Well, after winning a BCS Title at Auburn, it looks like Nick Fairley is headed to the NFL. This impressive defensive lineman should be a lock for the top 5 in the 2011 NFL Draft. Fairley led the Auburn Tigers defensive squad that was very impressive against the run for most of the year. They made big stops when it matter, especially in the BCS Title game.
He has the size and speed for a big man to cause havoc to quarterbacks in the NFL. I would look for him to start from day 1 and be an immediate impact player just like Suh was with the Detroit Lions.
Along with Cam Newton, there should be some big expectations coming from Fairley, now matter who drafts him come April. But the truth is, whenever the Nick Fairley jersey is raised on that day, he will get many cheers…. and a huge contract to go along with it. The top 10 picks make much of their money in guaranteed money, as well as, endorsement deals. As long as he does not have a terrible NFL combine, he is a lock to be at least in the top 5.
Will Carolina take him first? Will he slip a bit? It is way to early to tell where Nick Fairley will get drafted, but he looks like he is almost a lock, barring injury of course, of being a very good pro. Weird things do happen, but many times linemen are drafted very high for a reason.
NFL Football is much different than college, but for linemen the basics are the same. The game does not change a whole lot, only the players get a lot better. The other positions have a much longer learning curve in the NFL and many do not contribute much for the first few years. However, many expect the big guys to come in and start right away.
With the draft only 3 months or so away, we need to start thinking about it, even though the Super Bowl has not been played yet! Well, the Lions just snagged up Fairley. What a steal. He could have gone in the top 3. Everyone now will want a Lions Fairley jersey, so order yours now.
