2011 NFL Draft: Top 15 Players Most Likely To Become NFL Stars
Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. The NFL Draft is almost here and that means that it's time to dive deep into our draft analysis.
We have all heard and or read what Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have to say about this year's draft class. But let's step it up a level and bring you some real draft knowledge, Bleacher Report style.
While this year's draft does feature a ton of talented college players from top to bottom, it is still uncertain how any of them might pan out at the next level. Guys like Patrick Peterson and Nick Fairley are expected to be top-5 picks, but does that necessarily mean that they will have instant success in the NFL?
Let's break this draft down and go over the top 15 players that are going to be headed for NFL stardom.
Let the games begin.
15. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
1 of 15
Rahim Moore is hands-down the top safety in this draft, and it has been shocking to see that some experts expect him to fall into the second round.
This former UCLA star was a starter for the Bruins since his freshman season. What that means, is that he has experience reading coverages and should be able to adjust quickly to the pace of an NFL game. He has good size and exceptional speed to break on the ball, which is important at the next level.
Just like any rookie that comes into the league, Moore will get bigger by adding strength over time, which will only help his development.
If a team is need of a play making safety, it would be tough to pass up Moore. He has all the tools that is needed to be a success at the next level.
14. Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
2 of 15
We have all seen some outstanding offensive linemen come out of Wisconsin as of late. Well, all signs point to Carimi being the next one of that group.
The 2010 Outland Trophy winner has great size at 6'8", 320 pounds. He excels in both pass protection and run blocking, which was evident as Wisconsin featured one of the top backfields in the country this season. It's not everyday that you get an offensive tackle that is so good at both aspects, but this offensive tackle is a rare breed.
Chances are that Carimi will get scooped up by a team in the mid-to-late first round, which means that he will join a team that is already a playoff contender. This can only help Carimi, as he will be surrounded by good players and he will learn and adapt to the speed that much faster. It would be very hard to see this guy being anything short of a success in the NFL.
13. Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
3 of 15
Take your choice between Castonzo and Gabe Carimi as to who is the most NFL-ready offensive tackle in this year's draft class.
This former Boston College lineman was a four-year starter in college that is gifted with both good athleticism and size. His experience and the fact that he is a very bright individual should make him a threat in the NFL.
As if a great four year career wasn't enough to impress coaches, Castonzo put together a phenomenal Combine. He was outstanding in the drills, showing great athleticism and technique, which NFL coaches all love to see in a player. He should be a mid-to-late first round pick and could have the responsibility of protecting an elite quarterback right off the bat in his NFL career.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
12. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
4 of 15
Simply put, J.J. Watt is a guy that will work so hard at the next level, that it would be near impossible for him not to succeed.
The former Wisconsin standout has a non-stop motor that NFL coaches love to work with. He is explosive off the end, recording seven sacks this season while leading one of the top defensive units in the country at Wisconsin.
Watt went up against top notch competition in the Big Ten on a weekly basis, and was dominant every time he took the field. He has had great workouts and has steadily moved up draft boards since the second he announced that he was leaving school early.
It would be near impossible to imagine this guy being a bust at the next level. He cares about the game far too much to let that happen.
11. Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
5 of 15
Da'Quan Bowers is a guy who has seen his draft stock slip over the past couple of weeks due to a nagging injury. Well, that only means that Bowers will go to a better team, and every team that passes on this guy is going to be sorry.
Without a doubt, Bowers is the most feared pass rusher in this draft class, racking up 13.5 sacks this season for Clemson. He has the looks of Mario Williams when he came out of college, plus a nasty side to him.
Bowers has all the physical skills and talent to be successful at the next level. Some might question his work ethic because he hasn't participated in workouts, but that's because he has a knee injury that he knows will slow him down if he does partake.
Signs point to the former Clemson star being a bit of a project to start, but he should began playing at an elite level by his third year in the NFL.
10. Mike Pouncey, G, Florida
6 of 15
Have you seen how good this guy's brother turned out to be in his rookie season? Well, word to the wise, many NFL scouts feel like Mike is even better than his brother.
Mike Pouncey has good size and versatility to player both guard or center in the NFL. He is hands-down the best interior lineman in this year's draft class because he is such an exceptional run blocker that has experience playing on college football's biggest stage.
Offensive guard is a position that good college players seem to transition well to in the NFL. If Pouncey is the best guard in all of college football, he should have a long and successful career in the NFL.
9. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
7 of 15
It's not all that often that a running back comes around with such a deadly combination of both power and agility like Mark Ingram has.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is hands-down the best running back in this year's draft class. He has performed and succeed on the biggest stage in college football while going up against top-notch competition in the SEC, which is why he is ready to take on NFL defenses.
Nick Saban knows how to get guys ready to play in the NFL, and after winning a Heisman Trophy and National Championship, Ingram is certainly ready. He will be a big play guy from the second he puts on an NFL jersey. This is a can't miss running back right here, mark my word.
8. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
8 of 15
I know, it may be a little risky to put a quarterback on this list, especially when we're talking about players that are most likely to become NFL stars. But with Blaine Gabbert, after seeing him play at Missouri and how much he impressed at the combine and pro day, you have to believe this guy is going to be a stud at the NFL level.
