The 2011 NFL Draft’s First Round

In what may have been one of the fastest first rounds of the NFL Draft I have ever seen, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walked out to boos to open it up and came out to boos with nearly every pick announcement in the first round.

The 2011 Draft marked the 11^th time in the last 14 years that a quarterback was taken 1^st overall.  The streak started in 1998 with some guy named Peyton Manning.  It also was just the third time overall that three quarterbacks were taken in the Top 10 and the first time since 1999 when three QB’s (Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith) went 1-2-3.

The SEC lead the draft in first round picks with ten selections as Alabama had the most with four.  Other schools with multiple picks were Auburn, Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado and Baylor all having two in the first round.  Auburn also became just the 4^th school to have three #1 overall picks in the draft as Cam Newton joined Bo Jackson (1986) and Aundray Bruce (1988) as the War Eagle Number 1’s.

After the SEC the Big 12 had eight picks, Big 10 had six, ACC with three, PAC 10 had three, the Big East and MAC each had one.

There were two big trades in the first round involving Cleveland as they traded #6 overall to Atlanta for #27 (1^st round), #59 (2^nd round), #124 (4^th round) and a 1^st round and a 4^th round in 2012.  The Falcons then selected WR Julio Jones out of Alabama. Later the Browns also traded with Kansas City taking the Chiefs pick at 21 to grab DT Phil Taylor from Baylor.  The Chiefs also added a 3rd round pick in the deal.

Washington traded the 10^th overall pick to Jacksonville for the 16^th overall and the 49^th pick (2^nd round).  The Jags used #10 to grab QB Blaine Gabbert from Missouri.

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As for the Patriots they stayed at #17 and just when we thought they would take Cameron Jordan a DE from Cal they went with Nate Solder an OT from Colorado.  Solder is listed as 6’8”, 319 and would make an imposing linemate with Sebastian Volmer. Solder originally recruited as a tight end was moved to OT and was a three years starter for the Buffaloes.  He is expected to need some work with line coach Dante Scarnecchia to get up to speed but is considered a strong pick.

When it came time for the Patriots to pick at #28 they traded the pick to New Orleans who then took Mark Ingram a running back from Alabama and the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner.  In return the Patriots got #56 (2^nd round) and the Saints first round pick in 2012.  Bill Belichick loves spinning those picks into more picks and he has done it again.  So now the Patriots have three picks in the second round and two in the third round on Friday night and double Number 1 picks in 2012.  With Ingram going 28^th as the first running back in the draft it’s the latest that’s happened since 1963 when the first back was taken 24^th.

But the story of the night has to be Baylor OG Danny Watkins going to Philadelphia he is a 26 yr. old rookie who has played hockey, rugby and has been a firefighter in Canada.  He is a real lunch pail type guy and the Eagle fans will love him.

While the strangest move of the night though belongs to Baltimore while on the clock the Ravens let the ten minutes run out on pick 26 so they got bumped allowing Kansas City to officially move from 27 to 26 and then Baltimore picked 27 after the Chiefs.  And with the 26^th pick the Chiefs kept the Big East from being shut out of the first round and took Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin.

Here is the complete first round:

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