With the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft set to get started on Thursday evening, it's time for one last look at the NFL Draft order. Consider this the calm before the storm, and the order is subject to change at any moment. Every year, we see a flurry of trades as teams try to move up, down and all around the draft in an effort to secure the best players possible.
As a reminder, the 2011 NFL Draft is under a unique set of rules. With no collective bargaining agreement in place, trades may only involve draft picks. Where last year the Seahawks traded for Leon Washington and others, this year teams will only be swapping positions in this draft and future drafts.
Here is the order, determined by regular season record. Teams that made the playoffs move to the back of the line, then were ordered by playoff exit and regular season records.
1 (1) Carolina Panthers
2 (2) Denver Broncos
3 (3) Buffalo Bills
4 (4) Cincinnati Bengals
5 (5) Arizona Cardinals
6 (6) Cleveland Browns
7 (7) San Francisco 49ers
8 (8) Tennessee Titans
9 (9) Dallas Cowboys
10 (10) Washington Redskins
11 (11) Houston Texans
12 (12) Minnesota Vikings
13 (13) Detroit Lions
14 (14) St. Louis Rams
15 (15) Miami Dolphins
16 (16) Jacksonville Jaguars
17 (17) New England Patriots (via Oakland Raiders)
18 (18) San Diego Chargers
19 (19) New York Giants
20 (20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21 (21) Kansas City Chiefs
22 (22) Indianapolis Colts
23 (23) Philadelphia Eagles
24 (24) New Orleans Saints
25 (25) Seattle Seahawks
26 (26) Baltimore Ravens
27 (27) Atlanta Falcons
28 (28) New England Patriots
29 (29) Chicago Bears
30 (30) New York Jets
31 (31) Pittsburgh Steelers
32 (32) Green Bay Packers
We’ll be covering the latest news and rumors ahead of Thursday’s first round in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us throughout the day for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream and our Jake Locker StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.