2011 NFL Mock Draft thread.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Longtimefan

There is something different about the NFL Draft. Granted, you have to be a real sports dork to care about things like drafts--but if you do, there is nothing quite as intriguing. Every team has the possibility of filling all the various holes that their fans have spent months screaming about. Every player, no matter how nondescript, is a potential gem, an all-star-in-waiting.

But the NFL Draft is full of complexities, which has largely to do with the high level of specialization in the NFL these days. There are two ways that a team can significantly change itself in the draft. It can draft a dominant player, who'll simply make the team better. Or it can draft a domino player--someone who makes some aspect of the team (like the pass rush, or a nickel package, or third-down efficiency) better, in turn making an entire side of the ball better, in turn making the team better. The inexact science of sports is well-documented, certainly, and there is a great deal of science in trying to figure out the many variables that go into drafting a player and signing him to a multi-million dollar contract.

It's difficult to figure out which players are best in a game situation, and it's even tougher to figure out where they fit in the scheme of a given team. NFL teams spend millions of dollars on scouting services and people who can sort through all the stats and stories....and... "they still don't have a clue"

Mock Draft experts are like baseball players. Even if you're out up to 70% of the time you're still one of the best in the game.

But there's really no way to fully know what teams are thinking. Even people, such as people in the media, who have more access and info than the general public still don't have access to I'd say 60% (if not more) of what teams are discussing/thinking