The NFL has made available the list of 56 players who were granted special eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft. Each of the 56 players has met the league’s three-year eligibility rule and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility.
The deadline for receiving applications was January 15th.
The list of players who were granted special eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft includes a number of marquee names and several regional prospects.
The players granted special eligibility for the 2011 NFL Draft:
| Player | Pos. | College |
| Adams, Darvin | WR | Auburn |
| Austin, Marvin | DT | North Carolina |
| Ayers, Akeem | LB | UCLA |
| Baldwin, Jon | WR | Pittsburgh |
| Bowers, Da’Quan | DE | Clemson |
| Brown, DeAndre | WR | Southern Mississippi |
| Burton, Brandon | DB | Utah |
| Casey, Jurrell | DT | Southern California |
| Clay, John | RB | Wisconsin |
| Claytor, Nick | T | Georgia Tech |
| Cobb, Randall | WR | Kentucky |
| Dareus, Marcell | DE | Alabama |
| Doss, Tandon | WR | Indiana |
| Evans, Darren | RB | Virginia Tech |
| Fairley, Nick | DT | Auburn |
| Gabbert, Blaine | QB | Missouri |
| Green, A.J. | WR | Georgia |
| Gurley, Tori | WR | South Carolina |
| Guy, Lawrence | DT | Arizona State |
| Hamler, Jamel | WR | Fresno State |
| Harper, Jamie | RB | Clemson |
| Harris, Brandon | DB | Miami |
| Hill, Will | DB | Florida |
| Houston, Justin | LB | Georgia |
| Hynoski, Henry | RB | Pittsburgh |
| Ingram, Mark | RB | Alabama |
| Jones, Julio | WR | Álabama |
| Keiser, Thomas | LB | Stanford |
| Leshoure, Mikel | RB | Illinois |
| Lewis, Dion | RB | Pittsburgh |
| Lewis, Javes | DB | Oregon |
| Little, Greg | WR | North Carolina |
| Liuget, Corey | DT | Illinois |
| Mallett, Ryan | QB | Arkansas |
| Moore, Rahim | DB | UCLA |
| Newton, Cam | QB | Auburn |
| Parr, Zane | DE | Virginia |
| Peterson, Patrick | DB | Louisiana State |
| Quinn, Robert | DE | North Carolina |
| Ridley, Stevan | RB | Louisiana State |
| Rodgers, Jacquizz | RB | Oregon State |
| Rudolph, Kyle | TE | Notre Dame |
| Sands, Robert | DB | West Virginia |
| Sash, Tyler | DB | Iowa |
| Siliga, Sealver | DT | Utah |
| Smith, Aldon | DE | Missouri |
| Smith, Torrey | WR | Maryland |
| Smith, Tyron | T | Southern California |
| Tarrant, Jerrard | DB | Georgia Tech |
| Todman, Jordan | RB | Connecticut |
| Vereen, Shane | RB | California |
| Watt, J.J. | DE | Wisconsin |
| Wilkerson, Muhammad | DT | Temple |
| Williams, Aaron | DB | Texas |
| Williams, Ryan | RB | Virginia Tech |
| Wilson, Martez | LB | Illinois |
This year’s class of 56 represents the most players granted special eligibility by the NFL in the past 10 years:
| Year | Players Granted Special Eligibility |
| Year | Players Granted Special Eligibility |
| 2011 | 56 |
| 2006 | 52 |
| 2010 | 53 |
| 2005 | 51 |
| 2009 | 46 |
| 2004 | 43 |
| 2008 | 53 |
| 2003 | 47 |
| 2007 | 40 |
| 2002 | 38 |
Under Scott Pioli, the Chiefs have drafted two underclassmen that filed for special draft eligibility:
2010
2009
