NFL Draft 2011: Why You Don't Want Your Team Picking Cam Newton

If you are a fan of any of the teams drafting in the top five of next week's NFL Draft, you better hope your team's front office does not draft Auburn QB Cam Newton.

In other words, if I was a fan of the Panthers, Broncos, Bills, Bengals or Cardinals I would be holding to my seat come draft Thursday hoping that either my front office trades down or picks someone else, say someone worth the top five pick, like Alabama's dynamic defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Texas A&Ms stud linebacker Von Miller or LSU's cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Sure, drafting a defensive tackle, linebacker or cornerback is not as sexy as picking a 6'6", 250-pound QB who just won the national championship for Auburn a few month's back, but wouldn't you want a player that will anchor your team for years to come with that top five pick? Not a player who has only played one year of top level collegiate football.

Cam Newton steamrolled into and past college football this past season. His physical skills are undeniable, and more often than not he looked to be a man playing with boys for a good portion of last season. But, and this is a big one, he played one season of top level football and we all know that the NFL game is significantly faster and more physical than the college game.

When I see Newton I see a similar player that we saw in the 2007 go to the Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell. Russell, also a big (about 6'6" 265 pounds at the time of the draft), athletic QB with a strong arm was coming off a national championship campaign at LSU and also wowed scouts at the NFL Combine. Of course, we know how things turned out for Russell, he didn't get into training camp on time over a contract dispute and things just rolled downhill from there. Russell ended his NFL career after three seasons with a putrid 65.2 passer rating.

It is clear that neither you or I can predict the future, but when presented with a high draft pick you want to maximize your chances of drafting a player that will change your team, someone like Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The pro game is a lot faster and physical than the college game, and to trust your franchise future on a player with one year of collegiate experience is not a smart move. Newton may end up being the next Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb, but I wouldn't bet a top five pick on him.