Draft rewind: Newton and Miller top a stacked 2011 event
Draft rewind: Newton and Miller top a stacked 2011 event
From top to bottom, the first round of the 2011 Draft was loaded. While the actual draft featured a few questionable picks, nearly every spot in the redraft is occupied by a Pro Bowl player. The Panthers and Broncos weren’t very good at this point, but Cam Newton and Von Miller would be key pieces when the teams met in Super Bowl 50 four seasons after this draft.
No. 1 (Panthers) Actual pick - Cam Newton, QB Redraft - Newton
Newton altered the course of the Panthers franchise after his arrival. “Superman” took Carolina from a 2-14 record in 2010 to a Super Bowl within five years, winning an MVP Award in the process. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the first of three Pro Bowls after throwing for 4,051 yards in 2011. Four years later, he led Carolina to a 15-1 record before edging Seattle and demolishing Arizona to reach Super Bowl 50. Although the Panthers lost the title to the Broncos, Newton was named the top player in the NFL after registering 3,837 yards and a combined, 45 touchdowns (35 passing, 10 rushing). Not only has Newton set all of Carolina’s major passing records, but he also ranks third in rushing yards (4,806) and tops the team’s rushing touchdown list with 58. He is currently dealing with a Lisfranc fracture in his foot that ended his 2019 season early.
No. 2 (Broncos) Actual pick - Von Miller, LB Redraft - Miller
Although Newton and Miller would be tied together through being the first two picks in the draft, they also would meet on the field of battle in Super Bowl 50, with Miller posting 2½ sacks, six tackles and two forced fumbles in a 24-10 Denver win. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler after sacking opposing quarterbacks 11½ times in 2011, and added 18½ the next year. The seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro have amassed 102 sacks, 26 forced fumbles, and nine fumble recoveries while becoming one of the most intimidating players in the league (despite his humorous Old Spice commercials).
No. 3 (Bills) Actual pick - Marcell Dareus, DT Redraft - Jurrell Casey, DT
Bills fans might be upset with me for replacing the popular and productive Dareus at this spot, but Casey made four straight Pro Bowls and has 48 career sacks, including 10½ in 2013. Originally taken in the third round, he has played 133 games, all with Tennessee.
No. 4 (Bengals) Actual pick - A. J. Green, WR Redraft - Julio Jones, WR
Green has been quite productive, but has faced injuries recently, so the Bengals instead draft Jones, who went from being Roddy White’s sidekick to one of the league’s stars at wide receiver. Jones is a six-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who has 55 career touchdowns. His 11,522 yards includes six times hitting the 1,000-yard mark and leading the NFL twice. Perhaps his best game was a 180-yard, two-touchdown performance in the 2016 NFC Championship game, which the Falcons won to reach Super Bowl LI.
No. 5 (Cardinals) Actual pick - Patrick Peterson, CB Redraft - Peterson
Richard Sherman is more productive, but Peterson is the more exciting player. He was named to the All-Pro Team, the All-Rookie Team and the Pro Bowl after starting all 16 games at cornerback and leading the league in punt return yards (699) and touchdowns (four). The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro have 24 interceptions, 77 passes defended, 406 tackles and 1,816 punt return yards.
No. 6 (Falcons) Actual pick - Julio Jones, WR Redraft - A. J. Green, WR
This pick originally belonged to Cleveland, but Atlanta gave up quite a haul to move up (first-, second- and fourth-rounders in 2011 and first- and fourth-round selections in 2012). With Jones off the board, the Falcons get a nice consolation prize in Green. Before toe and ankle injuries hampered Green the past two years, he was a Pro Bowler in his first seven seasons and amassed 1,000 or more yards six times. His 63 touchdowns top all receivers selected in this Draft, and his 8,907 yards rank second behind Jones.
No. 7 (49ers) Actual pick - Aldon Smith, LB Redraft - Justin Houston, LB
Smith was a talented player, but he lasted just five years in the NFL due to several off-field issues. Instead, the 49ers draft Houston, who was originally selected by the Chiefs early in the third round. Houston is a four-time Pro Bowler who has amassed 78½ sacks, including a league-leading 22 in his 2014 All-Pro season. After eight seasons in Kansas City, he signed with Indianapolis for 2019.
