Andy Reid bailed on McNabb and it had nothing to do with personal differences.
Reid recognized McNabb was done and moved on. It is not an easy decision but head coaches have to make them.
So the Redskins will hope Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton fall, or reach for a quarterback who may not be there in the second round.
11. Houston Texans: Rush Linebacker
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Wade Phillips now is in charge of the Texans defense and will be switching it to a 3-4 scheme.
With that in mind, the Texans need to find the rush linebackers that make that scheme work.
Should Robert Quinn fall to the 11th pick, he would be a great pick for the Texans.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback
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The Vikings needed a new quarterback last year but thought coaxing Brett Favre out of retirement one more time was a good idea.
The Vikings will go for a quarterback in the first round only if one of the top two guys drop. Otherwise, they either will trade back up into the first round later, or wait until their turn again in the second round.
13. Detroit Lions: Left Tackle
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The Lions have to a better job of protecting Matthew Stafford. A left tackle who can block is the Lions' highest priority in this draft.
Even if the Lions have to wait until the second or third round, and maybe even reach in the second round, this is a need they can not ignore.
14. St. Louis Rams: Wide Receiver
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The Rams need a quality wide receiver who will be a reliable downfield target for Sam Bradford.
If the Rams are lucky, Julio Jones will drop. If not, they will have to wait until the second round to get that guy.
15. Miami Dolphins: Quarterback
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The Dolphins have no quarterback. Chad Henne is the guy who never seems to be able to get to that next level he needs to be at, Chad Pennington is fragile and Tyler Thigpen is a third-string quarterback for a reason.
The big problem is the Dolphins have no second-round pick and they also need a running back.
Expect movement here because they can get Mark Ingram with the 15th pick, but the quality quarterbacks will be gone by the time they get on the clock again in the third round.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Defensive End
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The Jaguars had only 26 sacks in 2010, so adding someone who can rush the quarterback and wrap him up would be a good thing, especially in a division where Peyton Manning plays.
Ryan Kerrigan is the popular player mocked to Jacksonville in the draft so far this year.
17. Oakland Raiders: Cornerback
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The Raiders let Nnamdi Asomugha go due to financial reasons. Now they have a giant hole to fill in the draft.
No doubt the replacement will be cheaper, but that does not mean whatever rookie comes in will be better.
18. San Diego Chargers: Defensive End
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The Chargers' biggest hole is on special teams, which you fill in throughout the draft and training camp.
However, the defensive unit was soft on the ends. The Chargers need to get better production from their defensive ends and that is where they should focus.
19. New York Giants: Left Tackle
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The Giants need to get better production out of Eli Manning. Protecting him would help.
The Giants were rumored to be looking very closely at Mike Pouncey this week, but Tyron Smith also would work.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defensive End
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If the Buccaneers are going to take on the Saints and the Falcons, they have to improve their pass rush. Matt Ryan and Drew Brees are two of the league's elite quarterbacks, and the Bucs have to be able to get to them.
Adrian Clayborn is becoming the guy a lot of mock drafts focus on as the pick for the Buccaneers.
21. Kansas City Chiefs: Wide Receiver
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The strength of the Chiefs' running game in 2010 masked the weaknesses in the passing game. Outside of Dwayne Bowe, Matt Cassel had no other receiver he could rely on to be open downfield on a regular basis.
The Chiefs have to rectify this situation in case the running game is not as good in 2011. Another wide receiver is a top need.
22. Indianapolis Colts: Left Tackle
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Peyton Manning spent far too much time getting up off of the turf in 2010 and as a result, the Colts were not as good in 2010.
The Colts' attempts to upgrade the offensive line through free agency last year failed miserably and it is time to just inject some youth on to the field.
Anthony Castonzo or Derek Sherrod would make great picks here.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Right Tackle
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Michael Vick is a lefty, so the Eagles now have to seriously upgrade the right tackle position and protect Vick's blindside.
If the Eagles are going to commit to Vick, they have to commit to protecting him.
24. New Orleans Saints: Linebacker
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That is a picture of Marshawn Lynch ending the Saints' postseason dreams in January.
If the Saints had better linebackers, he might have been caught when he got through the line and the playoffs probably would have unfolded much differently.
25. Seattle Seahawks: Safety
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The Seahawks featured Lawyer Milloy at safety in 2010 and he got burned on a regular basis. It is time to move on.
The Seahawks probably will not address this in the first round because of the perceived talent pool, but expect the Seahawks to fix the safety problem with their second-round pick.
26. Baltimore Ravens: Wide Receiver
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Joe Flacco needs more weapons and this really is not a subject of debate. The team has other needs, there is no question about it, but the Steelers were able to close in on Flacco during the AFC Championship game because they did not respect the ability of Flacco to go downfield.
As long as Ray Rice was covered, so were the Steelers, and the Ravens have to fix that problem.
27. Atlanta Falcons: Left Tackle
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Everyone talks about the Falcons needing another wide receiver to go along with Roddy White, or some help in the secondary.
None of these arguments are wrong, but Matt Ryan needs a new blindside protector. Sam Baker let too many people through the line and the Falcons were lucky Ryan did not get destroyed like Matthew Stafford did in Detroit.
Fix the lines and the rest takes care of itself.
28. New England Patriots: Offensive Lineman
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The Patriots franchised Logan Mankins, but that could be a moot point in the new CBA, assuming there is one.
Mankins aside, the Patriots still need a tackle. Tom Brady was sacked too much last year, and the vulnerability of the offensive line got exploited by the Jets in the playoffs.
29. Chicago Bears: Left Tackle
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If Chicago had a left tackle who could block pass rushers, Jay Cutler may have been celebrating in the Super Bowl instead of Aaron Rodgers.
Now there will be the question of Cutler's toughness for the rest of his career unless he does something completely heroic and/or stupid.
A left tackle is the Bears only priority out of this draft. Everything else is a bonus.
30. New York Jets: Defensive End
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Rex Ryan is predicting a Super Bowl again. To do that, he needs a better pass rush if he is going to get through Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and any other quarterback the Jets might face in the playoffs.
Shaun Ellis is not getting any younger. Youth and speed are the name of the game and the Jets should draft accordingly.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Right Guard
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Never underestimate the power of good film study. Shortly after the Super Bowl, the NFL Network did a great breakdown of the Steelers offensive line during the game, noting how the Steelers pulled their tight ends back to help block.
This was necessary because even the first-string offensive linemen were not all that good, and half the Steelers line was made up of replacements.
Maurkice Pouncey came in this year and anchored that line, becoming an instant leader on the field and in the locker room. The Steelers need a right guard, and guess who has a twin brother coming out of college this year who has played that position?
The Steelers look to be out of the Mike Pouncey lottery drafting 31st, but do not think for a moment they are not crafting a way to trade up and get the brothers back together.
32. Green Bay Packers: Rush Linebacker
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Clay Matthews is a monster. The only problem is that he is so dominant, he now regularly draws double and triple teams. He needs someone next to him to draw blockers.
The Packers do not have many needs because of the depth on the team and years of good drafting, but Matthews needs a partner in the defensive backfield.
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