• Cam Newton sticks at No. 1: One of the best rushing quarterbacks of all time lands with the Panthers again after winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year with the team in 2015.

• Several future Hall of Famers land in the top five: Von Miller, J.J. Watt and Julio Jones come off the board early in this 2011 NFL redraft.

• Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

The NFL draft is a crapshoot.

While NFL teams do their best to forecast which prospects will translate best to the next level, the reality is that franchises rarely get a pick exactly right. 

But what would a draft look like if teams had the benefit of hindsight? PFF has world-class data for every player on every play in every NFL game, dating back to the 2006 season. Knowing what we know now, here is how the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft could have looked.

Any trades made during the original draft were reversed, while trades made before the draft were kept in place.

Looking for more NFL redrafts? Click for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

1. Carolina Panthers: QB Cam Newton, Auburn (Round 1, Pick 1)

• Original Pick: QB Cam Newton, Auburn

Even with multiple future Hall of Famers available, Carolina sticks with its original selection. Newton is arguably the greatest Panther ever, winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2015. He also led Carolina to the Super Bowl that year and still holds the quarterback rushing touchdown record (75).

Newton is also the only quarterback in the PFF era (since 2006) with more than 3,000 career rushing yards after contact.

2. Denver Broncos: EDGE Von Miller, Texas A&M (Round 1, Pick 2)

• Original Pick: EDGE Von Miller, Texas A&M

The Broncos made the right pick originally when they selected future Hall of Famer Von Miller out of Texas A&M. During his nine seasons in Denver, Miller earned an elite 95.0 PFF overall grade while recording at least a 90.0 mark in eight of those campaigns. He turned in his most memorable performance in Super Bowl 50, generating 2.5 sacks and a 94.5 PFF pass-rush grade en route to being named MVP of the game.

Miller later helped the Rams to a championship at the end of the 2021 season after earning an elite 93.2 PFF pass-rush grade in Super Bowl 56.

3. Buffalo Bills: DI J.J. Watt, Wisconsin (Round 1, Pick 11)

• Original Pick: DI Marcell Dareus, Alabama

Watt is one of a few no-doubt Hall of Famers from the 2011 class. He played 12 seasons and earned five first-team All-Pro nods and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. From 2012 to 2022, he recorded an 86.0-plus PFF overall grade in all but one season — 2016, when he played only 157 snaps due to injury. He is one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.

J.J. Watt’s Career PFF Grades

4. Cincinnati Bengals: WR Julio Jones, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 6)

• Original Pick: WR A.J. Green, Georgia

There was a big debate heading into the 2011 NFL Draft over whether A.J. Green or Julio Jones was the top wide receiver prospect. The Bengals ultimately picked Green, who went on to have an excellent career in Cincinnati. However, Jones ended up being the better player.

The two-time first-team All-Pro recorded a career 94.7 PFF overall grade and was the second-most-valuable receiver across his 13 seasons, according to PFF WAR.

5. Arizona Cardinals: WR A.J. Green, Georgia (Round 1, Pick 4)

• Original Pick: CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

Green was worth every bit of his top-five selection for Cincinnati. In this redraft, he winds up with the Arizona Cardinals, the team with which he finished his career. During those 10 seasons with the Bengals, Green racked up more than 9,000 regular-season receiving yards and earned a terrific 92.2 PFF receiving grade. Injuries curtailed the latter portion of his career, but he showed off his otherworldly talent for the better part of a decade.

6. Cleveland Browns: T Tyron Smith, USC (Round 1, Pick 9)

• Original Pick: WR

Smith is one of the most talented offensive linemen in NFL history. He played 14 seasons and garnered two first-team All-Pro selections, three second-team All-Pro selections and eight Pro Bowl nods.

He earned 86.0-plus PFF overall grades in each season from 2013 to 2016.

7. San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Cameron Jordan, California (Round 1, Pick 24)

• Original Pick: EDGE Aldon Smith, Missouri

Smith immediately looked like a home-run pick for San Francisco. His 90.7 PFF overall grade as a rookie led all edge defenders, and his 33.5 sacks across his first two seasons were only 0.5 behind Jared Allen among all defensive players. However, numerous off-field issues derailed his career.

Cameron Jordan was far more reliable and is one of the few players from this draft class still playing in 2025. The eight-time Pro Bowler has earned a 91.0 PFF overall grade across 14 seasons while boasting 85.0-plus career PFF grades as both a pass rusher and a run defender.

8. Tennessee Titans: C Jason Kelce, Cincinnati (Round 6, Pick 191)

• Original Pick: QB Jake Locker, Washington

Kelce turned his sixth-round draft slot into one of the greatest center careers in NFL history. His 94.2 career PFF overall grade ranks fourth at the position in PFF history (since 2006), behind Nick Mangold, Creed Humphrey and Chris Myers. Kelce was so dominant in the run game that his 95.5 career PFF run-blocking grade ranks first in PFF history.