No. 8 (Titans) Actual pick - Jake Locker, QB Redraft - K. J. Wright, LB
Matt Hasselbeck threw for 3,571 yards as Tennessee’s starter in 2011, so the Titans focus on another need, middle linebacker. While Locker went just 9-14 as a starter, Wright has helped Seattle reach two Super Bowls. Wright’s 827 tackles and 521 solo lead all drafted players, and he was a Pro Bowler in 2016 after amassing 124 stops and four sacks.
No. 9 (Cowboys) Actual pick - Tyron Smith, T Redraft - Smith
Smith has been the most productive offensive lineman out of this draft. The Cowboys found a gem in the USC product, who has been named to the past six Pro Bowls and is a two-time All-Pro. From 2013-15, Smith played every single offensive snap in Dallas.
No. 10 (Jaguars) Actual pick - Blaine Gabbert, QB Redraft - Andy Dalton, QB
The Jaguars traded picks 16 and 49 to the Redskins to move to this spot. Gabbert had a decent rookie season before losing the starting job to Chad Henne in Jacksonville. After stints in San Francisco, Arizona, and Tennessee, Gabbert signed with Tampa Bay, but dislocated his shoulder. Dalton, who was taken 35th overall originally, leads all quarterbacks from this Draft with 30,352 yards and 197 touchdowns, but he has yet to taste victory in the playoffs with Cincinnati. He made his first of three Pro Bowls as a rookie and has passed for more than 4,000 yards twice.
No. 11 (Texans) Actual pick - J. J. Watt, DE Redraft - Watt
One of the most charitable players in the league, but also one of the unluckiest when it comes to injury. Watt is a dominating presence when he is healthy, and his five Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections and three Defensive Player of the Year Awards are a testament to that fact. His 96 sacks are second to Miller among drafted players. His five double-digit seasons include 20½ in 2012 (led the NFL) and ’14 (second behind Houston), as well as a league-leading 17½ in 2015. So far, he has lost the majority of three seasons due to injury: 2016 (herniated disc in his back), ’17 (tibial plateau fracture in his leg) and ’19 (torn pec). Watt helped raise more than $40 million for relief efforts after the City of Houston was hit by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
No. 12 (Vikings) Actual pick - Christian Ponder, QB Redraft - Richard Sherman, CB
With Donovan McNabb and Joe Webb on the roster, Minnesota should have avoided Ponder, who went 14-21-1 in four seasons, and instead taken Sherman. The leader of the “Legion of Boom” was originally selected late in Round 5, and has turned his opportunity into four Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections and 35 interceptions (most among drafted players). “Optimus Prime” helped the Seahawks reach two straight Super Bowls before signing with the NFC West rival 49ers in 2018.
No. 13 (Lions) Actual pick - Nick Fairley, DT Redraft - Marcell Dareus, DT
Fairley spent six years in the NFL, mostly with Detroit, before a heart condition essentially ended his career. He also was arrested three times since being drafted. Dareus is a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2014, when he registered a career-high 10 sacks. After six-plus years in Buffalo, Dareus was traded to Jacksonville in 2017. He also had problems with drugs, including a 2014 arrest and two league suspensions.
No. 14 (Rams) Actual pick - Robert Quinn, DE Redraft - Cameron Jordan, DE
Watt is the clear top defensive end from this Draft, but after that, there are several talented options. Jordan is a four-time Pro Bowler who has played 137 games with the Saints. He has 79½ sacks, including four double-digit campaigns and a career-high 13 in his 2017 All-Pro season.
No. 15 (Dolphins) Actual pick - Mike Pouncey, C Redraft - Pouncey
Pouncey’s brother, Maurkice, was selected in 2010, and Mike has become a star lineman in the NFL as well. Pouncey has played in 114 games and four Pro Bowls (three with the Dolphins and 2018 with the Chargers).
No. 16 (Redskins) Actual pick - Ryan Kerrigan, DE/LB Redraft - Kerrigan
Kerrigan has four seasons with double-digit sack totals, and his 86½ overall rank third behind Miller and Watt among drafted players. He is an All-Rookie Team member and a four-time Pro Bowler who has spent his entire career with the Redskins.
No. 17 (Patriots) Actual pick - Nate Solder, T Redraft - Solder
This pick was acquired from the Raiders for defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Solder is the first player in the redraft who has not made a Pro Bowl appearance. He has, however, appeared in 16 playoff games and four Super Bowls with the Patriots, and is a two-time champion. After six seasons with New England, he signed a four-year, $62 million contract with the Giants in 2018.
