2011 NFL Draft Mock: Andy Dalton and 2nd Round Picks That Make The Grade

After the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, several teams became winners with precise trades and great picks. Now to maintain the grade, teams will have to be successful in round two.

Round two will give a second life to teams that did not make the grade in round one. There are still several players available that could turn a team from a loser to a winner with just one pick.

Arizona Cardinals

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SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 03: Kyle Rudolph #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish breaks away from Quinton Rochardson #28 of the Washington Huskies after catching the ball on October 3, 2009 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Dan

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Patrick Peterson in the first round, and since many experts had him as the best player overall, the Cardinals are already headed in the right direction. The critics would say that the Cardinals still did not address areas of concern.

In the second round, they have a shot at drafting tight end Kyle Rudolph out of Notre Dame. This would be a steal, since he was projected to go in the first round and it would fill an area of need.

This pick, along with Peterson, would label this draft a success in the early rounds.

New England Patriots

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 20: Mikel Leshoure #5 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs on his way to a 339 yard rushing performance against the Northwestern Wildcats during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated

The New England Patriots were up to their old tricks in round one. They drafted Nate Solder with their first pick to bolster the offensive line and take over for Matt Light, and traded the next pick to stockpile picks in the future. This may have made them a winner in the first round, but some experts were questioning the move.

The Patriots need a pass rusher and passed on many of the prominent defensive ends in the first round. They also traded away the chance at Mark Ingram, and the last time they did something like that it was a mistake. (Pats traded pick to Green Bay, who selected Clay Matthews)

They can make up for it in the second round. The Patriots have three picks in the next round and if the draft Brooks Reed out of Arizona, it would answer their pass rushing need. They could use another pick to nab either Mikel Leshoure or Ryan Williams to solidify a running game, and a winning grade.

Detroit Lions

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AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 07: Cornerback Curtis Brown #3 of the Texas Longhorns practices before a game against the UCF Knights on November 7, 2009 at Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Texas won 35-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Ima

The Detroit Lions got an absolute steal in the first round as Nick Fairley fell into their laps. The Lions went with the best player available approach and it could give them one of the best front lines in the NFL.

The critics would say that the Lions did not address their weakness at cornerback. They already had a great player up front with Ndamukong Suh, and although Fairley made them stronger, the pass defense needs help.

The Lions can make up for that in round two. The Lions can draft cornerback Curtis Brown out of Texas and fill the need. Brown is not better than Jimmy Smith, but with Fairley in the fold, the Lions will get an improving grade.

Washington Redskins

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 04: Ryan Williams #34 of the Virginia Tech Hokies runs with the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Get

The Washington Redskins are already winners after round one. Trading for extra picks and still corralling Ryan Kerrigan is a very good start.

It should change the atmosphere in the locker room, now that the Redskins are committed to building through the draft. In order to solidify the winning grade, they have to make great use of those picks.

The Redskins have two picks in round two and plenty of holes to fill. The most likely scenario will be selecting a running back (Ryan Williams or Mikel Leshoure), or a wide receiver like local product Torrey Smith.

The fan base may start to squirm, because the Redskins still need a quarterback. Passing on one may be a sign that they are going to sign a veteran, or they should have a shot at Ryan Mallett out of Arkansas.

I will be interesting to see what they do in hopes of improving their grade.

Cincinnati Bengals

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 6: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs throws a pass against the Utah Utes during the second half of an NCAA Football game November 6, 2010 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. TCU Beat Utah 47-7.

The Bengals hit a home run with their first pick when they landed wide receiver A.J. Green out of Georgia. However many NFL experts were questioning the move, considering the fact that Carson Palmer has refused to suit up for the Bengals next year.

They can remedy that by drafting quarterback Andy Dalton. Unless the Buffalo Bills grab him, or someone trades up with the Patriots, he will be there. After the quarterback feeding frenzy in the first round, the Bengals would still get a quality young arm to go with Green. That could be enough to make them winners.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at [e-mail].