SB Nation's first 2011 NFL Mock Draft after the deadline for underclassmen to declare is out. Previous mock drafts relied partly on speculating about which players would go pro before their senior year, prompting some picks to already be inaccurate despite the 2011 NFL Draft being three months away (i.e. the first edition, which had the Detroit Lions selecting Janoris Jenkins, who decided to return to Florida).
With the pool of players that can be selected for the 2011 NFL Draft now locked in, SB Nation's latest mock draft has the Lions selecting California defensive end Cameron Jordan with the 13th overall pick. Like the second edition of the SB Nation mock draft, which had the Lions selecting Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn, the reasoning for the pick is that adding a talented defensive end to an already talented defensive line would add even more depth and provide a long-term replacement for Kyle Vanden Bosch.
One of the more interesting things about the new SB Nation mock draft is that Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara isn't predicted to be picked until the Dallas Cowboys go on the clock with the ninth selection. In the first two mock drafts he was predicted to be taken fifth, but the new one has him going four picks later. Perhaps the best-case scenario for the Lions in the first round of the NFL Draft is somehow ending up with Amukamara, who would bolster the secondary. While a trade might be necessary to be in a position to select the former Nebraska Cornhusker, it would be a lot easier to move up four spots rather than eight.
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