DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Mock Draft & Players to keep an eye on

This is the first mock draft I have seen so far this year. I like to take a look at these and see how they change throughout the year, plus they give me an idea about players to keep an eye on. Sparks some interesting debate, esp with who this guy has picking 32.

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2011 NFL Mock Draft, Version 1.0 22nd September, 2010 - 10:15 am Jeff Risdon/RealGM -
* Updated 9.22.10

This is insanely premature, but I get at least 10 emails a week asking for an updated mock draft, so here is my attempt to oblige.

A few notes:

-- Because of the threat of a lockout, it’s very hard to say whether underclassmen will pour into this draft or stay in school and wait it out. My guess, and I’m basing this on conversations with some agents and some NFL business types, is that they will try to get into this draft in hopes of being grandfathered into whatever the new CBA requirements for free agency might be.

-- Most of the anticipated teams in the top half of the draft have invested recent high draft picks in QBs. That means the law of supply and demand will almost certainly lower the value of the QBs in the draft, and this mock reflects that thought.

-- The draft order is based on my pure speculation of final records after just the first two weeks of the NFL season. It will change, probably dramatically, and this order is technically impossible because several teams will make the playoffs despite lesser records than teams slotted after them here. Try and look past that.

--Normally, I include the disclaimer that this is not necessarily what I would do with the given picks, but because it’s very early this one has more personal influence in the guessing process than my typical mocks.

1. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas.
2. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
3. St. Louis Rams: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
4. Oakland Raiders: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
5. Carolina Panthers: Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina
6. Detroit Lions: DeMarcus Love, T, Arkansas
7. Seattle Seahawks: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
8. Tampa Bay Bucs: Nate Solder, T, Colorado
9. San Francisco 49ers: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
11. Denver Broncos: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
12. Arizona Cardinals: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
13. Dallas Cowboys: Anthony Costanzo, T, Boston College
14. Kansas City Chiefs: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
15. Tennessee Titans: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
16. Minnesota Vikings: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
17. New York Giants: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
18. New York Jets: Matt Reynolds, T, BYU
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Rodney Hudson, C, Florida State
20. Baltimore Ravens: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
21. Miami Dolphins: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
22. Cincinnati Bengals: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
23. Washington Redskins: Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
24. Chicago Bears: Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
25. Atlanta Falcons: Demarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
26. San Diego Chargers: Marcell Dareus, DE, Alabama
27. Green Bay Packers: Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
28. Houston Texans: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
29. New England Patriots: Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State
30. New Orleans Saints: Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
31. Indianapolis Colts: Mike Pouncey, C/G, Florida
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College

Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

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Link

No thanks on Heyward, I want Andrew Luck at this point in the season. Also brings up an interesting point about how the collective bargaining agreement effects the draft, will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

If we take Cameron Heyward at #2 I think I might actually take up hockey

Here's another one from http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/2011mock.html

1 Cleveland Browns A.J. Green WR Georgia
The Browns have a lot of bodies that could play Wide Receiver but lack that go-to guy on which a young Quarterback could rely. If Brian Robiskie flourishes in his first year as a starter, they may look elsewhere.

2 St. Louis Rams Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa
Clayborn reminds many of Julius Peppers with his size-speed combo. He would definitely accelerate the production of Chris Long and take some pressure off of a young secondary in St. Louis.

3 Buffalo Bills Andrew Luck QB Stanford
The Quarterback derby will be in full-swing in a few weeks and most experts are torn between Locker, Ponder, and Luck. If Luck declares, expect his skills to be on full display. His mechanics should dazzle scouts.

4 Detroit Lions Cameron Heyward DE Ohio State
Heyward could easily play in a 3-4 or a 4-3, but the Lions will not pass up the chance to add to their list of young prospects along the Defensive Line. He is an athletic freak for his size.

