WalterFootballs's 2011 Mock Draft

1. St. Louis Rams: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
The Rams are definitely on the right track. I have them drafting first, however, because their quarterback is not pro-ready, their offensive line is a work in progress and the defense still has major holes. But come 2011, St. Louis will be more competitive.

There are a couple of things the Rams need to do, and one is to find a blue-chip target for Sam Bradford. I know the team has Donnie Avery and Laurent Robinson, and it just drafted Mardy Gilyard, but none of those guys is a No. 1 threat that defenses will respect. A.J. Green undoubtedly will be. And aside from providing Bradford with a great downfield weapon, he would also stretch the defense and open up more running room for Steven Jackson.


2. Cleveland Browns: Marcell Dareus, DE/DT, Alabama
I'd like to give the Browns a franchise quarterback, but Mike Holmgren doesn't believe in drafting one in the first round. Besides, he pulled rank and selected Colt McCoy despite objections from others in the front office.

Shaun Rogers won't be around much longer. He's due $6.9 million this year and $5.5 million in 2011. He'll be 32 a month before the 2011 NFL Draft. If he's cut loose, the Browns will need to find an adequate replacement up front.

Marcell Dareus is more than adequate. As a mere sophomore last season in Alabama's 3-4/4-3 hybrid defense, Dareus really came on and accumulated 6.5 sacks in just four starts, and then proceeded to knock Colt McCoy out of the game during one of the two national championships this past winter.

A great athlete despite weighing 280 pounds, Dareus is expected to take the SEC by storm this fall. If he has a big year, he could be the first player chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft. In this case, he's second.


3. Kansas City Chiefs: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
Matt Cassel is due a $7.5 million option bonus before the 2011 season. If he has another bad year - if the Chiefs are drafting No. 3 overall, he definitely did - then he will be released. Kansas City will then do what it should have done in the first place - draft a franchise signal caller early in the first round (Mark Sanchez, 2009 or Jimmy Clausen in the second round, 2010).

Jake Locker is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2011 class - for now. Locker should have declared for the 2010 NFL Draft, because a billion things can happen over the next 12 months. Maybe Locker gets hurt. Maybe the scouts see something they don't like and his stock drops. Maybe his teammates don't play up to par and drag him down. Maybe he gets distracted. Maybe general managers become worried that his decision to go back to school means that he's not fully invested in football.

That's a lot of maybes, but just look at recent history: Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Brian Brohm all made a huge mistake by not declaring right away.

Of course, Locker could always sit out the 2010 season. It worked wonders for Bradford.


4. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Buffalo's front office apparently doesn't care what its fans think because they've decided to go back to Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm. What a disaster.

Maybe the Bills will actually come to their senses next April. For the sake of their fans, I'm giving them a quarterback. Andrew Luck can actually move around, so maybe Chan Gailey will actually think he's good enough for his amazing offense.





5. Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Seattle didn't select Jimmy Clausen in the 2010 NFL Draft because they've dedicated too many resources to Charlie Whitehurst. But if the Seahawks finish with one of the five worst records in the league, chances are that Clipboard Jesus didn't perform too many miracles (yes, great play on words, I know).

The dream scenario for the Seahawks would be for hometown hero Jake Locker to stay in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen in this 2011 NFL Mock Draft edition.


6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
One can only wonder what the Jaguars are doing. They pass on Tim Tebow, who could really help them generate money and fan interest, yet the Broncos-Jaguars opener is already almost sold out because Tebow fans want to see their hero hold a clipboard on the sidelines. So, they don't get Tebow; instead, they reach for a Round 2-3 prospect at No. 10 overall and then draft the same position with their next pick. I have more on this in my 2010 NFL Power Rankings.

If the Jaguars aren't really drafting like Matt Millen on crack or LSD, they'll consider Patrick Peterson, one of the top cornerback prospects to come along in a very long time. Rashean Mathis' contract expires after the 2011 season and there's no guarantee Derek Cox will play well this year.


7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
I'm really shocked the Buccaneers didn't upgrade the defensive end position in the 2010 NFL Draft, as it was their No. 2 need going into that weekend. Robert Quinn could be the solution a year late; he had 19 TFL and 11 sacks as a sophomore last season.


