So...Who Does Carolina Pick at Number 1?

My guess is as good as anyone's. I'm thinking there's really only a pool of 4-5 guys that they would seriously consider taking: Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, and Nick Fairley (Da'Quan Bowers could be in place of Fairley). They need to decide if Jimmy Clausen is their franchise QB first. If he's not, they need to get Gabbert or Newton. Then again, if Ron Rivera is dead set on a QB, he would have some debating to do on which he thinks is the better fit for them. As we all know, Cam has some questions as far as his character goes, but he's a once in a lifetime athlete and talent. Gabbert is safer in those regards, but people worry about the scheme he had at Missouri and how it translates, etc. If they're keeping their options open and they've decided that Clausen is the guy, A.J. Green is a possibility. Big, speedy receiver to help the offensively (and defensively) challenged Panthers and their now second year project of a QB. Patrick Peterson is probably the least likely chosen, but he's there. He would easily become the centerpiece of the defense. Most likely an opening weekend starter no matter where he goes. If they go with Bowers or Fairley, it'll be a big d-line improvement after they lost Julius Peppers. The line wasn't terrible, but it could use an upgrade. Personally, as a Carolina fan, I want them to take Newton. He would share duty with Clausen as a starter and situational QB. He'd be a monster running a red zone and goal line offense that allowed him to run from the shotgun and on play action rollouts. While the draft still goes on, this largely depends on the well-known lockout situation. The court date for the player lawsuit is April 6, but we might not hear anything for a couple weeks after that.