5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DeMarcus Love OT Arkansas
By all accounts, Love is the most underrated player in the nation. His mobility is second to none. He could be a huge asset to a below-average rushing team and pulls with the best of them. You haven’t heard much about him, but you will.

6 N.E. Patriots (Oakland) Mark Ingram RB Alabama
Don’t you hate it when the Patriots manage to stockpile talent? The team tends to downplay their needs at Running Back based on their confidence in their scheme, but Ingram is a Bill Bellichick player if I ever saw one.

7 Carolina Panthers Robert Quinn DE North Carolina
The Panthers let Julius Peppers walk based on unreasonable contract demands, not because of confidence in their backup plans. With either Charles Johnson or Tyler Brayton on the strong side, expect Quinn to flourish as a pass rusher.

8 Denver Broncos Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
Far be it for me to call an end to the great Robert Ayers experiment early, but the Broncos will need a second pass-rusher to complement Elvis Dumervil. Miller should lead the nation in sacks in 2010.

9 Jacksonville Jaguars Julio Jones WR Alabama
The Jaguars have lacked a true #1 Receiver since Jimmy Smith retires. 5 years later, they should bring in a player than has been a top prospect since high school David Garrard looks as if he is here to stay and he needs some weapons.

10 Kansas City Chiefs Ryan Williams RB Virginia Tech
This pick has some issues, since Thomas Jones is making a lot of money as a backup, but the Chiefs definitely need more explosiveness in their running game. Williams could relegate Jamaal Charles to 3rd Down duty by 2012.

11 Chicago Bears Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College
Chris Williams has entrenched himself into the Left Tackle sport, but Castonzo could help out on the Right Side. He has great quickness for his position and long arms and will be a Pro Bowler in about 2 years time.

12 Seattle Seahawks Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska
Kelly Jennings is a good corner, but a top-notch nickel back. If Amukamura joins the Seahawks, you could easily hear two players talking about establishing an island. Do you pick on Trufant or Amukamura?

13 San Francisco 49ers Mark Herzlich OLB Boston College
The 49ers, a sexy pick for NFC Champion, played their way out of the hearts of critics last weekend. They need more pass rushers. Herzlich will be a best feel-good story in the history of the draft if he goes in Round One.

14 Arizona Cardinals Kyle Rudolph TE Notre Dame
The Cardinals will struggle to find an identity this year without Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, or Anquan Boldin. Rudolph will provide them with another target who can also block when called upon to do so.

15 Philadelphia Eagles Ross Homan OLB Ohio State
The Eagles should be happy with their Linebacker situation, but must rely on Stewart Bradley to stay healthy. Expect Homan to play like a demon on Special Teams and come back as a starter in 2012 for the Eagles.

16 Cincinnati Bengals Allen Bailey DL Miami (Fl)
Bailey served as one of the few bright spots for Miami against Ohio State this weekend and definitely showed why he is such a sought-after prospect. Tank Johnson is not as reliable as he once was and Bailey will challenge him from Day One.

17 New York Giants Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame
To make this selection is to give up on grooming Ramses Barden or Mario Manningham for the future, but a lineup of Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and Floyd should keep Eli Manning happy. It is a long season, yet I see this pick making sense at the end of the year.

18 Miami Dolphins Dont'a Hightower MLB Alabama
We are pulling for Bobby Carpenter to make something out of his career, but we are not confident as this point. Karlos Dansby has the potential to make a Patrick Willis-esque difference on this defense and could do it with help from Hightower.

19 Washington Redskins Greg Romeus DE Pittsburgh
Romeus must first prove that he can play in coverage before a 3-4 team gives him a long, but we like his rangy athleticism enough to give him a try here. He would serve as the heir apparent to Andre Carter.

20 Atlanta Falcons Jacquizz Rodgers RB Oregon State
Michael Turner is a starter…there is no question about that. Jerious Norwood, however, is only contributing on special teams at this juncture. Rodgers could be that X-factor player, like Joshua Cribbs, who could come in and change a game.

