Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Auburn product was selected by Carolina just months after winning the national championship. Newton would go on to become the first rookie to throw for 4,000 yards en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Newton was one of 12 quarterbacks selected in the 2011 NFL Draft.
2011 NFL Draft Top Ten
Five of the first six picks in the 2011 NFL Draft came from the SEC. After the Denver Broncos selected linebacker Von Miller from Texas A&M with the second overall pick, the next four would come from the SEC. The Buffalo Bills took Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus at number three, Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green went to the Cincinnati Bengals at number four, while the Arizona Cardinals picked LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson at number five.
The top 10 was rounded out by:
- Atlanta Falcons – Julio Jones (WR, Alabama)
- San Francisco 49ers – Aldon Smith (LB, Missouri)
- Tennessee Titans – Jake Locker (QB, Washington)
- Dallas Cowboys – Tyron Smith (OT, USC)
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Blaine Gabbert (QB, Missouri)
In all, a total of 38 players were taken from the SEC.
Notes from the 2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft took place during a league-imposed lockout. As part of the lockout, teams were unable to trade any players on their roster for draft picks. Teams also couldn’t trade draft picks after they had already been selected.
A total of 254 players were selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, 39 of which were cornerbacks. A total of 32 linebackers, 28 wide receivers, 27 defensive ends and 24 running backs were also selected. Every player taken in the first seven picks has been named to at least one Pro Bowl. In all, 20 players from the draft have been named to the Pro Bowl.
In the fifth round, the Seattle Seahawks drafted Stanford cornerback Richard Sherman, who helped lead the team to a Super Bowl title during the 2013 season.
“Mr. Irrelevant” was defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, who was selected by the Houston Texans with the 254th and final pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Download: 2011 NFL Draft