2011 NFL Mock Draft: Full First Round Mock 2.0
I can't wait for the draft to get here so that we can all finally be done with the conjecture. In the meantime here is a mock draft for your reading pleasure. I am not going to try and predict trades, although I am sure there will be a few. Let me know what you think and what you predict your team will do.
Pick One, Carolina Panthers: Cameron Newton QB Auburn
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I don't like this pick at all but it seems like it is going to happen. Newton is a huge, physical talent but he is also a project and in an ideal world would be a second round pick but this is reality and he will be the first player off of the board.
Pick Two, Denver Broncos: Patrick Peterson CB LSU
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The Broncos have a lot of holes and have bigger needs than at corner but Peterson is the best player on the board and they take him.
The great thing about Peterson is in addition to being a shutdown corner, he could also be a game changer as a safety. This gives the Broncos the option of playing him at either position.
Pick Three, Buffalo Bills: Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
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The Bills might have thought about a QB but they seem to be more interested in Cam Newton than in Blaine Gabbert.
They really need a pass rusher and Von Miller is the best one in the draft.
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Pick Four, Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green WR Georgia
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The Bengals should draft Blaine Gabbert at this spot but Mike Brown is stubborn and refuses to trade disgruntled player.
In 2008, the Washington Redskins reportedly offered two first round picks for Chad Johnson and were turned down.
If they are not going to draft a QB they need a WR with Chad Johnson/Ochocinco and T.O. likely both being gone next year.
Pick Five, Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri
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Ken Whisenhunt said he is not interested in drafting Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert which means he is probably looking at both.
The Cardinals need someone who can get Larry Fitzgerald the ball or he will be gone next year.
Gabbert ran a spread offense but it has been described as fairly similar to the one that Sam Bradford ran at Oklahoma (though with less talented athletes at Mizzou)
Pick Six, Cleveland Browns: Da'Quan Bowers DE Clemson
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At six, the Browns might get the most talented player in the draft. (It is a toss up between him and Patrick Peterson)
Making the conversion from a 3-4 to a 4-3, the Browns are going to need pass rushing DEs and when healthy Bowers has drawn comparisons to Julius Peppers.
Pick Seven, San Francisco 49ers: Marcell Dareus NT Alabama
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Nose tackle is not the biggest need for San Francisco but it is a need position and Dareus would be by far the best player on the board.
He fits perfectly in the 3-4 and would be command double teams, open things up for the linebackers behind him.
Pick Eight, Tennesee Titans: Nick Fairley DT Auburn
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Tennessee's defense has not been the same without Albert Haynesworth and Nick Fairley is talented enough to fill those shoes.
Pick Nine, Dallas Cowboys: JJ Watt DE Wisconsin
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Watt has been slowly moving up draft boards because he is the best 3-4 DE in this years draft.
The Cowboys also need an OT but this year's class is weak and they can not get the value that they want at this point in the draft.
Pick Ten, Washington Redskins: Robert Quinn OLB North Carolina
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Questions about his ability to convert to a 3-4 OLB have hurt Quinn's stock but his value at ten will make the Redskins grab him.
With Brian Orakpo on one side and Quinn on the other, the Redskins will have one of the best pass rushes in all of the NFL.
Pick Eleven, Houston Texans: Brooks Reed OLB Arizona
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Call me crazy, but every year it seems that his the top 15 picks there is a pick that no one expects. (Tyson Alualu 2010 and Tyson Jackson 2009)
Reed had the fastest 10-yard split of any of the linebackers and will be very good in a 3-4 defense.
Pick Twelve, Minnesota Vikings: Tyron Smith OT USC
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With no tackles off of the board at this point, Smith becomes a value pick. McKinnie is getting older and Loadholt is a question mark.
Smith is quick and has a huge wing-span. He still needs a little bit of development but that is why the Vikings would be a great landing spot for him.
Pick Thirteen, Detroit Lions: Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska
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Corner is a need position for the Lions and Amukamara just falls into their laps. Schwartz will love that Prince can get up and be physical with a receiver.
Pick Fourteen, St Louis Rams: Julio Jones WR Alabama
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If Julio Jones is still on the board, Sam Bradford will write his name on a card and hand it to the commissioner himself.
The Rams desperately need a go to receiver.
Pick Fifteen, Miami Dolphins: Jake Locker QB Washington
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Chad Henne has not worked out for the Dolphins and it is time for them to start looking for his replacement.
Locker has struggled with accuracy but he was also on a team without a lot of talent. A couple of tweaks to his mechanics and he should be fine.
