The draft was broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 beginning at noon on Saturday, April 26 and beginning at 11:00 am on Sunday, April 27. The draft consisted of seven rounds, with teams selecting in the reverse order of the finish the previous season. There were 32 compensatory picks distributed among 15 teams, with five teams each receiving four additional selections.[5] In addition, the Houston Texans, who started play as an expansion franchise the previous season, were granted a supplemental selection in the middle of each of the draft's final five rounds, plus the final selection in the final two rounds.[6]
There was little drama when the draft began with the Cincinnati Bengals selecting Carson Palmer, as Palmer had agreed to contract terms with the Bengals the previous day. He became the first Heisman Trophy winner selected first overall in the draft since Vinny Testaverdein1987.[7] The event ended nearly 30 hours later with Ryan Hoag being chosen by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick and thus gaining the distinction of "Mr. Irrelevant".[8]
The draft took an odd turn with the Minnesota Vikings and their pick (seventh) in the first round. The Vikings were apparently attempting to consummate a trade when their fifteen-minute time allowance elapsed. The Jaguars who selected next were quick to pounce, turning in their card to select QB Byron Leftwich immediately after the Vikings' time elapsed. The Panthers also took advantage of the gaffe, selecting OT Jordan Gross before the Vikings recovered and selected DT Kevin Williams.[source 1] Nevertheless, the mistake may have worked in the Vikings' favor as Williams went on to be a mainstay in their team, missing only four games in his first 10 seasons in the NFL and making six Pro Bowls.
The colleges with the most players selected in the draft were Florida, Miami and Tennessee which each had eight players chosen.[source 2] Meanwhile, Penn State and Miami each had four players selected in the first round.[9] Eleven defensive linemen were selected in round one, eclipsing the previous record of nine, set in 2001.[source 1] Ten underclassmen were taken in the first round, including three of the first four overall selections.[9] The first round lasted nearly five hours.[source 1] The Buffalo Bills selection of Miami's Willis McGahee as the first running back off the board was notable because he was recovering from a career-threatening injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl which it was believed could have caused him to miss the upcoming season.[7][10]
This draft is notable for its excellent undrafted players, including longtime Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and longtime San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates.
The 262 players chosen in the draft were in the following positions:[source 3]
In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one
^#4: Chicago → New York Jets (PD). Chicago traded this selection to the Jets in exchange for picks #13 (obtained from Washington as compensation for Washington signing Jets' restricted free agent Laveranues Coles) and #22 in the first round and the Jets' fourth-round selection (#116).[source 4]
^#6: Arizona → New Orleans (D). Arizona traded this selection along with picks #37 and #102 to New Orleans in exchange for picks #17 (received from Miami in the Ricky Williams trade), #18 and #54.[source 1]
#13: Washington → New York Jets (PD). The Jets acquired this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington's signing of Jets' restricted free agent WR Laveranues Coles[source 5]
^#15: San Diego → Philadelphia (D). Philadelphia acquired this pick from San Diego for Philadelphia's first-round (#30) and second-round (#62) selections.[source 2]
^#16: Kansas City → Pittsburgh (D). Pittsburgh acquired this pick from Kansas City for Pittsburgh's first-round (#27), third-round (#92) and sixth-round (#200) selections.[source 2]
#18: Miami → New Orleans (PD). New Orleans acquired this pick along with a 2002 first-round selection (with which New Orleans selected DE Charles Grant) from Miami for RB Ricky Williams. This conditional pick became a first-rounder when Williams rushed for over 1,500 yards for Miami in 2002.[source 7]
^#19: New England → Baltimore (D). Baltimore acquired this pick from New England for Baltimore's second-rounder (#41) and Baltimore's first-round selection in 2004[source 2]
^#32: Tampa Bay → Oakland (PD). Oakland acquired this pick – along with Tampa Bay's first- and second-round selections in 2002 and Tampa Bay's second-round selection in 2004. – for the rights to head coach Jon Gruden[source 9]
Round two
^#36: Houston → New England (D). New England acquired this pick and Houston's fourth-round selection (#117) from Houston for Baltimore's second-rounder (#41 see #19: New England → Baltimore) and New England's third-round selection(#75).[source 2]
