The best hits and most notorious misses at No. 11 in recent NFL Draft history
The Tennessee Titans have the No. 11 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday (7 p.m. CT, ESPN), and it had me wondering about the big hits and big misses at that spot throughout history.
Hall of Famers? Check!
Big busts? Check! Check!
From Taylor Lewan, the Titans' last No. 11 pick in the 2014 draft, to Ben Roethlisberger and J.J. Watt and everywhere in between, here's a look at the best hits and most notorious misses since the Titans became the Titans some 23 years ago.
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The best No. 11 NFL Draft picks
2004: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger spent 18 seasons with the Steelers and led the team to Super Bowl titles in 2005 and 2008. He retired following the 2021 season as one of six quarterbacks in NFL history to have beaten at least 31 of the current 32 NFL teams.
2005: DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
Ware spent nine seasons with the Dallas and will be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He became the second Cowboy ever to record at least 14 sacks during the 2007 season and recorded 138.5 sacks in his career before retiring as a Cowboy in 2017.
2006: Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
Cutler instantly dominated in Denver and became a starting quarterback in November of his rookie season. He was traded to the Chicago Bears after three seasons, and led the team to an NFC North title in 2010.
2011: J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
Watt is considered to be one of the greatest defensive linemen of all time and received the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first five seasons. He retired after the 2022 season.
2014: Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans
As the Titans' longest tenured player on the roster, Lewan made an impact on the offensive line and helped Tennessee make the playoffs in 2020 and 2021 despite battling ACL issues. He was cut by the Titans in the offseason.
The worst No. 11 NFL Draft picks
2009: Aaron Maybin, Buffalo Bills
Maybin only played 22 games with Buffalo in two seasons and was waived in 2011. In 48 games through four seasons, he only recorded six sacks with five forced fumbles.
2010: Anthony Davis, San Francisco 49ers
Davis withdrew himself from the league in 2015, stating he wanted time to "let his brain and body heal." He was re-instated in July 2016, then made the decision to retire again that September and was subsequently placed on the reserve/left squad list. He applied for re-instatement again in 2019, and was released from the team's reserve/left squad list.
2016: Vernon Hargreaves, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hargreaves had a good start to his career as a rookie but suffered a hamstring injury that marked the start of his inconsistences. He suffered a shoulder injury that landed him on the injured reserve in 2018 and the Bucs waived him the following season. He spent a season with the Houston Texans before getting picked up by the Begnals, where Hargreaves was penalized 15 yards for running onto the field in Super Bowl 56.
2019: Jonah Williams, Cincinnati Bengals
Williams got surgery on a torn labrum ahead of his rookie season and spent the majority of his career battling injuries. He requested a trade in March 2023 after the Bengals signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
2020: Mekhi Becton, New York Jets
Becton suffered a knee injury in September 2021 that resulted in cartilage damage and was placed on injured reserve. He was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of his right kneecap in August 2022 and Becton was put on injured reserve again and missed the entirety of the season.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2023 NFL Draft history No. 11 pick: Best hits, notorious misses
