The super-speculative 2011 NFL DRAFT thread.

This could get weird if it looks more like a holdout for next season as April comes around, but let's focus on the positive.

First things first: THE COLTS NEEDS A KICKASS RUNNING BACK
Second things second: THE PANTHERS NEED ANOTHER QUARTERBACK

love the draft

this is probably going to be one of the most interesting years in recent memory in terms of underclassmen declaring

idk i think the panthers should trade a draft pick to denver for brady quinn

All 32 teams should have Brady Quinn warm their bench before he retires.

Projected draft order as of right now

Round 1

1. Carolina (1-11)
2. Detroit (2-10)
3. Cincinnati (2-10)
4. Buffalo (2-10)
5. Arizona (3-9)
6. Denver (3-9)
7. San Francisco (4-8)
8. Dallas (4-8)
9. Tennessee (5-7)
10. Washington (5-7)
11. Houston (5-7)
12. Minnesota (5-7)
13. Cleveland (5-7)
14. San Diego (6-6)
15. New England - from Oakland (6-6)
16. Seattle (6-6)
17. Indianapolis (6-6)
18. Miami (6-6)
19. Tampa Bay (7-5)
20. New York Giants (8-4)
21. St. Louis* (6-6)
22. Jacksonville (7-5*)
23. Kansas City (8-4*)
24. Chicago* (9-3)
25. Baltimore* (8-4)
26. Philadelphia* (8-4)
27. Green Bay* (8-4)
28. Pittsburgh* (9-3)
29. New Orleans* (9-3)
30. New York Jets* (9-3)
31. Atlanta* (10-2)
32. New England* (10-2)

of the top 15 players on mel kiper's big board, only 3 are seniors

but really, fuck mel kiper -- here's scout inc's ratings

http://i56.tinypic.com/2ron9qh.png
http://i53.tinypic.com/16hucfb.png

fairley has looked suh-esque this year (in fact he's the one thing that's keeping me from saying that the ducks are gonna route oregon in the title game)

Despite having watched a whole lot of football this year, I really don't recognize a lot of these guys.

yeah lots of anonymous d linemen in this draft

robert quinn actually got suspended for the whole year i think

Has Andrew Luck actually said he's going to declare for the draft? I mean, we're taking it as a given.

Also, surprised Cam Newton is ranked #3 at the position. I guess I see it...he's a far better passer than Tebow, but he still seems like a guy who won't be nearly the pro player he was in college.

luck has not no

i would totally take a shot on cam in the mid first round (AHEM DOLPHINS)

the offense that he's in is relatively simple & he'll prob have a slightly rough transition to the nfl but shit idk how you pass up that talent, ESPECIALLY if you're willing to incorporate designed runs into the offense -- he's loads ahead of tebow & vick & prob even vince (mechanically, certainly) in terms of passing too

Bungles will really bungle it if they don't grab Mallett, btw.

I agree w/ all that about Newton, btw. I'd love to see him at the Dolphins, especially if it means a return to FUN! Dolphins football. If they don't go qb, though, I'd want to see them grab Mark Ingram.

interesting imo http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/12/16/2010-nfl-draft-redux/index.html?eref=sihp

Jacoby Ford STILL underrated.

3. Gerald hasn't done much yet. Isn't the idea of this article to overrate dudes based on their short-term success?
8. Roland McClain has been awesome, especially considering the fact that MLB is the hardest defensive position to learn. What the fuck is he talking about? And it's not like they didn't find an awesome rookie WR.
9. Drafting Blount #9 would've been fucking insane.
12. The *last* thing the Chargers need is a receiver.

Ive watched a ton of Newton this year, and I cant see how he is not going to be a great pro.

Adrian Clayborn from Iowa is a very, very bad man, and would be my top d-lineman.

Also, the Wisc o-lineman (Carimi) is the kind of guy you will put in at left tackle for 12 years and know that you are all set there.

