The first big shock of the draft didn’t last long. It went precisely four picks, from the time the Titans took Jake Locker eighth overall until the Vikings made Christian Ponder the 12th pick overall and the fourth quarterback selected in the draft.

Cam Newton (No. 1 to Panthers), Jake Locker (No. 8 to Titans), Blaine Gabbert (No. 10 to Jaguars) and Christian Ponder (No. 12 to Vikings) were taken among the top 12 selections in the draft.

Jake Locker, and not Blaine Gabbert, was the second quarterback taken in the 2011 NFL Draft, as the Titans provided the first true surprise pick at eighth overall.

The Cardinals, one of many top-10 teams believed to need a quarterback, passed on the opportunity to select Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert with the fifth overall pick in the draft.

NEW YORK — John Fox kept it fairly simple for his first draft as coach of the Broncos. He is a defensive-minded coach who has always believed that success begins with a strong pass rush.

Fine. I’ll do a mock draft. Seems like everyone else has done it. Then revised it. Then revised it again. Amateurs, all of ‘em. Anyone could list off the top 32 prospects and assign them the NFL team that’d make the most sense. That’s what I call child’s play. If I’m gonna do a mock draft, I’m going deep. So here it is – my mock draft for the seventh round.

Cam Newton is selected first overall at the 2011 NFL Draft.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the media rounds inside Radio City Music Hall before the opening of Thursday night’s draft and sat down for a conversation with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen.

The chants of “We want football!” followed a chorus of boos after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was introduced on the stage Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall before the start of the 2011 NFL Draft.

The 2011 NFL Draft is underway with Red Carpet arrivals.

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis has his photo shoot for the cover of Madden NFL 12.

It’s a longstanding strategy among teams to avoid drafting interior offensive linemen too early, based on their value in relation to other positions. But we know this draft is setting up to be unlike any other.

Radio City Music Hall prepares for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Some scouts and analysts will tell you Patrick Peterson is as talented as any prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft. Some will even go as far as to say that he might very well be the best player in the draft.

With the strong bond of a long-standing friendship, the top two receivers in the 2011 NFL Draft are taking a buddy-system mentality into Thursday night’s first round.