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2011 NFL Mock Draft: Andrew Luck Elects To Stay At Stanford, How Does It Affect The Redskins?

By Mike Prada

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was the consensus number one pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. SBNation.com put him at the top of its most recent mock draft, and so did many others. Except now, there's a problem: Luck has decided to stay at Stanford for his senior season, in a stunning turn of events.

This is obviously bad news for the Carolina Panthers, who had the number one pick and were expected to select the Stanford quarterback. But it's also interesting news for the Washington Redskins, who have the 10th pick in the draft. Barring a miracle, the Redskins weren't going to select Luck, though I'm sure they would have tried. However, quarterback is one of the potential needs for the Redskins next season after the whole Mike Shanahan-Donovan McNabb spat, and now they have one less to choose from.

So what now? The next quarterbacks in the mock draft by SB Nation's Mocking the Draft are as follows:

  • Cam Newton
  • Blaine Gabbert
  • Ryan Mallet
  • Jake Locker
After that, there's a dropoff. Most sites have Gabbert ahead of Newton, and Mallet's stock is sure to drop after a poor Sugar Bowl performance. Locker has also slipped in the eyes of many, and may not be a first-round pick.

Regardless, this could open up more teams that feel the need to get a quarterback earlier. Carolina desperately needs a playmaker, and maybe they reach for one of those four guys. Beyond them, you could argue that Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona, San Francisco and Tennessee could all use quarterbacks. Perhaps those teams will take one of the remaining quarterbacks and leave the Redskins empty-handed. Perhaps the Panthers trade down and take a quarterback. With Luck out of the picture, a lot is in play.

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