He’ll forever be remembered as a crucial part of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl 52 victory, and he certainly would’ve been drafted much earlier with hindsight.

9. Dallas Cowboys: DI Cam Heyward, Ohio State (Round 1, Pick 31)

• Original Pick: T Tyron Smith, USC

Heyward’s story is still being written in 2025. He has played 14 seasons and counting, all with the Steelers. Since 2014, he has recorded a single-season PFF overall grade below 84.0 only once while logging three seasons above 90.0, including his most recent one at 35 years old.

10. Washington: CB Richard Sherman, Stanford (Round 5, Pick 154)

• Original Pick: QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

Washington originally traded this pick to the Jaguars, who moved up to select quarterback Blaine Gabbert. While Washington also had a need at quarterback and could draft Andy Dalton here, Richard Sherman was simply too good to pass up.

The future Hall of Famer posted an absurd 94.8 PFF overall grade for his career, which included three first-team All-Pro selections.

11. Houston Texans: CB Patrick Peterson, LSU (Round 1, Pick 5)

• Original Pick: DI J.J. Watt, Wisconsin

Like most cornerbacks, Peterson endured a bit of an up-and-down career, but it certainly included more good than bad. He played 13 seasons, including six in which he recorded a 77.0-plus PFF coverage grade (four above 80.0). He was an ironman for the position, logging more than 1,000 snaps in 11 of his 13 seasons.

12. Minnesota Vikings: QB Andy Dalton, TCU (Round 2, Pick 35)

• Original Pick: QB Christian Ponder, Florida State

Quarterback Christian Ponder, Minnesota’s original selection, played just four seasons with a 53.4 career PFF overall grade. The Vikings instead opt for Andy Dalton here, who is still playing in 2025. The current Panthers backup made three Pro Bowls during his time with the Bengals and is the most valuable player from the 2011 NFL Draft, according to PFF WAR.

Andy Dalton’s Career PFF Grades

13. Detroit Lions: EDGE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue (Round 1, Pick 16)

• Original Pick: DI Nick Fairley, Auburn

Across his first nine NFL seasons, Kerrigan earned a 70.0-plus PFF pass-rush grade in all but one year. Though sacks aren’t everything, he finished his career with 95.5 sacks and four seasons of hitting double digits in that department.

14. St. Louis Rams: EDGE Justin Houston, Georgia (Round 3, Pick 70)

• Original Pick: EDGE Robert Quinn, North Carolina

Quinn was certainly a worthy selection here and will hear his name called very soon in this redraft, but Houston enjoyed a slightly better career. The four-time Pro Bowler boasted a career 91.0 PFF overall grade, and his 22 sacks in 2014 are tied for the fourth most in NFL history.

15. Miami Dolphins: EDGE Robert Quinn, North Carolina (Round 1, Pick 14)

• Original Pick: C Mike Pouncey, Florida

Quinn’s career wasn’t all elite, but he had a few seasons where he was a major impact player, including in 2013, when he earned a 93.4 PFF pass-rush grade with 19 sacks and a 17.3% pass-rush win rate. He also recorded 18.5 sacks in 2021, albeit on a less impressive 13.4% win rate that season.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Chris Harris Jr., Kansas (Undrafted)

• Original Pick: EDGE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

The Jaguars traded this pick on draft night to Washington, which used it to select edge defender Ryan Kerrigan.

In this redraft, Jacksonville scoops up the best undrafted player from the 2011 class in Chris Harris Jr. He garnered an elite 93.5 PFF overall grade across his 12 seasons, which included four trips to the Pro Bowl.

17. New England Patriots: DI Jurrell Casey, USC (Round 3, Pick 77)

• Original Pick: T Nate Solder, Colorado

Casey has good longevity and high-floor arguments for this redraft exercise. In his 10-year career, he never finished a season with a sub-72.0 PFF overall grade. He had four campaigns with an 80.0-plus mark, with his best coming in 2018 (87.5 PFF overall grade and 90.6 PFF run-defense grade).

18. San Diego Chargers: LB K.J. Wright, Mississippi State (Round 4, Pick 99)

• Original Pick: DI Corey Liuget, Illinois

The Chargers needed to address their defensive front-seven and are able to do so here with K.J. Wright. The best linebacker from the 2011 class earned an 88.9 career PFF coverage grade and made a Pro Bowl during his time with the Seahawks.

19. New York Giants: DI Marcell Dareus, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 3)

• Original Pick: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

Dareus was originally the No. 3 overall pick in this draft, and though he didn’t have the type of impact to be drafted that early again, he was solid.

Dareus recorded PFF overall grades of just 69.9 and 65.8 in 2011 and 2012, respectively, but his 85.4 mark in 2013 started a run of six consecutive seasons with 78.0-plus PFF overall grades. His best work always came in run defense, but he never developed into a standout pass rusher.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh (Round 2, Pick 37)

• Original Pick: EDGE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

Clayborn ended up being a disappointment in Tampa Bay, so the Buccaneers instead select Sheard in this redraft. He posted an 82.9 career PFF overall grade and tallied 53 sacks across 11 seasons.

