Andrew Luck has shocked the Carolina Panthers and 2011 NFL mock drafters everywhere by deciding to stay at Stanford for another year. This means that we now have no clue who the new consensus No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft is. Luck was clearly the player for the Panthers so now that he's not there quite a bit has changed.
Andrew Luck Stays At Stanford; Who Is New No. 1 In 2011 NFL Draft?
What candidates are there to replace Luck as the top pick?
Here are a few names: Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, Auburn QB Cam Newton, Georgia WR A.J. Green, Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers, Auburn DT Nick Fairley and LSU CB Patrick Peterson. Keep in mind that others will emerge in the coming weeks and months during the NFL Combine and other workouts but someone on that list seems possible at the moment.
I'm not sure that Carolina looks to Gabbert or Newton because they already have Jimmy Clausen at quarterback, who was selected in the second round last year. Though he hasn't looked like the answer, the Panthers may be more willing to wait him out now that there's no sure-fire quarterback in the draft. Keyshawn Johnson was the top receiver in 1996, which worked out well, so the Panthers could also go the receiver route with A.J. Green. Carolina could also consider Bowers and a defensive end seems like a realistic position that would be taken at the top (while cornerback does not). Bowers exploded onto the scene this year so he certainly has momentum on his side. With the success we've seen from Ndamukong Suh at the next level, I wouldn't be surprised to see the momentum shift to Fairley, another big defensive tackle.
The 2011 NFL draft just went from arguing about who the second best prospect was behind Luck to picking any number of guys who could now go No. 1 overall to the Panthers.
For more on this topic, head to SB Nation’s Mocking the Draft.
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