2011 NFL Mock Draft - 2 Rounds

Senior Writer

May 7, 2011

You might consider this a very early look at the 2011 draft with the 2010 edition just a couple weeks in the rear view mirror. I consider myself late to the party with a dozen other sources already printing theirs. Mine is going to be different from a lot of those, and it starts with the order. Believe it or not, I actually played out the full season. Not on the Madden videogame because that would take too long. I picked winners for all 256 games and picked every playoff game as well, then plugged in the results. Some of the outcomes might be surprising (Washington picks #28?) and you can surmise very quickly I went with Green Bay over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl. I won't bore everyone by listing all the records, etc.

Also of note, a dozen players in my first round might not be taken at all because they could return to school. I assume every quality prospect declares instead of picking and choosing. As always, mock drafts should be enjoyable to read. I was able to pair up 15 players to the team selecting them out of 98 in my final mock draft, with 79 going in the top 100. Only one player was not drafted, and 94 of 98 were taken by pick #188. In some cases we found out after the fact a player was injured (Sergio Kindle) or perhaps the failed drug test really was a big deal (Jonathan Dwyer) or about previous failed tests (Aaron Hernandez). Heck, in the case of Hernandez there is still no consensus on him failing more than one test. All of this makes it more difficult for outsiders to predict the outcome, so bear this in mind when judging our accuracy. Comments are always welcome greg@thefootballexpert.com. It is never too early to speculate. NFL Network's slogan is "Where the Season Never Ends" but in the world of mock drafts it truly never does. There is always another one to look forward to.

Read Greg's Mocking the Mocks column.

1. DET: Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
If the top pick is not a quarterback the best odds are for a left tackle. Someone has to take Jeff Backus out of his misery and it would be nice to set up Stafford with a blind side protector for an extended period of time. Similar to last season's top tackle, Barksdale will be going from the right side to the left side this season. Obviously it didn't prevent Oklahoma's Trent Williams from going #4 overall so I'm not worried about projecting a similar ascension for Barksdale who is also athletic.

2. STL: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Here's my fun fact about receivers going high in the draft. The last odd year a wide receiver was not selected in the top 10 was 1989. How's that? Jones is a special prospect and provides Bradford a #1 target and serve as an anchor. Smaller threats like Donnie Avery and 2010 fourth round pick Mardy Gilyard are fine, but Jones gives them much needed size at the position. Scoring has been a huge problem for the Rams so I think receiver this high is justified in that respect.

3. JAX: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
They passed on Jimmy Clausen and as a result, in a very competitive AFC South will likely see their losses pile up to double digits. The upside is drafting third behind the two teams who selected a quarterback #1 overall the previous two seasons. Locker, ironically, is a more pro-ready version of their hero Tim Tebow. My speculation regarding them passing on Clausen has to do with having a head coach on thin ice. It didn't stop the Panthers who are poised to fire John Fox, but I think ultimately fortifying their quarterback position saves his job. The same will not be true for Jack Del Rio. After he is fired, the new regime will take the top quarterback.

4. CLE: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
Stats are not always reliable, but it is hard to ignore his 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks on a downright nasty defense. Only a meltdown at the quarterback position prevented this team from consideration for the BCS title game. He will be stout against the run and help the Browns get back to where they need to be defensively. The 2010 draft focused on the secondary and rightfully so. Now the front line gets help. Clayborn can get to the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage and if the Browns are ever going to step up on defense he is the type of player they need to draft.

5. KC: Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
Charlie Weis surely was disappointed watching the front office pass on his quarterback (Clausen) and receiver (Tate) in the 2010 draft. I went away from projecting Eric Berry for them in my final mock last year because I had Pioli's 'positional value' mantra ringing in my head. He might return to form in 2011. I think. On the defensive side I'm not sure yet how all the pieces will fit and if Crennel can pull them together. On the offensive side it seems crazy to draft a right tackle at #5 overall. Then there is quarterback. Can Weis squeeze enough out of Cassel this season to steer them away from drafting his replacement and admitting it was a mistake to throw a big contract at him before he played a down in a red jersey? Considering all of this, they need an attacking outside linebacker. Miller is a great player stuck on a bad team. He led the nation in sacks and was convinced by ex-Packer coach Mike Sherman to return so he could improve his draft stock. I would say this qualifies.

