NFL Mock Drafts 2011
Ben Saari Mock Draft- 4/281. Carolina: DT Marcell Dareus- At the moment Cam Newton is the expected number one overall selection. I just can’t see this occurring without a rookie pay scale in place. Carolina may need a QB, but they still have Jimmy Clausen. Cam Newton may see himself as an icon and an entertainer, but in my opinion won’t be much a QB. He has been coddled through college, made poor decisions off the field, and is extremely self-entitled. Those aren’t traits I want in the leader of my franchise and makes me a little wary of handing a guaranteed fifty million dollar check. Carolina recognizes this and goes the safe direction with Marcell Dareus. Offering elite quickness despite weighing 330 pounds, and a proven hard worker, Dareus should be the selection.
2. Denver: DE Von Miller- With their number one option off the board in Dareus, Denver happily selects their new pass rusher. Miller was an extremely productive player at Texas A&M, and will help the continually retooled Broncos defense an elite piece to work with. Miller and Dumervil will form a scary pass rushing duo, undersized but talented and quick. 3. Buffalo: QB Blaine Gabbert- With the failures of JP Losman and Trent Edwards fading, and a unspectacular starter in Ryan Fitzpatrick continuing the mediocrity, Gabbert will be picked as the savior. 4. Cincinnati: QB Cam Newton- This pick would make me shake my head, but it just might happen. With Carson Palmer vowing to never play in a Bengals jersey again, Cincinnati has to get a QB. We know Mike Brown loves problem children, and Cam fits perfectly. Hopefully T.O. will be retained just so we can have the headlines. We’ll have the NewT.Ocho reality TV show. Instead of just have the two prima donna wideouts whining for the ball, the quarterback will also be demanding the ball. 5. Arizona: CB Patrick Peterson- Arizona rushes to the podium to select the best player in the draft. Arizona proceeds to shut down NFC West passing “attacks” with one of the best secondary’s in the league. Of course Arizona will need a QB and pass rush still… 6. Cleveland: WR A.J. Green- Another easy selection, Cleveland needs a legit #1 receiver, and AJ Green is the best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. 7. San Francisco: OLB Robert Quinn- Quinn may have sat out all year, but he still has the most upside of the defensive line talent. His ridiculous physical talent would fit in very nicely next to Patrick Willis. They need a good pass rushing OLB, and he works perfect. 8. Tennessee: DT Nick Fairly- Very disruptive 3 technique that will disrupt plays in the backfield consistently. Hopefully he has an impact like Haynesworth, and share’s no other similarities with the slug that Haynesworth has become. A QB could go off the board here, but that depends on the Vince Young situation and what Bud Adams is thinking. 9. Dallas: OT Tyron Smith- It fills a need, but might be bit of a reach. Smith has very high upside, but has less than ideal experience. Converted tight ends do have a pretty high success rate, but Smith’s stock has been significantly pushed up due to the lack of top end offensive tackles. It remains to be seen if Jerry Jones is capable of selecting a offensive lineman in the first round, and it’s very possible the rumors linking Smith to the Cowboys were smoke screens. They need a lineman in the worst way though, so it just might happen. 10. Washington: WR Julio Jones- Provides a much needed weapon for whoever is at QB for the ‘skins. Hopefully that won’t be Rex Grossman. Jake Locker is a distinct possibility, as is a trade up for Gabbert. 11. Houston: CB Prince Amukamura- They spent last year’s first on a corner, but they’re pass coverage didn’t really improve. Amukamura is not a perfect prospect, but is very physical and will help stop their defense from getting consistently torched. Another defensive end to pair with Mario Williams is also a possibility. 12. Minnesota: DE Aldon Smith- The replacement for Ray Edwards at end. This time though, instead of Edwards being helped by having 3 stud linemen next to him, Smith is a legitimate pass rushing threat. Great physically, and solid pass rush moves. Jake Locker could easily be the pick if the coaching staff believes in him. 13. Detroit: LT Anthony Castanzo- The Lions may have preferred to have gotten Amukamura, but this is probably the better selection. The franchise is Matt Stafford, and you have to protect that investment. Castanzo may not push the pile, but he will keep Stafford upright. 