2011 UFL draft

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The 2011 UFL draft was the third and final draft of the United Football League. The draft took place on Monday, May 2, 2011. The draft was held over a period of 10 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams was allowed one pick per round, in reverse order of 2010 finish, with the last-place Hartford Colonials picking first and the champion Las Vegas Locomotives picking last in each round. The expansion Virginia Destroyers took the place of the defunct Florida Tuskers, from whom the Destroyers inherited their staff, in the draft order; the Destroyers also received a "bonus selection" at both the end of the fourth round and the end of the draft, respectively. During rounds one and two, each team had five minutes to make their selection of a player. During rounds three through ten, each team had three minutes to make their selection of a player. The round by round results were announced via the Twitter feeds of each individual coach, as well as through commissioner Michael Huyghue's Twitter feed.

Contents

The UFL moved its draft up to May 2, two days after the end of the 2011 NFL Draft, in part to accommodate the UFL's proposed earlier start in August (since abandoned) for the 2011 season, and also to take advantage of the lockout in the National Football League. Players who went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft could not sign with NFL teams because of the lockout. As a result, the UFL made efforts to draft and sign those players before the lockout was lifted. [1] Pat Devlin, the former Delaware quarterback and one of the higher rated undrafted prospects, was given an offer to be the first overall draft pick, but because the Hartford Colonials also requested he sign a UFL contract as a condition of being picked, Devlin declined. [2] As in previous UFL drafts, players with professional experience were also eligible to be drafted. Overall, 24 undrafted rookies and 28 professional veterans were selected in the draft. [2]

First overall draft pick Jerrod Johnson defected from the UFL to the Philadelphia Eagles in late July 2011, [3] amid rumors that the Colonials were to be contracted. [4] He returned to the UFL for the 2012 season, this time with the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Players selected in the draft remain on each team's reserve/unsigned list until the player signs the league's standard form contract and is added to the roster. [5]

Trades

Draft results

Round one

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
11HartfordQB Jerrod Johnson** Texas A&M
22OmahaCB Reynaldo Hill* Florida
33SacramentoQB Ryan Colburn* Fresno State
44VirginiaDE Martail Burnett* Utah
55Las VegasOT Joel Bell* Furman

Round two

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
16HartfordOG Kurt Quarterman* Louisville
27OmahaDE Jamie Cumbie* Clemson
38SacramentoDE Ugo Chinasa Oklahoma State
49VirginiaDT Ryan Sims** North Carolina
510Las VegasDE Lawrence Wilson* Ohio State

Round three

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
111HartfordC Cecil Newton** Tennessee State
212OmahaOT Joe Toledo* Washington
313SacramentoCB Derrick Roberson Rutgers
414VirginiaRB Adrian N. Peterson* Georgia Southern
515Las VegasWR Eric Peterman* Northwestern

Round four

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
116HartfordOG Ricky Henry Nebraska
217OmahaCB Chris Smith* Northern Illinois
318SacramentoDE Roberto Davis* NW Missouri State
419VirginiaWR Aundrae Allison* East Carolina
520HartfordOL Brad Thorson Kansas
B21VirginiaLB Clint Ingram** Oklahoma

Round five

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
122HartfordRB Philip Tanner* Middle Tennessee State
223OmahaOT Mike Smith Nebraska
324SacramentoLB Spencer Paysinger Oregon
425VirginiaDT Trevor Anderson* Albany
526Las VegasFB Kennedy Tinsley* (later released)North Carolina

Round six

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
127HartfordDE Ervin Baldwin* Michigan State
228OmahaOT D. J. Jones*Nebraska
329SacramentoWR Jamel Hamler Fresno State
430VirginiaDT Ian Scott Florida
531Las VegasQB Mike Tyson Rutgers

Round seven

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
132HartfordTE Greg Smith Texas
233OmahaTE Kyle Nelson New Mexico State
334SacramentoOT Kainoa LaCount* Hawaii
435VirginiaTE Joe Monteverde* Richmond
536Las VegasLB Dave Philistin* Maryland

Round eight

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
137HartfordDT Colby Whitlock Texas Tech
238OmahaQB Jeremiah Masoli* Mississippi
339OmahaDE Brian Johnston Gardner–Webb
440VirginiaRB Wynel Seldon* Wyoming
541Las VegasWR Cameron Colvin*Oregon

Round nine

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
142HartfordDT Jonathan Lewis* Virginia Tech
243OmahaRB Derrick Locke Kentucky
344SacramentoCB Josh Gatlin* North Dakota State
445VirginiaQBDerek Devine* Marshall
546Las VegasRB Mario Fannin Auburn

Round ten

PickOverallTeamPositionNameSchool
147HartfordDE Keith Grennan* Eastern Washington
248OmahaDT Akiem Hicks University of Regina
349SacramentoS Keanemana Silva Hawaii
450VirginiaDB Jahi Word-Daniels* Georgia Tech
551OmahaLB Mark Herzlich Boston College
B52VirginiaWR Jeff Maehl Oregon

[6]

Notes

(* indicates signed for 2011 season) (** indicates signed, but defected to the NFL)

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References

  1. Prospects such as Burney and Herzlich must make decision. NFL.com. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  2. 1 2 Jerrod Johnson No. 1 pick in UFL draft; LB Mark Herzlich among 52 players taken in UFL Draft. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
  3. 'Human Highlight Reel,' Punter Among 11 Eagles Rookie Signees. WCAU. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  4. Hartford Colonials could fold as part of UFL contraction. Associated Press. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  5. "United Football League Announces Plans for June 2 Draft". United Football League. 2010-05-28. Archived from the original on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  6. UFL Press. "2011 ufl draft". UFL. Retrieved 3 May 2011.