21 San Diego Chargers Stephen Paea DT Oregon State
Paea is strong, athletic, and competitive and his fit in well along this productive line. He will provide competition for Jacques Cesaire from Day One. He uses his hands well to neutralize pass-blocks.

22 New York Jets Daniel Thomas RB Kansas State
If you could guarantee me than LaDainian Tomlinson would last a full year as Shonn Greene’s backup, I would strongly reconsider this pick. Thomas is 3rd in the nation in yards after two weeks and looks determined to be a first round selection.

23 Pittsburgh Steelers DaQuan Bowers DE Clemson
The Steelers are in an interesting situation, with Aaron Smith aging and Ziggy Hood developing; regardless, depth is a huge issue if Smith decides to hang it up. Bowers would excel as a 5-technique end.

24 Tennessee Titans Nate Solder OT Colorado
This pick has value written all over it, even if it does not fill a top need. Solder has been one of our favorite players since early last year and Jeff Fisher will find a role for him even if he is behind David Stewart or Michael Roos.

25 Dallas Cowboys Marcell Dareus DE Alabama
The Cowboys have never passed up on the opportunity to land 5-technique ends before this. With Marcus Spears and Igor Olshansky, the Cowboys can afford to take a shot at a situational player here and groom him for later.

26 Houston Texans Derek Sherrod OT Mississippi State
This is another value selection as the Texans have an explosive offense, it seems and will need to protect some of their investments. Eric Winston could use some competition and Sherron has the tenacity to pull it off.

27 Minnesota Vikings Christian Ponder QB Florida State
I know that this is a shocking move, but (gasp!) Brett Favre may not be back next year. Ponder has all of the tools and needs to play with more poise to cement his status in the first round for next year. The Vikings may be desperate.

28 Indianapolis Colts James Brewer OT Indiana
The Colts take their Offensive Line very seriously and will not hesitate to add a top player. Brewer has great height and athleticism. He will pass most eyeball tests at the “Underwear Olympics” and dazzle with his strength.

29 New England Patriots Marvin Austin DT North Carolina
It remains to be seen where Austin falls after his suspension. This is around where Dez Bryant fell and he had other character concerns to address. Austin should find a role in Bill Bellichick’s scheme and fill an important role.

30 Baltimore Ravens DeMarco Murray RB Oklahoma
Look back through history with me: Chester Taylor. Musa Smith. Ray Rice. They were all second-round Ravens selections and went on to play significant roles. With Willis McGahee wanting out, the Ravens could take a shot at a player averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

31 Green Bay Packers Patrick Peterson CB LSU
Expectations for Peterson are so high that I struggle to see how he could meet expectations at this point. He will need a strong senior year to go higher than this. Replacing Charles Woodson is an honor the likes of which few receive.

32 New Orleans Saints Ahmad Black S Florida
The Saints have not been shy about adding depth to their team and Black could compete for a spot at Strong Safety. He could have been a high pick last year. He hits like Bob Sanders with better size and speed.



