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DYNASTY: 2011 Top 15 Prospects (1 Viewer)

Anybody have any thoughts of Blaine Gabbert? Wasn't even on my radar and now seeing him ranked high all over the place with a chance to go top 10 even. Legit fantasy prospect or risky fatasy project?

 
Anybody have any thoughts of Blaine Gabbert? Wasn't even on my radar and now seeing him ranked high all over the place with a chance to go top 10 even. Legit fantasy prospect or risky fatasy project?
Every bit the dynasty prospect that Josh Freeman was coming out of K-State.lots of similarities:both stand over 6-5both weigh 240+both have similar mobility & speed (can scramble for a first down or get out of the pocket to keep a play alive)both have strong arms to make all NFL throwsboth renegged on commitments to Nebraska before going to a Big 12 division rival. :goodposting:
 
Ingram wasn't himself this year. He injured his knee right before the season started, and never seemed himself.

Also, the O-line wasn't blocking as well as they did in 2009, which led to an overall less productive year by the RB's.

Watch the bowl game against Michigan St, where he looked healthier than he had all year long, and resembled his 2009 self.

Also, you can't discount the fact that he was possibly running scared. When a running back is universally thought of as the number 1 RB in the upcoming draft, I have to think he's a bit worried about getting injured before his NFL career.

I'm not saying that he would do that, but it's possible that factored in just a bit.

Ingram is the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson, imo.

 
Great news for Ryan Williams!

Joe Schad reporting a 1-2 round grade from the advisory committee.

http://twitter.com/#!/schadjoe
I imagine that we will be hearing that he will be entering the draft soon if this is true.
I hope so. The committe is typically pretty conservative, especially with redshirt sophmores. I was surprised to see round 1 mentioned as a posibility. More power to the guy. I hope he lands somewhere good.
 
Great news for Ryan Williams!

Joe Schad reporting a 1-2 round grade from the advisory committee.

http://twitter.com/#!/schadjoe
I imagine that we will be hearing that he will be entering the draft soon if this is true.
I hope so. The committe is typically pretty conservative, especially with redshirt sophmores. I was surprised to see round 1 mentioned as a posibility. More power to the guy. I hope he lands somewhere good.
Am I in an alternate universe or did he do absolutely nothing last night?
 
Great news for Ryan Williams!

Joe Schad reporting a 1-2 round grade from the advisory committee.

http://twitter.com/#!/schadjoe
I imagine that we will be hearing that he will be entering the draft soon if this is true.
I hope so. The committe is typically pretty conservative, especially with redshirt sophmores. I was surprised to see round 1 mentioned as a posibility. More power to the guy. I hope he lands somewhere good.
Am I in an alternate universe or did he do absolutely nothing last night for the entire 2010 season?
FYP.
 
Ingram wasn't himself this year. He injured his knee right before the season started, and never seemed himself.Also, the O-line wasn't blocking as well as they did in 2009, which led to an overall less productive year by the RB's.Watch the bowl game against Michigan St, where he looked healthier than he had all year long, and resembled his 2009 self.Also, you can't discount the fact that he was possibly running scared. When a running back is universally thought of as the number 1 RB in the upcoming draft, I have to think he's a bit worried about getting injured before his NFL career. I'm not saying that he would do that, but it's possible that factored in just a bit.Ingram is the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson, imo.
Ingram is the best prospect since.....Trent Richardson? Who made Alabama a RBBC...
 
Great news for Ryan Williams!

Joe Schad reporting a 1-2 round grade from the advisory committee.

http://twitter.com/#!/schadjoe
I imagine that we will be hearing that he will be entering the draft soon if this is true.
I hope so. The committe is typically pretty conservative, especially with redshirt sophmores. I was surprised to see round 1 mentioned as a posibility. More power to the guy. I hope he lands somewhere good.
Am I in an alternate universe or did he do absolutely nothing last night?
He did nothing. At one point he had 4 carries for 4 yards. Not sure what he finished with. But, as I have been told and heard, it is because of injury.
 
Kyle Rudolph-TE-Player Jan. 4 - 11:15 pm et

Notre Dame TE Kyle Rudolph will forgo his senior season with the Fighting Irish and enter the 2011 NFL draft.

An exceptional athlete at 6'6/265, Rudolph was plagued by hamstring woes as a junior and ultimately required year-ending surgery. He played in a pro-style offense most of his career, however, and is the consensus top prospect in what's expected to be a weak tight end class. A five-star recruit in 2008, Rudolph leaves Notre Dame with 90 career catches for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also regarded as an effective blocker in college.

