ESPN.com reports that the Carolina Panthers have already decided to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft:
Luck is viewed as the top prospect in the country by most draft analysts and the Panthers don’t disagree with that assessment. The team officials said they wouldn’t even consider trading down in the draft if Luck is available …
“I think there are a lot of worse decisions you might have to make in life,” Luck said. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d rather not address that subject anymore.”
It’s a little surprising that the Panthers would tip their hand, or that they would even have a hand this early on, but it isn’t surprising that they’d want Luck. Carolina already has a young quarterback in Jimmy Clausen, but Luck has a lot more upside and is regarded by just about everyone as the top talent in the draft.
I can’t remember seeing a mock draft in the past few weeks that didn’t have Luck at No. 1, but in case it weren’t clear, it sure looks like the Panthers will take him there. We’ll see where the dominoes fall after that.