Midseason Mock
By Editorial Staff
Well it’s the mid-way point and the writers at NFL Mocks are keeping an eye towards next year’s draft. We have our 2011 NFL Draft Prospect Big Board and many Scouting Reports. Dont forget to check out our Team Needs and 2011 Prospect Position Rankings But now it’s time to get to the always controversial Mock Draft. Once the season starts the order will slowly shift based on actually draft ranking at the time of the mock. An”if the draft was today…” segment if you will. We’ll be sticking with the seniors only til junior begin to declare. There will be a few eligible players that people will be surprised when they don’t come out. This mock was completed by staff writer Josh Deceuster.
1 Buffalo Bills – Jake Locker, QB Washington Team Needs
– Hasn’t had the best senior season or supporting cast, but he still has three games to get bowl eligible, the Senior Bowl and combine.He is still the highest rated senior quarterback and the position has tremendous value at the top of the draft. Locker has first rate intangibles and the athleticism Bills coach Chan Gailey likes in his QBs. Hopefully he gets healthy enough to play this week.
2 Carolina Panthers – Robert Quinn, DE North Carolina Team Needs
– Quinn is our first underclassmen to be coming out as he has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA and won’t be able to play college ball again. Quinn is best suited as a 4-3 DE, who is lean at a listed 270 and has the potential to get even stronger. He’s a local product and would be a best player available option and someone to excite the fan base. The Panthers need the best talent they can get this high in the draft.
3 Dallas Cowboys – Prince Amukamara, CB Nebraska Team Needs
– There is some young talent on the Cowboy roster, but Newman is getting older and no one there is going to be a dominate corner back. Pass defense has been an issue and corner is a value position this high in the draft.
4 Cincinnati Bengals – Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa Team Needs
– This senior class doesn’t have a lot of highly rated offensive skill position players, and I am not sure there is any one player that could get Carson Palmer to play better. As long as Marvin Lewis is there Palmer will get at least another year. They are just one year removed from being the AFC North champs. The Bengals have been offensive minded the past couple of drafts and if the same staff is together, than they may start picking for the defensive side and Clayborn could play at every spot on their defensive line.
5 Detroit Lions – Derek Sherrod, OT Mississippi State Team Needs
– The Lions are like the Panthers in that they could use top talent at just about every position. Sherrod is a fast rising senior tackle and if he continues his rise in the offseason, he could be the highest ranked tackle which would increase his value even more. The Lions should be doing what ever possible to keep Stafford upright and healthy.
6 San Francisco 49ers – Allen Bailey, DE/DT Miami Team Needs
– San Francisco misses out on their top need at quarterback and a 5-tech DE doesn’t have this high a value (i.e. Tyson Jackson), but the 49er defense is getting older and is having trouble getting stops when they need them.
7 Denver Broncos – Cameron Jordan, DE/DT Cal Team Needs
– Denver is also getting old on their defensive line and Jordan has the talent and experience playing in a 3-4 defense. He may be more athletic than his former team mate Tyson Alualu, who went 10th to Jacksonville last year.
8 Arizona Cardinals – Bruce Carter, OLB North Carolina Team Needs
– Carter is a speedy linebacker who probably fits better in a 4-3 scheme, but could be used on the outside in a 3-4 scheme as well. The Cardinals are linebacker deprived after losing key veterans and having recent picks not developing fast enough.
9 Minnesota Vikings – Gabe Carimi, OT Wisconsin Team Needs
– Another team that will benefit from a couple of underclassman quarterbacks declaring because there might not be much otherwise. Talent and youth along the offensive line is also a big need and Carimi is a big talent. His main issues, like his foot work, are things that can improve with coaching. Gabe has the athletic ability to play at both tackle spots and the potential to be a pro bowl player.
10 Cleveland Browns – Von Miller, OLB Texas A&M Team Needs
– The Browns don’t have a consistent threat to the quarterback from the outside. Miller can be a dangerous weapon, but will need to add some weight while keeping the speed.
11 St.Louis Rams – DeMarcus Love, OG/OT Arkansas Team Needs
– The Rams Have found their quarterback and now they need to protect him. Love has experience at every offensive line position which adds to his value, but he needs to get stronger to hold up at which ever line spot he lands.
12 Houston Texans – Stephen Paea, DT Oregon State Team Needs
– Paea is a disruptive force on the interior of the line. The Texans need more of a presence in the middle of the field and their isn’t any one who could help their secondary at this point.
