2011 NFL Draft: The Carolina Panthers Have a Fairley Easy Decision To Make

February 14, 2011   ·   Steven Ruiz   ·   Jump to comments

The key to winning football games is controlling the line of scrimmage.
The Carolina Panther have the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft because they were dominated on the line, week in and week out.
But the question remains, what position on the line do you address first, end or tackle?
That is, Clemson’s DeQuan Bowers or Auburn’s Nick Fairley?
For anyone who watched the BCS National Championship, the answer is simple. Nick Fairly was a one-man wrecking machine and single-handedly disrupted the vaunted Oregon offensive attack. Cam Newton got the accolades, but Fairley won Auburn that game.
Bowers also showed the ability to dominate a game, but his performances were on a much smaller stage. It is one thing to dominate in the ACC, and another to do it in the NFL. And very few can do it from the defense end position. Julius Peppers, the player Bowers has been compared to, disappeared in games much too often while in Carolina, and he was virtually nonexi...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com