Source: Irish Ilustrated

 
A.J. Green-WR-Player Jan. 4 - 11:05 pm et

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer predicts that the Bengals will use their first-round pick on a wide receiver.

Cincy has the No. 4 selection, and A.J. Green is already a popular Bengals pick in early mock drafts. The team is fully expected to part with free agent Terrell Owens, and seems unlikely to pick up Chad Ochocinco's $6 million option. The Bengals could pair Green with the winner of an Andre Caldwell-Jerome Simpson camp battle and still trot out a formidable wideout corps.

Source: Joe Reedy on Twitter

 
Kyle Rudolph-TE-Player Jan. 4 - 11:15 pm et Notre Dame TE Kyle Rudolph will forgo his senior season with the Fighting Irish and enter the 2011 NFL draft.An exceptional athlete at 6'6/265, Rudolph was plagued by hamstring woes as a junior and ultimately required year-ending surgery. He played in a pro-style offense most of his career, however, and is the consensus top prospect in what's expected to be a weak tight end class. A five-star recruit in 2008, Rudolph leaves Notre Dame with 90 career catches for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also regarded as an effective blocker in college. Source: Irish Ilustrated
I'm pretty surprised he declared, particularly because he missed most of the year with an injury. Though I suppose the lack of quality tight end prospects this year was too good to pass up.
 
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That ending of the game is part of why I don't like Mallett. He seems to fold under pressure. I don't think he has what he needs mentally to be a successful NFL QB.
If you watch Mallet closely, he was a little ##### all game. Whenever someone got him he would wiggle and kick and generally act like a punk on the bottom. Once right before Heyward went out with injury he jumped back on top of him after he let him up. I was shocked at his behavior and he will forever equal #### swa to me.
 
That ending of the game is part of why I don't like Mallett. He seems to fold under pressure. I don't think he has what he needs mentally to be a successful NFL QB.
I agree. Classic Mallett
:hifive: Sincerely, Arkansas +3PS Why they didn't pick up that blocked punt and run it in is beyond me. What do you have to lose by trying to pick it up!? Fall on the ball? :lol: Ok sorry had to vent. I still think Mallett becomes a good qb in the NFL. When is draft day? So depressed the season has ended.
 
Given the number of QBs that are up for grabs in this draft it wouldn't surprise me to see Mallett fall to Round 2. I find it hard to believe that there are going to be 5 QBs taken in the 1st round and based on all the things I've heard about Mallett's maturity issues, I think he could possibly interview poorly and see a Clausen-esque slide down the draft board.

 
Just got back from the Orange Bowl. Don't have much to say about Luck that I haven't said already. He has an interesting decision in front of him. I actually think he'll come back for one more season. I'd put it at 65/35. It just depends on what he wants.

Tyrod Taylor really impressed me...as a WR prospect. He has no future at QB because he's short, he's inaccurate, and his field vision is poor. However, I think he can succeed in the NFL as a WR provided that he can consistently catch the football. He's built pretty strong and he's very, very elusive. He has a preternatural ability to make people miss. I would compare him to Antwaan Randle El back when he was chucking it for Indiana. Exciting player. Just not a great passer.

The Tech RBs were invisible. Evans was ineffective and Williams didn't do much. David Wilson looked okay, but didn't exactly shine. None of these guys had a lot of opportunities and there wasn't much running room. I wonder if Williams will declare despite the weak season. He should probably stick around, but he might have his heart set on getting his payday now.

There were a few other guys on the field who will get looks from the NFL eventually, but no one who really warrants strong consideration for 2011 rookie drafts.

 
Also had some quick thoughts on the Rose Bowl:

Wisconsin's lack of a passing game really hurt them. Take away the run and they are largely ineffective. I don't think John Clay is a legitimate NFL prospect. Montee Ball looked okay, but not spectacular. James White, a guy I was considering as the possible best RB prospect for 2013, really didn't stand out. The only Badger skill player who looked like a surefire NFL bet was TE Lance Kendricks. That guy is going to play on Sundays.

I thought TCU's receivers looked promising. None of these guys posted gaudy statistics this season, but Jeremy Kerley and Jimmy Young looked like potential draft prospects. These are players that I would keep an eye on during the postseason process to see if they get invited to any all-star games and/or the combine. Freshman Josh Boyce had the best stats of them all and could be a name to remember down the road. It's clear that TCU is doing something right in the recruiting process because they really had some impressive athletes out there.

