2011 NFL Mock Draft: Marcell Dareus and the Rest of the Top 10 Picks
This time of year, everyone has opinions on who will go to which team in the NFL draft. This year, the draft is all the more exciting because of the ongoing CBA talks and the lockout. With all of that taking place, teams have had no opportunity to improve their rosters or make changes to depth charts.
Thanks to that, all eyes will be on the rookie players selected during the draft. They will be the first reinforcements teams see this year. The lack of free agency makes this draft all the more important.
Here's a look at how the first 10 picks of the draft might play out.
Carolina Panthers: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
1 of 10
Why a Defensive Tackle?
It's not the sexiest pick, but a defensive lineman being taken with the first overall pick worked out pretty well a few years ago when Houston passed on Reggie Bush and Vince Young to take Mario Williams. Williams has certainly had a better professional career to date than Bush or Young.
Beyond that, Carolina needs a defensive tackle who can impact their team. Ron Rivera is a defensive coach and he figures to try to build a shutdown defense and operate a ball-control offense with runners DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
Why Marcell Dareus?
Nick Fairley and Da'Quan Bowers were originally slotted above Dareus for the draft, but Dareus put on quite the show at the combine. He's bigger than Fairley, yet more athletic and faster. He's got a much better injury history than Bowers, whose knee injury is forcing him down draft boards.
Dareus could potentially have the impact in Carolina that Julius Peppers once did. That would be a big boost for a Carolina squad that really isn't scaring anyone right now.
Denver Broncos: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
2 of 10
Why a Defensive Tackle?
Denver's defensive front will get a boost from the return of Elvis Dumervil, but they need some more weapons along the line and Dumervil could use a pass-rushing mate. The Broncos finished last in the NFL with a paltry 23 sacks last season.
John Fox is a defensive coach. The Broncos offense appears mostly set except at wide receiver and along the offensive line. This seems high for even the top players at those positions, so it figures Fox will try to shore up a defense that cost the Broncos a lot of games while being neglected by Josh McDaniels and his staff.
Corner is another possibility, but Denver appears to be set at that position.
Why Nick Fairley?
Fairley had an excellent pro day after being shown up at the scouting combine by Marcell Dareus. That, coupled with his lack of an injury history, vaults him over Da'Quan Bowers.
Fairley is somewhat undersized for a defensive tackle and he could slide out to defensive end depending on what Fox and his staff want to do. He could also bulk up and stay on the interior of the line. Either way, his disruptive pass-rush skills figure to play well at the professional level.
Buffalo Bills: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
3 of 10
Why a Quarterback?
Why not? The Bills have been looking for a successor to Jim Kelly for more than a decade. They've tried everyone from Doug Flutie, who was decent, to Rob Johnson, who wasn't, to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who did a nice job last year.
The Bills have a lot of needs, but getting a franchise passer into the locker room would be an excellent boost for them. Anyone selected will be able to sit and learn for a year behind Fitzpatrick and then take the reins in 2012 if they're ready.
Offensive line is an option here as well, but it will be hard to pass on a franchise quarterback.
Why Blaine Gabbert?
A lot of people are crying for Cam Newton, but Gabbert fits Chan Gailey's system much better than Newton and also projects as a better pure quarterback. Buffalo has a nice stable of receivers now that Stevie Johnson has emerged to go alongside of Lee Evans. Adding the strong-armed Gabbert to the equation would seem to complete things.
At this point, I think Gabbert is a better choice than Newton. Only time will tell if I'm right. I think very highly of both players, but Gabbert wins this one.
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Cincinnati Bengals: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
4 of 10
Why a Quarterback?
I know that Mike Brown has said over and over that he has no intention of giving in and trading Carson Palmer. I'm surprised that, with the expected market for quarterbacks, he will let Palmer walk away from his football career rather than flip him for something valuable.
With Palmer's status up in the air (I do think Palmer will walk away from the game if the Bengals hold onto him) and his departure all but assured, the Bengals will have an opportunity to get a new franchise quarterback in the first round. They'd be crazy to pass on Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert if either is available.
Why Cam Newton?
I think the Bengals would also prefer Gabbert if he's on the board, but in this mock, he's gone. Newton is certainly destined to be another in the line of athletic, versatile quarterbacks that have become very popular in the NFL since the advent of Michael Vick.
Newton combines a strong, accurate arm with fleet feet. He can make plays from the pocket or on the move and is very unpredictable. He compares well with a mixture of Ben Roethlisberger and Vick. He'd likely have to take some time to learn the NFL system, but would be a headache for defenses once he got into games.
Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas AM
5 of 10
Why a Defensive End/Linebacker?
Ken Whisenhunt runs his team in a very similar fashion to the Steelers. The Steelers love hybrid defensive ends. They have drafted them consistently. Lamarr Woodley was that type of prospect and has become one of the top linebackers in the NFL.
That said, Arizona would probably love to get Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton. They fell apart last season with no true signal-caller. Newton and Gabbert probably will not fall this far unless things go against the common theory. At that point, they will look to take either the best player on the board or someone who can help them on defense, where they've been punchless.
Why Von Miller?
Robert Quinn and Da'Quan Bowers are options here too, but I think Miller projects much better for Arizona. They need a pass-rushing linebacker to make Ray Horton's system tick and they currently don't have that. Defensive linemen don't play a major role in that system besides opening holes for rushers.
