2011 NFL draft

<p>The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual <a href="/facts/National_Football_League_draft/2aHIdgYY">NFL draft</a>, where the franchises of the <a href="/facts/National_Football_League/cBH0hxRV">National Football League</a> select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at <a href="/facts/Radio_City_Music_Hall/RVynVMU5">Radio City Music Hall</a> in <a href="/facts/New_York_City/YlyvFmVC">New York City</a>, <a href="/facts/New_York_(state)/mnl67G1G">New York</a>, over three days: this year, the first round took place on Thursday, April 28, 2011; the second and third rounds took place on Friday, April 29; with the final four rounds on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The <a href="/facts/2010_Carolina_Panthers_season/6eFc5ct9">Carolina Panthers</a>, who had the worst record for the <a href="/facts/2010_NFL_season/lSzwwVCy">2010 NFL season</a> at 2–14, had the right to the first selection in the draft, where they selected <a href="/facts/2010_Auburn_Tigers_football_team/eJmfhuzR">Auburn University</a> quarterback <a href="/facts/Cam_Newton/LxeGqUoj">Cam Newton</a>, who was the 2010 <a href="/facts/List_of_Heisman_Trophy_winners/uEICafYx">Heisman Trophy winner</a>. The 2011 draft is regarded as one of the most talented draft classes in NFL history, as 12 of the first 16 players have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl.
</p><p>A second Heisman Trophy winner, <a href="/facts/Running_back/meHXyVWb">running back</a> <a href="/facts/Mark_Ingram_II/x5oqAeLk">Mark Ingram II</a> from <a href="/facts/2010_Alabama_Crimson_Tide_football_team/uRuNCV0A">Alabama</a> was selected by <a href="/facts/2011_New_Orleans_Saints_season/XrabectF">New Orleans</a> late in the first round.  This was the eleventh draft which included multiple Heisman winners, and the first time ever that it has occurred in consecutive drafts (<a href="/facts/Sam_Bradford/3ugD9Kmo">Sam Bradford</a> and <a href="/facts/Tim_Tebow/9TwxCXxU">Tim Tebow</a> in <a href="/facts/2010_NFL_draft/F3X6LDr4">2010</a>). Five of the first six picks played college football in the  <a href="/facts/Southeastern_Conference/kNJFJC2e">Southeastern Conference</a> (SEC). For the second consecutive year—and the third time in NFL history—the top two selections of the draft won <a href="/facts/National_Football_League_Rookie_of_the_Year_Award/HQMkJByp">Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards</a>, respectively. The top two picks in the draft, Cam Newton and Denver linebacker <a href="/facts/Von_Miller/thdEbhM5">Von Miller</a>, played against each other in <a href="/facts/Super_Bowl_50/Ar9xDpL7">Super Bowl 50</a> on the teams that drafted them. This marked the first time that the top two picks in a single draft faced each other in the <a href="/facts/Super_Bowl/W2dqzqY4">Super Bowl</a>. The Broncos won, with Miller winning <a href="/facts/Super_Bowl_MVP/CjnlgVEg">Super Bowl MVP</a>.
</p><p>Teams were allowed ten minutes to make each selection in the first round, seven minutes per selection in the second round and five minutes in each of the subsequent rounds.  The time allotment ran out for the <a href="/facts/Baltimore_Ravens/kdREN8t3">Baltimore Ravens</a> on their first round pick, allowing the <a href="/facts/Kansas_City_Chiefs/0Bjbyhfn">Kansas City Chiefs</a> to move up to the 26th pick and dropping the Ravens to the 27th pick. Numerous draft prospects displayed <a href="/facts/Pro_Football_Hall_of_Fame/RsETBMlT">Hall of Fame</a> level talent throughout their careers, including three-time <a href="/facts/National_Football_League_Defensive_Player_of_the_Year_Award/keyzWVVa">Defensive Player of the Year</a> <a href="/facts/J._J._Watt/KvAXGNso">J. J. Watt</a>, 2015 <a href="/facts/National_Football_League_Most_Valuable_Player_Award/BRWys0Ff">NFL MVP</a> <a href="/facts/Cam_Newton/LxeGqUoj">Cam Newton</a>, <a href="/facts/Super_Bowl_Most_Valuable_Player_Award/CjnlgVEg">Super Bowl 50 MVP</a> <a href="/facts/Von_Miller/thdEbhM5">Von Miller</a>, 2015 and 2018 receiving yards leader <a href="/facts/Julio_Jones/WBBP2peK">Julio Jones</a>, and perennial <a href="/facts/All-Pro/zmk4NdR1">All-Pro</a> players such as <a href="/facts/Richard_Sherman_(American_football)/BTaRC0hu">Richard Sherman</a>, <a href="/facts/A._J._Green/v6EypEPQ">A. J. Green</a>, <a href="/facts/Tyron_Smith/0Uewh9rX">Tyron Smith</a>, <a href="/facts/Jason_Kelce/cCcS4UUc">Jason Kelce</a>, <a href="/facts/Cameron_Jordan/PmB52xYv">Cameron Jordan</a>, <a href="/facts/Cameron_Heyward/97q4UsUN">Cameron Heyward</a> and <a href="/facts/Patrick_Peterson/xJUWIlyX">Patrick Peterson</a>.
</p><p>The following is the breakdown of the 254 players selected by <a href="/facts/American_football_positions/PRxJ5pWo">position</a>:
</p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><ul><li>39 <a href="/facts/Cornerback/AE6Yog1a">Cornerbacks</a></li><li>32 <a href="/facts/Linebacker/H35YRMPz">Linebackers</a></li><li>28 <a href="/facts/Wide_receiver/lHcKSc0f">Wide receivers</a></li><li>27 <a href="/facts/Defensive_end/aKFXMG9Y">Defensive ends</a></li><li>24 <a href="/facts/Running_back/meHXyVWb">Running backs</a></li></ul></td><td><ul><li>22 <a href="/facts/Offensive_tackle/y2tqFqBf">Offensive tackles</a></li><li>17 <a href="/facts/Defensive_tackle/clGvpjh9">Defensive tackles</a></li><li>14 <a href="/facts/Safety_(gridiron_football_position)/vKIgzauE">Safeties</a></li><li>13 <a href="/facts/Guard_(American_football)/JoGUneGX">Offensive guards</a></li><li>12 <a href="/facts/Quarterback/AFP39x6G">Quarterbacks</a></li></ul></td><td><ul><li>12 <a href="/facts/Tight_end/CGbYeaoB">Tight ends</a></li><li>6 <a href="/facts/Center_(American_football)/u70MK114">Centers</a></li><li>6 <a href="/facts/Fullback_(American_football)/76RuSXDk">Fullbacks</a></li><li>1 <a href="/facts/Placekicker/aR0jRPm2">Placekicker</a></li><li>1 <a href="/facts/Punter_(American_football)/SxbAlk56">Punter</a></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

2011 NFL draft open-in-new

2011 NFL draft