At first glance, the a signment from my crack editorial staff at NFL.com seemed harmle s.On the heels of rightfully , the powers that be asked me to provide a Schein Nine ranking the top players from .OK, pretty straightforward, right? Then Glen Rice Jersey I took a glance back at that group ...Um, do you remember this cla s?? Talk about an influx of talent! Man. wasn't 100 percent healthy last year. When he is, the cornerback is a star, a true cornerstone. Peterson is one of my favorite players in the NFL, but the No. 5 overall pick from 2011 isn't on my list below.I voted running back and left tackle first-team All-Pro this past season. Neither one made the cut here. Crazy.Peterson, Smith and Murray were my toughest snubs -- their omi sions kept me up last night. is a star. is an integral piece in D.C. is a budding stud. None of those three made it, either. is the centerpiece of the ' defense. just became . Yet I had to leave both of them off, too.Heck, I didn't even remotely consider or .This is the single most competitive list I've put together in the history of The Schein Nine.Here are my top nine players from the epic 2011 draft cla s, with their respective draft slots listed for quick memory jogging:1) J.J. Watt, DE, Houston TexansRound 1, No. 11 overall pickThe man is carving out an iconic career. Since 2012, Watt has 51.5 sacks. Nobody else is even close to that total. And in that three-year span, he's also swatted a whopping 33 pa ses, forced 12 fumbles and recovered nine. Watt was , marking his second time winning the award in the past three campaigns.Bottom line: Watt is unstoppable and unblockable. Heck -- he even scores touchdowns on offense! And to think, former Jags general manager Gene Smith took one pick ahead of Watt. You can't make that up.2) Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle SeahawksRound 5, No. 154 overallSherman is a real-life Horatio Alger story, going from fifth-round pick to arguably the best corner (and one of the top overall defensive players) Wilton Speight Jersey in the NFL. Since 2011, no player has more picks than Sherman's 24. (In fact, nobody else has even eclipsed 15 in that time period.) It's even more impre sive when you consider how much opposing quarterbacks try to avoid Sherman altogether.He's the emotional leader of the "Legion of Boom" and the pulse of the best defense in the NFL.3) A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati BengalsRound 1, No. 4 overallHe's a bona fide star. Since entering the league in 2011, Green ranks fourth in receiving yards (4,874), ninth in receiving touchdowns (35) and ninth in total receptions (329). And not to completely disparage , but let's be honest: Green has stacked up those figures with mediocre quarterback play.Four years, four 1,000-yard campaigns, four nods. Yeah, I'd say he's lived up to the billing.4) Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City ChiefsRound 3, No. 70 overallKansas City locked up its stud sack artist Wednesday, fittingly making him one of the highest-paid players in the sport by handing out a new contract that includes . Since coming into the league as a third-round pick (fantastic selection by former K.C. GM and brilliant talent evaluator Scott Pioli), Houston has made the three times. Just a fantastic edge defender who gets after the quarterback and stuffs the run.Lost in the shuffle of Watt's transcendent effort last season: a brilliant year from Houston. Although it went criminally undercovered, with an NFL-high 22 sacks, Houston fell a half-sack shy of Michael Strahan's single-season sack record.5) Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta FalconsRound 1, No. 6 overallJones is a bad man. He made my Schein Nine list of last month, and for good reason: Ignas Brazdeikis Jersey When Julio's healthy, Atlanta is a competitor; when he's injured, the have no chance.Since 2011, Jones ranks third in receiving yards per game -- behind only and Jr. (the latter of whom obviously only has one season under his belt). Of course, injuries have robbed Jones of 15 games in his four-year career. Still, since entering the league, he ranks 12th in receiving yards (4,330) and 17th in touchdown grabs (26). This guy is an absolute physical freak -- as opponents like the , whom Jones burned for 259 yards , know well.6) Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis RamsRound 1, No. 14 overallThe defensive lineman is a flat-out beast. Last season, he deflected six pa ses, forced five fumbles and registered 10.5 sacks. This after racking up an NFC-high 19 sacks in 2013. Quinn has 45 sacks in four NFL seasons, and he only started one game as a rookie. Since 2012, Quinn has 40 sacks -- third-best in the NFL, behind only his superstar cla smates, Watt and Houston.Simply put: This guy wrecks games.7) Cam Newton Cazzie Russell Jersey , QB, Carolina PanthersRound 1, No. 1 overallThe just gave Newton based upon his maturation as a player and leader. And he cracks this list while playing the most important position in football. Newton has steadily improved as a throwing quarterback, while his legs remain lethal. With 33 rushing touchdowns since 2011, Cam not only tops the board among quarterbacks, but he ranks fourth among all players -- trailing only (48), (34) and (34).I just wish, for Cam's ultimate development, that the would do a better job surrounding him with more talent. Carolina's finally starting to give Newton some receivers -- having added and over the past two drafts -- but how about an offensive line? ( is the left tackle?!?!) I also have questions about the coaching staff.8) Marcell Dareus, NT, Buffalo BillsRound 1, No. 3 overallThis cat is a true stud. Dareus sacked the quarterback 10 times last year, anchoring the middle for the . And, as colleague Bucky Brooks just noted, Dareus is also .He's the best player Taylor Lewan Jersey on the best defensive line in the NFL. (No, I haven't forgotten about .)9) Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, New York JetsRound 1, No. 30 overallOften times, the easiest way to back up someone's standing on a list like this is to supply a bushel of eye-catching statistics. Obviously, I took that approach with just about everyone above. Wilkerson's stats are strong, for sure, but you have to watch the games to understand his true impact on the .Wilkerson stops the run, rushes the pa ser, takes on double-teams and just makes everyone around him better -- all while serving as a team leader. There's no overstating how important Mo is to the .Follow Adam Schein on Twitter .