2011 NFL Mock Draft

Our head Fantasy expert Matt De Lima takes a look at the upcoming draft with his first 2 rounds of what may happen in April. The teams that are in the playoffs are listed in finishing order by regular season. The final few teams will be finalized at the end of the Super Bowl with the winner picking last which will change since we all know that the 2 best teams, Atlanta and New England, are busy at home making draft day plans instead of Super Bowl reservations.

Round One

1. Carolina Panthers – Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
Carolina won’t have Luck next year. See what I did there? Anyway, while one could argue there are better players in this draft, Bowers rates highest at key position, defensive end. Problem is, Bowers is far from a sure-thing in the NFL. He played poorly in his first two years and still has a lot to learn for the position.

2. Denver Broncos – Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
The Broncos may be better off going after a defensive linemen here since they are weak upfront but it’s likely Champ Bailey is gone via free agency. Denver needs a guy they can plug in on day one and Peterson can certainly do that.

3. Buffalo Bills – Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
Fairley addresses a need and has the talent to back it up. He can play a number of positions along the defensive line and will be a disruptor of backfields for years to come.

4. Cincinnati Bengals – A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
Cincinnati is thin all over the field but Green will likely replace one half the departed T.O. and Ochocinco duo. Green has too much talent to slip past this point and could just as easily be the first pick in the draft as well.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Marcell Dareus, DE/DT, Alabama
Dareus had a good, but not great 2010 season but to be fair, the expectations were high. Dareus is a big-bodied lineman who can play end or tackle. Arizona had a terrible pass rush and is still a couple players away in their front four.

6. Cleveland Browns – Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina
Sure, cornerback Eric Wright had some awful games this year but defending the pass is more than just having big-name talent. Cleveland needs a pass rush coming off the edge. Quinn is a guy who can play all three downs on defense with a hand on the ground or at outside linebacker.

7. San Francisco 49ers – Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Both San Francisco and Tennessee need quarterbacks and they pick back-to-back. This is where I feel a trade might happen, particularly if San Francisco covets a QB that may slip in the first round, but for the time being Mallett has all the physical gifts to play the position.

8. Tennessee Titans – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
Seems a bit too obvious but if Newton is the next Vince Young, he’ll have a chance to prove it, won’t he?

9. Dallas Cowboys – Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
Dallas has issues all over their secondary and could be best served trading down to address bigger position problems. If they pick here, Amukamara is rated higher than Peterson by some and would be a nice addition.

10. Washington Redskins – Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
Considering I feel Gabbert is a bust prospect, it makes sense that Washington would buy into the hype, select him and thusly ruin the next three years of the franchise because of a big whiff at the top of this draft.

11. Houston Texans – Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
In 3-4 defenses, you need as many good linebackers as possible. Miller provides a pass rush on the edge to a defense that struggled to find the quarterback.

12. Minnesota Vikings – Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
I consider this a reach but Minnesota won’t draft a quarterback, they’re going to go after a free agent. With that being the case, they need to protect their new investment at QB and their best player in Adrian Peterson. Solder is a huge prospect, literally.

13. Detroit Lions – Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
Jenkins is as tough as nails and Detroit desperately needs to improve their pass defense. After Peterson and Amukamara, it’s a toss-up at which corner will go next but Jenkins has the athleticism to make a big splash at the combine and secure his place in the Top 15.

14. St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
The Rams had a game of musical chairs going on with their wide receivers and considering Sam Bradford’s talent, a receiver would go a long way in this offense. Blackmon is a production machine and makes sense right here.

15. Miami Dolphins – Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
After Ricky Williams badmouthed the Dolphins, it is clear the team will have a new backfield to start the season. Ingram is the safe pick at running back at this time but don’t discount the combine results, someone may shine and build some hype to supersede him.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars – Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Harris is a physical corner who needs to be coached up on the finer points of pass coverage fundamentals. But that being said, he is already a very special player who could easily go higher in the draft.

17. New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders) – Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
New England has a knack for finding gems and Kerrigan could be the next. He’s got all the buzzwords that scouts love: motor, upside, freak.

18. San Diego Chargers – Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
San Diego has lost a lot of bite to their pass rush in recent years but Ayers can change all that. He provides instant every-down athleticism.

19. New York Giants – Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconson
New York’s offensive line is advancing rapidly in age. Carimi is a mauler who would stand to benefit playing amongst veterans as he isn’t quite talented enough to be a “franchise” left tackle.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA
Moore is going to fly up draft boards, it’s only a matter of time once his game film gets viewed. Every safety wants to be the next Ed Reed and he is close to it.

21. Kansas City Chiefs – Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Jones fits right in to Kansas City’s ball-control offense. He’s a big target with deceptive speed and athleticism. The Chiefs looked a bit one-dimensional as the Ravens draped Dwayne Bowe in coverage all day. Give the Chiefs another receiver to defend and it opens things up for their run game.