 
A.J. Green-WR-Player Jan. 4 - 11:05 pm et Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer predicts that the Bengals will use their first-round pick on a wide receiver.Cincy has the No. 4 selection, and A.J. Green is already a popular Bengals pick in early mock drafts. The team is fully expected to part with free agent Terrell Owens, and seems unlikely to pick up Chad Ochocinco's $6 million option. The Bengals could pair Green with the winner of an Andre Caldwell-Jerome Simpson camp battle and still trot out a formidable wideout corps. Source: Joe Reedy on Twitter
Shipley has no shot to be a starter?
 
A.J. Green-WR-Player Jan. 4 - 11:05 pm et Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer predicts that the Bengals will use their first-round pick on a wide receiver.Cincy has the No. 4 selection, and A.J. Green is already a popular Bengals pick in early mock drafts. The team is fully expected to part with free agent Terrell Owens, and seems unlikely to pick up Chad Ochocinco's $6 million option. The Bengals could pair Green with the winner of an Andre Caldwell-Jerome Simpson camp battle and still trot out a formidable wideout corps. Source: Joe Reedy on Twitter
Shipley has no shot to be a starter?
Shipley will play the slot in 3 WR sets. That's his upside IMO.
 
JohnnyU said:
AcerFC said:
JohnnyU said:
A.J. Green-WR-Player Jan. 4 - 11:05 pm et Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer predicts that the Bengals will use their first-round pick on a wide receiver.Cincy has the No. 4 selection, and A.J. Green is already a popular Bengals pick in early mock drafts. The team is fully expected to part with free agent Terrell Owens, and seems unlikely to pick up Chad Ochocinco's $6 million option. The Bengals could pair Green with the winner of an Andre Caldwell-Jerome Simpson camp battle and still trot out a formidable wideout corps. Source: Joe Reedy on Twitter
Shipley has no shot to be a starter?
Shipley will play the slot in 3 WR sets. That's his upside IMO.
While I don't disagree that he'll play in the slot, I think you'll see him utilized a lot like Welker. And it's not like all he did was run 5 yard hitches. He ran seam routes. Skinny posts. He was the target on quite a bit of intermediate to deep throws.I think at the end of the 2011 season his stats will be on par with Caldwell or better (assuming Chad leaves).Having said that, I'm really hoping we draft AJ.
 
So with all this Bengal talk going on.

are TO and Ocho leaving pretty much forgone conclusions? How high of value does Jerome Simpson have now that he "broke out" at the end of the season

 
So with all this Bengal talk going on.are TO and Ocho leaving pretty much forgone conclusions? How high of value does Jerome Simpson have now that he "broke out" at the end of the season
I think TO is gone but not convinced they will release 85 yet.
From what I've read it seems ocho and marvin lewis don't get along. Re-hiring lewis was a sign that ocho is out of there...big mistake IMO
 
So with all this Bengal talk going on.are TO and Ocho leaving pretty much forgone conclusions? How high of value does Jerome Simpson have now that he "broke out" at the end of the season
I think TO is gone but not convinced they will release 85 yet.
From what I've read it seems ocho and marvin lewis don't get along. Re-hiring lewis was a sign that ocho is out of there...big mistake IMO
Letting Ocho go? or re-hiring Lewis? Or both. To me letting Ocho go isnt that big of a deal
 
So with all this Bengal talk going on.are TO and Ocho leaving pretty much forgone conclusions? How high of value does Jerome Simpson have now that he "broke out" at the end of the season
I think TO is gone but not convinced they will release 85 yet.
From what I've read it seems ocho and marvin lewis don't get along. Re-hiring lewis was a sign that ocho is out of there...big mistake IMO
Unless Marvin's return was contingent on Chad being released, I think he'll be a Bengal in 2011. Mike Brown loves him. He knows Chad is not only a good WR, but he puts people in the seats. A couple years back he turned down an offer from the Redskins of 2 1st round picks for Chad. I just don't see him being released. I think the Bengals would only save 2.5 million if they did.
 
University of Oregon's LaMichael James announced today that he will return to Oregon for his junior season (2011).

LINK

Scratch him off your 2011 dynasty draft lists.
LOL, he's saying that NOW. Very rarely will you find a player declaring for the pro's before they play their bowl game. I'm betting we'll hear a different tune after Jan. 10th.
I will never take AJ Green over Julio Jones in any draft.

