The pick is in for the Tennessee Titans in the 2011 Daily Norseman Community Mock Draft, as Mock Goodell once again strides to the podium with mock raccoon eyes due to wearing his sunglasses too much:
"With the eighth pick, the Titans select...Nick Fairley, Defensive Tackle out of Auburn."
Yes, the huge national championship performance against Oregon from Fairley has finally paid off, as he helps shore up one of Tennessee's holes on defense. Fairley dominated the poll with about 40% of the roughly 300 votes our readers submitted. No other option was able to collect more than 15% of the vote.
Up next is the team we all love to hate (not named Green Bay), the Dallas Cowboys. Just like the Vikings, the 'Boys will enter the 2011 season with a new full-time head coach that was promoted from interim status. While I'm sure Jason Garrett will get some input on who's picked here, we all know that the final decision will go to owner Jerry Jones. So who should JERRAH select?
The Cowboys are one of the few teams picking ahead of the Vikings that aren't looking for a quarterback. However, the offensive line has been an issue in Big D for quite a while now. Tony Romo is one of the best at moving outside of the pocket, but last year showed that shoddy protection can render Romo's talent useless with one big hit. It might be a stretch for the Cowboys to pick an offensive lineman at this point in the draft, but it's definitely a big need.
Another major area of concern for Dallas is their porous secondary. I'm certain that the 'Boys would love a player like Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara on their squad, but they're already off our hypothetical board. The secondary talent in the draft definitely drops after those two, so Dallas might be reaching for a safety or corner as well.
So will Dallas gamble and fill a position of need here, or will they simply take the best player available? Well, that's where you guys come in.
Picks Thus Far
- Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
- Denver Broncos - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
- Buffalo Bills - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
- Cincinnati Bengals - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
- Arizona Cardinals - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
- Cleveland Browns - A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
- San Francisco 49ers - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
- Tennessee Titans - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn