2011 NFL Mock Draft: Dareus or Peterson for Denver?

1. Carolina Panthers- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

I truly don’t believe he’s worth the first pick in the draft, but with the success of quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Sam Bradford over the last three years, Carolina will take their chances.

Cam Newton only completed 11-21 passes during the combine and gave off terrible answers when addressed about his “iconic” ego.

2. Denver Broncos- Marcell Dareus, DL, Alabama

The Broncos have many options, but at the end of the day, Denver needs to address their defensive line situation the most.

Marcell Dareus quickly passed Nick Fairley on many draft boards after a tremendous showing at the combine, which also saw Fairley being significantly smaller than believed.

3. Buffalo Bills- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

The Bills will ultimately go with either Patrick Peterson or Von Miller with this pick, but Peterson is the better prospect, in my opinion.

While not the greatest cover-corner, Peterson is an excellent tackler. He’s the best cornerback prospect since Charles Woodson.

4. Cincinnati Bengals- A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

I debated going with Da’Quan Bowers here, but I think the Bengals will do the smart thing by making Carson Palmer happy— drafting A.J. Green

Green is the best wide receiver prospect since Randy Moss. He’ll soon be one of the best wide-outs in the league.

5. Arizona Cardinals- Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

Von Miller was the most impressive player during Senior Bowl week, which elevated his stock all the way to the top five.

Arizona’s current pass-rushers are amongst the worst in the league. With Joey Porter nearing the end of his career, the Cardinals need another rush-linebacker.

6. Cleveland Browns- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina

Da’Quan Bowers could go here, but there are still some questions about his issues after having arthroscopic knee surgery back in January.

Robert Quinn is a tremendous pass-rusher with a ton of promise. Even though he missed all of last year with the Tar Heels, Quinn could be the best player in the draft.

7.  San Francisco 49’ers- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Apparently Jim Harbaugh has some faith in Alex Smith, so apparently he hasn’t seen any tape or Smith’s stats in his six years in the league.

Blaine Gabbert is almost a lock for a top ten pick, especially given the amount of teams that could use a quarterback in the top ten.

8. Tennessee Titans- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

Nick Fairley saw his stock surprisingly fall at the combine due to the fact that he weighed in at 291 pounds, which is 15 pounds lighter than most expected.

Still, Tennessee could use somebody to pair along with Jason Jones on the defensive line. Nick Fairley has question marks, but he’s still a top ten pick.

9. Dallas Cowboys- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

With Rob Ryan as the new defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, Dallas will be focused on improving their defense, which struggled often last year.

Prince Amukamara is easily the second-best cornerback behind Patrick Peterson. He will allow the Cowboys to part with Terence Newman, also.

10. Washington Redskins- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Santana Moss is highly unlikely to return to the Redskins next year, which leaves Anthony Armstrong as the Redskins’ top wide receiver. Yeah, not so good.

Julio Jones performed tremendously well at the combine, elevating him into the top ten.

11. Houston Texans- Da’Quan Bowers, DE/OLB, Clemson

This would be an absolute steal for the Texans, but I can see it happening. Houston needs help on the defensive line and at linebacker. Coincidentally, Bowers can play at either spot.

Da’Quan has lingering issues with arthroscopic knee surgery that he underwent in January. This could cause him to slide down several teams’ boards.

12. Minnesota Vikings- J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

Ray Edwards is almost a lock to leave the twin cities, and Minnesota feels confident that they can replace him. Everson Griffen was expected to do so, but he was arrested twice in four days.

J.J. Watt did terrific at the combine, cementing his status in the first round. He will pair with Jared Allen on Minnesota’s defensive line.

13. Detroit Lions- Tyron Smith, OT, USC

After weighing in at 307 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms, Tyron Smith is now practically a lock for a top 15 pick. He’s likely to be the first tackle off the board.

Jeff Backus is on the decline in his career, and it’s about time Detroit moves on.

14. St. Louis Rams- Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

With both A.J. Green and Julio Jones off the board, the Rams will look to address their defensive line situation. Chris Long had a monster year, but James Hall is wearing down.

Aldon Smith is believed by many to be the best defensive end in this year’s class. He and Chris Long should pair together very nicely next season.

15. Miami Dolphins- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are both slated for free agency this offseason, which leads many to believing that the Dolphins will take a running back early in the draft.

Mark Ingram is clearly the best running back on the board. Expect the Dolphins to rid themselves of Ricky Williams.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars- Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

It’s clear that the Jaguars need help on their defensive line. It looks as though Tyson Alualu will have a solid career, but he can’t do it all on his own.

Ryan Kerrigan was a three-year starter at Purdue. He’s exactly the kind of player Jaguars GM Gene Smith, loves.

17. New England Patriots (from Oakland)- Cameron Jordan, DL, California

Although it won’t fill the biggest need for New England, Cameron Jordan is one of the best players available that actually fits what the Patriots are looking for.