14. St Louis: DT Corey Liuget- St Louis continues to build the defensive line, just the way Coach Spags built the D-line in New York. 15. Miami: QB Ryan Mallett- The most pro-ready QB and best arm in the draft is finally selected. Mallett’s character issues are overblown in my opinion and will likely be the best QB of the class. When you grade a QB it should be on his arm and his smarts. Mallett wins both handily. Who cares if he doesn’t run fast, neither does Peyton, Phillip, or Tom. 16. Jacksonville: CB Jimmy Smith- A somewhat out there pick, I have a feeling they will stop ignoring the secondary. Defensive line prospects are the popular pick but the Jags got Tyson Aluau last year, and signed Aaron Kampman, although his season was cut short by injury. I just don’t see them spending another first round pick on the line. Jimmy Smith is a high upside, big physical corner. His character issues may scare them off however. 17. New England: DE Cameron Jordan- Classic 3-4 end, Jordan will fit into the defense nicely. 18. San Diego: NT Phil Taylor- 3-4 teams need a talented nose tackles, and 3-4 nose tackles don’t grow on trees. However the rumors say some teams love Taylor and some hate him, we’ll see on draft day how San Diego feels about him. 19. New York Giants: RB Mark Ingram- New York loves to run, and their bruising back Brandon Jacobs has steadily declined. Ingram will fill that role, and take some pressure off of Eli. 20. Tampa Bay: DE Da’Quan Bowers- Too much talent for Tampa not to take. He falls due to injury concerns, but the Buccaneers are committed to building their defensive line. 21. Kansas City: OG Mike Pouncey- His twin brother did great in Pittsburg, so he can be seen in a somewhat safer light. He may not be quite the center his brother was, but will be a high quality guard for many years. This will further solidify the running game. 22. Indianapolis: LT Nate Solder- An athletic left tackle is just what the Colts need. He may not be a road grader, but the Colts don’t need to run often to be successful. Peyton can only do so much. 23. Philadelphia: LT Gabe Carimi- Philly needs more O-line help, and Carimi is the best available. 24. New Orleans: DE Ryan Kerrigan- Lunch pail defensive end will step in and be a consistent force on the line for New Orleans. 25. Seattle: QB Jake Locker- Hometown pick, but actually makes sense with his athletic ability, underrated arm and great leadership. He is the sort of kid who will absolutely buy into the program and give 110% every single day. If he is unavailable, Colin Kaepernick could be an option as could Muhammed Wilkerson. 26. Baltimore: DE/DT Muhammed Wilkerson- Solid 3-4 end fills a need, and will help keep the cogs running. 27. Atlanta: TE Kyle Rudolph- The replacement for Tony Gonzalez, ensuring Matt Ryan will never be without a safety blanket. A defensive end the other likely selection, especially considering the defense needs more help than the offense. 28. Patriots: OG Danny Watkins- The replacement for Logan Mankins if he leaves. If he doesn’t leave, Watkins is an upgrade at RG. 29. Chicago: DT Marvin Austin- Chicago will plug Austin into the 3 technique spot on the line. However Auston hasn’t played for a year, and is known to have issues with his motor. Risky pick, but Austin’s freakish physical attributes makes him hard to skip over. 30. New York Jets: OLB Akeem Ayers- The talented Bruin offers a good pass rush, and is plenty athletic to drop in coverage. Justin Houston will offer better pass rush, but just failed a drug test, likely causing him to drop from the first round. 31. Pittsburgh: CB Aaron Williams- Shores up one of the few weaknesses on the Stealers team. Is a little thin, but plays physical which is more important. 32. Green Bay: OLB Brooks Reed- Another long haired freak. Fits the Green Bay profile, and will make the Packer’s defense that much better. Great pass rush paired with great coverage. | Ben Cary Mock Draft- 4/281. Carolina: Blaine Gabbert- All this talk of Cam Newton being a franchise QB is ridiculous, he just isnt. “he is fast has a good arm and is so big he is impossible to take down”. Sounds scarily similar to a guy the Raiders drafted two years ago. Gabbert might not be the answer but he is much less likely to bust. Dont be surprised if the Panthers trade down from the one spot, a ludicrous move most years but this draft is deep.