Miller could be a Woodley-type player and terrorize quarterbacks or he could slide onto the line and become a force similar to Julius Peppers. His size likely puts him at linebacker, however. Either way, he's going to be a great player in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
6 of 10
Why a Wide Receiver?
New head coach Pat Shurmur is an offensive guru and wants to surround second-year quarterback Colt McCoy with much-needed talent. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi aren't scaring anyone at wide receiver.
The Browns have a lot of needs, but upgrading the talent on offense could make a huge difference. The defense was passable last year, so it's reasonable to believe that Cleveland could address some of their needs on that side of the football in later rounds. They need an impact player in Round 1.
Why A.J. Green?
He's the kind of player teams dream about drafting. He's a big, physical target that has drawn comparisons for skill to Larry Fitzgerald. That's pretty high praise for a prospect with no NFL games under his belt. Green is a complete player who runs precise routes, catches the ball well and doesn't make mental errors.
He had an awful Wonderlic score, but that shouldn't scare off teams that are drooling over his talent. He could go higher if a team decides to upgrade the receiver position (Denver and Cincinnati are possibilities), but if he's on the board, Cleveland must take him to help Colt McCoy succeed in his second year.
San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
7 of 10
Why a Corner?
The 49ers need a quarterback, but the top targets figure to be gone by the time they pick. They won't likely reach for Christian Ponder or Ryan Mallett, so they'll focus on the defensive side of the ball. They could use a lot of help there, where Patrick Willis and Manny Lawson need more talent around them.
Getting a corner will help make their defense more dangerous. The team already has a decent pass rush, so adding a threat against the passing game would be great. There are no corners off the board in this mock, so they will have their pick.
Why Patrick Peterson?
Peterson and Prince Amukamara are the top players available at the corner spot. Either would be a good selection, but Peterson is likely the better choice. He has had a much more prolific collegiate career and I think he had a better showing in the lead-up to the draft.
Either player would be a win here, but Peterson is higher on virtually every draft board, so the 49ers will likely go with him if he's available.
Tennessee Titans: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
8 of 10
Why a Wide Receiver?
The Titans have been trying to upgrade their wide receivers for years. They've spent a lot of later draft selections on players who've panned out to some degree or have failed. They brought in Nate Washington a few years ago and Randy Moss last year to try to give their quarterbacks more targets. They are, however, still searching.
Kenny Britt is a good option, but adding another playmaker would give the Titans quarterback (whoever that is) some options. The team would like to add a young quarterback, but will pick too late to have a shot at the top players. They could eventually opt to trade for a player like Kevin Kolb or Carson Palmer, but that will have to wait for a new CBA agreement.
Why Julio Jones?
A.J. Green will be off the board by now barring a major upset, so Jones is the top receiver on the board. His draft stock was so-so before a stellar combine put him back in the top-10 conversation.
Jones has great skills and is extremely fast. He's not as complete a package as Green, but will likely be an immediate starter and contributor for whichever team selects him. If he's there when Tennessee picks, they will likely look his way to solve their long-standing void at the position.
Dallas Cowboys: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
9 of 10
Why a Corner?
If there was one thing evident in Dallas over the last few seasons, it was that the team is starving for better play in the secondary. Terrance Newman was never a top cover player and his skills have deteriorated with age.
Dallas gets burned routinely by teams with strong wide receivers because their corners cannot cover or keep up with these players. Before Dallas can return to being a playoff contender, they need to fix their defensive woes.
Jason Garrett may try to go for an offensive weapon or an offensive lineman here, but it will be very hard to pass on the chance to upgrade their woeful defensive backfield.
Why Prince Amukamara?
At this point, if they want a corner, they can either take Amukamara or trade down toward the end of the first round and take Jimmy Smith or Aaron Williams. Amukamara has the chance to be one of those shutdown corners that teams are always searching for and rarely finding at this level.
He would likely make Dallas instantly more dangerous and will probably get the opportunity to start from day one. He can slot into Newman's spot and would allow Dallas to run more exotic packages. He could also help improve the chances for Demarcus Ware, who is the sole major weapon on Dallas' depleted defense.
Washington Redskins: Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina
10 of 10
Why a Defensive End/Linebacker?
Washington, like many others, would love to grab a quarterback or maybe even a receiver here, but their top targets are going to be off the board. This is still too high for Ryan Mallett or Christian Ponder, and there aren't many receivers who would merit a top 10 selection.
With offensive talent out of the way, the team could look to upgrade a defensive line that was woeful last year. The team will try to part ways with troubled and confrontational Albert Haynesworth, so they'll need a replacement along the line. While this pick doesn't replace him, it does replace the production that was expected of him.
They could go with a defensive tackle like Da'Quan Bowers, but his knee problems have scared a lot of teams off.
Why Robert Quinn?
Quinn is a hybrid player like Lamarr Woodley and could slot in well in the 4-3 system as an end. He could team with Brian Orakpo to help a Washington pass rush that was one of the league's worst. Orakpo was the only Redskin to record more than 2.5 sacks, so the team obviously needs help getting to the quarterback.
Quinn could probably start immediately as well, which would give Mike Shanahan's team a much-needed boost. They can address other issues later, but point prevention will be at the top of their list once the major offensive targets are off the board.
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