2011 NFL Mock Draft – Top 5 Picks and Predictions on Players to Get Drafted With Top 5 NFL Draft Picks: While team owners and representatives from the Player’s Union continue to battle over the collective bargaining agreement, the top prospects continue to prepare for the upcoming draft. With the 2011 draft just days away, teams with a top-five pick are down to a short list of choices. Missing with a high pick can have lasting repercussions for an organization, and it can get coaches and general managers fired. Here is a look at the potential top-five picks taking each team’s biggest need into account.
No. 1 Carolina Panthers: Patrick Peterson
The hype train has Auburn quarterback Cam Newton barreling toward Carolina, but there are issues on and off the field with Newton that make him a risk at the top spot. Remember Akili Smith? Like Newton, he was a junior college transfer that had one great year at the D-I level. The Cincinnati Bengals took him as a top-five pick, and he responded with just five touchdowns in 22 games.
Newton is going to need a season or two to learn how to play in a pro-style offense. As his pro day suggest, he is going to need a lot of work on his accuracy down the field as well. The Panthers and new coach Ron Rivera already have multiple quarterbacks on their roster from last year’s draft. Why waste another top pick on a yet another quarterback that will need to be developed anyway?
Meanwhile, Peterson is NFL ready now. He is the top cornerback in the draft, but he is also big enough and strong enough to play safety. Peterson has all the physical tools to become a Troy Polamalu type player. I think just about every team in the league could use one of those. Peterson is the best football player in this draft, and the Panthers need as much talent as they can get.
No. 2 Denver Broncos: Da’Quan Bowers
The Broncos finished last season with 23 total sacks as a team. That total ranked dead last in the NFL. Bowers had 16 sacks by himself at Clemson. He probably isn’t going to put up those numbers in his rookie season, but Bowers could be a quick solution to a big problem for the Broncos. Denver is in desperate need of a pass rusher, and Bowers is the best in this year’s draft.
No. 3 Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus
The Bills are another team being rumored to be in the market for a quarterback, but the play of current QB Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn’t the reason the team struggled last year. The Buffalo defense didn’t exactly make things difficult for opposing offenses, particularly on the ground. The Bills gave up 170 rushing yards per game, making them the worst in the NFL at stopping the run.
Dareus will literally step in and plug a big hole in the Buffalo defense. With his massive frame, speed and power, he is an ideal fit for the 3-4 defense that the Bills use. Dareus should be the disruptive force at nose guard that Buffalo is currently lacking. He has been battle tested in the always tough SEC at the collegiate level, and he is the type of player that can instantly improve a team’s rush defense.
No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals: Blaine Gabbert
The trade demands of Carson Palmer are going to force the hand of Cincinnati with this pick. The Bengals have a collection of first round picks on both sides of the ball, and despite the horrible 2010 season, this is a team that is built to win sooner rather than later. With Palmer all but gone, Cincinnati needs a quarterback that can step in and play immediately.
Cam Newton is going to need time to develop, and that is time the Bengals can’t afford to waste. Gabbert is experienced and as NFL ready as any prospect in this year’s draft class. He will probably never be an elite player in the NFL, but he can be a very solid QB that manages games and gets the ball where it needs to go. Gabbert has a strong enough arm to throw the 10 and 20-yard out routes, which is quickly becoming the key to the success of any QB. He can step in, replace Palmer, and give Cincinnati a fighting chance.
No. 5 Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller
Arizona is in desperate need of a quarterback, but if the Bengals snatch up Gabbert, there isn’t a QB left that isn’t a project. The Cardinals have built a fast, opportunistic defense that lives and dies on turnovers. Miller is arguably the most athletic and versatile linebacker in this year’s class, making him a perfect fit for an aggressive defense.
In his last two collegiate seasons, Miller recorded a combined 26.5 sacks. With that type of ability to rush the QB, it is easy to see why Miller has been compared to DeMarcus Ware. The Cardinals play a 3-4 defense, which means the linebackers will be counted on to provide some pocket pressure. Miller will have no problem stepping into that role.
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