The National Football League draft is an annual sports draft in which NFL teams select newly eligible players for their rosters. To be eligible, a player must be out of high school for at least three years. Each NFL franchise seeks to add new players through the annual draft. The draft rules were last updated in 2009. The team with the worst record the previous year picks first, the next-worst team second, and so on. Teams also have the option to trade with another team to move up to a better draft position. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by strength of schedule. Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and Super Bowl).[1]
From 1947 through 1958 the first selection was awarded by a random draw. The team which received this "bonus" pick forfeited its selection in the final round of the draft. The winner of the "bonus pick" was eliminated from the draw in future years. By 1958 all twelve clubs in the league at the time had received a bonus choice and the system was abolished.[2][3]
Before the merger agreements in 1966, the American Football League (AFL) directly competed with the NFL and held a separate draft. This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues, along with the subsequent drafting of the same player in each draft. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues held a multiple round "common draft". Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "common draft" simply became the NFL draft.[4][5][6] The draft is one of the most notable events in American sports, with live broadcasts of it produced by ESPN, Fox and ABC.[7]
1942 first overall pick Bill Dudley was the first named NFL MVP and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame1945 first overall pick Charley Trippi retired as the leader in NFL offensive yards1949 first overall pick Chuck Bednarik was one of the last NFL players to play offense and defense1957 first overall pick Paul Hornung was the first Heisman Trophy winner inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame1969 first overall pick O. J. Simpson was the first running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and the only to do so in a 14-game season1970 first overall pick Terry Bradshaw was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls1978 first overall pick Earl Campbell led the NFL in rushing yards three times and in rushing touchdowns twice1983 first overall pick John Elway was the first quarterback to start in five Super Bowls1985 first overall pick Bruce Smith is the NFL leader in quarterback sacks1989 first overall pick Troy Aikman helped establish the Dallas Cowboys as a dynasty during the 1990s1997 first overall pick Orlando Pace protected three consecutive NFL MVPs as their offensive tackle1998 first overall pick Peyton Manning holds the record for NFL MVP awards
Nine teams have made the playoffs in the same season in which they made the first overall selection in the draft. They were the 1968 Minnesota Vikings, 1978 Houston Oilers, 1982 New England Patriots, 1991 Dallas Cowboys, 2004 San Diego Chargers, 2008 Miami Dolphins, 2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013 Kansas City Chiefs, and the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars.
No team has ever gone from the first overall pick to a Super Bowl win in the same season. The Minnesota Vikings lost Super Bowl IV the year after they had the first overall pick, the Dallas Cowboys lost Super Bowl X the year after they had the first overall pick, the New England Patriots lost Super Bowl XX the year after they had the first overall pick, and the Cincinnati Bengals lost Super Bowl LVI the year after they had the first overall pick.
The Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams have each held the first overall pick a total of seven times, the most of any NFL team. This includes the Colts' time in Baltimore and the Rams' time in Cleveland and St. Louis. The Boston Yanks are the only defunct franchise to have held a first overall pick.[81]
^Jay Berwanger did not sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles traded his rights to the Chicago Bears; he did not sign with them either.
^Billy Cannon signed with the AFL team Houston Oilers rather than the Los Angeles Rams.
^Ernie Davis was subsequently traded to the Cleveland Browns after being drafted by the Washington Redskins.
^ abcBecause of the NFL–AFL merger agreement, the history of the AFL is officially recognized by the NFL and therefore this list includes the common draft for the years 1967, 1968, and 1969.
^Tom Cousineau chose to sign with the CFL team Montreal Alouettes over the Buffalo Bills.
^John Elway was subsequently traded to the Denver Broncos after being drafted by the Baltimore Colts.
^College seniors who had already signed with the USFL or CFL were not eligible for the regular draft. Instead the NFL held a three-round special draft on June 5, 1984. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Steve Young first overall in that draft.
^Bo Jackson did not sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and chose to enter the 1987 NFL draft the following year.
^The Cleveland Browns – via the Buffalo Bills originally – possessed the number one overall pick but because they selected Bernie Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft, the pick was subsequently given to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
^The Dallas Cowboys originally possessed the number one overall pick but because they selected Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft, the pick was given to the Indianapolis Colts who originally held the second overall pick.
^"Ki Aldrich NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ abc"Bill Dudley NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1947 Chicago Cardinals". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"1949 Philadelphia Eagles". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^"1960 Philadelphia Eagles". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^"Leon Hart NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Kyle Rote NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Billy Wade NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1958 Baltimore Colts". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ abc"Paul Hornung NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1961 Green Bay Packers". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"1966 Green Bay Packers". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"Tommy Nobis NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Bubba Smith NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1970 Baltimore Colts". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ ab"Ron Yary NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ abc"O.J. Simpson NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1974 Pittsburgh Steelers". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"1979 Pittsburgh Steelers". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ ab"1980 Oakland Raiders". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^"1983 Los Angeles Raiders". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"1986 Oakland Raiders". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"1987 Washington Redskins". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ abcd"John Elway NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1997 Denver Broncos". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"Irving Fryar NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ ab"Bruce Smith NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Bo Jackson NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ abc"Troy Aikman NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ ab"1992 Dallas Cowboys". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ ab"1993 Dallas Cowboys". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^ ab"Orlando Pace NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"1999 St. Louis Rams". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
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^"Bo Jackson NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^ ab"Eli Manning NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"2011 New York Giants". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^"2007 New York Giants". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
^"Jake Long NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Cam Newton NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
^"Andrew Luck NFL Statistics". Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2010.