Bob's 2011 NFL Mock Draft

Cam Newton

Here it is, folks. My official mock draft. Enjoy:

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB Auburn

2. Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DT Alabama 
With the arrival of new head coach John Fox, the Broncos will be switching to a 4-3 defense and need a serious upgrade at D-line. As the best DT in the draft, Dareus makes the most sense here.

3. Buffalo Bills: Blaine Gabbert, QB Missouri 
The Bills have a lot of needs and I could see them going with Von Miller or Patrick Peterson here, but I think they go with Gabbert.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR Georgia 
Green is a phenomenal talent and fits a glaring need with the futures of Ochocinco and T.O. in Cincinnati uncertain.

Von Miller

5. Arizona Cardinals: Von Miller, DE/OLB Texas A&M
Easy decision here. With no top rated QB left on the board, Arizona can focus on adding a lethal pass rusher.

6. Cleveland Browns: Robert Quinn, DE North Carolina 
If the Bengals don't end up nabbing A.J. Green at 4, he shouldn't get past Cleveland at 6. The Browns could take Julio Jones, but I think they like Quinn better.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB LSU  
This seems to be the trendy spot to put Peterson. We'll see if he lasts this long.

8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT Auburn 
No-brainer here if the draft falls like this.

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT USC 
The Cowboys seem to be in love with Smith and don't want to see Romo's collarbone snapped in half again this year.

10. Washington Redskins: Julio Jones, WR Alabama 
Washington has a lot of options here. I'm giving them Jones here, but it wouldn't surprise me if they went defensive line.

Prince Amukamara

11 .Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara, CB Nebraska 
Houston's secondary is awful and Amukamara could be the answer here. Don't rule out a trade up for Patrick Peterson though.

12. Minnesota Vikings: Cameron Jordan, DE California 
That D-line in Minnesota is getting old and Ray Edwards is probably (hopefully) leaving via free agency. Whenever that may be.

13. Detroit Lions: Anthony Castonzo, OT Boston College 
Gotta protect Matthew Stafford better. If he stays healthy, the Lions might make some noise this year.

14. St. Louis Rams: Da’Quan Bowers, DE Clemson 
Microfracture surgery rumors have dropped Bowers out of the top 10, but I think the Rams take a chance on Bowers' potential.

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, C/G Florida 
Miami's interior line is less than stellar and Pouncey gives the Dolphins a lot of flexibility. Don't think Mark Ingram is their guy here.

Ryan Kerrigan

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ryan Kerrigan, DE Purdue 
High-motor, physical guy for a defense that got pushed around last year, especially down the stretch.

17. New England Patriots: J.J. Watt, DE Wisconsin 
Watt has ideal size for a 3-4 DE and would be a good fit for the Pats who are still trying to replace Richard Seymour.

18. San Diego Chargers: Aldon Smith, DE/OLB Missouri 
I think it's either a defensive lineman or an OLB for San Diego. Larry English was a major disappoint last year and the Chargers hope Smith can pick up the slack.

19. New York Giants: Gabe Carimi, OT Wisconsin 
Look for the Giants to upgrade their offensive line here. Carimi is probably the best prospect available, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Pouncey was in the mix if Miami passes on him.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa 
The Bucs add another piece to their formidable young D-line with Clayborn who looks like the real deal. Don't be surprised if Tampa Bay drafts Jimmy Smith though. Rhonde Barber is old and Aqib Talib is facing gun charges.

Nate Solder

21. Kansas City Chiefs: Nate Solder, OT Colorado 
I think Phil Taylor's foot injury scares Kansas City away. Instead, the Chiefs will look to bolster the offensive line.

22. Indianapolis Colts: Danny Watkins, OT Baylor 
The offensive line in Indy has been pretty suspect the past few years, but Manning has been able to cover for them. Watkins is big and versatile and will take some of the pressure off of "The Sheriff."

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Jimmy Smith, CB Colorado 
The run on the top OT's will cause the Eagles to look hard at Derek Sherrod. But Jimmy Smith will be too much of a talent to pass up. Some analysts have him as the top rated corner in this draft.

