The 2011 NFL draft is just over a week away so we head back into the war room for our third mock draft to project where the NFL’s top prospects will land next Thursday.
2011 NFL Draft: Lost Lettermen’s Mock Daft 3.0 |
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| Pick | Player | School | COMMENT | |
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1 | Cam Newton, QB | Auburn | It looks like a done deal that Cam Newton is headed to Charlotte. Is he the next Michael Vick or the next Akili Smith? |
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2 | Marcell Dareus, DT | Alabama | John Fox starts to rebuild the Denver D with a dominant DT that is an absolute monster at 6-3 and 320 pounds. |
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3 | Von Miller, LB | Texas A&M | Chan Gailey seems content with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB and Miller gives the Bills D a ferocious pass rusher they’ve sorely lacked. |
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4 | A.J. Green, WR | Georgia | With Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens both likely on the way out, the Bengals snatch Green to try and lure Carson Palmer back to Cincy. |
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5 | Blaine Gabbert, QB | Missouri | Gabbert will need time but this pick’s a complete no-brainer after the Derek Anderson experiment blew up in Arizona’s face last season. |
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6 | Julio Jones, WR | Alabama | Jones is a reach but he has scouts drooling and new head coach Pat Shurmur needs some play makers if he’s going to run his offense by the Lake. |
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7 | Patrick Peterson, CB | LSU | A gift for Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers. The offense needs help but Peterson is a No. 1 overall talent who could be the next Charles Woodson. |
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8 | Nick Fairley, DT | Auburn | Forget character issues, did anyone watch the BCS title game? After losing Albert Haynesworth to free agency a couple years ago, Fairley fills those shoes. |
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9 | Da’Quan Bowers, DE | Clemson | Jerry Jones is salivating over the thought of DeMarcus Ware and Da’Quan Bowers pummeling QBs next season. |
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10 | Robert Quinn, DE | North Carolina | With the two best QBs and WRs off the board, Quinn should help the Redskins transition to a 3-4 defense after last season’s debacle. |
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11 | Aldon Smith, DE/LB | Missouri | If the Texans D is ever going to turn the corner, they need LBs to fit Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense. Smith fits the bill. |
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12 | Prince Amukamara, CB | Nebraska | Antoine Winfield is on his last legs and Amukamara is an elite talent that should help put Leslie Frazier’s defense back among the elite. |
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13 | Nate Solder, OT | Colorado | Tyron Smith is the sexy pick but the Lions need the safe pick who can start right away and stop Matthew Stafford from getting treated like a human pinata. |
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14 | J.J. Watt, DE | Wisconsin | The Rams’ D-line was anemic last season and Watt is a Patrick Kerney-type player that Steve Spagnuolo will love. |
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15 | Mike Pouncey, OG | Florida | The Dolphins need play makers on offense but there’s no one worthy of this pick. Pouncey bolsters the O-line for FA RB DeAngelo Williams. |
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16 | Cameron Jordan, DE | California | What in the world happened to Jack Del Rio’s D? Jordan’s a massive DE (6-4, 290) that will help plug some of those gaping holes from last season. |
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17 | Adrian Clayborn, DE | Iowa | The Pats need a pass rusher and there’s no one more physically gifted than Clayborn. The Pats will look like geniuses again in five years. |
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18 | Corey Liuget, DT | Illinois | The Chargers need help on the D-line and Liuget is flying up draft boards. He’s a bit of a project but worth the gamble. |
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19 | Tyron Smith, OT | USC | The Giants’ two OTs are dinosaurs and Smith is the OT with the best upside. After picking Jason Pierre-Paul last year, the G-Men roll the dice again. |
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20 | Akeem Ayers, LB | UCLA | Ayers is getting overlooked because he isn’t a combine freak and actually played, gasp, four years in college. But he’s proven and can start right away. |
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21 | Gabe Carimini, OT | Wisconsin | Did you see the playoff game against the Ravens? Yeah, it’s time for an upgrade on the O-Line and Carimi is your typical Big Ten mauler. |
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22 | Anthony Castonzo, OT | Boston College | Peyton Manning was running for his life last season. This pick moves Charlie Johnson to RT or G and puts a four-year starter at LT on Day One. |
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23 | Derek Sherrod, OT | Mississippi State | With Kevin Kolb likely heading out of town, keeping Michael Vick upright is priority No. 1. Sherrod is used to NFL talent from the SEC. |
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24 | Muhammad Wilkerson, DE | Temple | The Marshawn Lynch run just highlighted the Saints’ pathetic D-line. Putting a 320 beast in the middle will help end that. |
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25 | Andy Dalton, QB | TCU | Who better to replace Matt Hasselbeck that a mirror image of him? A proven winner who’s deadly accurate and very savvy. |
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26 | Jimmy Smith, CB | Colorado | The secondary is a huge area of concern and while Smith is a far cry from Peterson and Amukamara, he’s the best around. |
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27 | Danny Watkins, OG | Baylor | An OT would have been nice but the Falcons will settle for the best guard in the draft after the Packers made a mockery of this O-Line. |
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28 | Mark Ingram, RB | Alabama | BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead are great but Ingram gives the Pats the every down back they sorely needed vs. the Jets. |
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29 | Phil Taylor, NT | Baylor | With Tommie Harris out in Chicago, this 340-pounder is a must to keep the Bears top-notch on D. |
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30 | Cameron Heyward, DE | Ohio State | A DT to replace Kris Jenkins would have been nice but Ironhead’s son showed he’s Jason Taylor’s heir apparent during a dominant Sugar Bowl. |
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31 | Aaron Williams, CB | Texas | The Steelers’ secondary was Aaron Rodgers’ play pen during the Super Bowl. Williams wasn’t a dominant corner at Texas but has lots of talent. |
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32 | Justin Houston, LB | Georgia | The rich just keep getting richer. A roster loaded with young talent adds another pass-rushing linebacker for its 3-4 scheme. |
