Welcome to The All NFL Blogspot

1. Carolina Panthers: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
   With Andrew Luck going back to school, this pick is now down to three players: A.J. Green, Da'Quan Bowers and Nick Fairley. Mel Kiper went with Fairley, while Sun Tan Man has Bowers has No. 1.
   
   I can't agree with the latter. First of all, Bowers fills the lesser of the three needs between wide receiver, defensive tackle and defensive end. And second, Bowers is an athletic freak who posted great numbers this year, but he has some really bad tape and one has to wonder why he didn't produce in his first two years at Clemson.
   
   Fairley satisfies the greatest need, and I think there's a much greater chance he's the No. 1 pick in the wake of his tremendous Co-National Championship performance (congrats, by the way, to Auburn and TCU for winning it all.)
   
   Meanwhile, Green, in my opinion, is the best available talent. I believe he is the next of the elite receivers in the mold of Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Steve Smith is a rapidly declining player, so it's not like the Panthers don't need a wideout. We actually have an interesting thread about Green going first overall on the forum.
   
   But is Green the consensus best player? Not according to my Consensus 2011 NFL Draft Big Board. The best player is a tie between Fairley and Patrick Peterson, and Peterson's not a possibility because the Panthers don't need a corner.
   
   I think this pick will come down to the Combine and Pro Day workouts. You can really make a strong argument for both Green and Fairley, but the latter appears to have the edge right now based on how he dominated the Oregon and SEC offensive lines down the stretch.
   
   As for the quarterback position, I believe the Panthers will sign Billy Volek, who will follow Ron Rivera to Carolina. Volek can start for a year until the Panthers find a long-term solution at quarterback because it's quite apparent that Jimmy Clausen is not the answer.
   
   I made a huge mistake when I really underestimated how important it is not to be a loser in college. If you're a winner as a quarterback, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll succeed in the NFL. However, if you can't win, I think it says something about your attitude. And I'm not just referring to wins and losses. Clausen is not a leader; conversely, he seems to have this Matt Leinart-esque sense of entitlement.
   
   Clausen just doesn't seem to have "it." Granted, he had no help from his teammates - malcontent Steve Smith dropped a ton of passes and the offensive line refused to block - but Clausen lost all confidence in himself and his body language was absolutely abysmal. Maybe he can get it together somewhere down the road, but he's not even close to being ready as an NFL starter.
   
   By the way, I'll have more 2011 NFL Draft and 2012 NFL Draft updates posted soon. Follow me on Twitter @walterfootball for any news and info.
   
   Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:
   
   1. A.J. Green, WR - The next Calvin Johnson/Larry Fitzgerald, Green makes a lot more sense than Da'Quan Bowers at No. 1 overall.
   
   2. Da'Quan Bowers, DE - Carolina needs to improve its pass rush. Maybe they'll look past the bad tape and prior inconsistency, and instead see Bowers as the next Julius Peppers.
   
   
2. Denver Broncos: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
   The Broncos finished dead last in the NFL with just 23 sacks. That figure will rise next year with Elvis Dumervil back in the lineup, but Denver still needs another pass-rusher up front.
   
   New head coach John Fox has a thing for athletic defensive ends. In his first year with the Panthers, he selected Julius Peppers at No. 2 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. A couple of seasons ago, he traded a future first-round pick to draft Everette Brown.
   
   With Denver presumably moving back to the 4-3, Fox will really consider Bowers with this pick, as Bowers will remind him of Peppers from a pure athletic standpoint. Bowers has some really bad tape, but Fox will look forward to coaching him up and getting the best out of him.
   
   Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:
   
   1. Nick Fairley, DE/DT - If the Panthers don't take Nick Fairley, there is no way he's making it past the Broncos.
   
   2. Patrick Peterson, CB - If Fairley is off the board, the Broncos may take Patrick Peterson instead of Da'Quan Bowers. Champ Bailey is a free agent.
   
3. Buffalo Bills: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
   The cornerback position is definitely not the biggest need for the Bills. But if Nick Fairley is off the board - and it's looking like he's not going to make it past Denver - I think this pick will be Patrick Peterson for two reasons.
   
   First, Terrence McGee can't stay healthy. He's a good player, but he's missed 12 games in the past two years. At 30 years old, his best days are behind him as well.
   
   And second, Peterson is the best player on the board, outside of maybe A.J. Green. Cornerbacks are seldom taken in the top three, but then again, we said the same thing about defensive tackles prior to the 2010 NFL Draft. Like Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, Peterson is a special sort of talent that doesn't come around very often.
   
   General manager Buddy Nix recently told the media that he will be targeting the best player on his board. Whether that's Peterson, A.J. Green or Von Miller is anyone's guess, but Peterson makes the most sense at this moment. If the Bills part ways with Lee Evans, that will change, of course.
   
   Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:
   
   1. A.J. Green, WR - The best player on Nix's board might be Green. Lee Evans could be cut for monetary and performance issues.
   
   2. Von Miller, DE/OLB - Chan Gailey coached Von Miller at the Senior Bowl. Miller's an athlete freak and an elite pass-rusher. He could be targeted this high.
   
4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
   Carson Palmer wants out of Cincinnati. Palmer reportedly is sick and tired of the circus atmosphere on the team. Can you blame him? I don't think it's a coincidence that Palmer had his best two games when both of his overrated clown receivers were out of the lineup.
   
   Owner Mike Brown loves Palmer, so maybe he'll probably accommodate his quarterback's wishes by trading Chad Johnson Ochocinco Johnson. Brown already axed offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, per Palmer's request.
   
   If the Bengals trade Johnson, this pick will be a no-brainer; A.J. Green is one of the top receiving prospects since Randy Moss.
   
   Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:
   
   1. Da'Quan Bowers, DE - If the Broncos pass on Da'Quan Bowers, I don't think he's making it past Cincinnati.
   
   2. Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton, QB - If the Bengals actually trade Palmer, they may consider a quarterback. If so, they'll probably look past Cam Newton's character and intelligence concerns if they don't like Blaine Gabbert.