NFL Draft 2011: Ranking the Top 10 Smartest Selections of the Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft is in the books. We are now in the process of speculating on who the winners and losers of this draft are.
We will not know who selected the future All-Pros and who selected the future “washouts” for some time now. With that being said, certain picks stood out above others as selections of genius on the part of NFL franchises.
Whether it was finding quality in the seventh round or capitalizing on a falling first-round talent, these picks stood out for their greatness.
The following 10 selections rose, above all other picks, as being the “home run” plays of the 2011 NFL Draft.
10. St. Louis: Greg Salas (pick 122)
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One of St. Louis’s goals in this draft was to find young quality wide receivers to surround quarterback Sam Bradford with.
Laurent Robinson and Brandon Gibson are the Rams' top two wide receivers, and neither player is a legitimate No. 1 target for Bradford.
St. Louis made their first attempt at bolstering their wide receiving corps by selecting Austin Pettis out of Boise State. Pettis is a fine prospect, but I feel that the Rams really struck gold with Greg Salas in the fourth round.
Salas had 1,889 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season at Hawaii, although it must be mentioned that Hawaii runs a pass-happy offense with little emphasis on the rushing game.
Salas was not on the national radar, but he consistently improved his production during his time at Hawaii. He was a dependable pass catcher, and showed an ability to make things happen after the catch.
Scouts do worry about Salas’s lack of big play speed and strength. Nevertheless, the Hawaii product should be a reliable target for Bradford. Salas is an under-the-radar prospect, but in Round 4 he had great value for the Rams.
9. Cincinnati: Andy Dalton (pick 35)
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This became a fairly obvious selection once Buffalo selected Aaron Williams with the 34th pick. Nevertheless, Cincinnati made the right call selecting Andy Dalton.
Carson Palmer is hardly the type of player who is always shooting his mouth off, so when he says he has no intention of ever playing with the Bengals again, I have to take him at his word. Backups Jordan Palmer (Carson’s brother) and Dan LeFevour do not appear to be ready to take over the Cincinnati offense.
Cincinnati definitely needed to select a quarterback that they can move into the future with, and they selected the right prospect in Andy Dalton.
Dalton amassed an impressive career record of 42-7 during his four seasons at TCU. He is high-character prospect who showed his leadership and toughness during the Horned Frogs' come-from-behind victory versus Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Dalton’s one glaring flaw is that he does not have the arm strength that fellow quarterback prospects Cam Newton, Ryan Mallett and Blaine Gabbert possess. Cincinnati will transition to a west coast offense under new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, though. Expect short and intermediate routes to become more of the norm in Gruden’s new system.
The fact that Cincinnati was patient and did not feel the need to immediately take a quarterback at No. 4 was impressive as well. The Bengals were rewarded for their patience with the services of wide receiver A.J. Green.
8. New Orleans: Greg Romeus (pick 222)
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Eighteen months ago, Greg Romeus was projected to be a likely first-round prospect.
The Pittsburgh Panther has great size at 6’5", 270 lbs that he mixes with a deceptive burst of speed. Romeus accumulated 15 sacks during his sophomore and junior seasons and he was thought to be the top pass rusher in the Big East going into his senior season.
Unfortunately, Romeus suffered a torn ACL during Pittsburgh’s 2010 season opener versus Utah, effectively ending his senior campaign. A back injury also did not help Romeus’s rehabilitation process.
It has been unfortunate to see injuries slow down this prospect’s once highly promising career.
At this point in Round 7, Romeus is a great selection. Of course, there is a chance that Greg Romeus will not be able to effectively return from his injuries, but the reward far outweighs the risk here. New Orleans is on very solid footing as a franchise anyway.
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7. Green Bay: Randall Cobb (Pick 64)
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There was actually an ample amount of discussion about Cobb being the selection for Green Bay at pick 32. Green Bay chose to pass on Cobb. Instead, they drafted offensive tackle Derek Sherrod at the end of the first round to add more protection for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Cobb was not expected to be available at the end of the second round, but Green Bay did not hesitate for one second to select him at No. 64.
There is a definite need for Randall Cobb within the Packers receiving core. The ever dependable Donald Driver is at the tail end of his career at age 36. Greg Jennings and James Jones are great talents in their own right, but neither has the elusiveness or explosive speed that Cobb possesses.
Obviously, Cobb’s small 5’10", 191 lb frame was a major concern for many teams. His production at Kentucky as a receiver and a rusher cannot be denied, though. Even if Green Bay chooses not to integrate Cobb into their wide receiving corps, he still has excellent value as a special teams prospect.
At No. 32, this is just an average selection. It is the fact that Green Bay was able to wait a whole extra round and still get their prospect that makes this pick special.
6. New York Giants: Greg Jones (Pick 185)
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Greg Jones tallied 100-plus tackles three times during his collegiate career at Michigan State. Jones was the leader of a stingy Michigan State defense, and is always in the middle of the play.
Scouts do not feel that Jones has a lot of potential as a prospect, nor does he have NFL athleticism. Those may be valid concerns, but you cannot under estimate Jones’s great football instincts and high motor.
So many times in the draft we get caught up in a prospect’s 40-yard dash and shuttle times. We also become enamored with the word potential, and place a high value on the possibility of greatness.
