NFL Draft: History of the 11th overall pick

The Miami Dolphins hold the 11th pick in next week’s NFL Draft. For the last several months, mock drafts all around the web have been attempting to project what could happen during that Thursday evening filled with 32 picks. Today, however, we turn the other direction and look to see what has happened with the 11th overall pick over the last ten drafts.

We will take a look at the pick, as well as what kind of career the player is having (or had). We will also take a look at any trades that involved the 11th pick.

2017

Last year, the New Orleans Saints held the 11th selection, picking Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore. In his rookie season, Lattimore intercepted five passes (returning one for a touchdown) along with one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 52 tackles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

2016

The Chicago Bears held the 11th selection in 2016, but used it and a fourth-round pick to move up to the ninth selection. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, moving back two spots, selected Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. Hargeaves has played in 25 games since being selected, starting all 16 as a rookie before being limited to nine games last year, recording one career interceptions with one forced fumble and 118 tackles.

2015

The 2015 Draft also saw a cornerback being selected with the 11th overall pick, this time with the Minnesota Vikings adding Michigan State’s Trae Waynes. In three seasons, Waynes has worked his way up to a starting role with the Vikings, recording five interceptions a sack and 134 tackles.

2014

The 2014 Draft is the most recent non-cornerback selection with the 11th pick, in this case the Tennessee Titans’ selection of Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan. In four seasons, Lewan has appeared in 58 games, assuming the starting left tackle role for the Titans in 2015. He has been named to the last two Pro Bowls, and he caught a touchdown pass in 2016.

2013

The San Diego Chargers held the 2013 11th overall pick, using it on Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker. He spent four seasons with San Diego, starting all 59 games in which he played, initially playing both left and right tackle as a rookie, then right tackle in 2014, followed by right guard in 2015 and 2016. He moved to the New York Giants in 2017, appearing in nine games with six starts split between right tackle and right guard.

2012

The 2012 NFL Draft’s 11th overall selection was held by the Kansas City Chiefs, who added Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe with the pick. In five seasons with the Chiefs, Poe played in 78 games, starting 76 times, with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 13 sacks, and 202 tackles. He was selected to the 2013 and 2014 Pro Bowls. In 2017, Poe moved to the Atlanta Falcons, where he started all 16 games with 2.5 sacks and 39 tackles.

2011

Potentially the headline player of the recent 11th overall picks, the Houston Texans added Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt in 2011. Watt, who has been limited to just eight games the last two seasons, has played his entire career in Houston, recording one interception (with a touchdown), 15 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries (with a touchdown), 76 sacks, and 394 tackles. He has been named to four Pro Bowls, along with being a four-time First-Team All-Pro selection, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. and the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

2010

The Chicago Bears should have held the 11th overall pick in 2010, but traded it as part of the Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton trade with the Denver Broncos the year before. The Broncos then traded the pick to the San Francisco 49ers during the Draft, moving back to the 13th overall selection and picking up a fourth-round pick. The 49ers used the pick to select Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who played from 2010 to 2014 and 2016 with the team. He appeared in 72 games, starting 71 of them, but he took the 2015 season off before attempting a return in 2016. He only played in one game in 2016 before announcing his retirement.

2009

The Buffalo Bills made the 11th selection in 2009, adding Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin. Maybin played two seasons with the Bills, appearing in 27 games with one start, recording one forced fumble and 23 tackles. He played with 2011 and 2012 seasons with the New York Jets, appearing in 21 games with four forced fumbles, six sacks, and 13 tackles.

2008

In the year the Miami Dolphins selected Jake Long with the first-overall pick, the Buffalo Bills used the 11th pick on Troy cornerback Leodis McKelvin. During his nine-year career, McKelvin played eight seasons with the Bills and one season (2016) with the Philadelphia Eagles, recording 15 interceptions in his career with two touchdowns, 81 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and 351 tackles.