NFL Draft 2011: Power Ranking the Top 10 NFC North Rookies to Watch in 2011

The NFC in general is beginning to top the AFC in terms of conference power, especially after Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers took down the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

With the Packers and Chicago Bears representing the NFC North in the NFC Championship game, the division is stating its case as the toughest division in the conference, rivaling the East and South divisions for the title.

Despite drafting at the back end of the draft, the Bears and Packers walked away with a great group of prospects following the exciting draft weekend. Furthermore, Detroit had one of the best drafts of all 32 teams in the league and the Vikings made due despite perceived reach picks.

With a host of great prospects entering the NFC North division, these are your top 10 rookies to watch heading into the 2011 season.

10. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers WR

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Height: 5’10”

Weight: 191 lbs

Career Receiving Stats: 144 receptions, 1,661 yards, 13 touchdowns

Career Rushing Stats: 228 attempts, 1,313 yards, 22 touchdowns

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.46

Bench Press –16.0

Vertical Jump – 33.5

Broad Jump – 115.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.08

20-yard Shuttle – 4.34

60-yard Shuttle – 11.56

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Randall Cobb was my No. 3 wide receiver in the class due to his all-around all-purpose abilities. He can run out of the backfield, throw from the quarterback position, run solid routes, stretch the field as a deep threat and make an impact in the return game.

Although the Packers have a plethora of wide receivers, Cobb will give Mike McCarthy the ability to create a ton of packages to exploit defenses. Even more, he is a threat to take it to the house every time with Aaron Rodgers slinging the rock.

Cobb enters the perfect situation, as he will become the Packers' return man but also one of their slot receivers. Even if James Jones leaves via free agency, Jordy Nelson and Cobb will rotate in the slot with a healthy Donald Driver back at the No. 2 position.

Randall completes one of the best receiving corps in the league and will become an instead impact player in Green Bay with his speed and elusiveness.

9. Mikel Leshoure, Detroit Lions RB

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Height: 6’0”

Weight: 227 lbs

Career Stats: 424 attempts, 2,557 yards, 23 touchdowns

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.59

Bench Press – 21.0

Vertical Jump – 38.0

Broad Jump – 122.0

3 Cone Drill – 6.82

20-yard Shuttle - 4.4

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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Although Jahvid Best is expected to be the starter, I expect Mikel Leshoure to explode in 2011. He is my No. 2 running back in the class but rivaled Mark Ingram according to most scouts. He has great speed, power, vision, agility, receiving ability and ball security.

He will be an excellent complement to Best, and will be so effective that I expect him to receive an equal amount of carries down the stretch. The Lions are ready to rival the Packers and Bears for the NFC North title division and it will be Leshoure who will lead the team into the playoffs.

The Lions know Best would be better suited in a committee, especially after battling turf toe throughout his rookie season. Mikel is the perfect complement to keep him fresher the entire season. Together, they will quickly become one of the top running back duos in the game, especially because Leshoure will be carrying the bulk of the load in the final half of the season.

8. Ricky Elmore, Green Bay Packers DE

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Height: 6’5”

Weight: 255 lbs

Career Stats: 124 tackles, 25 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.96

Bench Press – 26.0

Vertical Jump – 31.5

Broad Jump – 106.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.25

20-yard Shuttle – 4.32

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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The Packers landed a steal when they grabbed Ricky Elmore in the sixth round. Elmore, like Brooks Reed and fellow Green Bay teammate Clay Matthews, has the innate ability to attack the quarterback.

The Packers have a great pass rush with Matthews leading the way, but needed to find another adequate pass rusher with Clay's elite motor. Ricky has that nonstop drive to improve Green Bay's pass rush.

Expect Elmore to make a major impact in his rookie season as the offensive coordinators gameplan to stop the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year runner up Clay Matthews. Elmore will destroy quarterbacks and pressure them into quick decisions and errant throws throughout games and could be a player in the Defensive Rookie of the Year running.

7. Stephen Paea, Chicago Bears DT

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Height: 6’1”

Weight: 303 lbs

Career Stats: 127 tackles, 13 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – N/A

Bench Press – 49.0

Vertical Jump – N/A

Broad Jump – N/A

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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The Bears have one of the best defenses in the league led by Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. They selected Stephen Paea in the second round to pressure quarterbacks up front to help the cornerbacks in coverage.

Paea is, by Combine Bench Press standards, the strongest prospect to ever enter the NFL, with 49 reps in the event. He is a driving force up front and will make life much easier for Peppers on the defensive line.

When the mock draft season started, I originally had him penciled in as a potential first-round selection. He was forced from the Senior Bowl with a shoulder injury so his stock dropped, but that only made him a steal in the second round. Expect him to a be destructive anchor up front for this immense defense.

6. Christian Ballard, Minnesota Vikings DT/DE

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Height: 6’4”

Weight: 283 lbs

Career Stats: 149 tackles, 11 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.8

Bench Press – N/A

Vertical Jump – 31.5

Broad Jump – 111.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.54

20-yard Shuttle – 4.51

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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Christian Ballard is a potential first-round talent and sure-fire second round talent, but his stock dropped mightily following character concerns.

That's fine for the Vikings, who land a steal in the fourth round and desperately needed to add depth to their defensive line. This is a versatile talent who can play defensive tackle or defensive end. I fully expect Ray Edwards to be in a different uniform in 2011, which means the Vikings will most likely need to start Ballard from the get-go.