Julio is simply unguardable. Before this year, he had hands issue, but he worked on them this year. He simply cannot be stopped.

In fact, I can't think of ONE area where AJ Green has Julio beat. Perhaps speed, but if so, it's not by much.

The reason Green is at the top of boards is because he played in more of a passing offense over the last 3 years.

Julio is a Terrell Owens clone, without an ounce of the drama.

I might be showing off my Bama bias, but even so, Ingram is 1 and Julio is 2 in every single draft I will do next year.
I'm a UGA fan but I agree. I like green but if I were a NFL team in need of wr Julio Jones would be the guy I'd get.
 
]Letting Ocho go? or re-hiring Lewis? Or both. To me letting Ocho go isnt that big of a deal
I think it was a mistake to rehire lewis and not bring ocho back(assuming that happens). Without him and TO the bengals don't have a #1 wr and ocho was a quality guy.
Unless Marvin's return was contingent on Chad being released, I think he'll be a Bengal in 2011. Mike Brown loves him. He knows Chad is not only a good WR, but he puts people in the seats. A couple years back he turned down an offer from the Redskins of 2 1st round picks for Chad. I just don't see him being released. I think the Bengals would only save 2.5 million if they did.
Maybe you're right but their owner, mike brown, is a notorious cheapskate. Considering they'll have to shell out big bucks for green, I don't know if he'll be willing to pay out an additional $6 mil to a wr.
 
]Letting Ocho go? or re-hiring Lewis? Or both. To me letting Ocho go isnt that big of a deal
I think it was a mistake to rehire lewis and not bring ocho back(assuming that happens). Without him and TO the bengals don't have a #1 wr and ocho was a quality guy.
Unless Marvin's return was contingent on Chad being released, I think he'll be a Bengal in 2011. Mike Brown loves him. He knows Chad is not only a good WR, but he puts people in the seats. A couple years back he turned down an offer from the Redskins of 2 1st round picks for Chad. I just don't see him being released. I think the Bengals would only save 2.5 million if they did.
Maybe you're right but their owner, mike brown, is a notorious cheapskate. Considering they'll have to shell out big bucks for green, I don't know if he'll be willing to pay out an additional $6 mil to a wr.
If he's cut they'll still be on the hook for 3.5 million.
 
What's your point? $3.5mil is still < $6mil. If someone cares more about saving money than winning, and as far as I'm concerned mike brown has done that, then letting ocho go makes sense

 
What's your point? $3.5mil is still < $6mil. If someone cares more about saving money than winning, and as far as I'm concerned mike brown has done that, then letting ocho go makes sense
You are putting logic where it's not needed. Almost nothing Mike Brown does makes sense.I wouldn't be surprised if he's released. I also wouldn't be surprised if he's signed to a 5 year deal.
 
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From Scott Wright, president of nfldraftcountdown:

"No link but I heard from a reliable source Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd got a 3rd Round grade."

Via Joe Shad:

Darren Evans was graded 4

http://twitter.com/schadjoe/status/22164665064759297
Oh my....talk about a drop in draft stock.79/1025/12TD drops you two rounds? Even after his big bowl game? Gah.
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.

 
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
 
That ending of the game is part of why I don't like Mallett. He seems to fold under pressure. I don't think he has what he needs mentally to be a successful NFL QB.
If you watch Mallet closely, he was a little ##### all game. Whenever someone got him he would wiggle and kick and generally act like a punk on the bottom. Once right before Heyward went out with injury he jumped back on top of him after he let him up. I was shocked at his behavior and he will forever equal #### swa to me.
Stuff goes both ways at the bottom of piles. I am sure Hayward and company were giving extra elbows, etc.....I know you're a buckeye fan, but if Hayward gave me an extra nudge at the bottom, I'd be pissed too.Phillip Rivers is not an NFL QB for his tantrums either :lmao:
 
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
If Floyd falls to the 2nd someone is going to get an absolute steal.
 
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
If Floyd falls to the 2nd someone is going to get an absolute steal.
Yep. Exactly what I was thinking.There are only a couple teams where I don't think he's a starter Day 1.
 
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
If Floyd falls to the 2nd someone is going to get an absolute steal.
The mock drafts (whatever they are worth) have been projecting second round for some time now, Kiper has him much lower than that, now a 3rd round grade from the committee. I think the 2nd round is starting to look like a best case scenario for Floyd.
 
