The 2011 NFL Draft will forever be tainted by the stench of labour unrest. When Roger Goodell strides to the podium at Radio City Music Hall Thursday, he will commence a night unlike any other in the history of the NFL.
Be sure to join Jim Lang Thursday night at 8 pm ET for live chat during the first round NFL draft. Chat is at the bottom of the page.
On the basis of Judge Nelson’s ruling, the NFL lockout is technically over. That would mean teams can sign free agents and consummate trades. However when I contacted the New York Jets about the possibility of Rex Ryan contacting players for the purpose of giving them an updates playbook they towed the party line.
We will have no comment on the ruling beyond the League statement
So while the lockout is over in the eyes of Judge Nelson, it isn’t over in the eyes of Roger Goodell and the 32 franchises in the NFL. This means football fans are left in a state of limbo, unsure of what’s really going on.
Amid this backdrop of confusion and labour unrest, the careers of over 200 young men will be determined as teams are set to make their long awaited selections. One of those young men happens to be a kid from Kelowna, B.C. who didn’t start playing football until four years ago. A former firefighter, Baylor’s Danny Watkins could very well end up being the fourth Canadian player ever to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft.
ORDER OF SELECTION: 2011 NFL DRAFT
1 – Carolina Panthers -Cam Newton – QB – Auburn: In the end, the combination of size, speed, and potential are too much for the Panthers to pass up on. Newton will have to do his homework to learn how to run an NFL offence; but he doesn’t have to learn how to run and throw.
2 – Denver Broncos – Marcell Dareus – DT – Alabama: No team in the NFL gave up more yards and more points than the Denver Broncos. Dareus will immediately make the Broncos’ front seven better. This is an easy pick for John Elway and John Fox.
3 – Buffalo Bills – Von Miller – LB – Texas A&M: Bills GM Buddy Nix calls Miller the kind of impact defensive player that only comes around every 10 to 15 years. The Bills are desperate for a player that can get after the quarterback. Miller is a very safe pick for the Bills.
4 – Cincinnati Bengals – A.J. Green – WR – Georgia: It is blatantly obvious that the relationship between head coach Marvin Lewis and Chad Ochocinco is completely untenable.
5 – Arizona Cardinals – Blaine Gabbert – QB – Missouri: Patrick Peterson is an incredible talent, but the Cardinals are desperate to find a quarterback to replace Kurt Warner. Last year’s disaster makes this pick all the more important for the Cards.
6 – Cleveland Browns – Julio Jones – WR – Alabama: The safe thing to do in Cleveland would be to select a defensive lineman. However the Browns are desperate for a game breaking wide receiver. Jones, whose stock has gone up dramatically the last two months, is the kind of player the Browns need. (Note: After being told he had a broken foot – Jones still ran a 4.39 in the 40 yard dash at the Combine)
7 – San Francisco 49ers – Patrick Peterson – CB – LSU: There are a number of teams that greatly covet Peterson. Don’t be surprised to see teams try to swing a trade with the 49ers in order to move up the draft and take the premier cornerback in the draft. Either way the 49ers will come out better for it no matter how it plays out.
8 – Tennessee Titans – Robert Quinn – DE – North Carolina: The Titans are a team with a definite need for a defensive end who can get after the quarterback and Quinn will go a long way to fix that problem.
9- Dallas Cowboys – Prince Amukamara – CB – Nebraska: The Cowboys allowed a shocking 33 passing touchdowns in 2010, tied for last in the NFL with the Texans. Amukamara will be a welcome addition to the Boys defence.
10 – Washington Redskins – Cameron Jordan – DE – California: If there’s one team that will make a trade to move up the draft — it is the Redskins. Assuming the Redskins don’t pull off a major deal, they will likely select the tough defensive lineman from Cal.
11 – Houston Texans -Jimmy Smith- CB – Colorado: The Texans’ pass defence was as bad as anyone had seen in recent NFL memory. The drafting of Smith would help fill the void from last year’s departure of Dunta Robinson.
12 – Minnesota Vikings – Nick Fairley – DT – Auburn: Fairley was a devastating force for Auburn and has the athleticism to play any position along the defensive line. Considering the advanced age of Kevin and Pat Williams, the selection of Fairley is an easy one for Leslie Frazier.
13 – Detroit Lions – Anthony Castonzo – OT – Boston College: The Lions rebuilt their defensive line last year when they drafted Ndamukong Suh. This year the Lions will look to beef up their offensive line and provide Matthew Stafford some much needed protection with the selection of the big mauler from Boston College.
