Now that the NFL rookie draft is over the QFL rookie draft scenarios are a lot more clear. In this post QSN takes a second stab at mocking the QFL’s 12th annual rookie draft.Â
2011 QFL Mock Rookie Draft
| Pk | QFL Team | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Draft Pos | Projection |
| 1 | FRNQ | Daniel Thomas | RB | MIA | 62 | Jay won’t double down on New Orleans players (already owns Brees) because Daniel Thomas is the same or better due to less competition for the starting job and with unproven QB (plus for an RB) and long Dolphins history of dedication to the run game. |
| 2 | QBC | Mark Ingram | RB | NO | 28 | This is a franchise changing pick for QBC. Jim and Ian will fall all over themselves to grab Ingram who would normally go #1. The RB alternatives currently on their roster otherwise include: Bradshaw ($4 L3), Jacobs ($10 L1), Tomlinson ($2 L1), Snelling ($2 L1), Derrick Ward ($1 L1) and Jerome Harrison ($6 L1). |
| 3 | QTang | Ryan Williams | RB | ARI | 38 | However tempted Benny may be to handcuff Bowe with Jonathan Baldwin, take homer pick DeMarco Murray or back-up last year’s #2 pick, Jahvid Best, with Mikel Leshoure, it’s too early in the first round for moves like that. Ryan Williams could turn out to be a steal if Arizona has really given up on Beanie Wells and Hightower. This could be Benny’s best alternative to paying Forte $21. |
| 4 | SwineQ | Julio Jones | WR | ATL | 6 | At last season’s rookie draft Paul selected three WRs: Brandon LaFell #12, Emmanuel Sanders #19 and Marcus Easley #22. We’ll see on Sanders but there was a time when Paul had a knack for drafting WRs and this pick may return him to that past level of respect. This pick could get us to forget Limas Sweed #8 overall (ahead of Ray Rice in 2008) and think more about the epic 2006 selections (Jennings #21 and Brandon Marshal #24). SwineQ owns four rookie picks in 2011; this one and #16, #21 and #24. |
| 5 | OrigQ | AJ Green | WR | CIN | 4 | I could see Rishi reaching for Kendal Hunter here depending on what he does with Gore’s $29 L3 contract, but based on pure talent he won’t pass up Green. OrigQ runs 3-4 WRs every week so a new stud for the rotation will be great… unless the Bengals have no QB to throw him the ball of course… If Green’s QB situation weren’t so unclear he would be more highly ranked. |
| 6 | QUnet | Jonathan Baldwin | WR | KC | 26 | You could see another reach situation here where Barron feels Jacquizz Rodgers won’t fall to his #18 pick so he takes him here to backup Turner. But Turner is a $27 L8 so he could become a free agent himself meaning Barron just targets a starter. |
| 7 | QBC | Alex Green | RB | GB | 96 | I would be shocked if QBC was aware enough to even consider Alex Green here, instead I’m sure they’ll take Cam Newton with their second selection in the first round. |
| 8 | BQP | DeMarco Murray | RB | DAL | 71 | It made sense for BQP to think QB with this pick before the NFL draft but now Shades has to be happy enough about his QB situation with Julio Jones on board to pay Matt Ryan’s rookie contract increase to $12 L1. That leaves a bunch of backup RBs available at this point in the draft that I expect a run on them in favor of the deep QB class. |
| 9 | SOQ | Steve Vereen | RB | NEÂ | 56 | On second thought BQP will select Vereen with the #8 pick and immediately trade him to SOQ for this pick and “future considerations”. Otherwise there is no way Scott can resist the ultimate homer pick. I’m 100% certain that Scott will get a fathead of Vereen if he falls to him here. |
| 10 | QU | Mikel Leshoure | RB | DET | 57 | This is the first time Hans has picked outside the top-2 in three years. The tragic thing is Hans should be picking #2 overall this year, but he traded the pick to QBC (i tried to figure out what the trade was for but I couldn’t find a record). Instead Hans’ QU franchise only owns the #10 pick which he got from FahQ in a deadline beating trade for Jamaal Charles (O, $4). But don’t feel too bad for Hans, he did find Hakeem Nicks with the #13 pick in 2009. This is QU’s only pick in 2011. |
| 11 | TenQ | Kendall Hunter | RB | SF | 115 | Before the NFL draft it was difficult to imagine there being enough RB depth in the 2011 rookie class for TenQ to follow the team’s usual pattern of drafting an RB no matter what (11 of last 15 picks going back to 2004 have been on RBs), but this mock draft makes it seem like the 2011 class is pretty good. Gore is actually getting old. |
| 12 | TenQ | Jacquizz Rodgers | RB | ATL | 145 | I would be happy with Turner’s backup all the way up to #8. Turner is a stud but when he goes down the Falcons always have a great replacement. Im assuming Snelling and Norwood move on. |
Â
Too bad most of these rookies might not get a chance to practice with their teams or see their playbooks until just before the season starts. It could mean that this class ends up being terrible because they essentially spend their first year on the sidelines and then get washed in with the 2012 rookie class who has practiced and seen their playbooks for an off-season. Not the greatest picture for this rookie class.
Shades