2011 NFL Mock draft 1/28/2011

by Andy S

2011 NFL Mock Draft 3.0

1. Carolina Panthers- Nick Farley, DT, Auburn: Farley publicly came out and said he does not want to play for a cold weather team. His wish will be granted. The Panthers need all the help they can get on both sides of the ball, but Farley is the obvious choice here.


2. Denver Broncos- Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson: The Broncos finished dead last in sacks last year. Bowers will remind Fox about his pick in the 2002 draft, Peppers. I’d assume they switch to a 4-3 also, so a speed rush on the outside is just what Bowers will bring.



3. Buffalo Bills-: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama: The more I see of this guy, the more I like him. He didn’t have as great of a season as he did 2 years ago, but with the Bills playing a hybrid 4-3/3-4, Dareus will flourish on D.


4. Cincinnati Bengals- AJ Green, WR, Georgia: Sticking with this pick. Apparently Ochocinco/Johnson wants to fight Coach Lewis in a cage match and Carson wants out or he will retire. It will be interesting to see what happens with Palmer, because if he leaves, they have to go QB here. Their backup is Carson baby brother.


5. Arizona Cardinals- Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M: He may go as high as 3 to the Bills, but if not, look for him landing here at 5. His stock is flying high right now and good practices at the Senior Bowl are only helping. The Cardinals need help on the outside and Miller is drawing comparisons to Clay Matthews. A guy any NFL team would love to have on the outside.


6. Cleveland Browns- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina: Switching to a 4-3 leads to the Browns taking Quinn. WHO? Yes, he missed all of this year due to being an idiot at a Super Bowl party, but what he did the years leading to that did not go un-noticed. He is a franchise defensive end that can hold down the line for many years at the pro level.


7. San Francisco 49ers- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri: Jim Harbough will want a new QB for his team. Gabbert has major accuracy issues, but with no valid starting QB on their roster, QB is the position and Gabbert is the guy.


8. Tennessee Titans- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU: A dynamic threat on special teams and a shutdown corner, Peterson is a steal at 8. Projected as best overall player in the draft, the Titans will happily take this pick. Newton maybe an option, but with all the trouble they had with VY, I don’t see Fisher looking at that position.



9. Dallas Cowboys- Nate Solder, OT, Colorado: They need to keep Romo healthy because Kitna just can’t get the job done. New coach JG, will do whatever it takes to keep is QB off the billion dollar turf, so Solder is the pick.


10. Washington Redskins- Jake Locker, QB, Washington: With McNabb gone, Shanahan will need a new QB to run his offense. Locker didn’t have the best year, matter of fact he had an awful year, but has the tools and mechanics to be a long time starter in the NFL. The offensive minded Shanahan can’t pass up this guy.


11. Houston Texans- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska: Probably need more help at outside LB, but Prince is a shutdown corner. Teams only threw to his side 33 times this year. That is an insane number and shows how much respect this guy demands.


12. Minnesota Vikings- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn: #4 is sadly gone and Jackson/Webb will not be able to get it done week to week. Newton has a rocket arm and ability to make plays out of the pocket. Has some mechanical problems, but nothing that cannot be fixed.


13. Detroit Lions- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA: The Lions are another team with the need for help on the outside. Ayers possesses the skills of not only a strong pass rusher, but is versatile enough to drop back into coverage.


14. St. Louis Rams- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama: They almost made the playoffs this year, I’m as surprised as you are. Bradford has a decent year numbers wise, but needs better targets than Robinson and Gibson. Jones, who could go top 10, would be a nice pick for the Rams, and sure would make BOOOOOMER (Bradford) happy.


15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama: I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled the trigger on Mallet here, but they really need a RB. Probably a bit high for Ingram, but he is the best available in a weak RB class.


16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue: 12.5 sacks in the Big Ten is a stat that could have this guy up in the early teens. Kerrigan is a force on the outside and with Jacksonville being always hurt/weak on the outside, Kerrigan fits perfectly here.


17. New England Patriots- Aldon Smith, OLB/DE, Missouri: The Patriots front office balls when it comes to getting first round draft picks. Smith is just another player to add to their already young defensive front. Ty Warren is only getting older so Smith has the opportunity to get a lot of reps immediately.


18. San Diego Chargers- Cameron Jordan, DE, California: This guy is a beast and a five tool athlete that can play inside and outside on the front line. Could go a lot higher, as high as 9 to Dallas. Stock can rise with a good showing at the combine.


19. New York Giants- Anthony Costanzo, OT, Boston College: Giants need a tackle for the future and Costanzo can be that guy. Great size and strength, this guy will be a perfect fit after Diehl retires.


20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa: A lot of questions around his character, but the Bucs are in desperate need for help at DE. McCoy and Clayborn would complement each other perfectly and be a solid force for many years in Tampa.


21. Kansas City Chiefs- Justin Houston, DE, Georgia: Some experts say OT here, but the line did a pretty good job for Charles last year and with Tamba Hall being a FA, they need a DE.


22. Indianapolis Colts- Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State: As always, the Colts D was bad. Paea will help clog the middle and allow more time for Dwight and Mathis to get around the ends. OT is also a big need, but can be addressed in the later rounds.


23. Philadelphia Eagels- Brandon Harris, CB, Miami: Has the talent to start as a rookie and make a hard impact on the defense. The O Line is beat up so OT may be a choice here, but I just think Harris is too good to pass up at 23.


24. New Orleans Saints- Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois: The Saints are good when they are running the ball successfully and getting safety’s inside the box to prevent the run. That allows Brees to air it out down the field. Without that run threat, they are not a Super Bowl team. Leshoure would be a nice compliment to Bush.


25. Seattle Seahawks- Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois: This pick ultimately will be determined by Matt Hasselback. If he leaves, QB becomes their number 1 need. If he stays, which I think he will, Liuget gets his number called. Todd McShay recently said this guy is comparable to Farley, so if true, this is a steal for the Seahawks.


26. Baltimore Ravens- Titus Young, WR, Boise State: TJ can’t catch (watch the last play against the Steelers in the playoffs this year) and Mason is getting old. Young is the speedy deep threat that can play opposite Boldin. Reminds a lot of scouts like Mike Wallace.


27. Atlanta Falcons- Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland: They have a franchise QB and a great WR in White. Smith would be a nice compliment to him. Tony Gonzo is getting older by the day, so another target for Ryan is choice for the Falcs. They do need help at CB, so a corner wouldn’t be a big surprise here.


28. New England Patriots- Aaron Williams, CB, Texas: A good corner in college with nice ball skills, a pretty good pick after Prince, Peterson and Harris.




29. Chicago Bears- Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State: Cutler was sacked way too many times last year and still had a successful 2010. If he didn’t get hurt in the NFC Championship game, who knows what the outcome would have been. Sherrod is a very strong OT with good footwork. The right pick for the Bears.


30. New York Jets- Jonathon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: With Holmes and Edwards FA’s the Jets may need help at WR. Baldwin is a big target and has all the talent in the world. Just has to be coached on how to use it.