NFL Draft Results: Complete List Of First Round Picks And Busts

Thursday night's Round 1 action kicked off with a flurry of activity. The pace of the 2011 NFL Draft was frenetic in the open 30 minutes as teams sprung into action to pick the prospects they've spent months evaluating. The list of names taken reads like a book of college football's finest, but in some cases the first round selections will be busts. 

Conventional wisdom is to wait before declaring which picks are busts, but we buck convention wisdom all the time and do so again here today. We give you the complete list of the first round picks from the 2011 NFL Draft and tell you where the busts are

1 - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn, to the Carolina Panthers. (BUST, over-rated, clap clap clap)

2 - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M, to the Denver Broncos

3 - Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama, to the Buffalo Bills. 

4 - A,J. Green, WR, Georgia, to the Cincinnati Bengals. (BUST, Cincinnati is where wide receivers go to fail. Right, Chad?)

5 - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU to the Arizona Cardinals

6 Julio Jones, WR, Alabama, to the Atlanta Falcons in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Falcons gave up their 2011 second- and fourth-round pick, as well as a 2012 first- and fourth-round pick. (BUST - for the Falcons who game up too much)

7 Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri, to the San Francisco 49ers (Bust - he's be a decent player, but taken too high)

8 Jake Locker, QB, Washington, to the Tennessee Titans. (Bust - we watched this guy in the PAC-10. Not an no. 8 pick)

9.Tyron Smith, OT, USC to the Dallas Cowboys

10. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade with the Washington Redskins. The Redskins get the 16th and 49th overall picks.

11. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin, to the Houston Texans  

12 Christian Ponder, QB Florida State, to the Minnesota Vikings. (Bust - simply because the building he plays in has no roof which is detrimental to a passing game in Minnesota)

13. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn, to the Detroit Lions. (Bust - as in he will be busting out of his pants in three years)

14 Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina, to the St. Louis Rams.  

15. Mike Pouncey OL, Florida, to the Miami Dolphins  (Bust - little brother syndrome will kill his career)

16. Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue, to the Washington Redskins

17. Nate Soldier, OT, Colorado, to the New England Patriots

18. Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois, to the San Diego Chargers

19. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska, to the New York Giants (Stud - Prince is the steal of the 1st round)

20. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor, to the Cleveland Browns in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs pick up the No. 27 pick and the Browns' third-round selection.

22.  Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College, to the Indianapolis Colts (Bust - not bright enough to keep up with Manning's audibles)

23. Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor, to the Philadelphia Eagles

24. Cameron Jordan, DE, California, to the New Orleans Saints

25. James Carpenter, OL, Alabama, to the Seattle Seahawks

26. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh, to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens ran out of time and the Chiefs leapfrogged them. (Bust - if you are drafted on a 'pass' you are doomed from the start)

27. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado, to the Baltimore Ravens

28. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, to the New Orleans Saints. The New England Patriots will receive a 2012 first-round pick. (Bust - not good enough to be drafted in the first round)

29. Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin, to the Chicago Bears

30. Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple, to the New York Jets (Bust - shouldn't have leap frogged Brooks Reed)

31. Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State, to the Pittsburgh Steelers

32. Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State, to the Green Bay Packers

Updated NFL Draft Order For Second Round After Trades

There were a handful of trades that went down in Round 1 of the 2011 NFL Draft that changed up the oder that teams are picking in Friday night's Round 2 action. Here's an update to the draft order since that includes the trades made on Draft Day 1.

33. New England Patriots

34. Buffalo Bills

35. Cincinnati Bengals

36. Denver Broncos

37. Cleveland Browns

38. Arizona Cardinals

39. Tennessee Titans

40. Dallas Cowboys

41. Washington Redskins

42. Houston Texans

43. Minnesota Vikings

44. Detroit Lions

45. San Francisco 49ers

46. Denver Broncos

47. St. Louis Rams

48. Oakland Raiders

49. Washington Redskins

50. San Diego Chargers

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

52. New York Giants

53. Indianapolis Colts

54. Philadelphia Eagles

55. Kansas City Chiefs

56. New England Patriots

57. Seattle Seahawks

58. Baltimore Ravens

59. Cleveland Browns

60. New England Patriots

61. San Diego Chargers

62. Chicago Bears

63. Pittsburgh Steelers

64. Green Bay Packers

Click here for the full draft order for all the remaining rounds for the 2011 NFL Draft.