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I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
If Floyd falls to the 2nd someone is going to get an absolute steal.
The mock drafts (whatever they are worth) have been projecting second round for some time now, Kiper has him much lower than that, now a 3rd round grade from the committee. I think the 2nd round is starting to look like a best case scenario for Floyd.
Maybe, but whatever team that gets him will be getting a future stud at a discounted price. Guy is going to be great on Sundays. IMO of course. I have him just below Green and Julio.
 
Just got back from the Orange Bowl. Don't have much to say about Luck that I haven't said already. He has an interesting decision in front of him. I actually think he'll come back for one more season. I'd put it at 65/35. It just depends on what he wants. Tyrod Taylor really impressed me...as a WR prospect. He has no future at QB because he's short, he's inaccurate, and his field vision is poor. However, I think he can succeed in the NFL as a WR provided that he can consistently catch the football. He's built pretty strong and he's very, very elusive. He has a preternatural ability to make people miss. I would compare him to Antwaan Randle El back when he was chucking it for Indiana. Exciting player. Just not a great passer. The Tech RBs were invisible. Evans was ineffective and Williams didn't do much. David Wilson looked okay, but didn't exactly shine. None of these guys had a lot of opportunities and there wasn't much running room. I wonder if Williams will declare despite the weak season. He should probably stick around, but he might have his heart set on getting his payday now. There were a few other guys on the field who will get looks from the NFL eventually, but no one who really warrants strong consideration for 2011 rookie drafts.
Boris,I watched only the first half of the game and was not impressed with Luck. By that I mean that he showed me none of I have been hearing in the glowing reports you and others have put out.Again, for the first half, would you agree?
 
I heavily doubt that the 3rd round grade is true, but if it is that makes no sense whatsoever. Golden Tate was taken in the 2nd round, and Michael Floyd's game suits the NFL way more than Golden's does. Floyd is bigger, stronger, is a good route runner, and is an exceptional blocker. If Floyd declares, there's 0% chance he falls to the 3rd round imo, he'd probably be a late first rounder imo, possibly even higher.
Tate came out with a week class, Floyd with a loaded one.I personally think the first is more of a stretch than the 3rd. Scott Wright has way too much to lose by spreading false rumors, or quoting shady sources. I tend to believe him.
If Floyd falls to the 2nd someone is going to get an absolute steal.
The mock drafts (whatever they are worth) have been projecting second round for some time now, Kiper has him much lower than that, now a 3rd round grade from the committee. I think the 2nd round is starting to look like a best case scenario for Floyd.
Maybe, but whatever team that gets him will be getting a future stud at a discounted price. Guy is going to be great on Sundays. IMO of course. I have him just below Green and Julio.
The problem with flyod isn't talent but his ability to stay healthy.
 
2011 NFL Mock Draft (Andrew Perloff - SI)

2011 NFL Mock Draft: Four quarterbacks could go in the top 10

Andrew Perloff

With bowl games left to play, underclassmen yet to declare, coaches to hire, a collective bargaining agreement to figure out, Senior Bowl week and the scouting combine, 2011 NFL Draft prospects will move a lot over the next four months. But we already have a good idea of what the non-playoff teams need, so why not stir up some speculation with an early mock draft. Now if only Andrew Luck would make a decision so we can figure out the top ... (*Denotes underclassmen)

1. Panthers -- Andrew Luck*, QB, Stanford

Luck's decision to stay at Stanford or go pro will have a huge impact on the top of the draft. He had to notice Pac-10 colleague Jake Locker's draft stock fall steadily since last season and knows his could too if he stays in college. Luck's obviously the clear-cut choice for No. 1 if he does join the NFL.

2. Broncos -- Da'Quan Bowers*, DE, Clemson

With Elvis Dumervil hurt, the Broncos ranked last in the NFL in sacks. Even if Dumervil comes back at full strength, Denver needs defensive playmakers. Bowers led the nation with 15.5 sacks and was second in tackles for a loss (26).

3. Bills -- Blaine Gabbert*, QB, Missouri

NFL teams have a lot to find out about Gabbert in the coming months. Can he make the adjustment from the wide-open spread offense at Missouri to the pro style?

4. Bengals -- Nick Fairley*, DT, Auburn

Fairley could cement his top-five status with a big performance in the national title game against Oregon's high-powered offense. The Bengals need an explosive player up front, and would hope Fairley could duplicate the kind of impact Ndamukong Suh had on the Lions.