Gabbert played against top-notch competition in the Big-12 and delivered in a huge way. He has great size and the ideal arm strength and decision making that you want to see with a quarterback.
Gabbert looks a lot like Matt Ryan did when he came out of Boston College and was the third pick in the draft that year. We all saw how that is working out for Atlanta thus far.
7. Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
9 of 15
When was the last time that an NFL Draft was this stacked with dominant defensive linemen?
The list goes on and on, but Alabama's Marcell Dareus very well could be the best of all of them when it is all said and done. Dareus, who weighed in at 6-3, 319 pounds at the Combine, had a faster 10-yard split in the 40 than 291-pound Nick Fairley. In return, he has begun to move ahead of Fairley in a lot of experts' draft boards.
Now, this is a list of players that are most likely to become NFL stars, and at this point, Dareus has to be considered a member. He was the best defensive player on one of the top defenses in college football this season. One thing that stands out about this guy, is how he has shown to be both a dominant pass rusher and run stopper over the past two seasons at Alabama.
Keeping his weight in tact will be important for Dareus, as it is for most defensive tackles in the NFL. If he continues to work hard throughout his NFL career, it would be tough to see this guy being anything short of an NFL star.
6. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
10 of 15
They say that the best way to judge a players talent is too see how they fared when they went up against other not-notch talent. Well in Nick Fairley's case, he played against Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Oregon, and in the end, he was the most dominant defensive player every time he took the field.
It is hard to put up that type of resume, and then not be successful in the NFL.
Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh was a Pro Bowler and Defensive Rookie of the Year this season, and Fairley is right up there with him as far as talent level goes. I would be shocked if Nick Fairley did not go on to have a successful NFL career. He certainly has all the pieces in place to do so.
5. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
11 of 15
There are two dominant defensive backs in this year's NFL draft class, and former Nebraska standout Prince Amukamara is one of them.
Amukamara's size and physical style of play have allowed him to shut down some of college football's elite receivers. He is a game-changing corner that very well could have been a top-five pick if it hadn't been for Patrick Peterson.
Between Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Blaine Gabbert, this guy has already gone up against the best in college football and should transition nicely onto the next level. Chances are that Amukamara will probably be going somewhere between picks 5-15 in the draft, and whoever gets him with that pick, will have themselves a future pro-bowl cornerback.
4. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
12 of 15
The Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco days are slowly fading away as those receivers have all lost a little spring to their step.
Now enters the new class of elite receivers, and one of the guys leading this new wave is former Georgia standout A.J. Green.
Green is considered by many to be the top receiver in this draft with the type of big-play ability that doesn't come around every year. He can stretch the field and make catches in traffic, which should make him an immediate impact player in the NFL.
The one knock on Green is that he still needs to add some mass to his skinny frame, but once he does, this guy should develop into one of the top deep threats in the entire league.
3. Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
13 of 15
It's pretty rare to see a linebacker being projected to go this high in an NFL Draft. It's even more rare to see a linebacker shoot as high up a draft board as former Texas A&M standout Von Miller has done over the past couple of weeks.
At the end of the college season, most draft experts tagged Miller as being a mid-to-late first round selection. But after a remarkable senior bowl performance, followed up by a memorable combine, where he ran a 4.46 40 and notched a 37-inch vertical at 6'3", 246 pounds, Miller has been the talk of the NFL draft. He has moved up the board and is now considered to be a virtual lock as a top-5 pick this April.
After watching Miller throughout college and in the senior bowl and combine, it is tough to believe that this guy isn't going to be an immediate stud at the next level.
He has great size, great instincts and just fits the perfect mold of what an NFL team wants in a pass rushing linebacker. We all saw how fast Clay Matthews developed as an NFL star, well Von Miller looks like he is the next in line.
2. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
14 of 15
A.J. Green might be the higher pick and may have put up bigger numbers in college, but if Julio Jones gets drafted by a team that has a capable quarterback, he will be the best receiver to come out of this draft.
After a standout three-year career at Alabama, Jones grabbed the attention of NFL scouts with his incredible performance at the NFL Combine. This stud receiver ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and recorded an 11-foot-3 broad jump despite suffering through a fractured foot.
Jones has ideal size, strength and leaping ability to make an immediate impact at the next level. The fact that some team is going to get this guy around the 8-15 range is incredible, because he certainly has as much talent as just about any player in this draft.
Julio Jones has the body of Andre Johnson, the hands and leaping ability of Calvin Johnson and the speed of DeSean Jackson all tied into one. Try to wrap you're mind around that one.
1. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
15 of 15
Put it this way, the chances of Patrick Peterson being an NFL bust, are about the same chances that the Carolina Panthers have of winning the Super Bowl next year. It's just simply not going to happen.
Peterson is one of those players that only come around once every decade or so. He has the hands and speed to play corner and the big-play hitting ability to play safety. Peterson has been compared to Charles Woodson, which just goes to show what a talent this kid is.
Call this a bold prediction, but in three years, Patrick Peterson will be a Pro Bowl corner who will be one of the most feared defensive backs amongst the names like Revis, Asomugha and Woodson. He truly is that good.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
