Who was chosen before J.J. Watt
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The Houston Texans drafted J.J. Watt with the 11th pick in 2011. He went on to a superstar career before the announcement Friday he was going to be released by the team. Who were the players chosen before the great defensive lineman?
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert
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Stunningly, after a weak career, Blaine Gabbert, drafted out of Missouri, has something Watt doesn’t: A Super Bowl title and will get a ring. He was Tom Brady’s backup on the Buccaneers after bouncing around the league.
9. Dallas Cowboys Tyron Smith
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Drafted out of USC, Tyron Smith has gone on to be one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler.
8. Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker
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Jake Locker never got it together in the NFL after being drafted No. 8 overall out of Washington. The quarterback, who also could have played Major League Baseball, was 9-14 as a starter and out of football following the 2014 season.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith
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Aldon Smith began his career with the 49ers out of Missouri and seemed destined for mega-stardom. However, abuse issues and problems with the law eventually left him out of the NFL from 2016 until the 2020 season when he resurfaced with the Cowboys. Smith had five of his career 52.5 sacks in 2020.
6. Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones
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The Atlanta Falcons struck gold when they drafted Julio Jones out of Alabama. The gifted wideout has 848 receptions for 12,896 yards and 81 touchdowns.
5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson
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Drafted out of LSU by the Cardinals, Patrick Peterson has been a star in the Arizona secondary. Peterson was a Pro Bowler in each of his first eight seasons in the NFL.
4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green
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Former Georgia star, A.J. Green has been one of the bright spots in Cincinnati. He has 649 career receptions. The knock on Green has to be his injuries. He has played in all 16 games only four times in his NFL career.
3. Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus
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Marcell Dareus has had an up-and-down NFL career. The former Alabama star did not deliver in Buffalo and had multiple suspensions by the league. He eventually was dealt to Jacksonville in 2017 for what turned out to be a fifth-round pick.
2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller
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Von Miller was a tremendous pick by Denver out of Texas A&M. The linebacker has become one of the greats of his generation and has 106 sacks. He missed the 2020 season after suffering a dislocated peroneal tendon in his ankle in a non-contact drill during practice before the 2020 season.
1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
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Cam Newton was a star for many years in Carolina. The Heisman winner from Auburn led the Panthers to a 15-1 season in 2015. They lost the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos, whose star Von Miller was the MVP of the game. Miller was taken with the pick after Newton. The New England Patriots picked up Newton for the 2020 season after he suffered a couple of injury-riddled seasons in Carolina and was released.
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