8. Denver Broncos: Cameron Heyward, DE/DT, Ohio State
Are the Broncos really going to ride Patriots cast-off Jarvis Green as a starting defensive end for more than a year? Doubtful. Cameron Heyward would have been in the 9-18 pick range had he declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Some will consider Adrian Clayborn to be the top 3-4 end in this class. He may have been - until he was charged with assaulting a cab driver this winter. I'm guessing the character-conscious Josh McDaniels wouldn't want someone like Clayborn on his team.


9. Detroit Lions: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
Matthew Stafford, most likely in a wheel chair by the time the 2011 NFL Draft rolls around, has to be thrilled with this pick. Gabe Carimi might be the best player available, so this fits into Detroit's draft strategy. Taking someone like Julio Jones or Michael Floyd shouldn't be an option because the Lions have way too much money tied into Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson... now why does that sound familiar?


10. Arizona Cardinals: Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
I think the Cardinals made three crucial mistakes this offseason: Not trading for Donovan McNabb; passing on Jimmy Clausen in the 2010 NFL Draft; and failing to acquire an upgrade at offensive tackle. If the big three quarterbacks are unavailable, Arizona would probably take someone like Joseph Barksdale, a very athletic 315-pound left tackle. He'll be on LSU's blind side this year, and his stock will presumably soar.


11. Chicago Bears: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
When's the last time the Bears haven't needed a No. 1 receiver? I can't even remember. Julio Jones is an amazing top-five physical talent, but he dropped a ton of passes as a sophomore. He'll need a strong junior campaign to regain his draft stock.


12. New England Patriots: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
New England acquired this selection from Oakland for Richard Seymour. If Tom Brady and Wes Welker are healthy, and either Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez pans out, imagine how explosive New England's offense would be with Mark Ingram as a threat coming out of the backfield.


13. Washington Redskins: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
With a potential franchise left tackle on the roster, the Redskins will need to concentrate on finding weapons for Donovan McNabb. McNabb would love having a dynamic receiver like Michael Floyd at his disposal.


14. New York Giants: Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech
The Giants love taking the best player on their board, and that could be Ryan Williams in this scenario. Who knows how beat up Brandon Jacobs will be by next offseason? He's so prone to injury based on the way he runs that I can't see him lasting much longer.


15. Philadelphia Eagles: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
I thought the Eagles needed help at cornerback before the Sheldon Brown trade. Well, the front office apparently disagreed. I really think Andy Reid will regret waiting to address this position until the middle rounds - especially in the wake of the Cowboys' selection of Dez Bryant.


16. Pittsburgh Steelers: Allen Bailey, DE/DT, Miami
Three numbers for you: 33, 37 and 35. Those will be the respective ages of Brett Keisel, Travis Kirschke (currently a free agent) and Aaron Smith at the start of the 2011 NFL season. The Steelers drafted Ziggy Hood in 2009, but they'll need another 3-4 end in a year.

 

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
Marvin Austin is very athletic and has a ton of upside, but has never lived up to it on the field. Cincinnati is the type of team that would take a chance on him, however.

I know the Bengals just drafted Geno Atkins, but that was a fourth-round pick. They may see Austin as too good to pass up.


18. Tennessee Titans: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
The Titans had to find upgrades at defensive end and corner this offseason. With a dry free agent market and only one first-round pick, getting upgrades for both positions proved to be difficult. Tennessee can take care of the cornerback position with this selection.


19. New England Patriots: Adrian Clayborn, DE/DT, Iowa
I was pretty surprised that the Patriots passed up on Jared Odrick and allowed him to fall into enemy hands. Bill Belichick failed to address the 3-4 end position in the 2010 NFL Draft, so he'll have to do that here.


20. Atlanta Falcons: Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
The Falcons are once again going to have major problems getting to the quarterback this season. If Thomas Dimitroff can acquire someone like Greg Romeus, in the 2011 NFL Draft, I think he would jump at the opportunity. At 270 pounds, Romeus accumulated 11.5 TFL and eight sacks as a junior.



