2011 NFL mock draft season is in full force already with the 2011 Senior Bowl taking place this week. We're seeing all kinds of mock drafts on Missouri Tigers QB Blaine Gabbert but the consensus seems to be he'll be one of the first two quarterbacks taken.
Don Banks of SI.com thinks he'll be the first quarterback taken and he'll be picked very high -- third overall by the Buffalo Bills.
Scouts like Gabbert's arm, his football sense and his prototypical NFL size. Now all he has to do is give them a comfort zone that his transition from Missouri's spread offense to an NFL-style passing game won't be more than he can handle. The Bills' defensive front needs help, so Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is tempting. But if Gabbert is deemed franchise QB material, No. 3 seems like the right time at the right price in whatever rookie wage scale is to come.
If you think he's the guy, then pull the trigger no matter the cost. If he's not the guy, the Bills can't go wrong with defense. They currently have QB Ryan Fitzpatrick who did okay last season but it's unclear if the Bills will be seriously considering a quarterback at that spot.
The Bills are still in a rebuilding mode so Gabbert likely wouldn't see immediate success. If he did go to Buffalo, I could see him sitting for a year (or more) while they play Fitzpatrick.