The 2011 NFL Draft order is going to present quite a few interesting scenarios. Though the 2011 NFL Draft order won't become official until after the Super Bowl is played, the first incarnation of the list was revealed as the 2010 regular season comes to a close. We still need to know the result of the Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams on Sunday night football, with the Seahawks possibly getting a much worse pick by winning.
2010 Regular Season Standings
The Carolina Panthers finished the 2010 NFL regular season with the worst record in football (2-14), and end up with the first overall selection in the draft. It will be interesting to see if they try to draft another quarterback, or if the franchise decides to part with the pick in order to improve in other areas. It's definitely possible that a blockbuster trade could come out of the next off-season.
Traded 2011 NFL Draft Picks
One thing the Oakland Raiders are going to be frustrated with is that they traded their first round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots. The Raiders traded for Richard Seymour in 2009, and gave up what they hoped wouldn't be a good selection. The Raiders finished 2010 with an 8-8 record, and look to pick No. 17 in the draft at this point.
2011 NFL Draft Order Alterations
As the 2011 NFL Playoffs progress, the draft order will change. The teams that lose in the first round will get better selection spots than those that win, as the winners will move further down the draft board. The final two selections will go to the two teams in the Super Bowl. Each team that is still playing in the postseason has an asterisk next to their team in the draft order listed below. This means that the final 2011 NFL Draft order won't be known until after the Super Bowl in February.
2011 NFL Draft Order
1. Carolina Panthers (2-14)
2. Denver Broncos (4-12)
3. Buffalo Bills (4-12)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (4-12)
5. Arizona Cardinals (5-11)
6. Cleveland Browns (5-11)
7. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
8. Seattle Seahawks (If they lose to St. Louis) (6-9)
9. Tennessee Titans (6-10)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-10)
11. Washington Redskins (6-10)
12. Houston Texans (6-10)
13. Minnesota Vikings (6-10)
14. Detroit Lions (6-10)
15. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
17. Oakland Raiders (New England Owns Pick) (8-8)
18. San Diego Chargers (9-7)
19. New York Giants (10-6)
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
21. St. Louis Rams (If they beat Seattle) (7-8)*
22. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)*
23. Green Bay Packers (10-6)*
24. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)*
25. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)*
26. New York Jets (11-5)*
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)*
28. Chicago Bears (11-5)*
29. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)*
30. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)*
31. Atlanta Falcons (13-3)*
32. New England Patriots (14-2)*
2011 NFL Draft Dates
The 2011 NFL Draft dates will take place at the end of April, but exact dates have not yet been released. The reason for that could be a potential lockout coming from NFL owners that could end up delaying the draft. That could also create a situation where some players decide not to declare themselves for the draft until they find out how things are going to go.
Sources:
Final Regular Season Standings
Ryan Gamble - Ryan Gamble is an avid freelance writer that loves to share his opinion and knowledge on nearly every subject. In his free time he enjoys ...