No. 18 (Chargers) Actual pick - Corey Liuget, DT Redraft - Muhammad Wilkerson, DT
Liuget spent eight seasons with the Chargers, but also was suspended four games for performance-enhancing drugs in 2018. Wilkerson has 44½ sacks, including a career-high 12 in his lone Pro Bowl season of 2015. He signed with the Packers last season, but suffered a serious ankle injury in late September and hasn’t played since.
No. 19 (Giants) Actual pick - Prince Amukamara, CB Redraft - Chris Harris, Jr.
Amukamara has 10 interceptions and 459 tackles with the Giants, Jaguars, and Bears. Harris, an undrafted free agent signed by the Broncos, is a four-time Pro Bowler, a 2016 All-Pro and a champion along with Miller with Denver in Super Bowl 50. He has 497 career tackles and 20 picks, with four returned for touchdowns.
No. 20 (Buccaneers) Actual pick - Adrian Clayborn, DE Redraft - Robert Quinn, DE
Clayborn had a strong start with the Buccaneers, but a knee injury in 2012 and a torn biceps in 2014 cost him most of those seasons. He has 34½ career sacks, but has mostly been a reserve over the past five years. Quinn is a two-time Pro Bowler who has totaled 76½ sacks, including 19 in his All-Pro 2013 season. After seven years with the Rams, Quinn has played for the Dolphins and now the Cowboys.
No. 21 (Browns) Actual pick - Phil Taylor, Sr., DT Redraft - Mark Ingram, RB
The Browns traded the pick they got after dropping out of the sixth spot, as well as pick 70, to Kansas City to move back up to 21. Taylor was another player who suffered injury setbacks. After four years in Cleveland, he signed with Denver, only to sustain a knee injury in training camp. He moved on to Washington, but suffered a torn quad, costing him the 2017 season. Taylor retired before this past season after not having played in the NFL since 2014. Ingram would have filled a need as a starting running back ahead of Peyton Hillis with the Browns. His 6,626 yards are second among backs and his 58 scores on the ground are tied with Newton for the most among drafted players. After two Pro Bowls, two 1,000-yard seasons and a PED suspension with the Saints, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner signed with the Ravens this year.
No. 22 (Colts) Actual pick - Anthony Castonzo, T Redraft - Jason Kelce, C
Castonzo has been steady, but unspectacular, in 125 games for Indianapolis. Jeff Saturday was 35 at this point, so here is a chance for the Colts to take his successor. Despite being drafted late in the sixth round and losing most of the 2012 season to a partially torn ACL and MCL, Kelce is a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro, and he was a starter on an Eagles squad that beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
No. 23 (Eagles) Actual pick - Danny Watkins, G Redraft - Rodney Hudson, G/C
Watkins was drafted by both the NFL and the CFL after his time at Baylor, but his pro career lasted just 24 games with Philadelphia and Miami. After leaving football, he became a firefighter in Texas. Hudson was a guard when he was drafted by the Chiefs late in the second round, but he converted to center and became a two-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders. He played every offensive snap in Oakland from 2016-18.
No. 24 (Saints) Actual pick - Cameron Jordan, DE Redraft - Cameron Heyward, DE
Jordan is no longer available here, so the Saints draft another Cameron instead. After two years as a reserve in Pittsburgh, Heyward has become a two-time Pro Bowler. He had 12 of his 50½ sacks in his All-Pro 2017 season.
No. 25 (Seahawks) Actual pick - James Carpenter, T Redraft - Doug Baldwin, WR
Carpenter shifted from tackle to guard and played in two Super Bowls, but the Seahawks had bigger needs. Sidney Rice and Mike Williams were Seattle’s top receivers, with last year’s pick Golden Tate in the slot. Instead of signing Baldwin as a free agent, the team could select the two-time Pro Bowler here. He was a key part of the passing game on those two Super Bowl teams, and he led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches in 2015. Multiple injuries, including an MCL tear, forced him to retire before the 2019 season.
No. 26 (Chiefs) Actual pick - Jonathan Baldwin, WR Redraft - Randall Cobb, WR
Here we had some fun during the original draft. The Ravens originally sat at 26 and had worked out a trade with the Bears involving the 29th pick. However, Chicago never called the league office to announce the trade, so Kansas City jumped in after the clock ran out and stole the spot. Unlike Seattle’s receiver, this Baldwin never lived up to potential, totaling only 607 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons. Cobb, who the Packers took with the final pick of the second round, has 501 receptions, 5,904 yards and 43 touchdowns in his nine-year career with Green Bay and Dallas. His lone Pro Bowl was in 2014, when he had career highs with 91 catches, 1,287 yards, and 12 scores.
