Top 50 Prospects In The 2011 NFL Draft
ByWith the 2011 NFL Draft knocking on our door, even with the season in peril, we’ll give you a small guide to the debacle that will happen on April 28th as good franchises only get better and the losers in the NFL world make us shake our heads and laugh. But that’s why we love football!
Here are the Top 50 Prospect in the NFL Draft.
1. Patrick Peterson CB, LSU – He is head and shoulders above the rest of this draft class in terms of functional explosive athleticism and already plays with the swagger of a game-changing NFL superstar.
2. Von Miller LB, Texas A&M – Again, you’d be hard-pressed to find another player in this Draft class at the linebacker position who is more ready to step into the middle of an NFL defense and not only be a play-maker but a ‘defensive quarterback’ who controls exotic schemes.
3. Julio Jones WR, Alabama – After last season Draft pundits became content naming Georgia’s A.J. Green as the best wide receiver in college football. Not only did Jones out-perform Green at the Combine but he also impressed naysayers during personal interviews with interested franchises. His straight line speed is world class but it’s his ability to box out and get the pigskin higher than Jones, whose dynamic leaping skills set him apart from……..well, almost every receiver on earth not named Fitzgerald and Dre Johnson
4. Marcell Dareus DT, Alabama -While Peterson separates himself in this class -in my eyes at least- the group of Miller, Jones, Dareus and a couple more who follow are damn close in terms of instant production and value from the moment they shake the commissioner’s hand. Or will it be DeMaurice Smith’s hand? Or somebody from the team who drafts him hand? Well, needless to say, after the handshake, IT IS ON and Dareus will be wreaking havoc in opposing backfields for the next decade.
5. Da’Quan Bowers DE, Clemson* - I really hope the rumor that Bowers’ knee is a “ticking time bomb” -By the way, in the NFL whose knees aren’t? Ask Tom Brady- is simply that, just rumors. But regardless of whether or not they are true or exaggerated they have probably cost Bowers at least seven, if not eight, figures in his first contract with the team that selects him. He has apparently been playing with the injury throughout the year so it hasn’t hindered his ability to get to the quarterback, play especially well against the run and turn ACC offensive coordinators into insomniacs.
6. A.J. Green WR, Georgia – Green is lucky to have Julio Jones and vice versa. They look at what each other did during games, camps, team workouts and the Combine. Jones got the better of Green this season but it was mostly because Green was suspended for five games at the beginning of the year for a bulls#-NCAA rule in the offseason. He has the speed and hands that are common in all the great WRs but his ability to get the ball at its highest point is special.
7. Nick Fairley DT, Auburn - Fairley comes with a bigger “Buyer Beware” tag attached to him than any other player in the top of this Draft, a tag that would make Cam Newton look like Kurt Warner in terms of character. Big men who take plays off when they want to, don’t particularly have the best work ethic and is happier eating 3-4 triple cheeseburgers instead of discussing the 3-4 defense in the film room bother me a little bit. But if Fairley turns the light on for an entire game and coaches -or cash- inspire him. Any team that selects him better have a no-nonsense coach with the fire to make him WANT to play hard every down and play for that second contract.
8. Mike Pouncey G, Florida - Hall of Fame linemen usually spend most of their careers doing the dirty work for the stars around them and are only rewarded by the zeroes in their paycheck. That’s why one of the best players in this draft is being overlooked and, because of team need, will slip to the middle or late first round. It’s not hard to imagine Pouncey as an NFL stud. His blood, Maurice, helped guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.
9. Tyron Smith OT, USC - Smith played in the high 280′s last season so he will have to bulk up in order to work through the rigours of an NFL season but he has the body to do exactly that. Smith is the type of athletic left tackle that can anchor a good NFL line for a decade or slide over to the right side and be one of the most athletic players in the league at his position. Either way he’s a safe pick and there aren’t many holes in this Trojan.
10. Blaine Gabbert QB, Missouri - The signal caller from Mizzou sat behind Chase Daniel until he was ready and the Tigers were rewarded when he was. He will be the luckiest quarterback in the country if he slips to the Cardinals because he will immediately be on a contender and will have Larry Fitzgerald as a weapon all over the field. He needs to go to the right team, as does any quarterback, but he can pay immediate dividends for the team that invests in him.
11. Prince Amukamura CB, Nebraska – A possible shutdown corner who needs to be attacked in order to really be crowned one of the better cover corners in the league. Something tells me he will be.
12. Robert Quinn DE, North Carolina - Didn’t play this season due to suspension but still protected his Draft status by staying in shape and showing off for teams during personal workouts.
13. Aldon Smith DE, Missouri – Stands out in a class full of defensive line studs because of his mix of size, strength and explosiveness.
14. Mark Ingram RB, Alabama - I know we’ve sat back over the past few years and realized that good running backs can be found in the late rounds but Ingram brings an ability to run the ball inside twenty times a game without having to worry about his health.
15. Jake Locker QB, Washington - The real “Decision” was Locker’s change of plans to return back to Washington and possibly cost himself about $30 million! $30 Million!
16. Muhammad Wilkerson DT, Temple - One of the mystery men in the 2011 Draft, Wilkerson is a classic clogger in the middle.
17. Nate Solder OT, Colorado – A beast of a man at 6’8″, teams just have to make sure he has the instincts to be a cornerstone on a good NFL offensive line.
18. Cam Heyward DE, Ohio State - Not only does he have the mean streak to be a bad man in the NFL but he has the bloodlines. And his father’s nickname was “Iron Head”! What more do you need to know in order to realize he’s tough?
19. Cam Newton QB, Auburn - If he gets used to the verbiage, reads, drop backs, huddles and fitting the ball into tight spots he can be one of the best players in this Draft.
20. Corey Luiget DT, Illinois – Just a monster of a man who, in any other draft, would have been one of the most talked about defensive players in the first round.
21. Anthony Costanzo OT, Boston College
22. Adrian Clayborn DE, Iowa
23. Marvin Austin DT, North Carolina – Would have been a top-15 player if not for a suspension.
24. Ryan Kerrigan DE, Purdue
25. Stephen Paea DT, Oregon State – Broke the Combine record for bench reps at 225lbs.
26. Andy Dalton QB, TCU - Stop calling him underrated!
27. Cameron Jordan DE, California
28. J.J. Watt DE, Wisconsin
29. Kyle Rudolph TE, Notre Dame
30. Jimmy Smith CB, Colorado
31. Gabe Carimi OT, Wisconsin
32. Ryan Williams RB, Virginia Tech - Powerful back from a school with a good NFL history.
33. Rahim Moore S, UCLA
34. Allen Bailey DE, Miami – Looks good getting off the bus, better sacking QBs.
35. Brandon Harris CB, Miami
36. Bruce Carter LB, North Carolina
37. Akeem Ayers LB, UCLA
38. Derek Sherrod OT, Mississippi State
39. Danny Watkins G, Baylor
40. Aaron Williams CB, Texas
41. Randall Cobb WR, Kentucky - Underrated playmaker who is used to having the ball in his hands.
42. Jonathon Baldwin WR, Pitt – Could be a steal from Larry Fitz’s alma mater.
43. Brooks Reed DE, Arizona
44. Ras-I Dowling CB, Virginia
45. Rodney Hudson G, Florida State
46. Mikel Leshoure RB, Illinois
47. Torrey Smith WR, Maryland – Another “Workout Warrior” from Maryland.
48. William Rackley G, Lehigh - Small school surprise who could start immediately
49. Titus Young WR, Boise State
50. Phil Taylor DT, Baylor
