Early mock draft: Without Luck (but with luck), Vikings will take QB Cam Newton

Quarterback Andrew Luck's decision to stay at Stanford will have a domino effect on the top of the NFL draft, including the Minnesota Vikings.

[Huge Jazz]

He scares me.

To me the 2 biggest questions with him, or any of those children you're going to make instant gazillionaires of, are:

1. Is he a student of the game? Brady, Manning, Brees, all the good ones spend countless hours studying film, the playbook, strategy, defenses and so forth.

2. Does he really love to play or is he just really good at it? There is a BIG difference. JaMarques Russell and Vince Young were good at it in college but it seems they didn't love the game to put the time into improving.

People laugh and poo-poo at the idea but character matters.

[Wake Up People]

This is all fantasy! Cam Newton won't fall to the Vikings!! Here are the players that the Vikings could land at #12-

Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU Move Winfield to Safety
Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson replaces Edwards
Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin Replaces McSlogo (McKinnie)

Unless Cam Newton has a seriously bad game, there is no way he falls to #12! Besides, Heisman winning QBs don't fare well in the NFL. Another note, even if Josh McDaniel is the OC, he can do the same thing with Joe Webb and use the #12 for a left tackle!

Trade McKinnie to Miami or Jacksonville! Even for a #4 or 5, just get rid of him already!

Go Vikings~

[Mark]

A few points of silliness:

Gabbert will be the first QB picked.

Arizona will not have Fitzgerald past next year.

#12 is way too high for Newton

[Mark]

Huge Jazz wrote:

People laugh and poo-poo at the idea but character matters.

Character does matter. It's no secret that the Patriots and executives from their tree look at players with character, who were team captains, leaders, people from solid family back grounds. They definitely seem to have a winning formula.

I don't now what Newton's situation is, but character does indeed matter.

[steve]

There is no way Newton will slip that far. He is the next Steve McNair or even better.

[Its Over]

If you ask me, our backfield is already pretty loaded with Gerhardt, Peterson, Harvin, Tahi, and Webb. Adding another rushing QB too me, almost ensures teams are going to load the box on us. Look, I think Newton is a phenomenal talent, and he maybe as good or better than Vick, but it took Vick 3 seasons in Atlanta, a 2 year prison sentence, and a year in Philadelphia for him to get this good. The jury is still out on Vince Young, but he has yet to get into a playoff game. Too me, if you're going to take Newton, you have to bench him his first year. He's not really a pocket passer, and he will run more than he throws. So you still need another QB to go with him. Personally, I don't see that type of guy on the horizon (at least not among the major programs, and certainly not among the winning programs). We're probably looking for some one from Maryland, or Purdue, or some place like that.

[65erz]

Carolina, San Fran, Tennessee, will not pass on QB's.

Buffalo has already stated their contentment with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Vikings won't take Cam Newton at 12. They would stick with Joe Webb first.

Gabbett and Mallett are the only first round QB's the Vikes would consider.

More logical scenario for drafted Vikings QB:
Jake Locker in the 2nd or Andy Dalton later

[Justice]

The fans will revolt if they draft another running QB project!

[Frank]

FYI--Jake Locker plays for Washington as far as I know...not Auburn.

[pjack]

By the way Locker doesn't play for Auburn dude... perhaps that shows how early and stupid this is. The Vikings need a quarterback, but they need a cerebral kind of quarterback that can play for 10 good years... not a flash in the pan or running quaterback. The running quarterbacks run for a reason, because their down-the-field prowess is lacking, they can't work their progressions and make the throws. This usually has something to do with processing information. I wouldn't say they are dumb, just that they can't process info at an acceptable level. Newton would be hard to pass up (if he fell that far - probably won't), but whether he has the ability to process info to be an elite NFL quarterback like a Matt Ryan, Matt Stafford or Sam Bradford - probably not because he's survived on physical gifts, not mental ones.

[Whatever]

I think I'm gonna throw up.

Florida -- Newton arrested for possesing stolen merchandise. Suspended, then left the school.

Auburn -- Newton involved in a pay-for-play scheme that alleges his father tried to sell his son's services to the highest bidding school.

Gimme a break. The Vikings can't afford to take chances on a guy who might be of questionable character.

[Whatever]

Newton --*possible* character issues...

Gabbert -- played exclusively in the shotgun formation. Will he be successful learning to take snaps from under center?

Mallett -- supposedly a punk. Still haven't heard why people are convinced of that, but his body language in interviews isn't helping him shake that perception.

Locker -- big disappointment in 2010, but his team also had a terrible defense that forced him to play catch-up in too many games.

Maybe this isn't the right year (again) to find the future franchise QB??

[Nothappy2paymore]

They could get Jesus in the first round and still manage to loose all of their games. The Vikings are a bad team in a bad stadium in a bad league. Why do you watch. What is you ignorant?

[Joe Kapp]

How can we say it convincingly? WE DON'T Need the DRAMA that Cam will bring.

[Jake Locker]

No please don't draft cam newton. He's gonna be a bust, I can just sense it. Another Jamarcus Russell, funny cause people are comparing him to Russell, which is not a good thing. I would get Jake Locker. I think Gabbert and Newton are going to be bust.

[Jake Locker]

Whatever wrote:

Newton --*possible* character issues...
Gabbert -- played exclusively in the shotgun formation. Will he be successful learning to take snaps from under center?
Mallett -- supposedly a punk. Still haven't heard why people are convinced of that, but his body language in interviews isn't helping him shake that perception.
Locker -- big disappointment in 2010, but his team also had a terrible defense that forced him to play catch-up in too many games.
Maybe this isn't the right year (again) to find the future franchise QB??

I take Locker. He's a good QB on a bad team playing against good competition. If he has Harvin and Rice to throw to and Peterson to hand off to, I bet he would play a lot better.

[Rampant speculation]

This whole article is flawed...he doesn't even mention GA WR A.J Green. I see him going #1 in several national mock draft publications...and he's not even in this guys top 10?
Besides we haven't even the Jan 15 deadline for underclassmen declaration for the draft, free agency, and most importantly the pending CBA.
And last but certainly not least the all telling NFL COMBINE.

Chill everyone

[Jeb]

Who is the idiot that wrote this article and put Locker goin to Wash after saying int he article he isn't coming out in the draft. Newton as good as Vick? Does anyone remember Vick Singlehandily leading VT to the championship game? C'mon, he's no Vick. Auburn is good all around, VT wasn't.

[sid hartman]

all the talent in the world doesn,t fix stupid!!! t-joke ?

[rpmwr19]

This Mock is just bad. Your first three picks are possible but after that...
The Bengals already have Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph. Drafting a nickel corner with the fourth pick in the draft? In your scenario they would definitely take AJ Green
You have Bowers going to a 3-4 team when he's a 4-3 rush end
Carimi isn't even the top player at his position..
And Cam Newton is a flash in the pan.