2011 DSA Player Rankings 1.0

With the 2011 NFL Draft approaching, it is time to release the first Draft Slot Average Players rankings. I have used the previous months to refine and rework the rankings system to better reflect players positions when they are not included in mock drafts.

Last year I used a score of 35 for any player who was not included in a mock draft, and discovered that the prospects were bunched up together in the rankings. This year I have made adjustments to the rankings system that I believe will better reflect the players positions. I will be releasing the DSA rankings after accumulating 10 mock drafts, and any player who is not included in any of those 10 will be given a score of 33 if left out of one, 34 if left out of 2, 35 if left out of 3, and so forth up to 41 for each of the nine drafts they are not listed in. So with the changes I have just outlined, here are the DSA Player Rankings 1.0 for 2011:

1) Nick Fairley 1.00
2) Da'Quan Bowers 2.70
3) Patrick Peterson 3.80
4) A.J. Green 4.60
5) Marcel Dareus 6.60
6) Von Miller 6.60
7) Blaine Gabbert 7.50
8) Cam Newton 8.50
9) Robert Quinn 8.60
10) Prince Amukamara 9.00
11) Cameron Jordan 12.80
12) Julio Jones 14.90
13) Aldon Smith 15.30
14) Nate Solder 16.20
15) Akeem Ayers 18.60
16) Ryan Kerrigan 19.10
17) Tyron Smith 20.60
18) Adrian Clayborn 21.20
19) J.J, Watt 21.40
20) Mark Ingram 21.50
21) Justin Houston 23.30
22) Brandon Harris 23.40
23) Ryan Mallett 24.50
24) Gabe Carimi 25.60
25) Corey Liuget 25.70
26) Anthony Castanzo 26.30
27) Mike Pouncey 26.30
28) Derek Sherrod 27.20
29) Jake Locker 29.10
30) Jimmy Smith 29.80
31) Cameron Heyward 31.10
32) Phil Taylor 31.90
33) Torrey Smith 32.00
34) Stephen Paea 32.20
35) Jonathon Baldwin 33.00
36) Muhammad Wilkerson 33.50
37) Titus Young 35.10
38) Mikel Leshoure 35.70
39) Aaron Williams 36.10
40) Danny Watkins 37.10
41) Christian Ballard 37.30
42) Allen Bailey 37.60


Nick Fairley has been a unanimous choice so far to be the #1 Overall Selection of the 2011 NFL Draft. Even last year there were many who couldn't decide between Sam Bradford, Ndamuknog Suh and Gerald McCoy. So in 2011 it looks like the Denver Broncos are the ones on the clock.

For me the two biggest surprises are Jake Locker and Cameron Heyward. Both players would have been easy Top 10 picks in 2010 if they had decided to come out early, with Locker possibly being the top pick of the draft. Of the ten mock drafts I have gathered so far, both Locker and Heyward were included in only 4 each. But with the NFL Scouting Combine coming up this week, a strong performance by Locker and Heyward could easily vault either player back in the good graces of draftniks everywhere.