Marcell Dareus might be the blue chipper with the fewest lingering questions and concerns entering the 2011 NFL Draft. While he might not be projected to have the same kind of ceiling as Cam Newton or A.J. Green, he also looks like just about the safest pick on the board, provided he can prove he has a NFL work ethic.
The enormous mock draft database at DC Pro Sports Report shows a staggering 80 percent of 2011 mocks have the Alabama Crimson Tide stud going No. 2 to the Denver Broncos, making him even more of a sure thing than Cam Newton at No. 1. Not that anything about the NFL Draft is a sure thing until it's good and over, you understand.
If he slips, he's not expected by very many people to make it past the Buffalo Bills. After a quick glance, it looks like only five mock drafts from the past month -- after his stellar NFL Combine performance -- have him going No. 4 or lower.
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