Lucky 11: A Look Back at Players Chosen No. 11 Overall in the NFL Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and this year, the Giants will draft 11th overall.
And if the last ten years of history are any indication, there should be a really good player available for the Giants when they go on the clock.
A look at the last ten players drafted 11th overall reveals more hits than misses over the last decade, the hits including Pro Bowl players and a potential future Hall of Famer.
Let’s take a closer look at the last ten players chosen at this draft spot.
2020: Mekhi Becton, OL, Jets
The Jets took this 6’7”, 364-pound lineman from Louisville with the 11th pick last year. Becton wasn’t spectacular in his rookie season, but then again, neither was Gang Green. With a new head coach and possibly a new quarterback, it will be interesting to see how he develops.
2019: Jonah Williams, OL, Bengals
Any time you select an offensive lineman from Alabama in the first round, it seems like a slam dunk--unless, of course, you have the grave misfortune of being the Cincinnati Bengals.
Just two months after he was drafted, Williams suffered a torn labrum in OTAs and missed his whole rookie season. He started only ten games last year, and was mostly ineffective in protecting quarterback Joe Burrow.
2018: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Dolphins
This was a no-brainer for Miami, as the Alabama safety has been a first-team All-Pro in two of his first three seasons. The Dolphins traded him to Pittsburgh midway through the 2019 season, back when Miami was thought to have been tanking. These days, you can't help but wonder if Fitzpatrick wishes he were still in South Florida?
2017: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Saints
Along with Cameron Jordan, this Ohio State product is a big reason for the defense's rising in New Orleans. The Saints selected Lattimore when their defense was a severe liability, routinely allowing as many points as Drew Brees put on the scoreboard.
New Orleans has since won at least 11 games and the NFC South in each of Lattimore’s first four seasons.
2016: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay had high hopes for this Florida Gators cornerback, but he has never played up to his lofty draft pedigree in his five seasons.
The Bucs eventually gave up on Hargreaves, trading him to Houston at the 2019 deadline.
2015: Trae Waynes, CB, Vikings
Like Hargreaves, this Michigan State corner has yet to reach his potential. After five unimpressive seasons in Minnesota, Waynes signed with Cincinnati in the 2020 offseason but didn’t play a single snap for the Bengals last year.
2014: Taylor Lewan, OT, Titans
Tennessee seems to have lucked out with the selection of this Michigan lineman with their 11th pick. Lewan has been voted to the Pro Bowl three times, though he has had off-field issues and has developed a reputation of being a dirty player.
2013: D.J. Fluker, OT, Chargers
The Alabama lineman had a terrific rookie season in San Diego but has never been the same since then. He's played with three different teams since leaving the Chargers (one of them, of course, was the Giants in 2017). His other stops include Seattle, where he looked s though he was poise to flourish, and, more recently, Baltimore.
2012: Dontari Poe, DT, Chiefs
This Memphis tackle played five seasons in Kansas City, during the Chiefs’ “P.M.” era (pre-Mahomes, that is).
Poe was a two-time Pro Bowler while playing on the Chiefs' defensive line but has had four unproductive seasons since then with Atlanta, Carolina, and Dallas.
2011: J.J. Watt, DE, Texans
Remember what I said about a future Hall of Famer drafted with the 11th overall pick? Well, here we are. What else can be said about this legendary Wisconsin lineman? A five-time All-Pro, 101 career sacks, 20 sacks in two different seasons. All that’s missing is a ring, which Watt hopes to find in his new home in Arizona.
2021: And the Giants select...
Earlier this offseason, many Giants fans hoped that the team might land Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the 11th pick. Since then, Pitts has generated a considerable amount of hype and is likely to be off the board by the time New York is on the clock.
Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith doesn’t seem like a realistic possibility either, but that doesn’t mean the Giants can’t take an Alabama receiver if Jaylen Waddle is on the board.
Although a broken ankle prevented him from playing a full season last year, he was electric in the opportunities that he did see the field. Given that each of the Giants’ division rivals has weak defensive backfields, Waddle could be a matchup nightmare if he ends up being the pick.
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