St. Louis Rams dream-pick Julio Jones will go to the Cleveland Browns at No. 6 overall as part of the first major trade of the 2011 NFL Draft—Jones will go to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Falcons’ first, second, and fourth picks this year, and first and fourth picks next year. It’s an enormous bounty for the Browns, who will trade a major target for Colt McCoy in exchange for a fleet of picks that could totally remake their team in one offseason.
Julio Jones was the star of the 2011 NFL Combine, running a 4.3 40-yard dash on a broken foot, and moved into the Top 10 right afterward. He’s a fast, immensely physical wide receiver who struggles with his hands and has had problems staying healthy, but with a trade like that he’ll be expected to contribute to Matt Ryan’s offense immediately—and not just with his outstanding blocking.
The Falcons were a major surprise in the Julio Jones sweepstake, but such is the nature of the NFL Draft, especially with the lockout curtailing free agency.