By TomE. Curran
CSNNE.com
The players were coming off the board according to plan in the early portion of the 2011 NFL Draft. And then came No. 8 and the Tennessee Titans. Looking for a replacement for Vince Young, the Titans grabbed Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Locker, after a down 2010, was not expected to go that highly at all. The other surprise was the Atlanta Falcons giving up the 27th, 59th, 124th, andfirst and fourth round picks in 2012for wide receiver Julio Jones out of Alabama. Jonesisrecovering from a stress fracture in his foot and has had hernia issues.And he's a wideout, a dependent position. It's just an eye-popping amoung to give up. Jones is talented enough to be a top-10 pick but that's the kind of bounty an All-Pro would command, not an SEC receiver. For the Patriots -- a team whose greatest needs are pass rusher and offensive line -- only one defensive end has come off the board, Aldon Smith from Missouri. The Cowboys took Tyron Smith, a tackle, from USC. Tom E. Curran canbe reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Tom on Twitter at http:twitter.comtomecurran