14 – St Louis Rams – Corey Liuget – DT – Illinois: The Rams would have dearly loved to have taken Julio Jones. But since he will be off the board, Steve Spagnuolo will take a player who made a huge impression with scouts and GM’s around the league in the buildup to the draft.
15 – Miami Dolphins – Mark Ingram – RB – Alabama: Not much of a stretch for the Dolphins since Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are both unrestricted free agents.
16 – Jacksonville Jaguars – Da’Quan Bowers – DE – Clemson: Considering the Jags only had 26 sacks in 2010; this is a pick that fills a glaring hole for Jack Del Rio’s defence.
17 – New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders) – Ryan Kerrigan – DE/OLB – Purdue: Thanks to the generosity of Al Davis and the Raiders, Bill Belichick can continue to rebuild his defence.
18 – San Diego Chargers – Aldon Smith – DE – Missouri: The Chargers have a need along the defensive line and Smith is a perfect fit for what they are looking for.
19 – New York Giants – Gabe Carimi – OT – Wisconsin: It isn’t that there is anything wrong with the Giants offensive line, it’s just the fact that the line is getting old and it’s time to bring in some fresh blood.
20 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Adrian Clayborn – DE – Iowa: Easily one of the best young teams in the NFL, Bucs GM Mark Dominik will not pass up the chance to grab a defensive end with a huge upside.
21 – Kansas City Chiefs – Mike Pouncey – OL: There was talk that the Steelers were hoping to trade up for Pouncey to reunite him with his brother. Scott Pioli isn’t about to allow a blue chip offensive lineman pass him by if he’s still on the board.
22 – Indianapolis Colts — Nate Solder – OT – Colorado: Without a healthy Peyton Manning, there is no Colts offence. Drafting an offensive lineman is the top priority for GM Bill Polian.
23 – Philadelphia Eagles – Tyron Smith – OT – USC: Protecting Michael Vick is a top priority for Andy Reid this off-season. Vick took a pounding last year as the Eagles gave up a whopping 49 sacks.
24 – New Orleans Saints – Akeem Ayers – OLB – UCLA: After the Saints defence was shredded by Marshawn Lynch in the playoffs; GM Mickey Loomis had to do something to shore up their questionable tackling.
25 – Seattle Seahawks – Marvin Austin – DL – North Carolina: If there’s one team that would love to pull off a deal for Carson Palmer, it is the Seahawks. Assuming they can pull off a deal for the disgruntled Bengals quarterback, this is the best guess as to what Pete Carroll will do Thursday night.
26 – Baltimore Ravens – Cameron Heyward – DE – Ohio State: Already a very talented team, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome knows he is only a few key pieces away from being a winning a second Super Bowl. Adding depth to the defensive line would certainly help their case.
27 – Atlanta Falcons – Kyle Rudolph – TE – Notre Dame: With Tony Gonzalez nearing the end of his career, GM Thomas Dimitroff will do the smart thing and take the best tight end available in the draft.
28 – New England Patriots – Clint Boling – Guard – Georgia: Belichick was able to address his defence with his first pick in the opening round; with this pick the Patriots will begin to rebuild their aging offensive line.
29 – Chicago Bears -Derrick Sherrod – OT – Mississippi State: As much as some Bears fans hate the guy, Lovie Smith still has a responsibility to help protect his franchise quarterback.
30 – New York Jets – Muhammad Wilkerson – DE – Temple: If Rex Ryan’s defence is going to help back his bold words about winning Super Bowl XLVI (here we go again), he will need to add some talent along his defensive line.
31 – Pittsburgh Steelers – Danny Watkins – Guard – Baylor: It really is an amazing story, a kid from B.C., a former firefighter no less, taken in the first round of the draft by the Steelers. I spoke to Watkins the day before the draft and he said he really had no idea what team was going to draft him.
32 – Green Bay Packers – Brooks Reed – DL/LB – Arizona: The reigning Super Bowl champions will be all too happy to add another stud to what was already a championship caliber defence.
Second round steals:
Rahim Moore – S – UCLA:
Aaron Williams – CB – Texas:
Leonard Hankerson – WR – Miami (Fla):
Ryan Williams – RB – Virginia Tech
On the bubble to go in the first round:
Jake Locker – QB – Washington
Falling off the map:
Ryan Mallett – QB – Arkansas: Already dogged by stories from Arkansas, Mallett didn’t help his cause when he missed a scheduled meeting with the Carolina Panthers after going out too late the night before.
As I said earlier, we are entering uncharted waters Thursday night. So expect the unexpected and don’t be surprised to see a number of teams make deals to move both up and down draft.
Join Jim Lang as he chats live during the 2011 NFL Draft from New York City. The fun starts at 8 p.m. ET. Chat will begin below: