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2011 NFL Draft Round 1 Picks (Player/Agent)

Round 1

1. Carolina (2-14) – QB Cam Newton ~ Auburn – Agent: Bus Cook, Tony Paige, Chitta Mallik (B.C. Sports/Perennial Sports)

2. Denver (4-12) – LB Von Miller ~ Texas A&M – Agent: Athletes First

3. Buffalo (4-12) – DT Marcell Dareus ~ Alabama – Agent: Todd France

4. Cincinnati (4-12) – WR A.J. Green ~ Georgia – Agent: Creative Artists Agency

5. Arizona (5-11) – CB Patrick Peterson ~ LSU – Agent: Patrick Lawlor (Galaxy Sports)

6. Atlanta (13-3) [via trade with Cleveland] – WR Julio Jones ~ Alabama – Agent: SportsTrust Advisors

7. San Francisco (6-10) – DE/OLB Aldon Smith ~ Missouri – Agent: Creative Artists Agency

8. Tennessee (6-10) – QB Jake Locker ~ Washington – Agent: Athletes First

9. Dallas (6-10) – OT Tyron Smith ~ USC – Agent: Lock, Metz, and Malinovic

10. Jacksonville (8-8) [via trade with Washington] – QB Blaine Gabbert ~ Missouri – Agent: Creative Artists Agency

11. Houston (6-10) – DE J.J. Watt ~ Wisconsin – Agent: Creative Artists Agency

12. Minnesota (6-10) – QB Christian Ponder ~ Florida State – Agent: SportsTrust Advisors

13. Detroit (6-10) – DT Nick Fairley ~ Auburn – Agent: Brian Overstreet (E. Overstreet Sports Management)

14. St. Louis (7-9) – DE Robert Quinn ~ North Carolina – Agent: Carl Carey (Champion Pro Consulting)

15. Miami (7-9) – OG/C Mike Pouncey ~ Florida – Agent: Lagardere Unlimited

16. Washington (6-10) – DE Ryan Kerrigan ~ Purdue – Agent: Athletes First

17. New England – from Oakland (8-8) – OT Nate Solder ~ Colorado – Agent: Athletes First

18. San Diego (9-7) – DT Cory Liuget ~ Illinois – Agent: Tony Fleming (Impact Sports)

19. New York Giants (10-6) – CB Prince Amukamara ~ Nebraska – Agent: Todd France

20. Tampa Bay (10-6) – DE Adrian Clayborn ~ Iowa – Agent: Blake Baratz (The Institute for Athletes)

21. Cleveland (5-11) [via trade with Kansas City] – DT Phil Taylor ~ Baylor – Agent: Peter Schaffer (All-Pro Sports)

22. Indianapolis (10-6) – OT Anthony Castonzo ~ Boston College – Agent: Creative Artists Agency

23. Philadelphia (10-6) – OL Danny Watkins ~ Baylor – Agent: Lock, Metz, Malinovic

24. New Orleans (11-5) – DE Cameron Jordan ~ Cal – Agent: Octagon

25. Seattle (7-9) – OT James Carpenter ~Alabama – Agent: Priority Sports

26. Baltimore (12-4) – CB Jimmy Smith ~ Colorado – Agent: Drew Rosenhaus

27. Kansas City (10-6) – WR Jonathan Baldwin ~ Pittsburgh – Agent: Priority Sports

28. New Orleans (11-5) – RB Mark Ingram ~ Alabama – Agent: Lagardere Unlimited

29. Chicago (11-5) – OT Gabe Carimi ~ Wisconsin – Agent: Gary Uberstine (Premier Sports)

30. New York Jets (11-5) – DE Muhammad Wilkerson ~ Temple – Agent: Chad Wiestling (Integrated Sports Management)

31. Pittsburgh (12-4) – DE Cameron Heyward ~ Ohio State – Agent: SportsTrust Advisors

32. Green Bay (10-6) – OT Derek Sherrod ~ Mississippi State – Agent: Bus Cook

Notes

  • Creative Artists Agency (Tom Condon and Ben Dogra) led all agencies with 5 players selected in the first round.  Most impressive about that fact is that all 5 players were selected before pick 24.  4 of those players were selected before pick 12.  In 2010, CAA represented 6 first round players on Day 1 of the Draft.
  • Athletes First had the 2nd most picks with 4 players going in the first round.  Their drafted players were also selected in the top portion of the first round.  All 4 of their clients selected in the first round were taken before pick 18.
  • SportsTrust Advisors, the new company created out of the merger of Pat Dye, Jr.’s ProFiles Sports Inc. and Jimmy Sexton’s Athletic Resource Management (ARM) had the 3rd most players drafted in the first round.  Julio Jones, and especially Christian Ponder, went higher than many had expected.
  • A lot of familiar names on the list.  This year, the coming out party is for Patrick Lawlor of Galaxy Sports (representing Patrick Peterson).  Last year, Joe Haden was selected two spots later than Patrick Peterson was drafted this year.  Haden’s representative, Malik Hafeez Shareef, was also a brand new competitor for the large agencies to follow.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.