Greg Jones may not have outstanding athleticism or a high ceiling for growth, but he is an extremely productive football player who is always in the middle of the play.
Jonathon Goff only had one sack last season for the Giants as the starter at middle linebacker. This is definitely an area that needed to be upgraded. Jones has excellent value in the sixth round, and could develop into a solid contributor for the Giants at linebacker.
5. Baltimore: Jimmy Smith (pick 27)
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Jimmy Smith’s off-field issues and character red flags have been well documented. The Colorado cornerback was arrested twice for underage drinking, and has admitted to smoking Marijuana.
Character issues aside, Smith is arguably the best cornerback in the draft behind only Patrick Peterson and possibly Prince Amukamara. Smith stood out as a top-tier talent on a Colorado squad that was far from one of the elite teams in the Big 12 conference.
This pick works out beautifully because it is truly beneficial for both sides.
Jimmy Smith will walk into a Baltimore Ravens locker room with veterans such as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs that will keep Smith strictly focused on his development as a football player.
Baltimore meanwhile needs a quality cornerback to step into their defensive unit, and play opposite Chris Carr at the other corner spot. Smith has the talent and ability to immediately step into Baltimore’s defense and contribute as a rookie.
The right team had to select Jimmy Smith, and if the Baltimore Ravens are not the right team, then it probably would not have worked with anybody.
4. Tampa Bay: Da’Quan Bowers (pick 51)
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I am well aware of the fact that Tampa Bay already selected a defensive end in their first-round selection of Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn.
I also realize that Bowers' knee problems and subpar pro day are causes for concern.
Tampa Bay’s selection of Da’Quan Bowers at No. 51 still went down as one of the top 10 selections in the draft, though.
Bowers led the NCAA in sacks last season. He dropped the quarterback 16 times as a junior. Bowers uses a strong burst of speed off the edge to make his way into opposing backfields. Just a couple of months ago, there was speculation that Carolina could select Bowers with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
The fact that Clayborn was already selected in Round 1 does not diminish the pick either. Tim Crowder and Stylez White could both be upgraded at defensive end. The Buccaneers' depth at the position is not great in general either.
Tampa Bay further addressed their No. 1 priority in the draft at defensive end with this selection. The Buccaneers also received a first-round prospect in the mid-second round. Da’Quan Bowers has the potential to be an elite pass rusher in this league, and Tampa Bay rightfully did not let him fall any further.
3. Kansas City: Justin Houston (pick 70)
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Tamba Hali is one of the top young rush outside linebackers in the game, but Mike Vrabel, who occupies the other outside linebacker position, is nearing the end of his career at age 35.
Kansas City needed to find another young outside linebacker that could get pressure on the quarterback and complement Hali.
Justin Houston was a projected first-round pick until information of a positive drug test at the combine was released last Tuesday. Houston tested positive for marijuana.
Nevertheless, Houston is a steal for Kansas City in the third round. He had an excellent collegiate career at Georgia. Last season in particular, Houston accumulated 56 tackles and 10 sacks as a junior.
Houston should make his presence felt immediately in the Chiefs front seven. This pick was great in a sense that it filled a definite need. Kansas City also got one of the top prospects on the board at the time.
2. New York Jets: Muhammad Wilkerson (pick 30)
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Not many people would argue that the New York Jets are one of the top defenses in the NFL, but for all of the Jets' successes, defensively they have struggled getting to the quarterback.
The Jets only recorded 40 sacks last season, which ranked 24th in the NFL. Shaun Ellis is great at the left defensive end position, but Mike Devito did not record a single sack last season at the opposite end.
Muhammad Wilkerson was projected to go as high as No. 18 to the Chargers, but like some other prospects, he fell lower than expected in the first round. At No. 30 though, Wilkerson is the perfect prospect to match up with Ellis at the opposite defensive end.
Muhammad Wilkerson is one of the more unheralded prospects in this year’s draft class coming out of Temple. Wilkerson has great size at 6’4", 315 lbs, and put up great numbers in college, recording 10 sacks last season as a junior. The most intriguing part about Wilkerson is that scouts feel he has a lot of potential as a prospect.
There is no doubt that Muhammad Wilkerson can step in and immediately contribute on the Jets defensive line. This might be a pick that in five years is looked back on as one of the top players from the first round.
1. Detroit: Nick Fairley (pick 13)
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I originally had Nick Fairley slotted at No. 8 to Tennessee, so the fact that Fairley slid to Detroit here was surprising.
Nevertheless, this was a very welcome surprise for the Lions, and they wasted no time in selecting the massive defensive tackle.
Nick Fairley will start next to Ndamukong Suh on the interior of the Lions defensive line. To say that the combination of Fairley and Suh will be dangerous is an understatement.
Suh was a force to be reckoned with during his rookie campaign last season, registering 66 tackles and 10 sacks. Fairley meanwhile was constantly in the backfield throughout Auburn’s national title run accumulating 56 tackles and 12 sacks himself.
Both Fairley and Suh specialize in getting forward penetration that allows them to get into the backfield and disrupt opposing offenses. Detroit is competing with Green Bay and Chicago in the NFC North. Both of these teams have top-notch quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler, but now the Lions present a very interesting challenge for these two franchises.
Some might say that cornerback was the bigger need that had to be addressed, but frankly it would have been ludicrous to pass on Nick Fairley here at No. 13.
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