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]
Through the 2023 NFL draft, 88 players have been selected first overall, with the most recent being Bryce Young. The Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams have each made the most first overall selections in history with seven. Of the first overall draft picks, 43 have been selected to a Pro Bowl and of those 43, fourteen have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle | C | Center |
LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback | DB | Defensive back |
P | Punter | HB | Halfback | DE | Defensive end |
QB | Quarterback | WR/E | Wide receiver/End | DT | Defensive tackle |
G | Guard | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
* | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game | ||||
‡ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) | ||||
§ | Denotes an expansion team |
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]
Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, and Georgia are tied for most first overall picks with 5 each. Only two schools have had first overall picks in consecutive years: USC, with Ron Yary (1968) and O. J. Simpson (1969), and Oklahoma, with Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019). [111]
Position | Number of selections | Last year selected |
---|---|---|
Quarterbacks | 35 | 2023 |
Running backs | 23 | 1995 |
Defensive linemen | 16 | 2022 |
Offensive linemen | 6 | 2013 |
Wide receivers/tight ends | 5 | 1996 |
Linebackers | 4 | 1988 |
Defensive backs | 1 | 1956 |
David Duke Carr is an American former football quarterback who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Draft. Carr also played for the Carolina Panthers, the New York Giants, and the San Francisco 49ers. As a backup with the Giants, Carr received a Super Bowl ring after their victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLVI. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Bakersfield Christian High School.
David Douglas Garrard is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates and was selected by the Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. Garrard became the team's starting quarterback in 2007, leading them to their first playoff win since 1999. A Pro Bowl selection in 2009, he remained the starter until he was released before the 2011 season.
Trenton Jamond Richardson is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. Considered the top running back prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft, Richardson was considered by some as the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, and was selected third overall by the Cleveland Browns. After being traded away from the Browns to the Indianapolis Colts during his second season, his production saw a massive decline. Having been out of the NFL after five seasons, he is sometimes considered one of the biggest draft busts in league history. He played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football in 2019 and led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Mark Barron is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Alabama, where he was twice recognized as an All-American, and was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. He was drafted as a strong safety by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, where he played for two and a half seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2014, where he moved to the linebacker position. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos.
Shane Patrick-Henry Vereen is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Michael Joseph Glennon is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Miami Dolphins.