21. Kansas City Chiefs: T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College (Round 1, Pick 22)

• Original Pick: DI Phil Taylor, Baylor

Castonzo was very consistent in his 10-year NFL career. He logged 10,368 snaps at left tackle and earned a PFF overall grade of 76.0 or higher in all but two seasons — his first and his last, both between 73.0-74.0. He recorded an elite 90.8 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2014, his best season of work.

22. Indianapolis Colts: T Nate Solder, Colorado (Round 1, Pick 17)

• Original Pick: T Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

While the Colts would’ve loved the chance to select Castonzo again, they settle for Solder due to their original first-round pick coming off the board one pick earlier. Solder tallied an 81.6 career PFF overall grade and was a steady starter at tackle throughout his decade-long career.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: WR Doug Baldwin, Stanford (Undrafted)

• Original Pick: G Danny Watkins, Baylor

Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 but went on to have an incredible NFL career, including one Super Bowl ring. The two-time Pro Bowler earned an 80.0-plus PFF receiving grade in six of his eight seasons. He also recorded more than 2,500 yards after the catch in his career. 

Doug Baldwin’s 2015 Season by Target Depth

24. New Orleans Saints: RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma (Round 3, Pick 71)

• Original Pick: EDGE Cameron Jordan, California

The Saints selected running back Mark Ingram II a few spots later in the original 2011 NFL Draft, and he will still find his way into this redraft after enjoying a strong career in New Orleans. However, Murray was the best back from this class. The 2014 Offensive Player of the Year earned an 84.4 PFF overall grade across seven years in the NFL.

25. Seattle Seahawks: DI Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple (Round 1, Pick 30)

• Original Pick: G James Carpenter, Alabama

Wilkerson recorded just a 59.1 PFF overall grade in his rookie campaign, but the following year, he soared to an 89.8 mark with an 89.2 PFF run-defense grade. He went on to earn an 80.0-plus PFF overall grade in three of the next four seasons.

26. Baltimore Ravens (Picked 27th after running out of time): CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska (Round 1, Pick 19)

• Original Pick: WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh

Starting his career with a Super Bowl victory with the Giants, Amukamara was a solid starter for most of his NFL tenure. He earned at least a 66.0 PFF overall grade in all eight seasons that he was a starter. His best season came in 2018 when he was a crucial part of an outstanding Chicago Bears defense on his way to a career-high 81.0 PFF overall grade.

27. Atlanta Falcons: CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado (Round 1, Pick 22)

• Original Pick: CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado

Smith’s size and man-to-man ability were valuable assets during his 11-year career in Baltimore. He recorded an 81.5 PFF coverage grade and hauled in 14 regular-season interceptions and one postseason pick across that span.

Smith also played very well on a small workload in Super Bowl 47, forcing two incompletions and earning a 92.7 PFF coverage grade.

28. New England Patriots: C Rodney Hudson, Florida State (Round 2, Pick 55)

• Original Pick: RB Mark Ingram II, Alabama

Hudson was quietly one of the league’s best pass protectors, particularly during his time in Kansas City and Oakland. From 2011 to 2019, Hudson’s 95.6 PFF pass-blocking grade was the highest among qualified centers by more than five points. His best work came with the Raiders in 2016, when he earned a career-high 87.8 PFF overall grade after not allowing a single sack or quarterback hit.

29. Chicago Bears: WR Randall Cobb, Kentucky (Round 2, Pick 64)

• Original Pick: T Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

Cobb was a mainstay in Green Bay’s offense, but the Bears swipe him from their rival here. Cobb made quite a first impression in the NFL, returning a kickoff for a touchdown in his first career game. He went on to earn an excellent 84.4 PFF receiving grade over the first six seasons of his career.

30. New York Jets: TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame (Round 2, Pick 43)

• Original Pick: DI Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple

Rudolph was a reliable starter throughout his NFL career, recording at least a 70.0 PFF overall grade in six of his 12 seasons. His most notable receiving performance came in 2016, when he racked up a career-high 840 yards in the regular season and earned a 75.3 PFF receiving grade.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: T Marcus Cannon, TCU (Round 5, Pick 138)

• Original Pick: DI Cam Heyward, Ohio State

Cannon enjoyed a 12-year career that included three Super Bowls with the Patriots. His best season was in 2016, when he earned an 87.7 PFF overall grade, led by a 90.0 PFF run-blocking grade, while playing more than 1,200 snaps.

32. Green Bay Packers: RB Mark Ingram II, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 28)

• Original Pick: T Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State

Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram spent most of his career as the Saints’ starting running back before forming one of the league’s best duos with Alvin Kamara. Ingram racked up more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in five separate seasons while earning three Pro Bowl selections. All told, he earned at least a 70.0 PFF overall grade in seven of his 12 NFL campaigns.

Mark Ingram II’s Career PFF Grades