ROUND ONE
1. Carolina (2-14)
2. Denver (4-12)
3. Buffalo (4-12)
4. Cincinnati (4-12)
5. Arizona (5-11)
6. Cleveland (5-11)
7. San Francisco (6-10)
8. Tennessee (6-10)
9. Dallas (6-10)
10. Washington (6-10)
11. Houston (6-10)
12. Minnesota (6-10)
13. Detroit (6-10)
14. St. Louis (7-9)
15. Miami (7-9)
16. Jacksonville (8-8)
17. New England (from Oakland 8-8)
18. San Diego (9-7)
19. New York Giants (10-6)
20. Tampa Bay (10-6)

you couldn't lose a couple more games oakland? at least carolina completely bombed out, so new england gets the 17th, 32nd* and 33rd picks. looking forward to those being turned into 15 2nd round picks in 2012.

*BIG TALK!

I wonder how the impending lockout will affect the draft. Will more teams trade back for future picks? Will they go extra young?

cam unsurprisingly coming out

Randall Cobb from Kentucky declared himself eligible for the draft today.

FYI I am also declaring my eligibility for the draft

haha

I'm an excellent long snapper

senior bowl on nfln rn

Can't watch it. I miss all kinds of fun things by not having NFLN.

Got this on TiVo #draftnerd

I have no real scouting thing, but if I needed QB and some other stuff, I'd probably go for that guy Andy Dalton in a later round. Don't think he is going to go up to the first round, but that guy played in a pro style offense not always out of the shotgun, he isn't too small, his arm is average, but he completed a high percentage of passes and didn't throw a whole lot of interceptions.

I recorded the combine stuff even though there might not be a season. Last year the combine basically taught me nothing, but it was nice to familiarize myself with the players before the draft.

Lots of anonymous guys in this draft class. Might still not know them by draft day.

loving this draft tbh

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/08/ryan-mallett-runs-5-37-forty-time-at-pro-day/

lol

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yMZWchdP1kk/TMYB6c2T3vI/AAAAAAAACSo/esBpZ7mx6jc/s640/ryan-mallett-and-snoop-dogg.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHiUqL2KLiM

cam topping mock drafts by mchsay, kiper & doug farrar

both mchsay & kiper have the same top 5

1. panthers - newton
2. broncos - dareus
3. bills - miller
4. bengals - green
5. cardinals - gabbert

+

7. niners - petersen

as well as nick fairley to the titans & tyron smith to the cowboys

both have the squawks taking locker

mcshay has bowers falling to 20, apparently his knee is serious

here's farrar's mock (he's from football outsiders) http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Shutdown-Corner-Mock-Stockwatch-Edition-1?urn=nfl-wp783

Cam Newton to Carolina actually makes a ton of sense because Rivera is the perfect coach for him I think.

In a strange way, no off-season football news has made the draft get here quicker. Usually it seems like it takes forever to get from early February to late April, but since nothing of substance has been happening, I forget about it most of the time.

I would take Clayborn higher than 16

Funny how Cam Newton's stock/reputation is dropping like a rock in the days leading up to the draft after it had been building since the combine. Now I'm thinking it's almost certain that Carolina passes on him, especially after seeing and interview with Rivera where he drools over Dareus.

I wonder if next year some QBs decide to skip the Gruden QB show, because yikes.

It certainly didn't do Cam any favors this year, just like it made Clausen look like an oaf last year (which may have proven true).

wisniewski looks like a fratboy rapist v much in the rofflesburg mold

guys i love mike mayock. i feel like he is wearing a lot of pancake makeup right now, though.

mayock's pretty much my platonic ideal for a football commentator - knowledgeable, enthusiastic, earnest with a touch of good-natured sass

ahaha NATRONE MEANS!!!

nice to see the bears get their own go! team commercial, that makes up for losing an nfc championship game @ home

holee fuck @ detroit superfan. who did they have vetting this?

that guy puts a better face on the franchise than matt millen ever did

lolll

it'd be great if one of these super fans they get to announce the pick would add a question mark to the end of the name they call and make a disgusted face

colt needs weapons

belichick's endgame really might be to get the first 200 picks of the 2018 draft

holy shit i didnt even know jim taylor was still alive

I've been watching the baby all day but my friend texted and said the vikings drafted a fucking tight end what the hell?

