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First Round Offense
Mark IngramIcon SMI

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Offensive players made up 6 of the first 12 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft, including 4 quarterbacks and 2 wide receivers. After that, things cooled off and only 2 more offensive players came off the board. Here's a look at all of the first rounders and our opinion of the pick:

Pick #1 - Panthers - QB Cam Newton
No doubt there are a thousand opinions on this one. What fun would a first pick be without some debate? In some ways the pick makes sense. The Panthers need a long term QB, so why not go with the draft pick that has the highest upside? Newton has a lot of skills that can't be taught and he is versatile. However, he comes with a lot of questions. He doesn't appear to be the sure thing that a team would hope for with the #1 overall pick. The Panthers have far too many needs to spend a pick on potential alone. Of course, he could work his butt off and earn the pick. I'm just glad I'm not the one rolling the dice here.


Pick #4 - Bengals - WR A.J. Green
The Bengals are hoping that this pick will help sure up 2 positions. A.J. Green has freakish talent and Cincinatti is hoping that this pickup will provide incentive for Carson Palmer to stick around. Green was a highlight reel in college and is looking to make bigger plays on a bigger stage.


Pick #6 - Falcons - WR Julio Jones
The Alabama wideout has had injury issues during his college career, so his durability is a concern. Other than that he has top notch upside and his aggressive play and level of talent should translate nicely to the NFL where he will work alongside Roddy White. This arrangement should benefit both of them and even give a boost to Matt Ryan's stock.


Pick #8 - Titans - QB Jake Locker
This offseason it was made clear that Tennessee wasn't going to be moving forward with Vince Young and although he's filled in nicely in spots, Kerry Collins is approaching the end of his career. Jake Locker has moved around quite a bit in mock drafts, dropping at times due to question marks about the accuracy and consistency he demonstrated in his senior year. The Titans liked him enough to make him the 2nd QB taken.


Pick #10 - Jaguars - QB Blaine Gabbert
The Jaguars have to be happy with this pick. Gabbert was another QB that flirted with top QB billing and many experts did not have him falling as far as the tenth pick. The interesting part about this is that this may be one of the best positions for Gabbert. David Garrard had a solid season last year. He ended 2010 with a 64.4% completion percentage and led Jacksonville to an 8-6 record when he was under center. However, he started 2010 with a lot of doubt and his job seemed to be on the line. We expect Garrard to remain the starter, giving Gabbert extra time to develop and mature before running the show.


Pick #12 - Vikings - QB Christian Ponder
No doubt, this is bound to be one of the more debatable picks of the first round. You can't argue with the fact that the Vikings are in need of a long term QB. However, it is highly unlikely that Ponder will fill that role this year. Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb have both seen time in this offense. There is also a good chance that the Vikings will seek out another veteran QB.


Pick #26 - Chiefs - WR Jonathan Baldwin
Baldwin is a big receiver, coming in at 6' 4'' and almost 230 lbs. He ran a 4.51 40 at the combine, showing good speed. He still needs some work and will have to prove that he is dedicated to becoming a threat in the NFL. He's got the tools, so if he puts in the work, then KC could cause some terror through the air with Dwayne Bowe on the other side.


Pick #27 - Saints - RB Mark Ingram
Just a bit earlier at pick #24, the Saints took a DE, although there was a lot of speculation that they would grab Ingram. They held out for a few more picks and then traded up to grab the Alabama Running Back. The Saints backfield is now loaded, but every player in their stable has injury concerns. Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Christopher Ivory all missed significant time with injuries last season. Ingram comes with his own concerns (knee). If he stays healthy, he could prove a steal lasting this deep into the draft.

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