Nick Fairley satisfies the greatest need, and I think there’s a much greater chance he’s the No. 1 pick in the wake of his tremendous Co-National Championship performance (congrats, by the way, to Auburn and TCU for winning it all.) The question is, would Carolina’s new regime pay No. 1 overall money to a defensive tackle who is labeled a dirty player? Fairley could actually lead the NFL in personal foul penalties next year.

Green, in my opinion, is the best available talent. He is the next of the elite receivers in the mold of Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Steve Smith is a rapidly declining player, so it’s not like the Panthers don’t need a wideout. Green is my early favorite to go No. 1 overall, though Fairley has made things a lot more interesting.

But as Facebook friend Horace S. wrote, the Panthers continue to lose even though the season’s over. It’s quite apparent that Jimmy Clausen is not the answer. I made a huge mistake when I really underestimated how important it is not to be a loser in college. If you’re a winner as a quarterback, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll succeed in the NFL. However, if you can’t win, I think it says something about your attitude. And I’m not just referring to wins and losses. Clausen is not a leader; conversely, seems to have this Matt Leinart-esque sense of entitlement.

Clausen just doesn’t seem to have “it.” Granted, he had no help from his teammates – malcontent Steve Smith dropped a ton of passes and the offensive line refused to block – but Clausen lost all confidence in himself and his body language was absolutely abysmal. Maybe he can get it together somewhere down the road, but he’s not even close to being ready as an NFL starter.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Nick Fairley, DT – The Panthers’ pass rush stinks and there’s a huge hole at defensive tackle. Fairley was unblockable in the Co-National Championship.

2. Da’Quan Bowers, DE – Carolina needs to improve its pass rush. Maybe they’ll look past the bad tape and prior inconsistency, and instead see Bowers as the next Julius Peppers.

Nick Fairley, a great fit in either the 4-3 or 3-4, has been unstoppable. He completely dominated Alabama’s offensive line on Thanksgiving weekend. And everyone saw what he did to Oregon’s poor offensive front in the Co-National Championship.

Despite being a defensive tackle, Fairley could easily go No. 1 overall. If the Panthers don’t take him, he’s not making it past the Broncos.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Patrick Peterson, CB – If Nick Fairley is off the board, the Broncos will probably take Patrick Peterson. Champ Bailey is a free agent, while Perrish Cox could be headed to prison on a rape charge.

2. Da’Quan Bowers, DE – If the Broncos move to a 4-3, Da’Quan Bowers will be an option. Robert Ayers would be the projected left end, though he would probably have more success in a 4-3 himself.

First, Terrence McGee can’t stay healthy. He’s a good player, but he’s missed 12 games in the past two years. At 30 years old, his best days are behind him as well.

And second, Peterson is the best player on the board. Cornerbacks are seldom taken in the top three, but then again, we said the same thing about defensive tackles prior to the 2010 NFL Draft. Like Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, Peterson is a special sort of talent that doesn’t come around very often.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Robert Quinn, DE/OLB – Aaron Maybin is a bust and could be cut this offseason. Help is needed at rush linebacker.

2. Da’Quan Bowers, DE – If the Bills opt to stick with the 4-3, Da’Quan Bowers will be considered.

Da’Quan Bowers makes sense here. He would project as a great complement to Carlos Dunlap, who had an outstanding rookie year. Plus, if there’s one team that’ll look past Bowers inconsistencies and poor tape, it’s the Bengals.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. A.J. Green, WR – If the Panthers pass on A.J. Green, the Bengals will take him.

2. Robert Quinn, DE – The other defensive end option.

With that in mind, the best player available who makes sense for the Cardinals is Robert Quinn. The Cardinals have a sorry pass rush (26 sacks prior to the Dallas game) and will be letting go of some of their ineffective veterans this offseason. Quinn, who projects well as a 3-4 rush linebacker, would fill a huge need for Arizona.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Prince Amukamara, CB – The Cardinals had issues at cornerback early in the year, but that’s been somewhat resolved. Still, they may like Prince Amukamara enough to take him.

2. Blaine Gabbert, QB – Hey, I’ve been wrong before. But I don’t see this happening.

The worst player on Cleveland’s stop unit is defensive end Brian Schaefering, who took over for an injured, free agent-to-be Robaire Smith. He has to be upgraded.

Marcell Dareus is the best player on the board who would help improve Cleveland’s defense. Dareus hasn’t been as dominant as some would have hoped this season, but he’s still a top-10 prospect capable of playing in any scheme.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Prince Amukamara, CB – With Eric Wright coming off a poor year, the Browns need someone across from Joe Haden.

2. Julio Jones, WR – Cleveland desperately has to find a play-maker for Colt McCoy.

I have faith that Harbaugh will see right through this farce and target a veteran quarterback this offseason. Harbaugh may go after Donovan McNabb in free agency or Kevin Kolb via a trade. Kolb for the team’s second-round pick would be the best option.

At any rate, the 49ers need help at corner. Nate Clements is due $7.25 million in 2011 and $9 million in 2012. For a 31-year-old declining corner, that’s a bit pricey. Meanwhile, Shawntae Spencer is very inconsistent.

While Patrick Peterson is the best cornerback prospect to come along in a very long time, Prince Amukamara isn’t too far behind him.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Blaine Gabbert, QB – The Sun Tan Man is deeply in love with Blaine Gabbert, almost as much as he was with Brian Brohm. Maybe he knows something us common-sense people don’t.

2. Marcell Dareus, DE/DT – San Francisco could use an upgrade at defensive end next to Justin Smith and Aubrayo Franklin. If the Browns pass on Marcell Dareus, he’s definitely an option.