2011 NFL Draft Results: Picks 21-32 Marked By Mark Ingram, Trades And A Rare Pass

The final third of the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft slowed down a but from the seemingly frenetic pace it began with. However, there were some memorable events. There were two trades and a third that did not go through, causing a team to have to pass on their pick. Also, 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram finally finds himself an NFL home, falling all the way to the 28th pick to join Drew Brees as a member of the New Orleans Saints.

The Cleveland Browns made another trade to get to the 21st selection. They had traded down to number 27 and decided to move up and picked up Baylor DT Phil Taylor.

Peyton Manning and the Colts had some fortune as highly rated OT Anthony Castonzo fell to them. 

With the 23rd selection, the Philadelphia Eagles picked up inside protection for Michael Vick, drafting Baylor OG Danny Watkins.

The Seattle Seahawks picked up a player from Alabama, but not Mark Ingram. They surprisingly reached for OT James Carpenter, making three Alabama players drafted before the Heisman winner.

The Baltimore Ravens were slated to select 26th, but ended up passing on their selection after the Chicago Bears backed out of a proposed trade at the last minute. Instead, the Chiefs took WR Jonathan Baldwin out of Pittsburgh number 26.

The pass did not hurt the Ravens, fortunately for them. They promptly picked up the guy they wanted in Jimmy Smith, the sometimes troubled CB out of Colorado. 

Bill Belichick and the Patriots did what they always do -- trade back. They traded the 28th pick to New Orleans, who took Ingram, for the Saints' second round pick this year and a 2012 first round pick.

The last few picks were OL Gabe Carimi to the Bears, DT Muhammad Wilkerson to the Jets, DE Cam Heyward to the Steelers and OL Derek Sherrod to the Green Bay Packers.

NFL Draft Online: Watch Your Computer Instead Of TV

The 2011 NFL Draft will be broadcast on TV on both ESPN and the NFL Network. But not everyone has a TV and not everyone that has a TV has cable. And not everyone that has cable TV likes to watch it. Some people like to watch big event online and for those people, whatever the reason, there are options.

The 2011 NFL Draft will be streamed online for free in two (TWO) places. The official NFL website will have the feed as will ESPN. It is unusual for something like this to broadcast in two places. Typically the rights holder sells a broadcast license to a partner, in this case ESPN. But this is the NFL and as we all know, they play by their own rules.

To check out the official broadcast of the draft, head over to NFL.com. or you can just click here on this handy link we provided. There will be full coverage from Radio City Music Hall in New York just like you were there...or watching on TV.

The live-stream for ESPN will not be shown on ESPN3 where you might expect to find it. Instead it will be on ESPNNetworks.com. In order to view the stream, you must have cable service from one of three carries: Time Warner, Bright House or Verizon. That stream will mirror the ESPN broadcast, it appears.

Enjoy your online viewing of the 2011 NFL Draft.

2011 NFL Draft Results, Round 1: Picks 16-20 Finally Includes A Prince

Prince Amukamara was ninth on Mel Kiper's Big Board but due to the vagaries and mysteries of the war room he dropped to 19th in the 2011 NFL Draft. Amukamara played his high school ball in Glendale, AZ for the Apollo Eagles where his sister, Promise, is a standout basketball player.

Other than Prince dropping to the Giants at 19, the rest of the late-teens picks were about what you might expect.

The Washington Redskins took DE Ryan Kerrigan with the 16th pick. Nate Solder, a tackle from Colorado selected with the 17th pick by the New England Patriots. The San Diego Chargers selected DT Corey Liuget with the 18th pick and then the Giants took Amukamara 19th. With the 20th pick the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft starts at 5 p.m. (AZT) on Thursday, April 28, and SB Nation has everything you need to prepare: NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it out at SB Nation's NFL Draft page and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft or for Cardinals coverage, visit Revenge of the Birds.

2011 NFL Draft Reaction: First Round Surprises Galore

Ah, this draft has been pure entertainment. The Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings allowed the Detroit Lions to pick up Nick Fairley with the 13th overall pick, giving Detroit possibly the best defensive line in the NFL.

With that in mind, lets pick out some influential picks and grade them.