13 San Diego Chargers – Cameron Heyward, DE/DT Ohio State Team Needs
– Phillip Rivers can make anyone look good on offense it seems and the Chargers would be winning more because of this if not for their defense. Hayward would be a versatile weapon in San Diego’s 3-4 front.
14 Washington Redskins – Drake Nevis, DT LSU Team Needs
– The Redskins are old all over due to grabbing at free agents and not stocking up on their own draft picks. Nevis is having a big year and would work well in Washington’s hybrid defense.
15 Jacksonville Jaguars – Stefen Wisniewski, OG/C Penn State Team Needs
– Jacksonville has plenty of needs, but there aren’t a lot of skill position players available high in this class. Upgrading the interior of the offensive line should be a priority.
16 Miami Dolphins – Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB Purdue Team Needs
– You can never have too many pass rushers and Kerrigan would be a versatile weapon in South Bay.
17 New England Patriots from Oakland Raiders – Rodney Hudson, OG Florida State Team Needs
– This pick is looking to move down in the first round as the Raiders have been hot lately. New England needs some youth and talent on the inside and Hudson might be the most talented interior lineman in this class.
18 Tennessee Titans – Curtis Brown, CB Texas Team Needs
– The Titans are in a pass happy division and adding Brown to a core of Finnegan and Verner would make them strong against the divisions strength.
19 Kansas City Chiefs – Anthony Castonzo, OT Boston College Team Needs
– Kansas City has some nice young weapons on offense, but still plenty old along the line. Castonzo is a good fit for the pass heavy Chiefs.
20 Philadelphia Eagles – Nate Solder, OT Colorado Team Needs
– The Eagles need help all along their offensive line. I continue to think he will be drafted higher than he should be, but his physical presence seems hard to ignore.
21 Baltimore Ravens – Leonard Hankerson, WR Miami Team Needs
– Hankerson has been a huge weapon this year in south Florida. He has the size team are looking for and already has 11 TDs on the season.
22 Chicago Bears – Ras-I Dowling, CB Virgina Team Needs
– The Bears need help along the offensive line and in the secondary. Dowling is a big, physical player who would be a good defender against the bigger receivers in their division.
23 Indianapolis Colts – DeAndre McDaniel, S Clemson Team Needs
– Bob Sanders is all but finished and the Colts have played better defense with a enforcer at safety. McDaniel can be that enforcer while not being quite the liability Sanders was in the passing game.
24 Seattle Seahawks – Marvin Austin, DT North Carolina Team Needs
– Seattle is another one of those teams that needs help all over and Pete Carroll seems like the type that will start building in the trenches. Austin is hurt by his dealings with shady characters, but he is still a very talented defensive lineman.
25 New Orleans Saints – Mark Herzlich, OLB Boston College Team Needs
– Herzlich may end up much lower depending on how his medicals check out, but the Saints need some help at linebacker and Herzlich would be the type of player that would fit in well with that squad.
26 Green Bay Packers – Jeremy Beal, OLB/DE Oklahoma Team Needs
– The Packers could use a pass rusher opposite Clay Matthews III and Beal could fit nicely into that role.
27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mike Pouncey, OG/C Florida Team Needs
– The Bucs have made some good choices in the 2010 draft, mainly with starting in the trenches. They could use help with solidifying their offensive line, particularly on the interior.
28 New England Patriots – DeMarco Murray, RB Oklahoma
– New England will probably have a better chance at finding some skill players once some underclassmen declare. Murray could be used all over the field and as part of the committee back field that Pats have been using for a few years now.
29 New York Giants – Greg Jones, MLB Michigan State Team Needs
– The Giants have been getting most of their damage up front, but could still use some help from their line backing core
30 New York Jets – Christian Ballard, DE/DT Iowa Team Needs
– Rex Ryan seems to be getting the best out of his defensive front and I would be surprised if New York didn’t look to give it even more depth and talent.
31 Atlanta Falcons – Jabaal Sheard, DE Pittsburgh Team Needs
– Atlanta is going to need to get some players to help replace Abraham when he decides to retire. Sheard is good against both run and pass, and getting QB pressure is a priority in the NFC South.
32 Pittsburgh Steelers – Marcus Canon, OG/OT TCU Team Needs
– Pittsburgh has some dangerous skill position players, but the trenches on both sides of the ball are getting older. Canon will most likely moves inside, but the Steelers need help all along the line.