Our mock draft so far has not taken many surprise turns. Most of the picks would be considered safe picks. Cam Newton is a question mark, but his talent and potential are undeniable. The Jaguars are now set to select and make a pick that will raise some eyebrows.
The Jags have several needs to address, but decide to go this route:
Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
Jacksonville is deciding to take a chance on Smith, whose on-field skills are not in doubt. He ha sthe potential to be an absolute shutdown cornerback and has been compared by some to Nnamdi Asomugha of the Raiders. He does everything well in coverage except struggles making interceptions. You might say that this is an important thing, but considering he showed the ability to completely shut down receivers without taking the ball away is something to live with.
His supposed character issues are not going to come into play. Jacksonville feels that whatever happened in Smith's early college years are behind him, and he owned up to his mistakes. In a division that has Peyton Manning, having an island to eliminate one of the several offensive threats that the Colts have is about the only way they can go.
Next up in the draft are the New England Patriots and the pick they received in the trade that sent Richard Seymour to the Raiders. Cory Williams will bring us that pick.
Check out the mock draft on the Arizona Cardinals team blog Revenge of the Birds to see who both the community and the writers are projecting.
2011 SBN AZ Mock Draft recap:
1- Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn (Jess Root)
2- Denver Broncos: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M (Cory Williams)
3- Buffalo Bills: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri (Scott Howard)
4- Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green, WR, Georgia (JR)
5- Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU (CW)
6- Cleveland Browns: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson (SH)
7- San Francisco 49ers: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina (JR)
8- Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn (CW)
9- Dallas Cowboys: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama (SH)
10- Washington Redskins: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama (JR)
11- Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska (CW)
12- Minnesota Vikings: Tyron Smith, OT, USC (SH)
13- Detroit Lions: Cameron Jordan, DE, California (JR)
14- St. Louis Rams: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue (CW)
15- Miami Dolphins: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama (SH)
16- Jacksonville Jaguars: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado (JR)