Second Round
1 Cleveland Browns Jake Locker QB Washington
2 St. Louis Rams Ras-I Dowling CB Virginia
3 Buffalo Bills Janoris Jenkins CB Florida
4 Detroit Lions Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rodney Hudson C Florida State
6 Oakland Raiders Orlando Franklin OT Miami
7 N.E. Patriots (Carolina) Bruce Carter OLB North Carolina
8 Denver Broncos Rahim Moore S UCLA
9 Jacksonville Jaguars Jared Crick DT Nebraska
10 Kansas City Chiefs Ryan Mallett QB Arkansas
11 Chicago Bears Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue
12 Seattle Seahawks Travis Lewis OLB Oklahoma
13 San Francisco 49ers Graig Cooper RB Miami
14 Arizona Cardinals Brandon Harris CB Miami
15 Philadelphia Eagles Akeem Ayers OLB UCLA
16 Cincinnati Bengals Mike Pouncey C Florida
17 New York Giants Aaron Williams CB Texas
18 Denver Broncos (Miami) Greg Little WR North Carolina
19 Washington Redskins Jurrell Casey DT USC
20 Atlanta Falcons Kendric Burney CB North Carolina
21 San Diego Chargers Quan Sturdivant ILB North Carolina
22 New York Jets Jerrell Powe DT Ole Miss
23 Pittsburgh Steelers Jonathan Baldwin WR Pittsburgh
24 Tennessee Titans Quinton Carter S Miami
25 Dallas Cowboys Armon Binns WR Cincinnati
26 Houston Texans Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri
27 Minnesota Vikings Mark Barron S Alabama
28 Indianapolis Colts Curtis Brown CB Texas
29 New England Patriots Robert Sands S West Virginia
30 Baltimore Ravens Brandon Boykin CB Georgia
31 Green Bay Packers DeAndre McDaniel S Clemson
32 New Orleans Saints Weslye Saunders TE South Carolina

Third Round
1 Cleveland Browns Stefan Wisniewski C Penn State
2 St. Louis Rams Jerrod Johnson QB Texas A&M
3 Buffalo Bills Jeremy Beal DE Oklahoma
4 Detroit Lions Deunta Williams S North Carolina
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Greg Jones MLB Michigan State
6 Oakland Raiders Dontay Moch OLB Nevada
7 Carolina Panthers Terrance Toliver WR LSU
8 Denver Broncos Jimmy Smith CB Colorado
9 Jacksonville Jaguars Noel Devine RB West Virginia
10 Kansas City Chiefs Jason Pinkston OT Pittsburgh
11 Chicago Bears John Moffitt G Wisconsin
12 San Diego Chargers (Seattle) Evan Royster RB Penn State
13 San Francisco 49ers Austin Pettis WR Boise State
14 Arizona Cardinals Christian Ballard DT Iowa
15 Philadelphia Eagles Rashad Carmichael CB Virginia Tech
16 Cincinnati Bengals Davon House CB New Mexico State
17 New York Giants Cliff Matthews DT South Carolina
18 Miami Dolphins Kristopher O’Dowd C USC
19 Philadelphia Eagles (Wash) Pernell McPhee DE Mississippi State
20 Atlanta Falcons Kendrick Ellis DT Hampton
21 San Diego Chargers Nathan Enderle QB Idaho
22 San Diego Chargers (NYJ) Chris Culliver DB South Carolina
23 Pittsburgh Steelers Case Keenum QB Houston
24 Tennessee Titans Jarvis Jenkins DT Clemson
25 Dallas Cowboys Pat Devlin QB Delaware
26 Houston Texans Nate Irving MLB N. C. State
27 Minnesota Vikings Adrian Taylor DT Oklahoma
28 Indianapolis Colts Niles Paul WR Nebraska
29 New England Patriots Jabaal Sheard DE Pittsburgh
30 Baltimore Ravens Dwayne Harris WR East Carolina
31 Green Bay Packers Cecil Shorts III WR Mount Union
32 New Orleans Saints Kendall Hunter RB Oklahoma State


© 2010 NFL Draft BlitzThis site is not affiliated with the NFL or NCAA in any way

this guy has Locker dropping to the second and us drafting a center in the 3rd...WHAT?

interesting on the 2nd one...

Id MUCH RATHER Ryan Mallet than Jake Locker if it came to that...and a WR at #1? yikes...but...id find it hard to disagree...

we need LBs and DLers real bad though too

I would rather go Luck in the 1st then Baldwin the Wr from pitt in the 2nd (though I think he will be gone before then) than Green and Locker/Mallet.

Then look to shore up the RT and DE positions after that.

Knowing us we will get a late season win that will drop us just far enough to not get Luck or Green. In that case I would look at Von Miller but haven't seen enough of him yet to formulate an opinion I would be happy with presenting here.

