The third round featured the end to the biggest slide in the 2011 NFL Draft as Ryan Mallett was finally taken by the New England Patriots. With Bill Belichick at the helm and Tom Brady manning the quarterback spot, the Patriots provide Mallett, whose character concerns are well-documented, a soft landing spot and good chances for success. We also saw the Seattle Seahawks make their second choice and a local product was taken in the third round.
Mason Foster, the tackling machine from Washington, was chosen by Tampa Bay with the 20th pick in the third round. Foster's stock had been rising, with many believe he may end up in the mid-second round ahead of the draft. But even with a third round selection, Foster should be happy with where he was picked, and has a good chance to contribute with the Buccaneers.
Here is the full list of picks, including the Seattle Seahawks selection of John Moffitt.
| 1 | Carolina | Terrell McClain (DT) S Florida |
| 2 | Cincinnati | Dontay Moch (OLB) Nevada |
| 3 | Denver | Nate Irving (ILB) NC State |
| 4 | Buffalo | Kelvin Sheppard (ILB) LSU |
| 5 | Arizona | Robert Housler (TE) FAU |
| 6 | Kansas City | Justin Houston (DE) Georgia |
| 7 | Dallas | Demarco Murray (RB) Oklahoma |
| 8 | New Orleans | Martez Wilson (OLB) Illinois |
| 9 | New England | Stevan Ridley (RB) LSU |
| 10 | New England | Ryan Mallett (QB) Arkansas |
| 11 | Seattle | John Moffitt (OG) Wisconsin |
| 12 | Jacksonville | William Rackley (OG) Lehigh |
| 13 | Tennessee | Jurrell Casey (DT) USC |
| 14 | St. Louis | Austin Pettis (WR) Boise St |
| 15 | Washington | Leonard Hankerson (WR) Miami |
| 16 | San Francisco | Chris Culliver (CB) S Carolina |
| 17 | Oakland | Demarcus Van Dyke (CB) Miami |
| 18 | San Diego | Vincent Brown (WR) SDSU |
| 19 | NY Giants | Jerrel Jernigan (WR) Troy |
| 20 | Tampa Bay | Mason Foster (ILB) Washington |
| 21 | Baltimore | Jah Reid (OT) C Florida |
| 22 | Kansas City | Allen Bailey (DE) Miami |
| 23 | Indianapolis | Drake Nevis (DT) LSU |
| 24 | New Orleans | Johnny Patrick (CB) Louisville |
| 25 | San Diego | Shareece Wright (CB) USC |
| 26 | Philadelphia | Curtis Marsh (CB) Utah St |
| 27 | Atlanta | Akeem Dent (ILB) Georgia |
| 28 | Oakland | Joe Barksdale (OT) LSU |
| 29 | Chicago | Christopher Conte (S) California |
| 30 | NY Jets | Kenrick Ellis (DT) Hampton |
| 31 | Pittsburgh | Curtis Brown (CB) Texas |
| 32 | Green Bay | Alexander Green (RB) Hawaii |
| 33 | Carolina | Sione Fua (DT) Stanford |
We'll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.