2011 NFL Draft: Which of the Top 7 Quarterbacks Will Start a Game in 2011?
The first three rounds of the 2011 NFL draft will go down as a scramble for quarterbacks.
Many teams entering the draft were in a dire need of a quarterback, and only a few of those teams actually got the player they wanted.
In fact, some of these teams selected their quarterback so early in the draft, that it was almost a very unreasonable spot to be selecting that player.
Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Mallett were all selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.
Out of those seven quarterbacks, which of them will be making their first career NFL start in the 2011 season?
This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @ TonySantorsa.
Cam Newton
1 of 7
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft selected by the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers were in such a major need of hype and star-power revolving their franchise, that they selected the draft's biggest name.
However, in my opinion, Newton was not the best player in the 2011 draft class, in fact, he wasn't even the best quarterback available.
Newton will join Jimmy Clausen as two of the Panthers lead candidates to win the starting job for the 2011 NFL season. But, I do not believe that either player will be ready to step in and play at a high level, so the Panthers will likely sign a veteran quarterback via free agency.
With all the hype and buzz surrounding Newton, I'm not too sure that I'm buying into him. Newton is a very physically gifted quarterback, but needs a lot of time to be groomed and developed to run a pro-style offense effective in the NFL.
Will Cam Newton make his first career start in 2011? No.
Jake Locker
2 of 7
The Tennessee Titans made a very bold decision by drafting Washington quarterback Jake Locker with the eighth overall pick before the top-rated quarterback prospect, Blaine Gabbert.
Locker does have all the right intangibles to make it at the next level, but his major concern is accuracy.
But, if you take much deeper look at Locker's surroundings at Washington, you'd notice that the quality of talent is not very good—which could explain Locker's 53.9 career completion percentage.
By just watching game film on Locker, multiple times Locker is flushed out of the pocket due to his receivers unable to get open.
When flushed out of the pocket, Locker is then forced to throw the ball away or simply try to force low-percentage passes.
Locker will join the Titans team as arguably the team's best quarterback, depending if Vince Young will return—which is highly unlikely.
Will Jake Locker make his first career start in 2011? Yes.
Blaine Gabbert
3 of 7
After Blaine Gabbert fell all the way to 10th overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars swooped in and made a deal with the Washington Redskins to grab him.
Gabbert was rated by most NFL draft analysts as the best quarterback available, which is surprising that the Titans skipped over Gabbert to draft Jake Locker.
Falling in the draft isn't usually a good thing, but this is actually one of the best scenarios for Gabbert.
Gabbert will join the Jacksonville Jaguars as the team's backup quarterback behind David Garrard.
Garrard is a quality NFL quarterback that will lead by example and probably mentor Gabbert quite a bit.
With Garrard being such a quality quarterback, this will enable Gabbert to sit on the bench the entire season while learning the style of play in the NFL.
Will Blaine Gabbert make his first career start in 2011? No.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Christian Ponder
4 of 7
Florida State's Christian Ponder was one of the biggest surprises in the 2011 NFL draft as he was the 12th overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings.
By just glancing out most mock drafts, including my own, Ponder was never expected to go in the first round—especially at 12th overall.
With being selected so high, the Vikings must think very highly on Ponder and must be extremely confident that he is the right guy for their system in the years moving forward.
Ponder is in a very good situation in Minnesota with one of the league's best defenses, league's best running back, and a very talented receiving corps.
Will Christian Ponder make his first career start in 2011? Yes.
Andy Dalton
5 of 7
Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals are a perfect match in my opinion.
Dalton will team up with Jay Gruden, who is known for developing young quarterbacks into solid NFL starters.
The former TCU Horned Frog is nothing but a winner: In 50 career starts at TCU, Dalton posted an amazing 42-8 record.
Drafting a quarterback made perfect sense for the Bengals, as their current star quarterback Carson Palmer is likely on his way out of town, whether it's a trade or simply retirement.
Will Andy Dalton make his first career start in 2011? Yes.
Colin Kaepernick
6 of 7
Colin Kaepernick was the 36th overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft made by Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers.
My first impression of this draft pick was "pure genius."
I am one of the biggest believers in Kaepernick and I really believe that he is a perfect match with Harbaugh and his West Coast offense.
As he's a rather mobile quarterback with great arm strength, I can see him definitely flourishing as a 49er.
Kaepernick will enter training camp as one of the front runners to be the starting quarterback of the 49ers.
Also, Alex Smith will likely re-sign with the team, so it will be an interesting quarterback competition in Harbaugh's first season.
Will Colin Kaepernick make his first career start in 2011? Yes.
Ryan Mallett
7 of 7
Along with the Christian Ponder selection, this selection by the New England Patriots was just as surprising.
Ryan Mallett, the most physically gifted quarterback in the draft class, fell to the Patriots at 74th overall, and he simply has too much of an upside to pass on.
Mallett will join New England as a development project behind quarterbacks Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer.
Some may speculate that Mallett is the heir for Brady, once he retires, as Brady's got four more seasons remaining on his current contract.
New England's current back-up, Hoyer, has shown signs of being a solid NFL quarterback, but could potentially be leap-frogged by Mallett as the team's emergency second-string quarerback.
Will Ryan Mallett make his first career start in 2011? No—at least I hope not.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