Two tight ends worked out pretty well for the Pats last year.

Having two excellent TE's didn't hurt the Pats any last season.

lol

lol mallett's gonna be a third day pick

my friend who works at a bar in atlanta claims some black guys last night were showing off pics they took of themselves doing ecstasy with mallett

lol i was just saying to someone that demarco murray would've been the comedy pick here

HAHA MALLETT TO PATS

IT'S HAPPENING! IT'S REAL! YES!!!!!

Wow bellichek is a genius

I'm not necessarily against right end but out seems like a luxury pick for a team with serious needs on both lines and ever secondary

This is the most dramatic move in belichik's quest to own more draft picks than actual players

IT ALL WAS LEADING UP TO MALLETT

So funny that he did this with our pick

For those of you that didn't grow up as vikings fans, just be clear that this all but guarantees that ponder is a bust and mallet is a future pro bowler

LOL BELICHICK

idk how i never noticed how much pete carroll looks like owen wilson

Wait, there's still a guy in the draft named Jordan Cameron?

lol if the Saints take him after taking Cameron Jordan.

every pick should be accompanied by a song like at-bat music

That NFLN commercial about the Top 100 countdown where players are heaping praise on other players is hilarious if you pretend everyone is talking about Peyton Mannig (including Peyton Manning).

lol well say what you want but being a pats fan is never boring

The Pats have two 1's and two 2's next year. SIGH

http://roddywhite.tv/tv/4/674

Trent Dilfer is probably the most annoying man on television.

i couldn't tell which analysis there was worse -- dilfer going "he doesn't make plays when it REALLY matters" or jaws going "hey you just have to trust minnesota's front office! they really like this guy! he's going to be great!"

http://roddywhite.tv/tv/4/674

― Roberto Spiralli, Saturday, April 30, 2011 1:50 PM (50 minutes ago) Bookmark

*smack*

*smack*

*smack*

*smack*

*smack*

Trent's intense and irrational hatred of placekickers rubs me the wrong way every time it's brought up. Sure, kickers are a different kind of player, but they're not absolutely worthless. I think a kicker snaked his girlfriend once or something.

feel like jordan todman on the chargers is a nice fit

that guy is gonna be really good in the nfl, i'm convinced

Man, that Jimmy Wilson story was WOAH.

lol @ Peter King saying that "9 out of 10" GMs would have accepted the deal the Falcons gave them

uhhh name one who wouldn't!?

mike brown.

because he didn't.

holy shit I got to check my facts, did they really offer him the same deal??

never mind...Peter King is right!!!

i mean the Bengals did have a more valuable pick but that's so much value; i wonder how many GMs would give up a #1 overall (seems like it would be correct overall)

maybe Falcons are just banking on the apocalypse, in which case more power to em

I'm pretty sure they tried making offers to the Broncos & Bills too.

i mean the Bengals did have a more valuable pick but that's so much value; i wonder how many GMs would give up a #1 overall (seems like it would be correct overall)

maybe Falcons are just banking on the apocalypse, in which case more power to em

― frogbs, Monday, May 2, 2011 5:45 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark

It's not really THAT much value... two 4th rounders, okay. One second rounder, eh, alright. Two firsts - one at #27, and next year's is likely to be in the 20s as well. You're not getting any AJ Green caliber players with any of those picks. It's actually a pretty reasonable deal for a top-8 pick, and it's only worth objecting to if you don't like the player they take (I get the feeling that I might be drinking the Julio kool-aid soon enough)

i guarantee you that the cardinals would've turned down this trade offer to stay & pick patrick petersen

pretty sure the browns would've turned this trade down if Petersn was still available