NFL Draft 2011: 10 Players Who Will Not Be Selected in the First Round
Today is certainly not a slow news day. After all, the 2011 NFL Draft begins tonight, and everyone who is remotely fond of football has their eyes on it. At 8 P.M., the players are going to start flying off the board and we will see who is first overall.
Now, there are reports that Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith has failed three drug tests and admitted to using codeine. He has the talent to be a first-round pick, but this latest news could cause a big time tumble.
There are other players in the draft who have been considered first-round possibilities. However, with the way the draft has shaped itself, the odds of these players going in the first round is slim.
Here are 10 players who have been considered first round talent at least at some point but will not be selected (unless, possibly, the Packers think they're the best available at 32).
10. Jimmy Smith
1 of 10
Jimmy Smith has all the talent in the world, and despite his character and attitude issues, I thought there was no question he would be a first-round pick in the draft.
However, with the latest report that Smith failed three drug tests, on top of executives saying they would not even take him in the second round, I see him falling down the draft big time.
Whether or not this report becomes official, the news is now out there and the damage in draft rooms has already been done. Unless a team wants a cornerback that badly and takes the risk, he's falling.
9. Nate Solder
2 of 10
Yes, two Colorado guys in a row, but for entirely different reasons.
Nate Solder has all the upside in the world, and he is a mountain of an offensive line prospect. However, he is just that. He's very raw yet, and established teams will want offensive linemen who can win now.
Due to the above, Danny Watkins has been slipping in the first round in some mocks due to his age and likely limited ceiling. However, the casualty in the case could be Solder, as teams late in the first may be reluctant to take on a project when they want to get back to the Super Bowl.
8. Danny Watkins
3 of 10
I'm actually shocked that I'm seeing so many mock drafts putting Watkins in the first round, when the fact of the matter is that he's a 26-year old guard with limited upside. In a situation where we may not have much of a 2011 season, Watkins could end up turning 28 in his first full season.
On top of that, because of his age, he really does not have much of a ceiling. Why take a guy in the first round with a limited ceiling at the guard spot? Everything about him says second-rounder.
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7. Torrey Smith
4 of 10
Every wide receiver not named Green or Jones could be meshed into this slide as well, since the drop-off is big after those two.
Torrey Smith is arguably the best receiver of the second tier, has a great motor and would be a reliable receiver for a team. However, teams at the bottom of the first round do not need a receiver except for Atlanta, so if the Falcons pass, then he's a second-round pick.
6. Adrian Clayborn
5 of 10
Adrian Clayborn is someone who I've never been that high on. He could be very good, but I have my doubts due to his medical issues on top of his playing.
He was projected as a mid-first rounder, and there's the possibility that someone who take a flier on him. However, it's just as likely that he becomes an early second-round pick, with teams thinking there's too much baggage and too many issues.
5. Cameron Heyward
6 of 10
When I see Cameron Heyward, I do not see a first-round talent. I see a player who can be great, but I see someone who takes plays off and actually regressed from his junior to his senior year.
Players that do that are ones that always worry me. I'm surprised he's been considered a first-round pick recently, as I see him as more worthy of a pick in the early 40s.
4. Brandon Harris
7 of 10
Brandon Harris is another player whose skill set to me makes him look like he would be a very good second-rounder. He has very good instincts and can be coached up, but has some elementary problems.
In other words, he's not that great at tackling and intercepting the ball. If you can't do that as a cornerback, then there's no reason to be selected in the first round. He's another early 40s-pick player ideally.
3. Akeem Ayers
8 of 10
Unlike many others on this list, I do think Akeem Ayers has the skill set that's worthy of a first-round draft pick. However, he is a borderline pick right now, and if multiple teams trade up to get a quarterback, he will be among the players that fall into the second round.
I think he's a better 4-3 linebacker, and that little note may be what could keep him in the first round, since so many OLBs in this draft are 3-4. However, so many teams seem to be passing on him due to poor workout numbers.
2. Da'Quan Bowers
9 of 10
This would be completely shocking if it did happen, and I think he's more than worthy of a 20-32 draft choice. However, here's why I think it might.
The teams who could most use a guy like him, the Buccaneers, Saints and a couple others, happen to be the teams that would be most likely to engage in a trade with teams wanting to snag a quarterback. If this happens, then he may fall along with the teams that want him.
I don't see this happening personally, but I could see a scenario where that's possible.
1. Ryan Mallett
10 of 10
He may have a first-round arm, but with all the red flags strewn about, even those that love Mallett in the front office have probably accepted that he will be available in the second round.
Whether you see him as the next great passer, a complete bust or a Derek Anderson-type who happens to have been both a star and a bust (I take that third route), his skill set says that he should be a second-round pick.
Then again, I consider that the same for most of the other quarterbacks in the draft too, and they will probably go in the first round.
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.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
