2011 NFL draft Recap
Over whelming excitement just for a taste of football filled the air as the NFL draft hit New York. We all had such huge expectations for our teams to draft that can’t miss player. As fans we really think we know what our team needs and what positions they must fill. Chances are the teams decisions many times do not line up with our expectations but we can all dream. Fact is that the 2011 draft in many ways didn’t go as expected. There were many trades and draft day decisions that left you scratching your head. In this recap we will cover the first round and other surprises that occurred last weekend.
NFL Draft Round 1
1. Cam Newton-Quarterback-Carolina Panthers
2. Von Miller- Linebacker- Denver Broncos
3. Marcell Dareus- Defensive Tackle- Buffalo Bills
4. A.J. Green- Wide Receiver- Cincinnati Bengals
5. Patrick Peterson- Cornerback- Arizona Cardinals
6. Julio Jones- Wide Receiver- Atlanta Falcons
7. Aldon Smith- Defensive Tackle- San Francisco 49ers
8. Jake Locker- Quarterback- Tennessee Titans
9. Tyron Smith- Offensive Tackle- Dallas Cowboys
10. Blaine Gabbert- Quarterback- Jacksonville Jaguars
11. J.J. Watt- Defensive End- Houston Texans
12. Christian Ponder- Quarterback- Minnesota Vikings
13. Nick Fairley- Defensive Tackle- Detroit Lions
14. Robert Quinn- Defensive End- St. Louis Rams
15. Mike Pouncey- Center- Miami Dolphins
16. Ryan Kerrigan- Defensive End- Washington Redskins
17. Nate Solder- Offensive Tackle- Chicago Bears
18. Cory Liuget- Defensive Tackle- San Diego Chargers
19. Prince Amukamara- Cornerback- New York Giants
20. Adrian Clayborn- Defensive End- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21. Phil Taylor- Defensive Tackle- Cleveland Browns
22. Anthony Castonzo- Offensive Tackle- Indianapolis Colts
23. Danny Watkins- Offensive Guard- Philadelphia Eagles
24. Cameron Jordan- Defensive End- New Orleans
25. Jonathan Carpenter- Offensive Guard- Seattle Seahawks
26. Jon Baldwin- Wide Receiver- Kansas City Chiefs
27. Jimmy Smith- Cornerback- Baltimore Ravens
28. Mark Ingram- Running Back- New Orleans Saints
29. Gabe Carimi- Offensive Tackle- Chicago Bears
30. Muhammed Wilkerson- Defensive End- New York Jets
31. Cameron Heyward- Defensive End- Pittsburgh Steelers
32. Derek Sherrod- Offensive Tackle- Green Bay Packers
There were a few surprises in the first round such as the Falcons moving all the way up to get Julio Jones at number six and the Vikings taking Christian Ponder with the number 12 pick when quarterbacks like Dalton and Mallet still on the board. A few names that you may recognize that went later:
2nd round pick 35- Andy Dalton- Quarterback- Cincinnati Bengals
2nd round pick 36- Colin Kaepernick- Quarterback- San Francisco 49ers
2nd round pick 38- Ryan Williams- Running Back- Arizona Cardinals
2nd round pick 51- Da’Quan Bowers- Defensive End- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2nd round pick 52- Marvin Austin- Defensive Tackle- New York Giants
3rd round pick 71- Demarco Murray- Running Back- Dallas Cowboys
3rd round pick 74- Ryan Mallet- Quarterback- New England Patriots
4th round pick 116- Casey Matthews- Linebacker- Philadelphia Eagles
7th round pick 254- Cheta Ozougwu- Defensive End- Houston Texans
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By Sam Adams
Pro Football Fans Staff Writer