Making the Case for #1

Well draft fans, the day of reckoning is almost here; just 15 days until the 2011 NFL Draft.  However, we still don’t know who’s going to be the number one pick.  In most cases, it’s pretty well known who the team picking first will be taking leading up towards the draft.  That’s because normally there is a clear cut #1 QB like Sam Bradford in 2010 and Matt Stafford in 2009.  Had Stanford, QB, Andrew Luck, declared for this draft than Carolina would have taken him as it’s already been stated.    But after an abysmal season going 2-14 and no clear cut guys at QB, the Panthers could go in a number of directions with the number one overall pick.

Looking at the QB position, the Panthers could still reach for someone like Missouri, QB, Blaine Gabbert even after selecting Jimmy Clausen in the 2^nd round last season.  I don’t think that Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is a fan of a guy like Cam Newton and Gabbert is the only other pro caliber QB worth drafting with the top pick.  Gabbert kind of came out of nowhere when he declared for the draft and some people not have seen him play but he does have the build of a future franchise QB.

Another player that some people have been mocking to the Panthers for a while is A.J. Green, WR, Georgia.  Regarded by many as the top prospect   in the draft, the Panthers definitely have a need at the WR position, having virtually nothing after aging veteran Steve Smith.

The other position people seem to be mocking to the Panthers is defensive line.  For a while people had also been mocking Da’Quan Bower, DE, Clemson to them.  Bowers was regarded as the top rushing prospect in the draft in a league that values guys who can get after the QB.  However, recently there have been rumors that there have been “signs of potential long-term arthritis and some weakness” in his left knee.  This essentially has moved Bowers down many people’s draft boards and probably the Panthers as well.  Marcell Dareus could be another serious option as the Panthers could use help at DT or DE.

At this point I honestly couldn’t say where the Panthers will lean but I’m going to go out on a limb and say they choose the safe pick in Marcell Dareus to bolster that defensive line.  Vote in my poll to tell me who you think the Panthers will take in just a few weeks.