The 2011 NFL draft is just a few days away. Most teams are spending this week finalizing their draft boards and sending out feelers for potential trades. Here are some whispers and opinions I've gathered from talking to scouts, team personnel, and agents: - The Houston Texans are 'desperately' trying to move up to get Patrick Peterson, but the inability to trade players means they'll probably miss out. Denver would be a willing dance partner at #2, but the Texans don't have the ammo to move up unless they are willing to give up next year's 1st along with this year's #11 overall and #73. A little birdie tells me that Amobi Okoye would have ameliorated both sides for the #73 selection, but that cannot be done. Houston also has a surplus of tight ends and running backs that they would love to convey into additional picks, but the lockout snuffs that plan. The Browns at #6 are the next likely trade candidate, and there just might be some legs there if Peterson lasts that long. - I know of three teams that removed Da'Quan Bowers completely from their draft boards, but that doesn't mean he won't get drafted in the top 20. It only takes one, and at least two teams that I know of that are picking in the top 20 still have him very highly rated. I very seriously doubt he falls beyond #18, though it might not be the Chargers picking him there. - It's not a smokescreen coming from Cincinnati; the Bengals are indeed infatuated with Andy Dalton. But they are not alone, so expect a bidding war for the ability to move up into the bottom of the first round to pick him. It's not a coincidence that Bill Belichick announces on national radio that he is listening to offers for #28, or that the Seahawks let it be known they'll happily fall back from #25. Those are advertisements for teams wanting Andy Dalton, according to one very knowledgeable birdie I trust. - Your guess is as good as mine as to where Ryan Mallett winds up. I've asked about 20 different people 'in the know' about Mallett and got about 20 different opinions as to his draft stock and likelihood for NFL success. It's not out of the question he goes as high as #8 overall, but it's just as likely he falls to the 50s. I can't recall a player with that kind of wide open draft range this close to the actual draft. My best guess is that he winds up going in the 20-28 overall range, but that is strictly a monkey-with-a-dart kind of guess. - I know most folks expect the Vikings to address their QB situation early, but two different, unconnected people have told me they very strongly believe the Vikings are going defensive line at #12 and won't reach at #43 if the QB they want there (Christian Ponder) is gone. Read that as: Corey Liuget or Nick Fairley will be the #12 pick (my educated guess is Liuget), and they are not Colin Kaepernick or Ricky Stanzi fans. I'm more confident about the former statement than the latter, which I think is some smoke. - Don't be surprised if Derek Sherrod comes off the board before Anthony Castonzo. His higher upside is of greater value to some teams than Castonzo's more limited (but already attained) ceiling. Sorry Bears fans, but none of the top four tackles (Tyron Smith, Sherrod, Castonzo, Carimi in that order of selection) will fall anywhere close to #29. I do strongly believe Nate Solder falls further than most people project, as he's seen as more of a project by NFL people than the overall draftnik community. And yes, I used the word 'project' with two different pronunciations and meanings in the same sentence. English is freakishly difficult to learn and comprehend, remember that when you want to chastise immigrants that are sincerely making an effort to learn it! - Much is being made of the potential for no running backs to be selected in the first round, but I'm finding that the second round might not see more than three RBs come off as well. Mark Ingram and Mikel Leshoure will not fall past the top 47 (that's not an arbitrary number), but the next backs in line--Ryan Williams, Demarco Murray, Kendall Hunter--might be waiting until late Friday night to hear their names called. - One assistant coach of a team picking in the teens told me earlier this week that the two players they really want at their spot are players they did not bring in for official visits. On the flip side, they brought one player many suspect they are heavily interested in multiple times, but they have no intention of taking him whatsoever. I guessed one of the non-visit players off the top of my head: Mike Pouncey, who stands a very good chance to be drafted higher than his brother, who went 18th overall a year ago. Mike should send some of his signing bonus to his brother, because he is not on Maurkice's level in my opinion and would be a 2nd rounder if his twin wasn't so darn awesome last year. - If you're looking for a player that might unexpectedly fall, pay some mind to Ryan Kerrigan. The near-unanimous opinion I get from inside the NFL is that he's a 'good-not-great' player and a 4-3 left defensive end. That's not a high priority for most teams, and they would prefer more bang for their top 20 buck. This led to an extended conversation with a current director of collegiate scouting about players considered 'safe' but having lower ceilings. The two names that came up were AJ Hawk and Aaron Curry, who have both been somewhat underwhelming and disappointing considering their draft slots. Kerrigan isn't anywhere close to a top 5 pick like those two were, but he carries the similar type of likely NFL future: solid starter, but not a difference maker. Interestingly (to this Lions fan anyways) the other name he brought up: Jeff Backus. He said his team was more interested in getting a higher-end player with more risk than a largely average player for a decade. His quote, "If you're thinking about maybe replacing this guy in a few years and he's your first round pick, you failed. First round picks aren't supposed to be place holders. They're the stars you build around." I suspect, and he does too, that many teams carry that philosophy this year. That could be bad news for Ryan Kerrigan. I don't think it will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if he fell to the 30s. - A couple of names to watch on Saturday that are steadily rising: Texas CB Chykie Brown and Minnesota QB Adam Weber. Brown was largely hit and miss at Texas, but teams like his length and his confidence. He also performed well at breaking down film, which wasn't always obvious from his play. Weber gets overlooked because Minnesota was mostly awful during his four years as a starter, but his toughness and perseverance are assets at the next level. He's smallish but has intangibles through the roof and was coached by a former NFL OC in Tim Brewster, who has Belichick-tree connections and has gone out of his way to promote his former pledge. He's not the runner that Jake Locker is, but they are stylistically similar and come from comparable collegiate backgrounds. For teams that missed on Locker in the late 1st/early 2nd, Weber might make a nice fallback plan in the 5th/6th round. - Baylor NT Phil Taylor has 'done a great job with damage control' concerning his character issues that led to his dismissal from Penn State, according to a source I talked with. This person, who has met with Taylor several times, says Taylor has clearly shown better maturity and perspective on being 'a young knucklehead'. He also said Taylor has continued to work hard on his conditioning and it shows. Don't be surprised if the massive Taylor bubbles up into the top 20. - For those of you that like to concoct your own mock drafts, your top 7 picks had better be (not necessarily in order): Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, A.J. Green, Robert Quinn, Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, and either Julio Jones or Patrick Peterson. I really don't see any other potential gate-crashers to that elite range other than someone really reaching for a QB. Look for my '32 fearless draft predictions' on Friday, followed by an updated mock draft on Monday, with a final mock draft next Wed. night! Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com