The only certainty about mock drafts is that NFL general managers do not participate in them. Why should they? They are, or ought to be, too busy to pay any attention to them. Plus, they get to do the real thing. They don’t need no mock.
There is a certain wisdom of the crowd in mocks. They are measures of the flow of the first round. To help you get ready for the fun tonight, here are a few mocks to check out:
The Bloguin 2011 Mock Draft – Has the Redskins selecting wide receiver Julio Jones. Redskins Hog Heaven participates in this mock.
DC Pro Sports Report 2011 Mock Draft Database – Tracks 384 mock drafts. DE Robert Quinn is the consensus pick.
Mike Mayock’s mock draft on NFL Network – Has the Redskins selecting CB Prince Amukamara. That pick was pooh-poohed by my friends at the other hog heaven here.
Live Ball Sports 2011 NFL Draft Big Board – Big Boards rank NFL talent. They are not mock drafts. This board was put together by Redskins Hog Heaven contributor Greg Trippiedi who prides himself on independent analysis. Every NFL team has a big board. Greg concludes that only four players in this class are true can’t-miss-from-day-one “elites.” Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Robert Quinn and Julio Jones do not make that list.
Optimum Scouting’s 2011 Mock Draft – Allows for theoretic trades. Thus, Optimum Scouting has the New England Patriots selecting Julio Jones with the 10th pick after moving up to Washington’s spot in exchange for the Pats’ spare first rounder (17th overall) and two third-round picks. The ‘Skins trade that pick to St. Louis for the 14th pick and select QB Jake Locker. Whew! Only the son of George Allen could cook up that kind of deal. (Kudos to Optimum Scouting for thinking through this scenario.)
SB Nation’s 2011 Mock Draft – SB Nation is an astounding story as a sports media giant growing from citizen sports writers. We’d have no credibility if we did not include their mock. The guys at HogsHaven.com selected DE Robert Quinn.
The fun begins at 8:00 PM EDT tonight. Assuming teams have about 20 minutes between selections, the Redskins should make their selection around 10:00 PM. A prior commitment keeps me away from technology at that time (I question my priorities), so look for recaps late tonight or early tomorrow.
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