The 2011 NFL Draft is taking place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City this weekend, and there has been no shortage of draft picks from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Of the first 60 players drafted, 15 were from ACC schools, according to the ACC's website. The conference's first player drafted was Florida St. Seminoles quarterback Christian Ponder, who was taken No. 12 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
The next ACC player off the board was North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, who was taken No. 14 overall by the St. Louis Rams. Boston College offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo was the ACC's next player drafted, taken No. 22 overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
In the second round, the ACC tied a conference record with 12 players from the conference drafted, the first of which was Virginia Cavaliers cornerback Ras-I Dowling, who went with the first pick of the second round to the New England Patriots. Here's a breakdown of the first three rounds from the ACC's website.
Of the first 60 players chosen for the Draft, 15 came from the ACC, 10 from the SEC; 9 each from the Big Ten and Big 12 and 8 from the Pac-10. In all, the SEC led all conferences with 20 total selections after the third round, including five of the first six in the first round--edging the ACC (19) by one selection 19. The Pac-12 was next with 13, followed by the Big Ten and the Big 12 with 12 players chosen each.
The complete list of ACC players drafted in the first three rounds can be viewed here.
For more on the New England Patriots and their draft, head over to Pats Pulpit. And for all things 2011 NFL Draft related, from the first pick to Mr. Irrelevant and everything in between, check out SB Nation's 2011 NFL Draft Hub and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking The Draft.