“A month ago,” NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said Saturday, “I had significant questions about Cam Newton. But now, after studying him, I’ve bought into his skill set. Mechanically, he’s more advanced than Tim Tebow or Vince Young were entering the NFL. Now I have to buy into the kid. After God and family, in whatever order you have them, if football’s not next on your list of life priorities, then I don’t want you. If he’s that entertainer and icon guy, well, that’s the hard part of figuring out this pick.”
Someone in the top five is going to fall in love with Newton and take him. Carolina? Can’t see it, not with arch-conservative Jerry Richardson having to sign off on it and GM Marty Hurney, who still likes Jimmy Clausen, having to bypass a more sure thing defensively in favor of a quarterback. Peter King of Sports Illustrated doubts that Denver, at No. 2, will pull the trigger on a passer.
Now Buffalo or Cincinnati — either could go Newton. But King doesn’t think it will be No. 5 Arizona; he hears the Cards don’t like him. And Gabbert will not get past Arizona.