Jake Locker The No. 1 Pick?

Because it’s never too early to think about the NFL Draft, we bring you the front-runners for 2011. According to The Orlando Sentinel, Jake Locker will be the No. 1 pick.

“If you had to ask me right now who is going to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, I would say it’s etched in stone it’s going to be Jake Locker,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said earlier this month. “You can mark that down. Jake Locker, if he’s not the No. 1 pick, it’s an upset.”

Which is remarkable. Locker’s a terrific player, but he has played one year in a pro-style offense, and his team has gone 9-28 in his three seasons. That’s your etched-in-stone No. 1 pick?

By the way, in the past 13 years, 10 quarterbacks have been drafted No. 1, and it’s hardly a who’s who of NFL greats: Peyton Manning, Tim Couch, Michael Vick, David Carr, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Alex Smith, JaMarcus Russell, Matthew Stafford, and Sam Bradford. Aside from the Mannings, they have a grand total of two playoff victories (both by Vick).