Updated SB Nation Mock Draft

by Bruce Raffel on Mar 15, 2011 7:00 AM EDT

Another week, another Mock Draft. This time, SB Nation updates its previous Mock Draft and regardless of the lockout due to the failed CBA negotiations, the NFL Draft will go on as planned, beginning April 28th. However, for what is probably the first time, free agency will take a back seat to the draft. In prior years, free agency allows the team to pick through the veteran players to sign the ones that will fill certain holes on the team and then they use the draft to fill in the rest based on their needs and best players available. Now it will be the opposite, with free agency coming at some point once the draft is over. How that will affect free agency remains to be seen.

In the meantime, click here to see SB Nation's most recent Mock Draft, courtesy of Brian Galliford (Buffalo Rumblings). Brian has the Carolina Panthers taking Auburn QB Cam Newton with the first overall pick and the Baltimore Ravens selecting Temple DT Muhammad Wilkerson. Wilkerson is a solid defensive tackle and perhaps worthy of a first round selection. However, with All-Pro Haloti Ngata and second year Terrence Cody, along with veterans Kelly Gregg,and Cory Redding at DT, claiming this is the best player available wouldn't hold water with me based on so many other more critical needs.

What do you think?

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Yeah, I don’t see us selecting a DT in the first round. That is one of our deepest positions on the team. Its going to end up being the best player available, but one that actually fills some need for us. If the best player available is a DT and Ozzie thinks we are stretching for another position, I can see us trading down mighty quick.

In all reality, I will be more surprised if we actually pick in the first round and don’t trade down the boards a bit into the second.

by Mstevens_Design on Mar 15, 2011 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

Wilkerson is defintely worth a late 1st

But isnt a good scheme fit. If he were to play LDE (where Redding plays) he’d need to be a good pass rusher able to turn the corner which is something that Wilkerson lacks.

With guys like Justin Houston and Brooks Reed still on the board its not a great pick IMO

by drd23 on Mar 15, 2011 8:49 PM EDT reply actions