21. San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
I know that the receiver position is far from San Francisco's greatest need, but this front office takes the best player on its board, and I would find it hard to believe that Jonathan Baldwin wouldn't match that description in this scenario.

Baldwin, at 6-5, 225, caught 57 balls for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009. There would be absolutely no excuses for Alex Smith if he had Baldwin, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis at his disposal.


22. Carolina Panthers: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
The Panthers have major issues at defensive tackle, and I don't think they'll be content with players like Ed Johnson, Tank Tyler and Louis Leonard.


23. Houston Texans: DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
Houston's No. 1 goal is to stop Peyton Manning. They'll have trouble doing so if Eugene Wilson keeps getting injured. The free safety position will have to be addressed soon.


24. Miami Dolphins: Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA
The Dolphins tried to upgrade the free safety position this offseason, but failed to do so. Rahim Moore picked off 10 passes as a sophomore.



25. Green Bay Packers: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
Charles Woodson just won Defensive Player of the Year, but he'll be 35 a month into the 2011 season. He can't possibly keep up this level of play into his mid-30s, can he?


26. Dallas Cowboys: Deunta Williams, FS, North Carolina
Unless Akwasi Owusu-Ansah can step into the starting free safety role, the Cowboys will have major issues at the position this year.


27. San Diego Chargers: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
The Chargers are pretty thin at corner, and it's unclear if Antoine Cason will pan out as a solid starter.


28. Baltimore Ravens: Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
The Ravens had a terrific performance at the 2010 NFL Draft, but if there's one criticism, it's that they didn't address the cornerback position. They can do that here.


29.Minnesota Vikings: Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
Chris Berman harped on it during the 2010 NFL Draft: As long as there's a possibility that Brett Favre will return, the Vikings are not drafting a quarterback. So, as much as I'd like to mock Pat Devlin here, it's not happening if Favre plays his annual offseason guessing game.

So, let's look at another prospect. If available, Travis Lewis could plug a big need for the Vikings. Ben Leber will be a free agent in March 2011. If he's not retained, someone like Lewis would be considered.


30. New York Jets: Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
The Jets will likely have to defeat the Colts to advance to the Super Bowl in the next couple of years. To do so, they'll need to put as much pressure on Peyton Manning as possible without sending multiple blitzers and in turn exposing their secondary. Upgrades are needed at 3-4 end and rush linebacker.

If Vernon Gholston doesn't step up in 2010, New York could look elsewhere for its rush linebacker needs. Von Miller, who beat Russell Okung on a few occasions in a 2009 meeting, is the top player at that position in the 2011 class.


31. New Orleans Saints: Sam Acho, DE, Texas
The Saints apparently had their sights on Jerry Hughes in the 2010 NFL Draft before the Colts snatched him off the board one pick beforehand. If New Orleans still has pass-rushing issues going into the 2011 NFL Draft, they may target Sam Acho, who had 13 TFL and seven sacks as a junior.


32. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
Even though the defensive side of the ball has been the weaker half of Indianapolis' roster, general manager Bill Polian has spent seven of his 11 first-round picks on offensive players.

The Colts have to improve their offensive line, and I'm shocked they didn't do so in the 2010 NFL Draft. My guess is that they'll do that come April 2011.


Wanted to wake up a dead Draft Forum. Hate that the Jets just lose out opn the Superbowl

 

Theres your urban dictionary definition

 

I wonder if any of these three stud QB's will have a Jevon Snead type fall like the previous draft. ( Went in some peoples mind Top 10 to Undrafted )

 

listen debbie downer this draft forum has been real sloww soo I'm trying to rev it up a bit. It's good to learn about players before college football and then edit these sort of mocks, trust me it's interesting to look at when you go back to it. I remember Suh wasn't even in some people 1st rounds at first but then he had a great season and look where he went now. So this thread is definitely worth it

 

Appreciate the recognition WW85. Loved the draft forum but it has been soo slow, wanted to hear guys like you, Mr. E and Hurricanes opinion on a couple players hoping to get this goin a bit.

But I agree once college football starts this forum is going to be flooded with draft ideas and players we are all interested in :up: Cant wait