We stand exactly one month away from the 2011 NFL Draft and there is still no movement on the labor front. It appears that the draft may be the only thing going on with the league for a while. SB Nation makes its projections regarding the first round of the draft, and little changes with the Arizona Cardinals, except that they have a difficult choice. They, however, do not land quarterback Blaine Gabbert from Missouri or Auburn's Cam Newton, as they both are gone before the Cardinals pick at No. 5.
The pick for Arizona is still Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, who is described as "a perfect fit for the Cardinals." That is very hard to argue. He is the best pure pass rusher in the draft and projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker to rush off the edge, a great need for the Cardinals.
The hard part of the decision is the fact that LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is projected to still be available. Peterson is considered by many the most talented player in the draft. The Cardinals could use a corner of his talent. Likewise, if he ends up needing to move to safety down the line, he would provide a replacement for Adrian Wilson when needed. Peterson, in this mock draft, falls two picks further, landing with the San Francisco 49ers, which is a bummer for Cardinals fans.
Three QB's go in the first round. Gabbert goes No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers, Newton goes No. 4 to the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington's Jake Locker stays in the Pacific Northwest and is drafted by the Seattle Seahawks at No. 25.
The first 10 picks of the mock draft round out like this:
1- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri (Panthers)
2- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn (Broncos)
3- Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson (Bills)
4- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn (Bengals)
5- Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M (Cardinals)
6- Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama (Browns)
7- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU (49ers)
8- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska (Titans)
9- Tyron Smith, OT, USC (Cowboys)
10- A.J. Green, WR, Georgia (Redskins)
To join in on the draft conversation about the Cardinals, head on over to Revenge of the Birds and chime in.