2. Denver: Marcell Dareus- The Broncos have more holes to fill then Stanley Yelnats. They hope Dareus can clog the middle against division foes Jammal Charels and Daren Mccfaden who gained over 440 yards in there four match ups in 2010. Dareus is a very solid and safe pick for a franchise who cant make anymore 1st round woes..... 3. Buffalo: Cam Newton QB- Bills fans will rejoice when Newton falls here dubbing him “the chosen one”, who will return them to the top. And if this is the pick Newton will surly step in for (hated, yet successful) Ryan Fitzpatrick, and continue to return them to the top.....of the draft, year after year after year. 4. Cincinnati: AJ Green WR- Green reminds me of Calvin Johnson. Cincinnati is beginning to remind me of Detroit. Great Fit! 5. Arizona: Von Miller OLB- The dirty birds found out that washed up Joey Porter wasnt the answer. This should be a much better result. 6. Cleveland: Julio Jones WR- Colt McCoy emerged as a...startable QB, throwing to WR’s Chansi Stuckey and Mohamed Massaquoi. The browns second leading pass catcher was Peyton Hillis and he is on the Madden Cover, so you better find some alternatives, plus Jones is a beast. Match made in heaven. 7. Houston*: Patrick Peterson CB- Even when Houston beat Indy Peyton thew for almost 500 yards. In order to beat the colts you need to TRY to stop number 18. Peterson is the best CB prospect ive scene even better then Derrelle Revis when he came out of Pitt. We all no how that turned out. Plus Peterson averaged more YPR then Devin Hester did. They make the trade out of necessity. 8. Tennessee: Nick Fairly DT- Tennessee has been missing Albert Haynesworth’s play ever since he left. They could take Locker but they just got rid of a 1st round running QB, why take another. 9. Dallas: Anthony Castonzo OT- Dallas’s season never got off the ground. Kind of like Tony Romo after he broke his collar bone. Jerry Jones has to realize that he cant let that happen to a franchise QB. 10. Tampa Bay*: Robert Quinn DE- Tampa trades up to take the most Physical specimen in the draft. He has the speed of Dwight Freeney and the strength of Julius Peppers. Thats a really good combo. 11. San Fran*: Cameron Jordan DE- San Fran’s trade will pay off in the second round for now they bolster their pass rush with Jordan from across the bay. Dont be surprised if they take Prince Amukamara here, its a toss up. 12. Minnesota: Jake Locker QB- The best place for Locker besides Seattle is here. Although he might have to play right away it makes it so much more comfortable in a dome throwing to a great TE and good wideouts. Plus you got to give 28 the ball occasionally. 13. Detroit: Prince Amukamara CB- Another great fit in this draft for a team that is a player or two away from being serious contenders. They need O-line help to but an elite CB, who can tackle is to hard to pass up. 14. St Louis: JJ Watt DE- They cant take another one, can they? Yes they can. 15. Miami: Mike Pouncy OG- Pouncy is a great player who will fill a much needed hole for the Dolphins. Wether he is worth it this high is still to be scene. But value does run in the family. 16. Jacksonville: Ryan Kerrigan DE- I really want them to take Ponder here. The florida native will fit in very nicely and reminds me of Tony Romo with his mobility. But they will take Kerrigan who will bust. 17. New England: Tyron Smith OT- The steal of the draft, Tyron Smith is a monster who has some issues but Bill Belicheck can fix anyone it seams like. Smith will slowly take Matt Lights spot protecting the blindside of Mr. MVP. 18. San Diego: Aldon Smith OLB- San Diego is the weirdest team in the NFL. They score and they dont get scored on but they lose, I dont get it. What I do get is the disappointing pass rush ever since Shawn Merriman ceased to exist. 19. NYG: Akeem Ayers OLB- Kieth Bulluck was just a fill in, and now that he is aging (34) the Giants need help rushing the passer. Something they were very inconstant at all year. 20. Washington: Ryan Mallet QB- A guy with a monster arm and size Mallet scares people cause he is pissy. He reminds me of Tom Brady. He reminds Mike Shanahan of John Elway. Great trade down to fill the spot they need to fill. 21. Kansas City: Nate Solder OT- KC has three offensive line starters over 30 years of age. Solder is a big guy who will protect the blindside of whoever is their over the next decade. 22. Indianapolis: Gabe Carimi OT- Still should be favored to win the Super Bowl. Peytons lack of production was exposed when all his receivers were hurt and he and no offensive line. Their is talk that they should trade Manning for a better QB. Ive herd there isnt any out there that fit these demands. 23. Baltimore*: Jimmy Smith CB- Desperate to fill the shoes of 3 out of 4 starting CB the Ravens trade the rest of there draft to the Eagles who were going to take Smith, the most underrated player in the draft. 24. New Orleans: Corey Liuget DT- Even thought the Aint’s just signed Shawn Rogers Liuget is to much of a steal to pass up. 25. Seattle Seahawks: Marvin Austin DT- A tough call for Pete Carroll and crew with Ponder and Dalton still on the board but in the end Pete falls on bad habits and signs the ridiculously athletic kid who violated recruiting policies. 26. Philly*: Da’Quan Bowers DE- Get the Ravens whole draft and a guy who reminds fans of Jermaine Kearse plus a minor foot injury. 27. Atlanta: Adrian Clayborn OLB- Atlanta is another team very close to a trip to disney world. They couldnt pressure Rogers in the Divisional playoffs, Clayborn can help do just that. 28. New England: Muhammad Wilkerson DE- The Patriots take Wilkerson a DT/NT who can take the reigns from Vince Wilfork in the coming years 29. Chicago: Derreck Sherrod OT- Jay Cutler is still recovering from the concussions he sustained last season. The bears O-line is one of the oldest in the league. 30. NYJ: Phil Taylor NT- When Kris Jenkins tore his ACL for the second consecutive year it put serious pressure on a very talented front seven. Taylor brings depth to the most important position in a 3-4 defense that blitzes as much as the Jets do. 31. Pittsburgh: Aaron Williams CB- Aaron can play safety or corner and fits in very well to Dick Lebeus hard hitting system. 32. Green Bay: Mark Ingram RB- They need to run the ball sometime. And no one knows how Ryan Grant will be when he comes back. |