Pick change; previously Blaine Gabbert, QB

However, Tennessee now lacks a franchise signal-caller. It could opt to sign or trade for a veteran, or select a quarterback at No. 8 overall. With Jeff Fisher in his contract year, my thinking is that he goes after someone who can help him win now like Donovan McNabb.

As for this pick, it’ll all depend on what happens with Jason Babin. Babin is a 31-year-old free agent coming off a 13-sack campaign. He may ask for a lot of money, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Titans give him a big contract. The problem is that aside from the 2010 campaign, Babin’s best season was 2006, when he recorded a measly five sacks with the Texans.

If Tennessee doesn’t retain Babin, defensive end will be a big need. A potential replacement could be Aldon Smith. Smith missed some action this year, which would explain why he had only 10 TFL and 4.5 sacks. However, he’s a freak of nature and pretty much a lock for the top 15. Smith has drawn comparisons to Jason Pierre-Paul in terms of raw athleticism.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Blaine Gabbert, QB – Bud Adams may “insist” that his team drafts a quarterback this April.

2. Stephen Paea, DT – If the Titans can’t acquire Albert Haynesworth, they may look for another large defensive tackle.

Pick change; previously Ryan Mallett, QB

The Cowboys could be the first team to move down. In this version of my 2011 NFL Mock Draft, none of the top players available fit Dallas’ needs (RB, CB, S, DE, OL).

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Prince Amukamara, CB – I’ve mocked Prince Amukamara to the Cowboys in recent updates, but he is off the board in this version.

2. Trade Down – Mentioned above.

Pick change; previously Prince Amukamara, CB

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Ryan Kerrigan or Von Miller, DE/OLB – If the Redskins don’t like any of the quarterbacks, they’ll take the best defensive player available. That could be Ryan Kerrigan or Von Miller, both of whom would upgrade a poor pass rush.

2. J.J. Watt, DE/DT – Albert Haynesworth probably won’t be back, so the Redskins will need an upgrade on their defensive front.

Pick change; previously Cam Newton, QB

With the shift to the 3-4, Houston will need a nose tackle to pair with ends Mario Williams and Antonio Smith. DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing would play inside linebacker, while the outside pass rushers would be Connor Barwin and… umm… Von Miller.

Von Miller has really come on strong after a slow, injury-plagued start to the 2010 season. He’s a sack machine who can also drop into coverage.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB – The other rush linebacker option I considered.

2. Brandon Harris, CB – The Texans need help at corner so they can move Glover Quin to nickel. Brandon Harris is a reach here, however.

The Cam Newton Hype Train isn’t running on full speed anymore, as the Co-National Championship exposed some of Newton’s flaws to the viewing public on a national stage. There’s still a good chance he’ll be taken in the middle of the first round because of his upside, leadership and intangibles, but it’s quite evident Newton is not ready to play in the NFL just yet.

Pick change; previously J.J. Watt, DE

Akeem Ayers is a talented linebacker capable of playing multiple positions in any scheme.

Pick change; previously Aldon Smith, DE

Jones’ downfall is the inconsistency with his hands, but he’s an elite talent otherwise. He was great in the Auburn game, and has lifted his stock after a slow start. The fact that he’s playing hurt only helps, as teams will love his toughness.

Pick change; previously Justin Blackmon, WR (going back to school)

However, the Dolphins could be desperate enough to pull the trigger. They really have nothing at the quarterback position, so they’ll draft a signal-caller unless they can sign a veteran like Donovan McNabb, Marc Bulger or Brett Favre (yes, Brett Favre).

With Aaron Kampman coming off his second ACL tear in two years and Jeremy Mincey unproven, Jacksonville desperately needs help at defensive end.

Ryan Kerrigan had an amazing senior campaign and has moved into top-10 consideration. He led the nation with 26 TFL to along with his 12.5 sacks. It looks like he’s this year’s version of Brandon Graham (in terms of his situation as a draft prospect).

Even with Ty Warren due back next year, the Patriots still need help on their defensive line. Cameron Jordan had an incredible season with 12.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks.

Nate Solder is a bit raw, but has tremendous athleticism and upside. He’s going to thrive at the Combine.

Pick change; previously Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB

Tyron Smith is drawing rave reviews from various scouts and appears as though he’ll be taken in the middle of the first round this April. Highly athletic at only 290 pounds, Smith has the frame to put on a lot of bulk. He shut down Cameron Jordan in their matchup this season.

Pick change; previously Akeem Ayers, OLB

One team that will ignore Clayborn’s character concerns is Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers desperately need an outside pass-rusher to complement Gerald McCoy.

Justin Houston has really opened up some eyes with 19.5 TFL and 11 sacks as a junior this season. He has soared into top-25 consideration.

Pick change; previously Julio Jones, WR

Left tackle Charlie Johnson will be a free agent in March 2011. He’s definitely not the elite blind-side protector Manning needs.

Gabe Carimi, who played well to close out the year after a slow start, is perfect for Andy Reid’s blocking scheme. Carimi can take over for Winston Justice, who was benched in the playoff loss to Green Bay.

Stephen Paea projects as a nice complement; he’s a 310-pound tackle who had 11 TFL and seven sacks on the year.

Brandon Harris said he was “85-percent sure” he was heading back to Miami before declaring last week. Harris is a talented corner, but struggled in his team’s winter exhibition game against Michael Floyd.

Pick change; previously Mark Ingram, RB

Cameron Heyward really struggled at times this year, but had an outstanding State Farm Sugar Bowl. He’s back to being a mid- to late-first-round prospect.

Pick change; previously Nate Solder, OT

Mike Pouncey, brother of Steelers Pro Bowl rookie center Maurkice Pouncey, fits well into this blocking scheme.