22. Indianapolis Colts – Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
The offensive tackle ratings are going to be all over the place in this draft and Sherrod may be gone now. It could be Solder here, it could be Castanzo. No matter who it is, the Colts need him as their once stout offensive line is no more.

23. Philadelphia Eagles – Mike Pouncey, C, Florida
Philadelphia struggled to convert some short third downs against Green Bay and it ultimately cost them their season. Pouncey is one of the best interior linemen prospects out there with his size, pedigree and ability.

24. New Orleans Saints – Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
New Orleans has some of the best depth in the league so it’s anyone guess what they choose to do here. Paea can really get after it and in a division that has some good backs, the Saints could afford to bolster their interior defense.

25. Seattle Seahawks – Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
Clayborn was once a top 10 prospect but really, he wasn’t that impressive in 2010. A strong combine could boost his stock again, but for the time being, he’s slipping fast.

26. Green Bay Packers – Ryan Williams, RB Virginia Tech
Green Bay isn’t exactly hurting on offense but they do need a bigger talent at running back. Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson and even James Starks, they’re solid but Williams is dynamic with quickness, agility and vision.

27. New York Jets – Allen Bailey, DE/DT, Miami
How do you pass rush Tom Brady in a 3-4? Find guys who can pressure the quarterback at defensive end in order to keep your linebackers in coverage. Bailey has the size to do it but can Rex Ryan light a spark under him to keep his motor running?

28. Baltimore Ravens – Aaron Williams, CB, Texas
The Ravens are lacking talent at cornerback despite having six players at the position under the age of 30 years old. They’re young, injury-prone and begging for an upgrade. Williams is tall for the position and athletic enough to have a chance at a quality NFL career.

29. Chicago Bears – Anthony Castanzo, OT, Boston College
Chicago would be fortunate to have a top tackle slip to them and Castanzo is the last of top candidates. He actually may be the most well-rounded, NFL-ready player but teams always love the allure of upside and raw ability. Castanzo should have an immediate impact.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers – Stefen Wisniewski, G, Penn State
Pittsburgh needs to get back to its bread and butter: a power running game. Wisniewski is a quick, tough guard who can come in and compete immediately.

31. Atlanta Falcons – Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame
Tony Gonzalez is as good as gone if Atlanta makes a deep playoff run and they look to be headed that way. Rudolph is the only blue-chip prospect at the position but he can do it all.

32. New England Patriots – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Floyd needs to test well at the combine but he has that special ability to fight for more yards. He can turn a short pass into a game-breaking play. New England makes due with what they have, but Floyd has first-round talent.

Round Two

33. New England Patriots (from Carolina Panthers) – Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
Heyward is a good fit for a DE in New England’s 3-4. Pairing him beside Vince Wilfork would be a nightmare on rushing downs. He may still need some NFL polish but he can be coached up.

34. Buffalo Bills – Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
Nevis will need to learn to play his assignments and fill his gaps, but Buffalo needs to get tougher upfront in a division full of tough teams and tough defenses.

35. Cincinnati Bengals – Cameron Jordan, DT/DE, California
Jordan may not slip this far but there are a ton of defensive end prospects so one is bound to slip. Cincinnati is in need of depth at the defensive end position and would benefit from Jordan’s 12.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks this past season.

36. Denver Broncos – Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
Smith wasn’t on the radar since he was only a redshirt sophomore but since he has declared early, he is now. In two years, he had 17 sacks at Missouri. He’s still a bit lean, but his long frame is built to get after the quarterback.

37. Cleveland Browns – Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
Smith was productive at Maryland despite being a player keyed on every week by opposing defenses. He has the play-making ability that Cleveland has lacked to provide for Colt McCoy.

38. Arizona Cardinals – Jake Locker, QB, Washington
How the mighty have fallen for both Locker and the Cards. Arizona whiffed at the quarterback position in 2010 and could even take a QB in round one. But if they like Locker, they can have him here as his stock has free-fallen.

39. Tennessee Titans – Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State
Hudson’s big 2010 season helped Florida State find their running game for the first time in many years. Tennessee’s run game wasn’t nearly as impressive as most would’ve expected and a lot of that had to do with their guard play.

40. Dallas Cowboys – Deunta Williams, FS, North Carolina
Dallas needs to improve their pass defense. The NFC East is full of game-breaking receivers and Dallas has no answer for them. Williams could get passed on the big boards as there are a number of safeties poised to make a move with a good combine.

41. Washington Redskins – Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami
Hankerson gives Washington a big target at receiver. There’s a long tradition of quality receivers coming out of Miami and Hankerson was impressive in his time there.

