The interesting part of the 2011 NFL draft order is complete -- the non-playoff team part. We know the top 20 in the 2011 NFL draft order but the NFL playoff picture will decide how No. 21-32 round out. But we do know that the Carolina Panthers have the top pick in the draft while the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills follow them. The top five is rounded out by the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals.
Missouri Tigers QB Blaine Gabbert has been called a first round pick, if he decides to leave Mizzou early, and some analysts even have him as the second ranked quarterback behind Standford QB Andrew Luck. So where will Gabbert go? I'm having trouble finding many teams at the top that need a quarterback.
The Panthers recently drafted Jimmy Clausen and would take Luck first. The Broncos invested a first round pick in Tim Tebow. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a solid year in Buffalo and even got some Pro Bowl votes. The Bengals still have Carson Palmer and Arizona has John Skelton and Max Hall, while Cleveland invested a third round pick in Colt McCoy. The 49ers are certainly looking for a quarterback and it's possible the Titans are, too. The Cowboys aren't looking for a quarterback but the Redskins are.
The Redskins would be the perfect scenario for Blaine Gabbert. He would be going to Mike Shanahan, who has done a solid job with quarterbacks in his day, and with Donovan McNabb likely leaving there wouldn't be much competition for him.
Of course a million things change between now and the 2011 NFL draft in April. There's the all-star games, the combine, interviews and workouts with the teams, free agency and all sorts of things that will make a player rise a round or two or drop a round or two.
Here's the NFL draft order as we know it:
1. Carolina (2-14)
2. Denver (4-12)
3. Buffalo (4-12)
4. Cincinnati (4-12)
5. Arizona (5-11)
6. Cleveland (5-11)
7. San Francisco (6-10)
8. Tennessee (6-10)
9. Dallas (6-10)
10. Washington (6-10)
11. Houston (6-10)
12. Minnesota (6-10)
13. Detroit (6-10)
14. Miami (7-9)
15. St. Louis (7-9)
16. Jacksonville (8-8)
17. Oakland (8-8)
18. San Diego (9-7)
19. New York Giants (10-6)
20. Tampa Bay (10-6)
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