6. BUF: Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Troy's Levi Brown was their answer in the draft at quarterback? Let's be serious now. They have a whole lot of average at the position and this season will certainly highlight the problem. Mallett has the strong arm required to play in Buffalo.

7. TB: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
Maybe the Bucs are going to lock up Donald Penn. Then again, perhaps his recent weight loss was inspired by the hopes it would fatten up his wallet. If this situation does not get solved the Bucs will be looking for a new left tackle. For the moment this is considered a weak crop at the position though and could push a few guys down the board. It is a strong group of pass rushers and Quinn is garnering a lot of attention. I'm a little concerned with putting him this high because he had to overcome a brain tumor in high school. Some teams might be scared off, whether or not this has any bearing on his playing future. Once he is cleared at the combine all should be well. The Bucs settled up the interior of their defensive line with McCoy and Price last year and now get their outside presence.

8. NYG: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
It seems like the Giants have more questions than answers at running back. Jacobs wants to prove his doubters wrong with a comeback season, but the fact remains it is a position with a short shelf life. This is especially true for a bruiser. Bradshaw had a nice average (4.8) but will always be a complementary back. Now they just have to hope Ingram performs better than the last Heisman winning rusher (Dayne) they took in the first round.

9. ARI: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
There is no end in sight for the NFL's passing frenzy. Teams need to seek multiple quality cornerbacks. Peterson at the moment is a consensus top 10 prospect and it is easy to see why. He has the size, he's physical and perhaps equally important possesses the swagger. Performing well against the SEC elite has earned him his reputation and November 6 he takes on Alabama's Julio Jones.

10. NE (from OAK) : Gabe Carimi, G/T, Wisconsin
As Abromowitz might say does it really matter who I project here? The Patriots are very unlikely to use this pick. They are notorious for trading down, preferring to stock up on cheaper second round picks. However, this easily could be an exception because their offensive line is overdue for reinforcements and while the Pats believe they can get talent in any round (reference two OL additions in the 200's of this past draft) it is easier to just get a stud here.

11. PIT: Greg Romeus, DE/OLB, Pittsburgh
The one area the Steelers left alone, save their seventh round pick Doug Worthington out of Ohio State, was their aging defensive line. Their 2009 first round pick 'Ziggy' Hood was one step and Romeus to me could be a potential replacement for Aaron Smith. It's a bonus he played for the Panthers.

12. CAR: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
Taking Brandon LaFell (LSU) was a step in the right direction for them at the receiver position. Now that Clausen and Pike are in the fold at quarterback the Panthers might be feeling like adding more talent for the passing game even if at the moment they are built to run. The competition will be great for Clausen, who should wind up their starter in 2011, and here comes an elite target. Reuniting him with Michael Floyd is another possibility.

13. DEN: Cameron Heyward, DL, Ohio State
Their defensive line was made over through free agency because in the draft they were too busy finding a spread quarterback and triple-option wide receiver in the first round. This is their move for the future. Heyward considered declaring for the 2010 draft and can project to end in their 3-4.

14. CHI: Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU
Because they traded away 2010 picks the Bears were unable to address their need at right tackle. They're not even sure Chris Williams can be their left tackle at this point, making this a very sensible direction to go in for them early on next year. I'm sure fans will be screaming for a wide receiver here and while it is a consideration I think this is a better value pick.

15. SF: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
I was fine with them spending both first round picks to bolster their offensive line while they establish a power offense. However, Florida's Joe Haden was attached to them had he fallen down the board for a reason. They could use another impact corner. Local quarterback Andrew Luck (Stanford) is another possibility if Alex Smith is unsuccessful behind their improved line.

16. PHI: Clint Boling, OT, Georgia
What do you get the team that has just about everything? After all, the Eagles just made 13 draft picks, have youth all around their skill positions and assuming Kolb is up to the task appear ready to make another run at the Super Bowl. What's missing? More depth on the offensive line.

Picks 1-16 | 17-32 | Round 2

2011 NFL Mock Drafts

Cox - 2 Rounds

2010 NFL Mock Drafts

Abromowitz | Cox | Clearwater | Bures

2010 NFL Draft Rankings

Offensive: QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C
Defensive: DE | DT | OLB | ILB | CB | S
Overall (Top 100) | Special Teams