The 2011 NFL Draft is set for April 28-30, which means we are exactly 100 days away from one of the more interesting and appealing non-sports sporting events of the year. The Carolina Panthers have the No. 1 overall pick, and since Stanford's Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford, could be shifting their attention to Auburn's Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle slated to be the top pick according to SB Nation's most recent 2011 NFL Mock Draft.
The New England Patriots have a pair of first-round picks: their own selection, which is No. 28 after their early departure from the playoffs, and the No. 17 overall pick, acquired from the Oakland Raiders in the Richard Seymour trade.
Bill Belichick and company also have the first pick in the second round (No. 33 overall, via the Carolina Panthers).
The complete list of New England's 2011 NFL Draft picks (via Mike Reiss at ESPN Boston):
1a. From Oakland (17th)
1b. Original pick (28th)
2a. From Carolina (33rd)
2b. Original pick (60th)
3a. From Minnesota
3b. Original pick
4. Original pick/From Denver*
5. Original pick
6. Original pick/From Saints*** The Patriots traded a fourth-round draft choice to Seattle for Deion Branch. They owned two fourth-rounders -- their own and one from Denver in the Laurence Maroney trade -- and the team has not confirmed which pick it traded to Seattle.
** The Patriots traded Laurence Maroney and a sixth-round pick to Denver for a fourth-round pick. The team has not confirmed which sixth-round pick it traded -- its own, or one acquired from New Orleans for David Thomas.
So the Patriots have three of the first 33 picks, and nine overall. But knowing them, chances are they won't actually use all those picks, and will likely instead package some for more picks in later rounds and years to come.