Every now and then, an NFL Draft class leaves its mark on the history of this game.
Some classes are way more stacked with talent; others have the most players with successful careers — regardless of where they’re picked — and others are simply not that good.
Needless to say, that wasn’t the case with the class of 2011.
As pointed out by NFL insider Ari Meirov, that class included the likes of Von Miller (123.5 sacks), Cam Jordan (115.5 sacks), J.J. Watt (114.5 sacks), Robert Quinn (102 sacks), Ryan Kerrigan (95.5 sacks), and Cameron Heyward (78.5 sacks).
The first-round of the 2011 NFL Draft included…
*Von Miller: 123.5 sacks
*Cameron Jordan: 115.5 sacks
*JJ Watt: 114.5 sacks
*Robert Quinn: 102 sacks
*Ryan Kerrigan: 95.5 sacks
*Cameron Heyward: 78.5 sacks
That’s 629.5 (!!) career sacks among six players from one draft class.… https://t.co/cE73Suvgwf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 4, 2023
Notably, that makes up for a whopping 629.5 career sacks among just six players from one draft class.
Meirov also points out that Aldon Smith logged 52.5 career sacks despite having his career cut short.
Of course, striking gold in the NFL Draft is one of the toughest things any team could accomplish, which is why some GMs and scouts don’t last long in their respective positions.
It’s almost impossible to know how a guy’s career will pan out, as there are just too many factors and intangibles that come into play when defining a player’s success.
Injuries, competition, playing in a favorable system, being mature enough, avoiding distractions, and even being lucky could end up determining the fate of a player.
But every now and then, there’s a pool of players so evidently ready to dominate and take the league by storm, that it’s far from a surprise when they dominate right out of the gate, and that was the case with this now-iconic class.
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