Sporting News has another fun 2011 NFL mock draft, projecting the Seattle Seahawks will take a wide receiver. Among the many mock drafts out there, quarterbacks, running backs and defensive tackles seems to be the three positions of need identified for Seattle going forward, but wide receiver is a new one. Washington quarterback Jake Locker also makes an appearance as his stock steadily climbs as we inch closer to April’s draft.
Here’s how it breaks down, according to Sporting News.
Jake Locker is the seventh pick, heading to NFC West rival San Francisco. Came Newton’s stock fell this week, bumping Locker into the top10 as the second quarterback taken. Both the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers are projected to take a quarterback, with Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert listed as the Cardinals’ pick. Ryan Mallett leapfrogged Newton as well, going 10th to the Washington Redskins. Expect the quarterbacks to continue shuffling around as each showcases their skills in workouts and the combine.
Michael Floyd is listed as the Seattle Seahawks pick, but Floyd will be returning to Notre Dame. The beauty of early mock drafts, released before the Jan. 15 deadline for early entries, is the fluid nature of the prospects involved. Floyd has been a consensus first-rounder, but opted to stay at Notre Dame one more year. Still, it’s interesting to see a wide receiver as the pick for Seattle, which may have greater needs for both the present and future.
With the quarterback shuffle well underway, expect Locker’s draft stock to continue to fluctuate, with expects trying to balance potential performance and his present development level. There’s no question his upside is sky-high, but how it translates at the NFL level is something scouts will continue to examine under the microscope ahead of April’s NFL Draft.