Mock Draft 1.0

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton The QB position is hands down the most important position on any NFL team. If you are in the position to have the number one pick and you are not set at QB, I think you have to consider going qb unless there is an A+ pass rusher or left tackle. The highest rated prospects are patrick peterson a CB, von miller a LB, and marcel dareus a DT. Those positions rarely go number one overall in the NFL draft. It will be interesting to see if the potential rookie salary cap in the new collective bargaining agreement reduces rookie wages to the point where, teams will just take the best player since it won't cost them as much. Carolina has a good offensive line and a good running game, but they need the threat of the pass which their qb's didn't give them last year. If I'm Ron Rivera and I saw all the film of Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore, I would not feel comfortable enduring my first season with either of those two as my starter. Cam Newton had arguably one of the best college football seasons by a QB in the history of the game. 51 TD's, 4300 total yards, won the national championship, won the Heisman, and did all of this as a first year starting qb in the most difficult conference in all of college football. His size and athletic ability are off the charts. The media seems to portray him as having off the field issues of immaturity, an ego, and lazy habits relating to preparation and practice. Carolina doesn't have the benefit of signing a free agent or trading for Kevin Kolb with the labor dispute, so they take Cam and his video game numbers.

2. Denver Broncos: Patrick Peterson If you take the consensus top prospect in the draft with the second pick, how is that a bad thing? I have been reading some of the past year NFL draft re-do's on NFL.com and the consistent findings seem obvious. Take the best players. Peterson is going to be solid for many years. Don't you want that with your first round pick?

3. Buffalo Bills: Von Miller The bills have a ton of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. They are not going to fill out their roster in one draft. Von Miller provides a safe pick, gives the bills a pass rusher which they desperately need, and will immediately help their defense.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: Marcel Dareus With Newton off the board, the Bengals bolster their defensive line. AJ Green is a consideration, but the Bengals have an interesting group of young receivers which they are really high on. I don't think Gabbert is their guy. Is it me or does a guy I never heard of before this draft process, and only had 16 td's with 9 int's his final year not sound very enticing as a top 5 selection?

5. Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert I'm not convinced he will be a NFL caliber qb, but really that is from my lack of knowledge about the kid. His stats don't stand out, but I have never even seen him play. I think they groom him and try to sign Hasselback or Bulger.

6. Cleveland Browns: AJ Green The browns can't go one more year without getting a decent wr for their offense. Green would be an immediate upgrade, and gives them a player who actually will provide a threat for a change.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Robert Quinn With the top 2 qb's off the board the 49ers address their limited pass rush with Quinn.

8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley They add a disruptive DT to anchor their line.

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith The cowboys line was a mess last year. They need to infuse youth and talent.

10. Washington Redskins: Julio Jones The Redskins need a young speedy play maker on offense badly. Shanahan seems to have lost his team and his mind. I almost want to give him a qb like Ryan Mallet here...