If we are picking 1st Andrew Luck is the guy we want.

Those are interesting... I assumed we'd be looking QB with that high of a pick and the $ required for it.

But I don't follow college ball nearly as much (except OSU). Grabbing an OSU guy would be cool assuming he's the real deal.

If the draft were tomorrow, I'd want Luck or Mallett. I'd say NO Locker, who just might drop out of the first if he keeps it up.

If no QB, its gotta be D-LINE or Linebacker. And I'm always for trading down. A right tackle can be found in rounds 2 and beyond. WR HAS to be addressed too. And this is all regardless of what happens in free agency.

It's obvious that we need LB's.. but our offense MUST get better..

ANY position except LT, C, and TE are draftable in the first round IMO. (of course we wouldn't draft a Guard in the 1st round though)

So, QB... WR... RT... RB... Any talented additions to those spots will only make us better...

by the way.. I go Mallett > over the rest.

With the CBA issue... will there even be a draft?

I bet the kids who are done (as in, out of eligibility) playing college ball would like to think so,....

Why wouldn't there be a draft ? Because the "Union" says so ? If there is no draft, then everyone is a free agent and you can sign wherever you want, no ?

There'll be a draft. These teams all want to protect their "rights" to select a kid.

Regardless of the CBA, there will be a draft. There is nothing in the works for a 2012 draft though unless a CBA is reached.

I think Cameron Heyward is going to be a solid NFL player. But if we take Heyward with Andrew Luck on the board, I'm playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun.

Well, at least you have a well-developed sense of perspective...

This site layout makes it difficult to copy paste, but I've liked the site. Their reports are usually top notch. Has us taking Luck with the 3rd pick which I think many of us will like.
web page
Heres the link to check out the rest of the mock.

I guess we are making this our draft forum, so here are the guys I have been paying attention to the most so far.

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Offense
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QB

Luck, Stanford - drop back QB with great accuracy and a pro-system.
Mallett, Ark. - 2nd best QB this year but has consistency issues. Within games he'll go from perfectly accurate to throwing the ball all over the place and then regain his accuracy again.
Ponder, FSU - 3rd best QB from what I have seen. good footwork and decent accuracy. doesn't seem to have the zip or touch on the deep balls as Mallet but better on the shorter/intermediate stuff (might move him up at some point)

Late Round QB:

Jerrod Johnson, A&M - started off as an athlete, but somehow developed into a QB along the way. great touch on the long balls, decent but not great accuracy on the short stuff. gets happy feet too often, which is likely why he will slip. he's a guy who I think can be developed into the mobile-WCO QB though as he's good at throwing on the run. Jeff Garcia/Steve Young type (obviously that is best case with a currently ranked 4th round prospect)

RB - don't want an early round RB, so let's skip right to late round picks

Late Round RB:

Delone Carter, Syracuse - big powerful back that seems to get overshadowed because he is short (5'9") and plays for the Orange. he doesn't go down on first contact and his OL is terrible and he still makes plays. Right now listed as a 6th round prospect.

WR

Michael Floyd, ND - AJ Green and Julio Jones are better athletes, but Floyd is seamless in his routes and has glue for hands. I think he is the best WR of this class.
AJ Green - well, we know one poster would be happy with our WR corps . Definitely an athlete and has good hands.

Late round WRs

Matt Szczur, Nova - seems to have all the tools and makes plays on the field. only question is his level of competition, which is why he's listed as a 5th round prospect.

Cecil Shorts, Mount Union - ok, I know nothing about him and haven't seen him play, but it would be a great story to grab a MU kid and have him do well. Listed as a 4th round prospect currently (hoping someone has seen him play and will list what they know)

TE - not an urgent need, so let's go to late round

Late round TE:

Kyle Adams, Purdue - really, really good player in '08 but suffered a knee injury last year and missed the whole year. He's back and starting for the Boilers and doing well. If he's back to form, then he could be a steal as he's listed as a 7th - UDFA right now (obviously that would rise if he's back to form a bit).

