Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has been the buzz of the 2011 NFL Draft since the day he declared. Sure teammate Nick Fairley has seen his time in the sun, but Newton has always been the main focus.
Despite a so-so workout at the NFL Scouting Combine, Newton's stock has been sky-rocketing.
He's currently selected as the top pick in roughly 8 percent of the mock drafts in our database, with and average selection of 8.4. This is up considerable (or down, depending on which stat you use) in the last two weeks and I expect his first pick percentage will double in the next week or so.
Now, just because mock drafters are starting to believe Newton is the top pick, doesn't make it so. But I will point to three well respected and prominent figures that each have Newton going #1 in their recent mock drafts: WalterFootball.com and both Rob Rang and Chad Rueter at CBSSports.com/NFLDraftScout.com.
Newton struggled throwing the ball at times at the combine. But in two private workouts, the critques have been nothing but positive. A better judge is what he's done on the field.
Consider also who is bringing Newton in for a private workout. It's a who's who of the top picks in draft. Maybe some of these teams are showing artificial interest in hopes to lure a trade. Even if that is the case, it means the word is out around the league, Newton is hot.
I still have my concerns and they aren't about his talent. He's thrown exactly 282 passes at the FBS (Div-I) level. Compare that to 920 by Blaine Gabbert, 945 by Ryan Mallett and 1148 by Jake Locker.
Do more passes make one better? No. It simply means the other quarterbacks have a larger body of work in which to evaluate. With Newton we are going off one magical season. Auburn's system is also predicated on run deception and misdirection, which in college can often lead to wide open receivers. Can Newton go through a progression in a more typical NFL-style offense? The jury is out on this one.
Regardless of what you and I think of Newton, it is clear the Cam Train building up steam and the next stop could be the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.