^#45: Carolina → New England (D). New England acquired this selection from Carolina for New England's second-rounder (#50) and fourth-round selection(#120).[source 2]
#62: Green Bay → Philadelphia (PD). Philadelphia acquired this selection from Green Bay for CB Al Harris and Philadelphia's fourth-round selection(#120).[source 10]
#75: Washington → New England (PD). Washington traded this pick and their fourth-round selection in 2004 (#104) to New England for pick #81 and New England's fifth-round selection (#140), which Washington needed to compensate the New York Jets for Washington's signing of the Jets' restricted free agent KR Chad Morton.[source 11][source 12]
#78: Kansas City → New Orleans (PD). New Orleans acquired this selection from Kansas City in exchange for OT Willie Roaf. [source 13][source 14]
#78: New Orleans → New England (D). New England acquired this selection and New Orleans' seventh-round selection (#239) from New Orleans for safetyTebucky Jones.[source 15]
#78: New England → Miami (PD). New England sent this selection to Miami in exchange for Miami's second-round selection in 2004[source 16]
^#79: Buffalo → Green Bay (D). Green Bay acquired this pick from Buffalo for Buffalo's third-rounder (#94) and Buffalo's fourth-round selection(#127).[source 2]
^#82: Denver → Carolina (D). Carolina acquired this pick from Denver for Carolina's two fourth-rounders (#108) and (#120acquired from New England) and Carolina's seventh-round selection(#227).[source 2]
^#83: Houston → Oakland (D). Oakland acquired this pick and Houston's seventh-round selection (#262) from Houston for Oakland's second-round selection in 2004[source 2]
^#88: Atlanta → Houston (PD). Houston acquired this pick from Atlanta for Houston's fourth round selection(#116) in the 2002 Draft which Atlanta used to select G Martin Bibla.[source 12]
#128: Green Bay → New England (PD). Green Bay traded this pick and their fourth-round selection (#126) in 2002 to New England for WR Terry Glenn[source 18]
#140: Dallas → New England (PD). Dallas traded this pick and a seventh-round selection (#237) in 2002 (with which New England selected RB Antwoine Womack) to New England for New England's fifth-round selection (#168) in 2002 (with which Dallas selected DB Pete Hunter).[source 12]
^#142: Minnesota → Cleveland (PD). Minnesota traded this pick to Cleveland for DL Stalin Colinet.[source 19]
^#143: Jacksonville → Chicago (D). Jacksonville traded this pick to Chicago for two sixth-round selections (#176 and #193) and a seventh-rounder (#218).[source 3]
^#147: Green Bay → Seattle (D). Green Bay acquired this pick from Seattle for Green Bay's fifth-round (#165) and sixth-round (#203) selections.[source 3]
^#150: Kansas City → New York Jets (D). Kansas City traded this pick and their sixth-rounder (#200) to the New York Jets for the Jets fifth-round (#153) and sixth-round (#189) selections.[source 3]
#154: Houston → New England (PD). Houston traded this pick to New England for OT Greg Randall[source 21]
#154: New England → Tennessee (D). New England traded this pick and their seventh-rounder (#225) to Tennessee for Tennessee's fifth-round (#164), sixth-round (#201) and seventh-round (#243) selections.[source 3]
^#166: Philadelphia → Green Bay (D). Philadelphia traded this pick to Green Bay for Green Bay's sixth-round (#185) and seventh-round (#244) selections.[source 3]
#185: Washington → Green Bay (PD). Green Bay acquired this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington signing Green Bay's restricted free agent safety Matt Bowen[source 22]
^#186: Kansas City → Dallas (PD). Dallas acquired this selection along with Kansas City's first-round and third-round picks in 2002 (picks 8 and 75 with which Dallas selected S Roy Williams and CB Derek Ross) in exchange for Dallas' first-round pick in 2002 (#6) with which Kansas City selected DT Ryan Sims.[source 23]
^#190: New Orleans → Minnesota (PD). Minnesota acquired this selection from New Orleans in exchange for QB Todd Bouman.[source 24]
^#191: Miami → Chicago (PD). Chicago acquired this selection and a sixth-round selection in 2002 (#199 with which Chicago selected RB Adrian Peterson) from Miami in exchange for QB Cade McNown and the Dolphins' seventh-round selection in 2002 (#241 with which Miami selected RB Leonard Henry).[source 25]
^#202: Philadelphia → Atlanta (PD). Atlanta acquired this selection and Philadelphia's 2004 fourth-rounder (#125) from Philadelphia for LB Mark Simoneau.[source 26]
#226: Washington → Miami (PD). Miami received this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington's signing of Miami's restricted free agent DT Jermaine Haley.[source 29]
^#7: Minnesota held the 7th pick, but the Vikings did not make their selection in the allotted time. By rule, they could make a selection at any time afterwards, however Jacksonville and Carolina were able to make their own picks before Minnesota could make its own.[source 1]
