2011 NFL Mock Draft: Who’s No. 1?

January 10, 2011   ·   Ryan Rudnansky   ·   Jump to comments

2011 NFL Mock Draft: Who's No. 1?
After Stanford's Andrew Luck decided to return to school for his senior year, the Carolina Panthers found themselves in a peculiar situation.
They now won't have the next "Peyton Manning," as some have suggested, and they are stuck picking between Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, LSU's Patrick Peterson, and Auburn's Nick Fairley.
At least, these are who I think would be the likely candidates.
The Panthers could be losing part of their secondary in the offseason in Richard Marshall (who reportedly has been told he won't be back next season in a Panthers uniform). That leaves an opening for maybe top corner Patrick Peterson to fill.
The Panthers' top need is QB, but they'll have to decide whether Gabbert is a franchise quarterback or not.
The Panthers also need a run-stopper in the middle. Enter Auburn's Nick Fairley. That will plug up that hole real nice. It will also provide defensive pressure; Fairley had 11 sacks this year.
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