5. Cardinals -- Patrick Peterson* CB, LSU

Peterson needs to improve his cover skills, but his size, athleticism and return skills make him more attractive than Prince Amukamara. The Cardinals will look hard at a quarterback here as well. But they have a lot of needs and will go with the best available player.

6. Browns -- Marcell Dareus*, DT, Alabama

The Browns' run defense fell apart at the end of last season. A solid defensive lineman like Dareus would be a safe pick in this spot.

7. 49ers -- Ryan Mallett*, QB, Arkansas

Mallett has been criticized by draft experts of late. He supposedly has character questions, doesn't show up in the big moment, isn't a leader ... but how can you ignore that arm? He throws the ball better than Luck, and he resembles Ken Whisenhunt's former QB Ben Roethlisberger in how difficult it is for defenses to bring him down. Mallett has to really impress teams during his interviews to sneak up this high on the board.

8. Titans -- A.J. Green*, WR, Georgia

Owner Bud Adams is going to want to make quarterback Vince Young look good. He signed Randy Moss, so you know he's interested in pairing another game-breaking receiver with Kenny Britt.

9. Cowboys -- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

The Cowboys would love an offensive lineman, but this draft seems light at the top at this position. If no one emerges at that position, they'll bolster their defensive backfield. Amukamara didn't have any interceptions this season, but no one threw at him.

10. Redskins -- Cam Newton*, QB, Auburn

Mike Shanahan loves mobile quarterbacks, like John Elway, Jake Plummer and Donovan McNabb. He also loves QBs with big arms like Elway, McNabb and Jay Cutler. Newton is both. And we think Daniel Snyder can get over the character questions. The big question about Newton is how he'll fare away from a spread offense. If Tim Tebow can go in the first round, Newton will too.

11. Texans -- Akeem Ayers*, DE, UCLA

Houston's secondary desperately needs help, but if the Texans hire Wade Phillips as a defensive coordinator and go to a 3-4 scheme, they will need help outside. Ayers is going to be very productive right off the bat and could also fit in a 4-3 scheme if necessary.

12. Vikings -- Janoris Jenkins*, CB, Florida

Jenkins is recovering from a shoulder injury. If he's fully healthy in time to work out, he could rise up the boards this spring and possibly challenge the top two CBs in the draft, Peterson and Amukamara.

13. Lions -- Tyron Smith*, OT, USC

Offensive linemen always start moving up the board rapidly in the weeks before the draft. Expect Smith to garner a lot of attention in the coming weeks. If he gets by the Cowboys at No. 9, the Lions will jump on the big Trojan.

14. Rams -- Justin Blackmon*, WR, Oklahoma State

The Rams showed down the stretch that they plan to have Sam Bradford throwing the ball a lot. Now they need to give him a big No. 1 receiver who can come down with a jump ball over a smaller cornerback.

15. Dolphins -- Mark Ingram*, RB, Alabama

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams both could be gone, and the Dolphins need to focus on the offense. It's a stretch to take any running back this high considering how well late-round backs have been doing of late, but Miami needs to fill this position with a quality player.

16. Jaguars -- Robert Quinn*, DE, North Carolina

Quinn was one of the Tar Heels suspended for taking improper benefits from an agent. But that will be overlooked if teams believe he can get to the quarterback as much as he did when he was eligible.

17. Patriots (from Oakland) -- J.J. Watt*, DT, Wisconsin

He has the size to be an impact lineman in a 3-4 defense and seems to have the character marks the Patriots covet. He wasn't highly recruited and became a star because of hard work. Of course, New England is never easy to peg in a mock draft.

18. Chargers -- Julio Jones*, WR, Alabama

What do you add to a team that had the top-ranked offense and defense ... but didn't make the playoffs? The Chargers' defensive numbers were a bit skewed because their special teams let the opponent score so much, so they could go with a pass rusher like Vonn Miller. But they might take another opportunity to tick off Vincent Jackson.

19. Giants -- Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

The Pac-10 defensive player of the year would be a good value here. Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield is a free agent who has had injury problems.

20. Buccaneers -- Aldon Smith*, DE, Missouri

Smith missed most of last season with a broken leg, but had 11.5 sacks the season before. The Bucs didn't have any players who reached five sacks last season and have to find a way to get after quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Drew Brees.

 

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