NFL DRAFT

Countdown to the NFL Draft

As the NFL draft approaches and the anticipation balloons, we are all still asking many questions with very few answers. What will Carolina do with the #1 pick? Where will Cam Newton land? Who will be this year’s Aaron Rodgers or Brady Quinn? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to try and come up with my best hypothesis for the direction of this year’s draft, as well as try and answer the questions that are lingering in the minds of all die-hard NFL fans.

Let’s take it from the top and get in the heads of the Panthers owners, coaches, and GM. We have all heard the Panthers may take any one of the following players: Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, or Marcell Darius. As a Carolina fan, I’m torn between the options. Is it better to bring excitement and sell tickets ala Cam Newton? Should we get the second round QB selection, Jimmy Clausen, some help with A.J. Green? Should we take the most NFL ready QB in the draft and take Blaine Gabbert? Or should we go defense and let Ron Rivera draft a piece that will have an instant impact on that side of the ball? It’s not an easy question, and on top of that you have all the debate on player values. Do you go for the consensus #1 player, Patrick Peterson? Or do you draft the player with the most upside, Cam Newton? These are all legitimate questions and it’s hard to decipher what is ultimately more important, but I’m going to take a shot. I’m going to go ahead and rule out Blaine Gabbert, mainly because I don’t think he’s that much more talented than Jimmy Clausen and at the very least Jimmy has a year of experience under his belt and has worked with fellow rookies Brandon LaFell and David Gettis. The next player I’m going to eliminate is A.J. Green. I understand he’s supremely talented, but 1. Carolina drafted two WR’s who showed promise last year. 2. They still have Steve Smith. 3. If you are going to take a player on the outside, then it has to be Peterson because he’s widely considered the BEST player in this draft. Speaking of Peterson, he is the next person on the chopping block and here is my reasoning. Ron Rivera is ultimately (if not this year) going to switch to a 3-4 defense and Carolina simply doesn’t have the personnel for that brand of defense. Furthermore, the center piece of a 3-4 defense has always been the Nose Tackle. Darius, with all the skills in the world and a 320 lb frame, would be perfect. Maybe I’m old school, but I’ve always thought it’s more important to stop the run first, and Darius will be able to eat up enough space to allow Jon Beason and company to run free. This should immediately help the panthers stop the run, and not to mention the fact that Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall are infinitely better at CB than Nick Hayden and Derek Landri are at DT; DT is a much bigger need. Now we are down to two, Cam Newton and Marcell Darius. I’m so torn between these picks that I can’t put it into words, but I’m leaning towards Newton for a few reasons. The first reason is because I simply don’t think Jimmy Clausen can get the job done. I watched every Panther game last year and Clausen just flat out missed some throws that an NFL QB must make. Furthermore, Newton, if nothing else, will sell tickets and get people in Carolina excited about their team again. We have to remember this is a business, and at least short term it will put money in the owner’s pockets. Also, the QB position has a much greater impact on the game than any other position on the field and if you can draft a QB with this type of talent then you almost have to. Plus, Jimmy Clausen and Cam Newton can push each other for the starting job, which ultimately should lead to them both working harder and playing better. Darius, on the other hand is perfect for our scheme and for a 3-4 defense. He also has all the tools and is a safer pick. Not to mention, we’ve all seen what a great DT can do for a team (N. Suh). But, ultimately, you have to go with the QB in this spot. I’m sure the lions are thrilled with Suh, but how happy are the Rams that they chose Bradford? Exactly. Therefore, the choice must be Cam Newton.

So now that we have the first pick out of the way, we should take a look at the remaining top 10 choices. At #2 I think the clear choice for the Broncos is Von Miller. I’ve heard all these comparisons to Clay Matthews, and that’s more than good enough for me. Denver needs a play maker on that side of the ball and Miller, who is the best pass rusher in this year’s class, will provide exactly that. Moving on to Buffalo, the Bills must take Marcell Darius. I know everyone thinks they need a QB, but QB is not the problem. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a more than serviceable player in the NFL and the passing game was just fine with him at the helm last season. Where do the Bills struggle the most? Versus the run. The Bills ranked dead last in the NFL against the run, giving up a league high 2714 yards and a whopping 4.8 yards per carry. Darius can come in and have an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball and can help them improve dramatically against the run. At number 4 the Bengals have a few options, but I think the clear choice is Blaine Gabbert. Management should face facts and realize Carson Palmer will not be back in a Bengals uniform ever again. I don’t know if they don’t believe him or if they are in denial, but it seems to me the man means business. Gabbert could be the answer at QB and will allow the team to begin the rebuilding process and possibly move Palmer for more draft choices. At five the Cardinals have an easy choice with CB Patrick Peterson. CB is a need and he is also the best player remaining on the board; seems like a simple decision. Moving on, the Browns have a few needs: WR, DE, and DT among them. For me, the choice has to be A.J. Green. He is the best player on the board and he will also give Colt McCoy a viable option at WR, not to mention he will finally give the Browns the playmaker they have been longing for. At seven, the 49ers aren’t going to get either Gabbert or Peterson, so they should go with the next best option in CB Prince Amukamara. He is a talented kid with good speed and good ball skills. He has also been playing CB for only a few years so he will only get better. At the number eight pick we have the Titans, and what better fit for them than Nick Fairley. He has great feet, quickness, and hands. His game changing skills can immediately help the Titans in the middle. Also, if anyone knows how to deal with a DT with character issues it’s the Tennessee Titans (see Albert Haynesworth). Next, the Cowboys should select Tryon Smith from USC. Quite simply put, he is the best OT in the draft and OT is one of the Cowboys biggest needs. Finally, rounding out the top 10 are the Washington Redskins. Most people believe they should choose Julio Jones, and while I think this choice would be fine, I still believe Robert Quinn is a better choice. Imagine the possibilities when you put him on the other side of Brian Orakpo. He could potentially give Washington the best pass rush in the NFL, and that could do wonders for this struggling franchise. I’ll take a great pass rusher over a great WR any day.

Regardless of the direction the draft takes, and regardless of who is chosen where, one thing is for certain…this will be a draft for the ages. So much uncertainty and speculation creates for great drama. I, for one, cannot wait for tomorrow night and will not miss one second of this historic draft, not only because my favorite team has the first selection, but because it will make for great entertainment. Hope you all get the player you covet and happy drafting.

Zack