RT

Gabe Carimi, Wisc - this is not only for the story of drafting Joe Thomas' successor at Wisconsin, this kid is really good. Currently listed as a 2nd round prospect on a bunch of sites, I think that changes as he's the best OT in this class (IMO). He is also someone with enough power to move from LT to RT which we obviously need.

Derek Sherrod, MissSt - this is more likely a guy we can get with our 2nd round pick. He is another big powerful LT who likely moves to RT in the NFL. He has done well against the SEC DL's and I think he coudl be the last piece to our OL puzzle.

Late round OT - I want a RT early, but if not....

Adam Grant, Zona - first time LT (RT last year) and anyone that saw the Iowa game came away impressed as he basically stoned Clayborne all day long. Can't believe he's listed as a 6th round pick and that likely climbs if he keeps that up.

Late round OG -

John Moffitt, Wisc - Wisconsin has a ridiculously good OL this year. If we could add him for depth (likely other needs) then that would be fantastic with a mid-round pick.

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Defense
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DE

Ballard, Iowa - Clayborne is obviously their better DE, but he's a 4-3 guy whose probably not big enough to play in the 3-4. Ballard, however, is a huge load of a DE who plays the run extremely well and can get some penetration on the pass rush. Also, he won't require a 1st round price tag.
Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson - DT in a 4-3 currently, but has the girth and the motor to move outside in a 3-4 (IMO). Tossup really between him and Adrian Taylor(Oklahoma) as the DTs who we could get in the 2-3 round range who could make the switch the best.

Late round DE:

Cory Grant, TCU - can't believe he's listed as a 6th round prospect. he's one of the better players on a top10 defense. he's big enough to make the switch to the 3-4 and he's a guy who could get penetration as well.

NT - not going to worry about it with Rogers and Rubin. can revisit later in the season if we need to.

OLB - not too sure on this one, i'll put down the one guy that looks good to me so far.

Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma - if we want a guy who played OLB in college, he's likely the best one. Big enough for the 3-4 but not blazing fast. He's definitely a good player though.

ILB - just focusing on mid-round guys as I don't think there are any outside of Greg Jones worth a top 2 round pick (and I don't want to use a 1st on an ILB that would be required for Greg Jones)

Irving, NC State - his big negative is that he's not tall. he's decently big (240lbs) and fast (4.5-6) and makes plays every time I see him play. He reminds me of David Harris, which is why I think he'd be a good fit for the 3-4 ILB.

Mario Harvey, Marshall - really impressed me against the Bucks and 'Neers. He was all over the field and continued to make plays despite his DL getting pushed around both games. with a 7th round price tag right now, he'd be a steal.

SS - with Ward/Elam/Adams, I'd say we are set for starter and depth.

FS - need a ballhawking S. that's what i'm looking for here.

Deunta Williams, UNC - honestly, a bad year for FS, but Williams can be all over the field. inconsistent from what I saw of him last year, I haven't gotten to see him this year yet.

note: Jarrett, Temple is the guy we want if we continue to add up big-hitting S's.

The other guy went first ?

a 3 round mock draft in september I cant believe people actually read this stuff

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Why Ryan Mallett is Overrated
Posted By Scott Wright
There is simply no denying the natural talent of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. When it comes to size and arm strength there may not be a more impressive physical specimen in the county, college or pros. However, there is a whole lot more to playing quarterback in the NFL than prototypical height and a cannon arm. It’s when you go beyond those basic measurables that it becomes clear Mallett is overrated as a prospect and nowhere close to being the #1 overall pick that some have made him out to be.

