NFL Draft 2011: Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert?

The NFL Draft is just over a month away and the Carolina Panthers have the # one pick.  The Panthers badly need a quarterback and many experts believe they are going to take either Auburn’s Cam Newton or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert.  Which quarterback should the Panthers choose?

Cam Newton
The Heisman Trophy winner has all of the physical skills to play quarterback. He is 6’6 and 250 pounds with a very strong arm. He also has the ability to run.  Newton was virtually unstoppable at Auburn and led the Tigers to a national championship.  The physical tools are all there for Newton but there are some people who worry about his character and there is still the thought in the back of some people’s minds that he could end up like another SEC quarterback who went # one in the NFL Draft, JaMarcus Russell.

Blaine Gabbert
A few months ago there wasn’t anyone talking about Gabbert going # one in the NFL Draft.  That has changed because there are not that many quality quarterbacks available in the draft and because the Panthers badly need a franchise quarterback.  Gabbert was extremely impressive in his pro day workout and many NFL scouts now consider him a safer pick than Newton. One NFL Draft analyst said that Gabbert has everything a team looks for in a franchise quarterback because he has the size, the arm and the footwork needed to play in the NFL.

Both are Overrated
There is a good chance that both Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert are overrated.  Remember what we said earlier about the Panthers needing a quarterback?  They have made Newton and Gabbert into top picks in the NFL Draft. In a normal year, both would be doing well to go late in the first round.   The best player in this year’s NFL Draft is LSU’s Patrick Peterson. He is a superstar cornerback that should be the top pick but teams simply will not take a cornerback with the first overall pick. The entire NFL Draft looks weak which is another reason that Newton and Gabbert are getting so much attention.

Newton the Favorite
Even though Gabbert had a great pro day, Newton is the favorite to go #one to the Panthers. New head coach Ron Rivera seems to love Newton and the Panthers need someone to build their future around.  The Panthers are still not thought of as having much of a chance next season as they are 80-1 to win the Super Bowl.