Denver Broncos, 2nd overall: Von Miller. Grade: A. Miller is clearly the best linebacker in the 2011 NFL Draft, and playing him alongside Elvis Dumervil is going to make for a very scary defensive front seven against opposing QB's.

Arizona Cardinals, 5th overall: Patrick Peterson. Grade: A+. Peterson has been called the best player in the entire draft, and the Cardinals are showing their fans they are serious about contending again -- immediately. Him and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are going to make an incredible tandem.

Houston Texans, 11th overall: J.J. Watt. Grade: C. Watt is a good defensive player, but there were so many excellent options left on the board, between Robert Quinn, Ryan Kerrigan, and Da'Quan Bowers, to name a few. Watt seems like the "safe" pick at this juncture.

New York Giants: 19th overall: Prince Amukamara. Grade: B+. I'm a little concerned about his ball skills, but his defensive ability is unquestionable. Should this good cornerback develop some hands, he could be a true standout in the Meadowlands.

There's much more left in tonight's draft, so keep checking back for more coverage.

2011 NFL Draft Results, Picks 11-15: Christian Ponder Rises, Nick Fairley Falls

The 2011 NFL Draft is still full of surprises. As the selections are announced, fans and analysts both have been left scratching their heads. There were two very big surprises with picks 11-15, both for very different reasons. Florida State QB Christian Ponder became the fourth QB picked in the first 12 selections. Meanwhile, DT Nick Fairley, at one time considered a legitimate number one pick overall, fell to number 13 to the Detroit Lions. 

At number 11, the Houston Texans selected J.J. Watt, a DE out of Wisconsin. At number 12 was Ponder going to the Minnesota Vikings. Fairley will join what could become a terrifyingly good defensive line in Detroit, joining Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh, as he was selected number 13.

The St. Louis Rams picked up North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn at number 14 and the Miami Dolphins took Florida center Mike Pouncey with the 15th pick in the draft. 

The falling of these defensive players in the draft could be a boon for the Cardinals. With all the QBs coming off the board early, it could mean that they can grab a first round talent with their pick in the second round. 

Ken Whisenhunt And Matt Leinart Forever Linked By Hot Tub Girls

2011 NFL Draft Trade: Cardinals Might Move Into 1st Round, Whisenhunt Says

The Arizona Cardinals received numerous calls about selling their fifth pick from Round 1 of the 2011 NFL Draft. GM Rod Graves told reporters that many teams called but Patrick Peterson was too good to pass up. Coach Ken Whisenhunt added to the intrigue when he told the local media, "I wouldn't rule it out" when asked if his day was done.

The Cardinals could package their second (38) and third (69) round picks to move into the later part of the first round if there's a player on the board that they really like. Or, perhaps they will trade out of their second round pick and stockpile some later-round picks to add depth. Or maybe they won't make a trade at all and all this speculation will turn out to sound even more stupid tomorrow than it does today.

Regardless of what comes next, one person very happy with the Peterson pick is defensive leader, Darnell Dockett. Dockett tweeted his pleasure:

Twitter / @DARNELL DOCKETT: Great Pick! Patrick Peters ...

Great Pick! Patrick Peterson! I told yall who we was gonna get! I known him 4two years he works hard and plays hard! GREAT PICK COACH WHIZ! 

2011 NFL Draft Results: Picks 6-10 Shake Up Locker, Gabbert, NFL

Wow, the 2011 NFL Draft was going so smoothly until the Tennessee Titans decided to pick up Jake Locker, quarterback out of Washington. Here's how it went down:

6th overall: The Atlanta Falcons traded up, taking the Cleveland Browns' pick. They decided to upgrade their offense, adding Julio Jones, wide receiver out of Alabama.

7th overall: The San Francisco 49ers picked up Aldon Smith, defensive end out of Missouri. With new coach John Harbaugh in place, it looks like Alex Smith is going to stay under center in the Bay Area in 2011.

8th overall: The Tennessee Titans surprised everyone by picking up Jake Locker. Check out my thoughts here.

9th overall: The Dallas Cowboys grabbed Tyron Smith to help improve their incredibly terrible offensive line. Tony Romo kissed Jerry Jones' hand shortly after the pick went through.

10th overall: The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up, switching picks with the Washington Redskins to grab Blaine Gabbert out of Missouri. Even with David Garrard on the staff, Gabbert is still the right choice here.

