Our latest SBNation NFL mock draft has been released and there’s a new No. 1 overall. In our first post-combine mock draft, the Panthers are selecting Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, who actually declined to throw at the combine.
It’s an interesting pick for the Panthers, who just drafted three QBs last year including Jimmy Clausen in the second round. This pick probably depends a lot on the new coaching staff’s evaluation of Clausen and whether they think he’s a good starting QB in this leauge. Even if they like Clausen, conventional wisdom would say that you never pass on a franchise QB, but the fact is that Blaine Gabbert is not the kind of prospect that Sam Bradford was last year or Andrew Luck will be next year. Giving new coach Ron Rivera an elite defensive prospect like Nick Fairley and giving Clausen another year may be the safest route.
As for the Eagles, the mock has them taking Wisconsin OL Gabe Carimi. So has almost every other mock draft in the world. I’ve commented on it a hundred times. It’s a solid pick, but I really have nothing new to say.