In addition to that extraordinary size and arm strength many avid Mallett supporters will point to his impressive statistics to justify why they believe he is a top pro prospect. That is a myth that needs to be put to bed. In the last two weeks, in games against Georgia and Alabama, Mallett has thrown for 737 yards. However, what that stat doesn’t show is how many of those yards were accumulated on big plays where there wasn’t a defender within ten yards of his target. In those same two games Mallett has completed 65% of his passes but that number is also very misleading. Anyone who watched either game saw Mallett pad his stats with a lot of easy completions while missing a multitude of wide open receivers. The bottom line is that Mallett’s a classic example of why you shouldn’t evaluate prospects with box scores.

The biggest issue with Mallett is his accuracy, despite what his career stat line might lead you to believe. Each and every time I have watched Mallett play the past two years I have seen a quarterback who misses open targets in the short, intermediate and deep passing game, despite usually having plenty of time to throw and little or no pressure. Even on completions Mallett has a tendency to make his receivers work for the ball, throwing low, high, to the wrong shoulder, etc. This inaccuracy could be a symptom of one of Mallett’s other problems, poor footwork and mechanics. Often times Mallett relies too heavily on his arm strength, unnecessarily letting loose while falling backwards or off balance. Even though Mallett is just a redshirt junior eligibility-wise he has now been part of a big-time college football program for four full seasons, at Michigan and Arkansas. By now some of those technical issues should be resolved but whether it’s a product of poor coaching or his inability to adapt they clearly aren’t. This leads to another concern with Mallett as a pro prospect. Bobby Petrino’s system is very quarterback friendly. That is how Mallett is able to put up eye-popping numbers even when he doesn’t play that well. There is no question that Petrino’s system works extremely well at the college level but it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to preparing his signal callers for the next level. Just ask Brian Brohm. Mallett is also maddeningly inconsistent on a quarter-to-quarter basis. At times Mallett gets hot and looks like the second coming of Drew Bledsoe or Ben Roethlisberger but then, for one reason or another, a switch flips, he goes cold and reminds you of Derek Anderson or JaMarcus Russell. In the NFL those types of wild fluctuations are unacceptable. Finally, there is a lot of buzz in the scouting community about Mallett’s intangibles and some potential off-the-field issues. Now I’m not in the habit of spreading rumors so I won’t go into specifics at this time. However, let’s just say that Mallett’s character will undoubtedly be closely scrutinized by teams throughout the vetting process.

I can certainly understand why some have become mesmerized by Mallett’s rare physical tools and hopped on his bandwagon. With that said, there are just way too many issues and question marks with Mallett for me to put him in the same class as Stanford’s Andrew Luck or Washington’s Jake Locker. Not only do I feel Mallett isn’t worthy of being considered for the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, I’m not even convinced he’s a sure-fire first rounder. In fact, in terms of value I’d compare him to Josh Freeman, who I rated as the 26th best prospect available for the 2009 NFL Draft. Then again, Freeman played in a pro style offense at Kansas State and had a clean slate off-the-field so I’d probably give him the edge over Mallett. I will be the first to admit that there’s a good chance some quarterback-needy team will fall in love with Mallett’s measurables and potential and select him earlier than my grade would otherwise indicate. Perhaps in the Top 10 or 15 overall. Still, in my opinion Ryan Mallett is very much a work in progress and desperately needs another year in college to refine his game. If Mallett goes back to school and cleans up those issues with his consistency, accuracy, fundamentals and intangibles then he absolutely has the talent to be the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. However, beyond his remarkable size and arm strength there is very little on the actual tape to indicate that Ryan Mallett deserves to be in that conversation this year.

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web page

Akeem Ayers.

Ryan Mallet is DA 2.0

Cameron Heyward over Andrew Luck would just about put me over the edge. The only guy I would even consider taking instead of Luck would be A.J. Green because he's a fantastic weapon, but I'd still be disappointed with the pick. We need a franchise QB and to take a DE over one (and so high to boot?) Ugh.

Yeah its a bad mock draft for us.