He has the ability to be a staple for this defensive line for years to come. He joins a great situation, as he came from Iowa with Adrian Clayborn and now gets to play with one of the best defensive players in the league in Jared Allen. Expect Christian to continue his menacing play in Minnesota for the majority of his career.

5. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings TE

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Height: 6’6”

Weight: 259 lbs

Career Stats: 90 receptions, 1,032 yards, 8 touchdowns

Pro Day Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.83

Bench Press – 19.0

Vertical Jump – 34.5

Broad Jump – 09'05"

3 Cone Drill – 7.24

20-yard Shuttle – 4.37

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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Although I am one of the few who not only predicted Christian Ponder would head to the Vikings in a few first -ound mock drafts, but I also believe he will be a successful starting quarterback in Minnesota.

The Vikings know the importance of a quality receiving tight end after Visanthe Shiancoe erupted with Brett Favre in 2009. They selected the best receiving tight end in the draft in the second round in Kyle Rudolph. He closely resembles Oakland's Zach Miller with his quality blocking and high-end receiving abilities.

Rudolph will be a safety net for whichever quarterback lines up behind center, Ponder or a veteran signal-caller. Expect him to rack up receptions with Percy Harvin and possibly Sidney Rice as the top two targets in the aerial attack. With his size and speed, he will be a matchup nightmare for most linebackers and safeties. He will dominate underneath coverage, up the middle and the red zone.

4. Derek Sherrod, Green Bay Packers OT

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Height: 6’5”

Weight: 321 lbs

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 5.28

Bench Press – 23.0

Vertical Jump – 28.0

Broad Jump – 97.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.43

20-yard Shuttle – 4.64

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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The Packers needed to bolster their offensive line after Aaron Rodgers was beat up last season. He is the catalyst that makes this Green Bay offense go, and without him, they will not win another Super Bowl championship.

With the last pick in the first round, they selected the versatile Derek Sherrod, my No. 5 offensive tackle. He is an athletic offensive lineman who could be moved to the interior should the Packer suffer more injuries to their line.

He is a quality run-blocker and an even better pass-blocker, which makes him a perfect fit for this offense. He will be a staple on this offensive line for the next decade, but will serve an immediate purpose as a rookie by protecting Rodgers from further injury.

3. Titus Young, Detroit Lions WR

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Height: 5’11”

Weight: 174 lbs

Career Stats: 204 receptions, 3,063yards, 25 touchdowns

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.53

Bench Press – N/A

Vertical Jump – N/A

Broad Jump – 123.0

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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The Lions know that they have a chance to compete for the division title after a promising 2010 campaign. They needed to give Matthew Stafford more weapons on offense and grabbed one of the best complements for "Megatron" Calvin Johnson. As Megatron demands double coverage, Titus Young will be able to exploit defenses in man coverage underneath the secondary.

Expect Young to rack up the receptions as a rookie working opposite Calvin. He and Atlanta's Julio Jones will rival each other throughout the season for who leads the rookie wide receivers in receptions and yards as they both work opposite two of the league's elite receivers. 

Stafford now has two great, young receivers to throw the rock to. Young is a competitive receiver who will fight for the ball, has very good speed, hands, separation skills and route running ability. He will quickly become a security blanket for Stafford and help lead the team to a winning record.

2. Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions DT

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Height: 6’4”

Weight: 291 lbs

Career Stats: 84 tackles, 13 sacks, 1 interception

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.87

Bench Press – N/A

Vertical Jump – 31.0

Broad Jump – 113.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.14

20-yard Shuttle – 4.56

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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Nick Fairley is not "Fairley Nasty," he is extremely nasty. This kid has a mean streak which may only be rivaled by his new teammate, Ndamukong Suh. Together, Suh and Fairley will create a destructive and menacing force for the next decade in the Motor City.

The Lions pairing these two monsters up front is the leading cause for people finally jumping on the Detroit bandwagon. Now, the Lions will have the bite and the roar up front to absolutely demolish ball carriers. They will blow up offensive game plans and already create the most intimidating defensive tackle tandem in league history.

Suh was a destructive force by himself last year as a rookie. He now has a teammate who can almost match his intensity and power up front. Fairley will thrive with Suh beside him and won't feel the weight of the world on his shoulders like he would in Buffalo, Denver or Tennessee. Expect Fairley to dominate in Detroit just like he did at Auburn.

1. Gabe Carimi, Chicago Bears OT

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Height: 6’7”

Weight: 314 lbs

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 5.27

Bench Press – 29.0

Vertical Jump – 31.5

Broad Jump – 109.0

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

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Chicago landed a steal when my No. 1 offensive tackle fell into their laps at No. 29. Gabe Carimi and myself both believe he is the best offensive tackle in this draft. After falling in the first round, this menacing offensive lineman, who has the versatility to play tackle and guard across the line, will have an even nastier mean streak heading into the NFL.

He joins a team desperately in need of an offensive lineman to protect Jay Cutler and create running lanes for Matt Forte. Neither will be a problem. Carimi is the best run-blocking lineman in this draft. He is a menace up front and a complete mauler of an offensive tackle when run-blocking.

He will be the driving force behind the Bears' offensive lineman and will greatly improve the overall offense. Cutler will have far more time in the pocket to make the right read. Forte should be able to duplicate his impressive rookie season now with wider lanes to run through.

This is one of the nastiest players in the draft and the rest of the NFL, mainly the NFC North, will feel his wrath.