After ten picks, a few notables are still on the board: Nick Fairley and Prince Amukamara. Lets see what happens next in what has been a very exciting NFL Draft.

Jake Locker Drafted By Titans, Shocker In First Round

For those who have watched Jake Locker play in the Pac-10 for the last four years, seeing the Tennessee Titans select him 8th overall was a bit of a surprise... to put it lightly.

No one doubts that Jake Locker is talented. He's athletic, mobile, has a great arm, and has a high level of character about him. It's not about those things, though. During his career at Washington, the Huskies weren't all that successful, having only one winning season (2010).

Locker was surrounded by terrible teams for most of his career at UW. Some people may find that he's a steal at the 8th pick, but lets be serious here -- Locker hasn't proven that he can play quarterback in the NFL with his performance at the collegiate level.

The Titans have taken a huge risk with Locker; Blaine Gabbert of Missouri was still on the board, and his statistics speak for themselves. Either the Titans are smarter than an everyone else, or they just made a huge mistake.

Patrick Peterson Answers Cardinals Questions, But Raises Many More

Patrick Peterson was selected 5th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft. Peterson is an incredible talent out of LSU and will immediately play a role in the Cardinals' possible resurgence in the NFC West this season.

Peterson won a lot of awards last season, including the Bednarik award (nation's best defensive player) and the Thorpe award (nation's top corner). He may also challenge LaRod Stephens-Howling for kick returns.

With Peterson in place, the Arizona Cardinals are now prime candidates for a Super Bowl... wait a minute! Don't the Cardinals need a quarterback?

Unless Patrick Peterson moonlights as a scout team quarterback for the Tigers down in Baton Rouge, he's not going to take snaps under center and direct this team to respectability.

If there's anything that this pick tells us, it's that the rumors about Marc Bulger may be very, very real. If Arizona was planning on rebuilding, they would have traded this pick to the Falcons in a very similar fashion to the way Cleveland did for Julio Jones.

With a talented nucleus on offense and a suddenly respectable pass defense, the Cardinals are primed to improve upon the abomination that was last season. Once the Cards sign a veteran signal caller to lead this team to a .500 (or better) record, this pick will be even smarter.

Kudos to the Cardinals staff, who know that the window of opportunity is still open for the current crop of talent they have signed through next season. Should Andy Dalton be available in the second round, expect Arizona to jump all over him.

2011 NFL Draft, Round 1: Arizona Cardinals Take Best Player Ever, Patrick Peterson

The Arizona Cardinals have used their fifth pick on cornerback Patrick Peterson. This pick could be traded, but in the mean time the man in Red and White is the stub from LSU. Peterson is generally considered the best player in the draft.

The Cardinals can immediately plug Peterson across the field from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and right away the Bird Gang will have one of the better defensive backfields in the NFC West. What the pick also tells us is that Ken Whisenhunt has no desire to turn the reigns over to a rookie quarterback so they left Blaine Gabbert on the board.

Peterson in a radio interview this afternoon explained his desire to come to Arizona to enjoy the great weather. Proving how smart he is, he also explained how excited he would be to play against Larry Fitzgerald in practice and not against him on Sundays. 

Peterson is a confident guy with self-described swag that rivals Deion Sanders. It should be fun having him in town.

"We definitely want to get that team back to the Super Bowl and win it this time," Peterson said in his draft day TV interview.

2011 NFL Draft, Round 1: A. J. Green Goes To The Bengals, Ochocinco Thrilled

The Cincinnati Bengals make the first interest pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. With the fourth pick of Round 1, they've taken A. J. Green. Bengals enigmatic wide receiver / soccer player, Chad Ochocinco, tweeted earlier in the day that his desire to play with Green. 

Twitter / @Chad Ochocinco: What time does the draft s ...
What time does the draft start? I'm so excited. A.J. Green to the Bengals would be totally EPIC,he's a beast,safe and smart pick #please

But shouldn't Mr. Cinco be scared? A.J. Green is going to run Chad out of town faster than Terrell Owens can say something dumb. The next big question for the Bengals is what to do with Carson Palmer who desperately wants out of the Queen City and away from those head cases he's supposed to throw the ball to. 

The Arizona Cardinals are now on the clock. 

2011 NFL Draft, Round 1 Results: Buffalo Bills Select Marcell Dareus

The Buffalo Bills play in a very tough division, going up against some of the best quarterbacks in the league (Tom Brady, and Mark Sanchez is developing quickly).

