Thread: Top 3 Prospects for the #2 Pick in the 2011 NFL Draft

This will likely be the deepest draft ever with all the juniors declaring due to the uncertainty ahead. There are a pile of great prospects in the 20-40 range, guys like Nate Solder, Jeremy Beal, J.J. Watt, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmie Smith, Ryan Kerrigan. Smart guys who follow the straight and narrow as well as being great athletes. Something similar to what McDaniels and Xanders did last year in order to acquire Thomas and Tebow. But they will be trading from much higher in the draft so it may take a lot of work. I think the #2 overall is worth 3 picks in the 20s via the draft value chart. If they manage some semblence of that, Bingo!

Fairley (We need a stud player!)
Bowers (We need a monster!)
Patrick Peterson (Broncos' DBs are getting old.)

Originally Posted by Ziggy

For those saying Bowers, so you see him succeeding as a 3-4 DE?

More so than at OLB. His frame is really no diffrent than other 3-4 DE prospects like Adrian Clayborn, Cameron Jordan, Allen Bailey, or Cameron Heyward to name a few.

Originally Posted by Skinny

More so than at OLB. His frame is really no diffrent than other 3-4 DE prospects like Adrian Clayborn, Cameron Jordan, Allen Bailey, or Cameron Heyward to name a few.

This is true Skinny, but the names you've listed are all projected mid-first round or later, not anywhere near the #2 pick in the draft. Bowers intrigues me because of his explosiveness. In a 4-3 I put him in my top 3. In a 3-4 he drops out of that area.

I think he projects as a light 3-4 DE, which makes him a bit of a project in that defense. Marcel Dareus and Nick Fairley are head and shoulders above him in terms of a 3-4 DE, and Robert Quinn is head and shouders above him as a 3-4 OLB prospect.

Originally Posted by Ziggy

This is true Skinny, but the names you've listed are all projected mid-first round or later, not anywhere near the #2 pick in the draft. Bowers intrigues me because of his explosiveness. In a 4-3 I put him in my top 3. In a 3-4 he drops out of that area.

I think he projects as a light 3-4 DE, which makes him a bit of a project in that defense. Marcel Dareus and Nick Fairley are head and shoulders above him in terms of a 3-4 DE, and Robert Quinn is head and shouders above him as a 3-4 OLB prospect.

I agree 100%, it's why I listed behind Dareus and Fairley. Dareus would be my 1st choice by a slim margin over Fairley because of his versatility and experiance having played DE in the 3-4.

Originally Posted by Skinny

I agree 100%, it's why I listed behind Dareus and Fairley. Dareus would be my 1st choice by a slim margin over Fairley because of his versatility and experiance having played DE in the 3-4.

I think Dareus is a guy who could put on 20 lbs (big stocky frame) and be a Haloti Ngata type of DE (320 - 330 lbs) who could shift over to NT on passing downs. He was so dominant against Mich. St. and against Texas last year in the bowl game. I want him the most.

Originally Posted by BigDaddyBronco

I think Dareus is a guy who could put on 20 lbs (big stocky frame) and be a Haloti Ngata type of DE (320 - 330 lbs) who could shift over to NT on passing downs. He was so dominant against Mich. St. and against Texas last year in the bowl game. I want him the most.

My thought as well. He's played some NT already while at Bama and holds the point quite well. I've seen him double teamed numerous times and not budge an inch. He's got the ability.

You guys will all be on the Bowers bandwagon.

Give it about a month or two...

Originally Posted by EMB6903

You guys will all be on the Bowers bandwagon.

Give it about a month or two...

If we move to a 4-3, I'm already a fan. If we stay in a 3-4, no.

There ya go EMB...

Jan. 5, 2011


CLEMSON, SC - Clemson unanimous All-America defensive end Da'Quan Bowers will enter the 2011 NFL draft. Bowers announced the decision on Wednesday. A freshman in 2008, the native of Bamberg, SC had one year of eligibility remaining with the Tigers in 2011.

Link

Whats great about it is we have the entire crop to choose from. and very well could rob a team whose trying to move up for Gabbert, Mallet, or Newton.

Originally Posted by robert ethan

This will likely be the deepest draft ever with all the juniors declaring due to the uncertainty ahead. There are a pile of great prospects in the 20-40 range, guys like Nate Solder, Jeremy Beal, J.J. Watt, Kyle Rudolph, Jimmie Smith, Ryan Kerrigan. Smart guys who follow the straight and narrow as well as being great athletes. Something similar to what McDaniels and Xanders did last year in order to acquire Thomas and Tebow. But they will be trading from much higher in the draft so it may take a lot of work. I think the #2 overall is worth 3 picks in the 20s via the draft value chart. If they manage some semblence of that, Bingo!

Unless Dareus moves up (most rankings I've seen put Fairley & Bowers at 2 or 3 with Dareus at 6-9), I'd be perfectly happy moving down to get Dareus and just one bonus pick 20-40.

Originally Posted by EMB6903

Whats great about it is we have the entire crop to choose from. and very well could rob a team whose trying to move up for Gabbert, Mallet, or Newton.

It would be and and

I go along with Bowers, Fairley and Dareus. (Clay is the honorary pick.)

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Nick Fairley will play anywhere, except in the cold
Posted by Mike Florio on January 16, 2011, 10:17 PM EST
In the pre-draft poking and prodding, the things an incoming rookie says can have as much impact on his eventual placement — and payday — as the things he does.

In declaring his intention to forgo his final year of eligibility at Auburn and head to the NFL, Fairley made an observation about his first NFL destination that some teams could view as a red flag.

Asked where he wants to play at the next level, Fairley said (via Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com), “It doesn’t matter as long as it’s not cold.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...t-in-the-cold/