newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JON LESNIK

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

If your favorite NFL team is coming off a bad season, this is the week you look forward to.

The 2011 NFL Draft.

This is the week everyone gets to play General Manager deciding what your particular team needs, and who they should fill it with in their own 2011 NFL mock Draft.

This year's draft has been affected by the lockout of the current NFLPA. With the league pursuing another lockout, team's that would make draft day trades because they filled a free agent need in the off season before the draft, now may hold onto the pick and either try to fill the spot in the draft, (and thereby bypassing another need) or draft for a future need.

Teams that need quarterbacks can't look to free agency this year until a new CBA is signed. This has prevented teams like the Philadelphia Eagles from entertaining trade talks for backup Kevin Kolb. The lockout has made this year's quarterback class, a mediocre one by past standards, more important as a number of teams need to fill the quarterback spot on their depth chart.

For the second year in a row, the NFL has moved the draft to Thursday night prime time in an attempt to get ratings and the advertising dollar. The first round will take place Thursday night April 28, rounds 2-3 will take place Friday, and rounds 4-7 will be completed on Saturday. Critics of the new draft format, this writer included, believe that the new draft format started last year takes away from the all day affair the draft used to be when it started Saturday afternoon.

But just like who your favorite team selects with its first pick, it is not our decision or choice.

What is known is that the New York Jets need defensive line help, and the New York Giants need help at linebacker and the offensive line.

And if Cam Newton is still on the board after Carolina, Buffalo and Arizona pick, every mock draft in the country can be thrown out because nobody will have gotten that right. This of course creates more anxiety and anticipation about who is available and whom your team can select.

Which is why the draft is always a lot of fun. It is as much fun for a fan to be wrong as right

With that in mind, here is an analysis and prediction of what to expect this coming week

2011 NFL MOCK DRAFT PREDICTIONS

1) Carolina Panthers — Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn

2) Denver Broncos — Marcel Dareus, Defensive Tackle, Alabama

3) Buffalo Bills — Von Miller, Linebacker, Texas A&M

4) Cincinnati Bengals — A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Georgia

5) Arizona Cardinals — Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback, Missouri

6) Cleveland Browns — Robert Quinn, Defensive End, North Carolina

7) San Francisco 49ers — Patrick Peterson, Cornerback, LSU

8) Tennessee Titans — Nick Fairley Defensive Tackle, Auburn

9) Dallas Cowboys — Prince Amukamara, Cornerback, Nebraska

10) Washington Redskins — Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Alabama

11) Houston Texans — Brandon Harris, Cornerback, Miami

12) Minnesota Vikings — Ryan Mallett, Quarterback, Arkansas

13) Detroit Lions — Anthony Castonzo, Offensive Tackle, Boston College

14) St. Louis Rams — Aldon Smith, Defensive End, Missouri

15) Miami Dolphins — Mark Ingram, Running Back, Alabama

16) Jacksonville Jaguars — DaQuan Bowers, Defensive End, Clemson