42. Houston Texans – Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State
Moving to a 3-4 means you’re going to need two quality inside backers. Add Jones alongside DeMeco Ryans and suddenly, things are looking much better on defense for Houston.

43. Minnesota Vikings – Jared Crick, DE/DT, Nebraska
Minnesota could see a shakeup along their front four with Ray Edwards possibly leaving due to free agency and the Williamses at defensive tackle aren’t getting any younger. Crick is a gamer, an absolute mauler that fits right into what Minnesota wants to do with their front four.

44. Detroit Lions – DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas
With all the injuries that Matthew Stafford seems to sustain, Detroit needs to surround him with better blockers. Love would be a steal at this point of the draft to say the least.

45. San Francisco 49ers – Jeremy Beal, DE/OLB, Oklahoma
San Francisco may or may not stick with the 3-4 defense under Jim Harbaugh but in either case, they need help at OLB. Beal is a quality pass rusher who is a hybrid OLB who can also play DE.

46. Denver Broncos (from Miami Dolphins) – DeAndre McDaniel, FS, Clemson
McDaniel is one of those players who does everything well. He isn’t as flashy as some other players in the draft but he addresses a big need for Denver who needs a player who can both cover and defend the run.

47. St. Louis Rams – Martez Wilson, OLB, Illinois
Wilson is a specimen who at times underachieved for Illinois. He’s got the talent to go here, or even earlier and provides explosiveness to the Rams’ linebackers.

48. Oakland Raiders – Tyron Smith, OT, USC
Smith has a lot of athleticism and could climb draft boards in a tackle class that is lacking any big-time talent. Oakland struggled to protect the quarterback this year, one of the few remnants of those awful Raiders years.

49. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
Smith is a diamond in the rough. Good technique, quality fundamentals, speed, size, man-to-man, zone. You name it, he’s got it. Jacksonville would be lucky to have him here.

50. San Diego Chargers – Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
Liuget is under the radar, for now. He’s athletic, powerful and has a quickness not seen in many of the big defensive line prospects this year.

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina
Carter is fast and strong, two things that players have to be in a Tampa-2 scheme. He is versatile enough to play in coverage or in pursuit of a running back from sideline-to-sideline.

52. New York Giants – Shane Vereen, RB, California
Vereen is a grinder, exactly the sort of back New York loves. He’s not going to break off a lot of big runs, but he’s going to run hard.

53. Indianapolis Colts – Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
Love the sound of “Phil Taylor from Baylor” but Indy has been just awful slowing down inside run plays. Baylor is a legit DT with size and strength.

54. Philadelphia Eagles – Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech
Carmichael has enough speed to get by but what separates him from other corners is work ethic and focus. Philadelphia needs to improve their pass defense in a division that’s not afraid to attack down the field.

55. Kansas City Chiefs – Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
Sheard is a prototypical 4-3 defensive end with a big, lean frame. He needs to continue to add weight as Kansas City loves to play tough and physical upfront.

56. New Orleans Saints – Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
Although he has yet to declare for the draft, Leshoure looked very good in 2010 with nearly 2,000 total yards and 20 total TDs. New Orleans needs a back who can take some punishment and Leshoure is fast and tough.

57. Seattle Seahawks – Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware
Seattle needs to address the quarterback position sooner or later and Devlin is one of those quarterback prospects with all the right tools. Height, arm strength, leadership and more.

58. Green Bay Packers – Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
Charles Woodson is still one of the best, but he’ll be 35 soon. House was easily the best corner in the WAC conference. He has great ball skills to go along with speed and adequate height.

59. Baltimore Ravens – Marcus Cannon, OT, TCU
Cannon has the talent to be a great tackle in the NFL. He’s 6’6″ and 350 pounds and Baltimore could use a mauler upfront to help make things happen in their power offense.

60. San Diego Chargers (from New York Jets) – Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
San Diego has depth issues across the defense but safety is a position of need right now. The Chargers have a ton of free agents upcoming this offseason so it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll need most but Carter would be an absolute steal this late in round two.

61. Chicago Bears – Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa
Chicago is, of course, still playing great defense but they aren’t as tough upfront as they were in years past. Ballard is a very good player who at times outperformed his highly-touted teammate Adrian Clayborn.

62. Pittsburgh Steelers – Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
The Steelers would be best served taking a few offensive linemen in this draft but another team need is at corner. Burton is a burner and could post one of the top 40-yard dash times at the combine.

63. Atlanta Falcons – Titus Young, Boise State
Young is undersized but he’s a dynamic playmaker with quickness that’s perfect for the slot. Atlanta is thin at receiver and needs to provide Roddy White some breathing room as defenses continue to smother him.

64. New England Patriots – Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
In addition to being a lightning fast corner, Brown can return kicks as well. New England continues to rotate mediocre cornerbacks on and off the team but Brown could come in and surprise.