Jordan had a great combine and many claimed he was unstoppable during Senior Bowl practices. It’s clear that Cameron Jordan has a ton of potential.

18. San Diego Chargers- Cameron Heyward, DL, Ohio State

Jacques Cesaire is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, and it’s highly unlikely the Chargers will bring him back. They don’t need him anyways.

Cameron Heyward’s stock is constantly going up and down, but it looks like he’ll be a first round selection come April.

19. New York Giants- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

Keith Bulluck is a 34 year-old free-agent-to-be, which means he’s unlikely to be back. However, not many other teams will offer him a starting job, so he may stay in New York.

Akeem Ayers could be the potential replacement for Bulluck. He’s a solid pass-rusher with plenty of potential.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

Tampa Bay made two great selections last year in Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. While those two will anchor the defensive tackle spots for years to come, there’s two openings for the defensive end positions.

Adrian Clayborn went through much of his senior season with Iowa with injuries that prevented him from putting up the monster numbers he did as a Junior.

21. Kansas City Chiefs- Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor

Kansas City continues to improve on both sides of the ball, but one they lack is a great nose tackle. Scott Pioli became accustomed to the talent level of Vince Wilfork when he was in New England.

Phil Taylor had several great practices during Senior Bowl week, which propelled him into the first round.

22. Indianapolis Colts- Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

Indianapolis’ left tackle, Charlie Johnson, is set to be a free agent soon. Knowing the Colts, they’ll likely let him move on.

Anthony Castonzo is arguably the second-best tackle behind Tyron Smith. Also, Castonzo is the best for the Colts’ offense.

23. Philadelphia Eagles- Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

There are several quality offensive tackles left on the board, but Gabe Carimi is the best fit for Philadelphia. Carimi has also drawn comparisons to former Eagle Jon Runyan.

Philadelphia gave up 52 sacks last year, which equals to a little more than three per game.

24. New Orleans Saints- Justin Houston, DE/OLB, Georgia

New Orleans doesn’t have that many needs on their roster, but they’ve constantly had glaring needs on the defensive line and at linebacker.

Justin Houston, coincidentally, can play at both outside linebacker and defensive end. That said, he’s going to be a defensive end in the Saints’ 4-3 system.

25. Seattle Seahawks- Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

I’m not a big fan of the Seahawks taking a quarterback, but I didn’t agree with Aaron Rodgers going to the Packers back in 2005, either.

Christian Ponder did extremely well during Senior Bowl week and at the combine, which leads many to believe he’ll be taken late in the first round.

26. Baltimore Ravens- Derek Sherrod, OT, Missisippi State

The Ravens met with Derek Sherrod at the Senior bowl and the combine. It’s obvious that they have a ton of interest in him as their potential new left tackle.

Jared Gaither will be a free agent soon. Baltimore could either resign him or let him walk, but his injury issues are becoming a concern.

27. Atlanta Falcons- Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

The Falcons have one great receiver in Roddy White, but they need to find a No. 2 receiver that can also make big plays. Harry Douglas and Michael Jenkins aren’t that great.

Torrey Smith is an intelligent receiver with great hands. Somewhere, Matt Ryan is smiling, knowing he has Roddy White, Torrey Smith and Tony Gonzalez to throw to.

28. New England Patriots- Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Not very many expect the Patriots to draft an offensive tackle in the first round, but it makes a ton of sense, considering Solder could go in the top 15.

Matt Light won’t return in 2011, which will leave the Patriots with a hole on the offensive line. Nate Solder should become a day-one starter.

29. Chicago Bears- Mike Pouncey, G, Florida

Chicago’s offensive line is clearly the worst in the NFL. The Bears led the league in 2010 with 60 sacks given up.

Mike Pouncey, unfortunately, can’t play tackle, but he will be a huge part of the Bears’ interior blocking. Expect Matt Forte to have a much easier time in 2011.

30. New York Jets- Muhammad Wilkerson, DL, Temple

The New York Jets are known for their defense, but they still need to address a few key areas in order to be better than Pittsburgh is on D.

Shaun Ellis is nearing the end of his career, and he’s a free agent this offseason. Muhammad Wilkerson could be a starter from day one in New York.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

Jimmy Smith has been mocked as high as No. 9 to the Dallas Cowboys, but his off-the-field issues are starting to come forward once again.

Even with character issues, Smith is a very talented cornerback. I just can’t see him sliding all the way to the second round of the draft.

32. Green Bay Packers- Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Many people won’t love this pick, but it makes sense when you take the time to think about it. Donald Driver should have retired after Green Bay won the Super Bowl, but for some reason, Driver feels like he has more to prove.

That said, he’ll be gone within two years. Ted Thompson has wanted a tall receiver for years. The 6’5″ Jonathan Baldwin should be the right man for the job.