The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, 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 Carolina Panthers, who had the worst record for the 2010 NFL season at 2–14, had the right to the first selection in the draft, where they selected Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton, who was the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. 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.
The 2015 MVP Cam Newton was drafted first overall by the Carolina Panthers.
Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller, who also led all players in sacks during the 2010s, was drafted second
Julio Jones has led the league in receiving yards twice and was selected to 7 Pro Bowls.
Drafted in the fifth round, Richard Sherman was an integral member of the Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" secondary that contributed to their Super Bowl XLVIII victory
The National Football League draft, also called the NFL draft or (officially) the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous year, which means that the last place team is positioned first and the Super Bowl champion is last. From this position, the team can either select a player or trade its position to another team for other draft positions, a player or players, or any combination thereof. The round is complete when each team has either selected a player or traded its position in the draft. The first draft was held in 1936, and has been held every year since.
League commissioner Roger Goodell announcing a pick live at the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City
"Selection Square" for the 2016 NFL draft at Grant Park's Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.
The set for the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City
The stage for the 2017 NFL draft on Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art