To help improve their defense against these quality teams, the Bills selected Marcell Dareus, defensive tackle out of Alabama, with the third overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Dareus doesn't exactly fill a huge need for the Bills, who were hoping that Von Miller or Cam Newton would fall into their laps. There was a lot of discussion regarding whether or not the Bills would pick Blaine Gabbert with this pick, but Ryan Fitzpatrick showed flashes of being a good quarterback last season.

After picking Marcell Dareus, the Bills now have upgraded an important position on the field -- some have said that Dareus' ceiling is almost as high as Ndamukong Suh. Up next are the Cincinnati Bengals with the 4th overall pick.

2011 NFL Draft Round 1 Results: Von Miller To Broncos, Cardinals Fans Weep Hysterically

As was widely expected, the Denver Broncos went for a potentially pass rusher as they selected Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller with the second pick of the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Miller has been on the Bronco's radar and was reportedly "the only player on their board" for tonight's first round.

Miller logged 28 sacks as an Aggie during the 2009 and 2010 seasons and wowed NFL front office personnel and scouts alike with his speed and agility. His only knock is his size, as he weighs in at only about 240 pounds. To be a dominant player in the league, he will likely have to bulk up a bit. 

He now will line up opposite Elvis Dumervil and could potentially provide as dominating a pass rush as we have seen from two players on a defense. 

Over here in the Phoenix area, Cardinals are disappointed because most have wanted him to fall to number five for some time. 

2011 NFL Draft, Round 1 Results: Cam Newton Prepares To Join Bust List

As expected, the Carolina Panthers have selected Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the number one overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton is the obvious choice for the Panthers, who have no choice but to do something drastic to revive their struggling team. 

Newton brings a lot of skills to the table. He can run. He can pass. But he's also going to be a bust. Newton will mostly likely join this list of first pick busts. Newton simply doesn't have the desire to put in the work to be great. To make matters worse, he's going to get that huge guaranteed money and that is not going to go over well in the long run.

In three years, or less, the Panthers' fans are going to look back on this night of the 2011 NFL Draft and wish with all their might that they own a hot tub time machine.

The Denver Broncos are now on the clock for the number two pick. Will it be Von Miller?

2011 NFL Draft Live Update: Fans Chant 'We Want Football'

Things got off to a raucous start at Radio City Music Hall in New York City as the local peanut gallery provided the first notable sounds of the 2011 NFL Draft. Given their first opportunity, fan chanted, "We want football!" 

As the players were being introduced, polite applause was the name of the game except for Cam Newton who got booed right along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. As Rog stepped to the podium the "We Want Football" chants rang out again. Goodell tried to connect with the common man, saying "I hear you" and "Me too" in response.

Goodell then demonstrated his savvy by calling on the crowd to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the recent severe storms and  tornadoes that hit Alabama. That worked for a bit until Nick Saban's name was called and the New Yorkers broke the silence to boo him too.

We are off to a great start so far!

2011 NFL Draft Results, Round 1 Action Begins With Carolina Panthers Bust Pick

The 2011 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Arizona time (8:00 p.m. ET) with Round 1 and we couldn't be more excited if Von Miller tackled Roger Goodell on live TV. All signs continue to point to  the Carolina Panthers using their number one pick on Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton. The Panthers essentially have no choice but to draft Newton for their moribund team. If you need to put butts in the seats and rich corporate butts in the suites, than an exciting athlete like Newton is the way to go.

Unfortunately for Panther fans, they are taking a huge gamble on a guy who's bring a very questionable character history to the table. Youthful mistakes and laptop thefts aside, many wonder if Newton has the desire and drive to be great.

Only time will tell how Newton turns out and most importantly, he's only one of 254 guys who will be drafted over the next few days.  

We will be here with you all night covering the 2011 NFL Draft. If there's trades, we will be here. If the Cardinals actually hang on to their pick and draft Patrick Peterson, we will be here for that too. And if the NFL players storm the stage and conduct a protest against the greedy owners, we will most certainly be here for that. Stay tuned, the fun is just about ready to begin.

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft starts at 5 p.m. (AZT) on Thursday, April 28, and SB Nation has everything you need to prepare: NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it out at SB Nation's NFL Draft page and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft or for Cardinals coverage, visit Revenge of the Birds.