No. 27 (Ravens) Actual pick - Jimmy Smith, CB Redraft - Julius Thomas, TE
Smith has spent his entire career in Baltimore, collecting 13 interceptions and 305 tackles. He had one tackle and two passes defended in Super Bowl XLVII, in which the Ravens defeated the 49ers. However, one of the key positions in Baltimore’s offense is a Tight End, and Thomas would have been an upgrade over Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Thomas, who was drafted late in the fourth round, spent two seasons on Denver’s bench before back-to-back 12-touchdown seasons earned him two Pro Bowl selections. He had four catches in a Broncos loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl 50.
No. 28 (Saints) Actual pick - Mark Ingram, RB Redraft - DeMarco Murray, RB
The Patriots traded this pick to the Saints for pick 56, as well as a first-round selection in 2012. Ingram was a fine complement to Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and later, Alvin Kamara in New Orleans, but he is off the board here. Instead, the Saints choose Murray, a third-round pick whose 7,174 yards are the most among drafted rushers and his 49 touchdowns rank third. He was a three-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 1,845 yards and 13 scores in his All-Pro 2014 season with Dallas. After a year in Philadelphia and two in Tennessee, Murray retired before the 2018 season.
No. 29 (Bears) Actual pick - Gabe Carimi, T Redraft - Kyle Rudolph, TE
After failing to trade with the Ravens, the Bears took Carimi, who came highly touted out of Wisconsin after winning the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman in college football. However, he suffered a leg injury as a rookie that included a dislocation of his kneecap and required several surgeries. Carimi played just 48 games in four seasons. Chicago’s other big position of need recently has been tight end, which was manned by Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth in 2011. Instead, the Bears could have taken Rudolph away from the division-rival Vikings. The player nicknamed “Big County” was a two-time Pro Bowler who was taken in the second round and has 3,971 yards and 45 scores.
No. 30 (Jets) Actual pick - Muhammad Wilkerson, DT Redraft - Corey Liuget, DT
With Wilkerson already selected, the Jets take Liuget, who has totaled 24 sacks and 279 tackles in 112 games with the Charges, Bills, and Raiders.
No. 31 (Steelers) Actual pick - Cameron Heyward, DE Redraft - Aldon Smith, DE/LB
Heyward is also gone here, leaving the Steelers to draft Smith, a talented, but mercurial player who excelled at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Smith made the All-Rookie Team after amassing 14 sacks in 2011, then followed that up with 19, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in the process. However, drug and alcohol issues began to hurt his playing time. He was arrested for suspicion of DUI and drugs after an accident in 2013, then served a nine-game suspension for violating both the league’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies. After yet another DUI later in 2014, the 49ers released him. Smith signed with the Raiders the following year, but was suspended indefinitely after getting in a hit-and-run accident in August 2015. Other issues included telling TSA agents he had a bomb at an airport in 2014 and violating a court order to stay away from his fiancée, whom he assaulted in early 2018.
No. 32 (Packers) Actual pick - Derek Sherrod, T Redraft - Jabaal Sheard, DE
Sherrod’s career fell apart after breaking his right leg late in his rookie season. He missed all of 2012 and only appeared in 20 games overall. The champion Packers desperately needed someone to join Ryan Pickett and B. J. Raji on the 3-4 defensive front, and Sheard would have fit nicely. Although he has yet to make the Pro Bowl, Sheard’s 49½ career sacks include seven seasons with five or more. He had two tackles and half a sack in a Patriots win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Other draft picks to make Pro Bowl that weren’t in the redraft: Jordan Cameron, TE (102nd by the Browns, Pro Bowl in 2013); Anthony Sherman, FB (136th by the Cardinals, Pro Bowl in 2018 with the Chiefs); Dwayne Harris, WR (176th by the Cowboys, Pro Bowl in 2016 with the Giants on special teams); Tyrod Taylor, QB (180th by the Ravens, Pro Bowl in 2015 with the Bills); Dan Bailey, K (undrafted, signed by the Cowboys, Pro Bowl in 2015); Patrick DiMarco, FB (undrafted, signed by the Chargers, Pro Bowl in 2015 with the Falcons); Jacob McQuiade, long snapper (undrafted, signed by the Rams, Pro Bowler in 2016 and ’17).
Next: Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson lead a talented cast at the 2012 Draft.
-By: Kevin Rakas
Writer