24. New Orleans Saints: Corey Liuget, DT Illinois
 The Saints need another DT to pair with Sedrick Ellis. Liuget would be a great pick up here.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker, QB Washington 
I like Locker as a late first rounder. Wouldn't be surprised if the Vikings traded back into the first round to take him before Seattle does.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Aaron Williams, CB Texas 
A bit of a reach, but Baltimore's corners are TERRIBLE. Muhammad Wilkerson could also come off the board here.

Kyle Rudolph

27. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Rudolph, TE Notre Dame 
Rudolph is the complete package at the tight end position. Tony Gonzalez is nearing retirement age and Atlanta really needs to add another offensive weapon.

28. New England Patriots: Brooks Reed, DE/OLB Arizona 
The Pats add another high-effort guy that fills a need. Green Bay is envious.

29. Chicago Bears: Derek Sherrod, OT Mississippi State 
Chicago has to go offensive line given how many times Jay Cutler got hit last year. But let's be honest. It's not going to stop The Claymaker.

30. New York Jets: Phil Taylor, DT Baylor 
Taylor isn't as much of a risk here at 30 and with New York cutting ties with Kris Jenkins, this just makes sense. Which means it definitely won't happen.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Muhammad Wilkerson, DT Temple 
The Steelers D is getting old and could use some youth in the trenches. Wilkerson is a beast.

Cameron Heyward

32. Green Bay Packers: Cameron Heyward, DE Ohio State 
And now it is time for your SUPER BOWL XLV CHAMPIONS, the Green Bay Packers. We're loaded at almost every position, but there are some holes that need to be filled. Sadly, Cullen Jenkins will more than likely leave in free agency this year and with Johnny Jolly's career suicide, it's time to draft another defensive lineman. Fortunately for our beloved Pack, this draft is chock full of 'em and Cameron Heyward is a steal here.

You gotta love it...

ESPN "Where Champions Are Built" from Packer Aaron on Vimeo.


Speaking of the draft, look for our "Possible Packers" features to become more frequent, with on coming later on today. Have a happy weekend!

One Month Warning and the first installation of "Possible Packers"

The 2011 NFL Draft is a month away. Wow. Reread that again. Is anyone else as shocked by this as I am? Usually I'm obsessed with anything draft related by February 1st, with WalterFootball.com's mock drafts consuming my life, but this year I've been relatively apathetic. Not even revelations that Ryan Mallet is Eminem incarnate have done much to stir my interest.

The reasons for my less than zealous following of draft developments are numerous, many of them obvious. For starters, the high I'm experiencing from the Packers' Super Bowl victory (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) has yet to fade away, and was, in fact, reinforced when Rob and I sat down to watch his copy of NFL Film's Super Bowl XLV DVD (which was a bit of a disappointment; as Rob said, not enough "belt-age"). The incentive to start thinking about next year is definitely mitigated by a desire to simply sit back and bask in the glory of the previous season.

There's also the fact that there might not be a next season. Collective bargaining really isn't my area of expertise so I won't be spending anytime attempting to provide some misguided insight into NFL-NFLPA talks, but it certainly appears that the two sides have a long way to go before there will be football in 2011. And while I'm positive some type of deal will get worked out eventually, it's still difficult to fully invest oneself in a season that could begin with an ugly lockout.

And then there's the draft itself. Simply put, this year's crop is boring. There's very little star power out there: no Calvin Johnson, no Darren McFadden, no Ndamudkong Suh. Sorry, but Nick Fairley and Blaine Gabbert don't do it for me.

Finally, reality is that the 32nd overall pick just really isn't that sexy. There doesn't seem to be much point in over-analyzing who the Pack will take, because the 31 selections made prior will really be what determines who Ted Thompson and Co. draft. In other words, we have little control in terms of who's still available, so it doesn't make much sense to get worked up about who we'll end up taking.

NOW, with that being said, I do think it is worthwhile to sit back and reflect upon what needs the Packers can address in this year's draft. I know the talk is that TT always goes with the best player available, and there may be some truth in that, but there's also the reality that his past three 1st round picks (Matthews, Raji, Bulaga) have come at areas of need. What I'm trying to say is Thompson takes a more nuanced approach than people give him credit for. While it's true that he doesn't reach to fill a need, I also don't think he sticks to his board with absolutely no exceptions.

So with all that said, we here at JonBob's will be providing you with the weekly profiles of players we think the Packers could possibly be selecting on April 28th with the last pick of the first round. Here's our first possibility: