If crowd-sourcing is to be believed, Jake Locker may be waiting quite some time to hear his name when the 2011 NFL Draft rolls around. Locker has been rising in many a 2011 NFL mock draft, but the SB Nation bloggers clearly don't hold him in high regard. We've seen Locker as high as No. 10 in a few mock drafts, but he remains as polarizing as ever and difficult to nail down.
When it came to the SB Nation blog mock draft, Locker was picked by the Buffalo Bills, owners of the No. 3 overall pick. But Buffalo didn't take him in the first round, nor did any other SB Nation blogger. Instead, Locker came off the board at No. 34 as the second pick in the second round. Brian Galliford saw Locker as a value pick and scooped him up because of it.
When a player as athletically gifted and clean off the field as Locker falls to the second round, there's probably a good reason. In this case, he really was disappointing as a senior from a development standpoint, has major ball placement and recognition issues, and is generally very raw. He's got a long way to go on the mental side of the game.
Check out the rest of Galliford's write-up and more analysis on the pick.
The SB Nation bloggers clearly remain down on Locker, who has been labeled a boom or bust draft pick. His physical tools are outstanding, but accuracy questions and concerns about his ability to grasp a playbook remain. Locker impressed at his pro day and has looked good in combine situations, but his game tape leaves much to be desired. The SB Nation mock draft confirms he's about as hard to nail-down as they come, and draft day could be a nervous time for Locker.
For more on Locker from a Washington Huskies standpoint, check out SB Nation's UW Dawg Pound. For more on Locker and the 2011 NFL Draft, stay tuned to this StoryStream.