Pick Sixteen, Jacksonville Jaguars: Cameron Jordan DE California
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Cameron Jordan will instantly upgrade the Jaguars pass rush. He also will drawn attention way from Aaron Kampman on the other side.
Pick Seventeen, New England Patriots: Aldon Smith OLB Missouri
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The rich get richer as the Patriots get one of the best 3-4 outside linebackers at 17. Smith is limited in his college experience but should be able to instantly help the pass rush.
Pick Eighteen, San Diego Chargers: Ryan Kerrigan OLB Purdue
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Many have questioned his ability to convert to a 3-4 OLB but no one questions his motor. Maybe he is just the kind of guy that the Chargers need on defense to be a leader.
Pick Nineteen, New York Giants: Derek Sherrod OT Mississippi State
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A little bit of a surprise here with Solder, Castonzo and Carimi still on the board but I feel that Sherrod is the most sure prospect out of the tackles left on the board. Carimi is projected as strictly a RT by most and there are questions about Castonzo and Solder's frames. '
The Giants need help all across the line and have their choice of players here.
Pick Twenty, Tampa Bay Buccaners: Jimmy Smith CB Colorado
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Some believe that Smith is the second best CB on the board, ahead of Prince Amukamara, but character concerns will cause him to slip.
This pick becomes a no-brainer for the Bucs with Aqib Talib being arrested this off season
Pick Twenty-One, Kansas City Chiefs: Muhammad Wilkerson NT Temple
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The Chiefs will have the luxury here of picking between Phil Taylor and Wilkerson to shore up their NT position.
They could also look at OLBs but there are not that many nose tackles in this draft so they need to take one right here.
Pick Twenty-Two, Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College
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It has been easy for the Colts to overlook the tackle position early in drafts because Peyton Manning is so good at getting rid of the ball quickly but with all of the offensive tackle talent on the board it will be hard to pass up on an OT this year.
Castonzo is good as a pass blocker and that is the most important thing for a Colts O-lineman.
Pick Twenty-Three, Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Harris CB Miami
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Harris is a physically talented CB who would fit in perfectly across from Asante Samuel.
Pick Twenty-Four, New Orleans Saints: Akeem Ayers OLB UCLA
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Ayers ran much better in his pro day than he did at the combine. He would be a good fit for the Saints because of his size and desire to go up and stop the run.
Pick Twenty-Five, Seattle Seahawks: Corey Luiget DT Illinois
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I really want to put Christian Ponder in at this point but I think Pete Carroll's ego won't let him pick a QB in the first round after giving up picks to get Charlie Whitehurst just a year ago.
The Seahawks need help across the D-line and Luiget is the most talented defensive lineman on the board.
Pick Twenty-Six, Balitmore Ravens: Justin Houston OLB Georgia
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Right now Sergio Kindle is a question mark in so many ways and you can never have too many OLBs in a 3-4 defense.
He already has experience in a 3-4 and could contribute immediately as a pass rusher.
Pick Twenty-Seven, Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame
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With Tony Gonzalez at the end of his career the Falcons take the most talented TE in the draft. It is an important position to keep filled to allow Roddy White to get open on the outside and to keep Matt Ryan healthy.
Hopefully, Gonzalez stays around another year to teach him the position.
Pick Twenty-Eight, New England Patriots: Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa
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Clayborn gives the Pats the pass rush that they have lacked from the DE position since Richard Seymour was shipped off to Oakland.
I also give this pick a good chance of happening because of the Belichick-Ferentz connection.
Pick Twenty-Nine, Chicago Bears: Nate Solder OT Colorado
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The Bears would be ecstatic if Solder were to fall to them at 29. They need help at almost every line position.
Solder is a converted TE and needs to still add some muscle weight to his frame but he would be an instant starter on the Bears.
Pick Thirty, New York Jets: Rahim Moore S UCLA
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With all of the top 3-4 OLBs off of the board, the Jets take a guy who can be a play maker at safety. Rex Ryan could use him similarly to how he used Ed Reed in Baltimore.
Pick Thirty-One, Pittsburgh Steelers: Phil Taylor NT Baylor
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The Steelers need a big NT to eventually replace Casey Hampton. They may also look at the guard position but you can find guards later in the draft and Taylor would be a steal at this point.
Pick Thirty-Two, Green Bay Packers: Gabe Carimi OT
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The Packers use the BPA approach in their drafting which is why they have quality depth at almost every position.
For the second year in a row they will get a OT who could be off the board early but falls to them.
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